First time Tractor buyer

[mrlullabye]

I am probably not the first guy to ask for first time tractor buying help, but I won't be the last either. I will try to be direct.

I am 6'2 and I have come to realize that the smallest of tractors (such as a Yanmar 1500) is too small for me because my size 12 boots don't fit down to the floor between the petals without some acrobatics, and the steering wheel is too low and will bind on my thighs. So I need a somewhat larger then the compactest of tractors.

I own 9 acres of rolling sandy clay with some jap grass, bermuda grass, bahaya grass, and countless sand spurs(most of the year it is bone dry.) It has all been bushhogged or painstakingly cut with a riding lawnmower that has about wore out my back end in the last month. I want to keep it cut and looking good sort of resembling a lawn. I think I need a finish mower for this, I think 6 or 7 foot. So I need the tractor to be big enough to handle a 6 foot finisher at least.

I am going to be building a barn and house over the next few years and would like a front end loader for raising walls, maintaining washouts, and moving heavy stuff. I have heard 4wd is real good for this.

So those are my needs big enough for me to comfortably operate and cut 9 acres of grass on without a chiropractor in tow. Front end loader preferably 4wd.

I have the money to afford any of the following, but like anyone else with any brains I know spending the least I can in the long run isn't a bad option. So if you would read over the following and let me know what sounds like a good idea and what sounds bad. I also want to eventually get a PTO generator for hurricane season in the gulf coast.

2 year old JD 3203 with 129 hours 4WD HST, 5 foot front end loader and 5 foot finisher $13000 (This tractor looks brand new, I drove it and it drives like brand new)

Massey 205-4 4wd 20HP w/loader the guy says it needs a flywheel, idler pulley, and he was unable to figure out how to operate the PTO and 2 point, but he also admitted he had never used a tractor and he got this tractor from some guys who used to work it. $1900

Massey 220-4 4wd 30hp w/loader guy says it runs and operates fine has a small leak in one of the loader cylinders but he still uses it around his place. $4700

Or Grey market, there is a guy in town who recons yanmars and shibauras locally and he does a real good job, he has quotes me stuff like a 35 HP shibaura for $10,800 w/loader. His work looks real good.

there is also used grey market like a 23hp Zennoh 2wd with 6foot finisher and loader for $6000.

I am torn, I know if the money was not an issue I would go with the JD. Money being an issue I dont know if it is better to go ahead and get a used Massey and be prepared to work on it myself, with the hope it has never been jacked up in a recon facility. Or get the local reconditioner to do it and take advantage of him being local and giving a 1 year warranty.

Part of me thinks if I am going to spend 10.8 on the refurb I might aswell spend $13k for the JD.

I don't know how hard it is to work on a tractor, but I rebuild the engines in my cars, change the clutch in my front wheel and rear wheel vehicles. I have even retrofitted a ford V8 into a Mazda RX7 so I am mechanically inclined enough to do just about anything IMO, I have never worked on a transmission manual or auto except for peerless out of a riding mower.

So for someone who can afford the JD, but might not mind working on the used stuff, whats the way to go? I am a little leary of buying the grey market whether used or freshly refurbished because I know from trying to make things work myself often you dont end up with all OEM parts, and I also dont want to be looking for a part 5, 10, or even more years down the road and not having any distribution network.



If you read all of that thanks, I appreciate it I really need some advice here.

 

[timswi]

A Kubota B or maybe a BX might be a good choice. the 9 Acres of cutting might be a bit much for a BX though. 60" deck might get through it. I'm 6'0 and my bx is like a caddy as far as running it.

I'm not sold on the grey market stuff..That's a big risk with that kind of money.


Maintenance is easier than you would imagine, in fact my BX is easier to maintain than my Tahoe or GMC 1500.

Good luck.

 

[timswi]

Forgot to add this Kubota Tractor USA - Tractors and Accessories

You can build you machine and get the MSRP. I'm sure you can beat the price shown in this environment. When I bought mine in 04 everyone was fat, dumb and happy, so deals were harder to come by.

Use it as a comparison anyway. May find that buying new isn't such a bad deal given that nice machines go for nice money!!

 

[carpenter383]

From the limited info in your description I think if it were me I'd be looking at the massey 220, hydraulic cylinders aren't a big deal to fix.....I think I'd get the JD over a grey market for the price difference, less hrs, better parts availabilty and better resale

 

[mrlullabye]

The only problem with the massey's is they are both about 4-5 hour drives away. so sight unseen basically

 

[skyline]

My local bobcat dealer has been offering a $3500 upfront rebate on their CT series. That made their 27hp CT225 $10300 which was many 1000's less than orange or green for a brand new tractor with bobcat service which IMO is way more professional than others, and I liked their 3pt hitch setup much better. Kioti makes the tractor, the loader spec'd by bobcat from someone else, don't know who. I think the size is good for you. My only complaint for my use in the woods was their stock bucket -short, shallow but wide, not so good in the trees or for carrying firewood, but for your 9 acres with sand, it may be great.

It's great that you can do your own work, but if you have a house and barn to build, you'll probably have more important/valuable things to do than work on a tractor.

cheers and let us know what you decide

 

[mjncad]

I'd go with the Deere given the condition you describe and their extensive dealer network for parts and service.

I don't know diddly about Massey's other than the name as there aren't many dealers selling them in my area.

I'd be real leery of gray market for the parts and service factor.

That one Massey sounds pretty worn out and possibly abused, so I would pass on it if it were me.

You mention you are mechanically inclined, and stuffing a V8 into an RX-7 was no easy task; but ask yourself what you'd rather be doing...working on projects using my tractor, or working on my tractor.

Good luck, and let us know what you decide.

 

[woodlandfarms]

With your built in swim fins you may want to drive the Kubota first before you buy if that is the direction you choose. The foot controls on all of these tractors seem to be designed for the less gifted..

 

[rfk]

I 'm not sure where you are , but Massey has zero percent finance for 72 months and some of the others zero per cent fot 60 months. Depending on your choice payment could be as low . Somewhere in the $200.00 to $300.00 range. If that works you can spend you mechinical time greeseing it good before you you use it.

 

[Soundguy]

Don't overlook the other major brands.. everybody has something to offer. I lean toward blue myself.

check out some low hour lease returns or trades. something inthe 30hp range should run a 6' finish mower don't get too wide if you have rolling terraine.

4wd will be a plus, especially if you also want a loader.

sounds likely you want new or barely used.. otherwise I'd tell you to look at an older ford.. say a 2000/3000 3 cyl model..

soundguy

 

[dodge man]

The J.D. doesn't sound like a bad deal. Like others have said, look around a little bit more at some of the other brands that may be available in your area.

 

[RWolf]

The JD sounds good. If you want to buy immediately and start using go that route. If you want to wait abit then look around. I also am not a big fan of gray market tractors. If I had a good working machine (which I do) and wanted to work on a tractor for fun then I'd look at the Massy's you listed. But for a prime mover then get something you don't have to work on immediately.

 

[RWolf]

The JD sounds good. If you want to buy immediately and start using go that route. If you want to wait abit then look around. I also am not a big fan of gray market tractors. If I had a good working machine (which I do) and wanted to work on a tractor for fun then I'd look at the Massy's you listed. But for a prime mover then get something you don't have to work on immediately.

 

[flusher]

I am probably not the first guy to ask for first time tractor buying help, but I won't be the last either. I will try to be direct.

I am 6'2 and I have come to realize that the smallest of tractors (such as a Yanmar 1500) is too small for me because my size 12 boots don't fit down to the floor between the petals without some acrobatics, and the steering wheel is too low and will bind on my thighs. So I need a somewhat larger then the compactest of tractors.

I own 9 acres of rolling sandy clay with some jap grass, bermuda grass, bahaya grass, and countless sand spurs(most of the year it is bone dry.) It has all been bushhogged or painstakingly cut with a riding lawnmower that has about wore out my back end in the last month. I want to keep it cut and looking good sort of resembling a lawn. I think I need a finish mower for this, I think 6 or 7 foot. So I need the tractor to be big enough to handle a 6 foot finisher at least.

I am going to be building a barn and house over the next few years and would like a front end loader for raising walls, maintaining washouts, and moving heavy stuff. I have heard 4wd is real good for this.

So those are my needs big enough for me to comfortably operate and cut 9 acres of grass on without a chiropractor in tow. Front end loader preferably 4wd.

I have the money to afford any of the following, but like anyone else with any brains I know spending the least I can in the long run isn't a bad option. So if you would read over the following and let me know what sounds like a good idea and what sounds bad. I also want to eventually get a PTO generator for hurricane season in the gulf coast.

2 year old JD 3203 with 129 hours 4WD HST, 5 foot front end loader and 5 foot finisher $13000 (This tractor looks brand new, I drove it and it drives like brand new)

Massey 205-4 4wd 20HP w/loader the guy says it needs a flywheel, idler pulley, and he was unable to figure out how to operate the PTO and 2 point, but he also admitted he had never used a tractor and he got this tractor from some guys who used to work it. $1900

Massey 220-4 4wd 30hp w/loader guy says it runs and operates fine has a small leak in one of the loader cylinders but he still uses it around his place. $4700

Or Grey market, there is a guy in town who recons yanmars and shibauras locally and he does a real good job, he has quotes me stuff like a 35 HP shibaura for $10,800 w/loader. His work looks real good.

there is also used grey market like a 23hp Zennoh 2wd with 6foot finisher and loader for $6000.

I am torn, I know if the money was not an issue I would go with the JD. Money being an issue I dont know if it is better to go ahead and get a used Massey and be prepared to work on it myself, with the hope it has never been jacked up in a recon facility. Or get the local reconditioner to do it and take advantage of him being local and giving a 1 year warranty.

Part of me thinks if I am going to spend 10.8 on the refurb I might aswell spend $13k for the JD.

I don't know how hard it is to work on a tractor, but I rebuild the engines in my cars, change the clutch in my front wheel and rear wheel vehicles. I have even retrofitted a ford V8 into a Mazda RX7 so I am mechanically inclined enough to do just about anything IMO, I have never worked on a transmission manual or auto except for peerless out of a riding mower.

So for someone who can afford the JD, but might not mind working on the used stuff, whats the way to go? I am a little leary of buying the grey market whether used or freshly refurbished because I know from trying to make things work myself often you dont end up with all OEM parts, and I also dont want to be looking for a part 5, 10, or even more years down the road and not having any distribution network.



If you read all of that thanks, I appreciate it I really need some advice here.

If you've pulled car engines, then splitting a tractor is not big deal. You probably have all the tools you need for tractor repair work already.

When I bought my 10 acres of flat pasture in 2005, I bought my first tractor--a new 2005 Kubota B7510HST (3 cyl diesel, 4WD, power steering, hydrostatic tranny, 21 hp engine, 17 hp pto) with the LA302 FEL (4-ft bucket, around 800 lb lift capability). Cost: $12,600 plus tax. I added a King Kutter 4-ft brush hog ($550 or so from TSC), a used Yanmar 1200 rototiller (48" wide, $300 from my local grey market tractor guy) for landscape work around the new house, a King Kutter middle buster plow/subsoiler combo ($140 from TSC), a King Kutter box blade (48" wide, ~$300 from TSC). That was enough tractor to get a lot of the work done when my new house was constructed (landscaping, paver block sidewalks and patio, small shed construction, veg garden, etc). No problems with the tractor--Kubota makes excellent stuff.

Last year I decided to plant hay so I traded the 7510 for a new 2008 Mahindra 5525 (4 cyl diesel, 2WD, power steering, gear tranny, 54 hp engine, 45 hp pto) with the ML250 FEL (6-ft bucket, ~3000 lb lift capability). I mention this only to encourage you to think ahead a few years and possibly buy a sufficiently large tractor now to handle larger size work you foresee in the next 4-5 years.

 

[Erik_in_Hoyt]

I look at it this way:
10,800 for a Shiabura + 1200 more for the mower gets you 12000 into a machine with a LOT of hours on it (many of the gray "rebuilders" are actually "refurbishers" so you're getting a machine that been used a LOT then fluids, filters and hoses replaced on this side of the pond)

13000 for a JD with loader + finish mower is not a bad deal, and it'll still be worth close to that in 5 years.

Massey 220-4 for $4700 isn't a bad price, but 4-5 hours each way just to look at it doesn't sound very good to me.

of the 4 you mention, JD sounds like your best option.

OTOH, shopping around to look at other dealers within an hour or so to take advantage of low rate financing is also a good idea. (32-40 HP is a good range for house building, as many of the models in that range have an 8-9 foot max height on the loader which is great for lifting materials to the second floor)

 

[mrlullabye]

Today I ran across a 4 year old Farmtract 360DTC 39 HP 4WD with loader 700 hours. Everything looked acceptable the seat was a little cracked and the grill insert was busted, other then that everything seemed ok. $7500 not bad.

I think I am going to be taking that one home with me.

 

[PAB_OH]

You know about what they (Farmtrac) are going through, right? I've not kept up on it so I won't say too much but you may want to visit the "All Other Brands" section.

 

[LAWALLSTRACTOR]

Today I ran across a 4 year old Farmtract 360DTC 39 HP 4WD with loader 700 hours. Everything looked acceptable the seat was a little cracked and the grill insert was busted, other then that everything seemed ok. $7500 not bad.

I think I am going to be taking that one home with me.

The Farmtrac is made by LG out of South Korea, and has connections with McCormick, and Montant here in the states, so I don't believe that there should be any problem getting parts for it, and it is a well made tractor. I would go for it.

 

[mrlullabye]

There is a dealer about an hour from here who has had them for years. I always thought they were Fords, but when I got to looking at a distributor for parts realized it was them.

I also called sundowner tractor and master tractor who both said parts should not be a problem. They both indicated it was not so much that Farmtrac doesn't exist anymore, just the company has changed ownership. I personally work for a small investor funded startup and I know all about the company being owned by someone else.

It sounds like agood deal all the way around the more I think about it.

 

[Eric102]

I'm about the same size as you, 6'3" with size 12's and found that the JD 33xx series were by far the most comfortable to operate, especially the location of the HST pedals. The only others I tried were comparable blues, orange's and Massey's, all with HST, so can't comment on the other brands or the gear versions.

If you are going to be sitting on the tractor for hours (and 9 acres will be lots of hours!) make sure knees or ankles aren't at awkward angles or you will be in pain that night and the next day.

Also for loader or box blade work make sure you can easily operate the pedals while your body is twisted around looking backwards. I found that fairly difficult for me with some of the single pedal HST's.