First Tractor- HELP ME!!!

[Don87]

i should have been more specific: i own 12 acres, of which approximately 5 is grass. have about 4 acres of field - which i will leave a field, and like 3 acres of a mash between barns/trees/pond/misc.

i dont think that i will be lifting 1000 lb rocks, or 1000 lbs OF rock... but hey ya never know!

just spoke with a Mahindra rep, and he quoted me the Max 25 with a Mower, loader, and 5 ft blade for 16k, which was higher than the quotes for a 1 series or a larger BX. now i REALLY am confused. i have not read much about the mahindra up until this point....

this is going to be a harder decision than i thought!

Mahindra used the SCUT classification just to confuse new buyers. The Max 25 is actually a CUT machine. it should be compared to the Kubota B2630, Massey 1526 and so forth.

But with that said, and I'm not sure the others noticed, but you are up to 9 acres of mowing now. I personally think you need a larger machine than you have been looking at. While a sub-compact will do it, I don't think it's a wise decision. You need something like in the Massey 1529 class, or a little larger maybe.

 

[jenkinsph]

From what I can gather from your posts so far most of what you are doing is mowing. If you have alot of obstacles, trees, buildings and confined areas you might be better off getting a good dedicated mower first.

A better discription of the property to be maintained would help us help you. Depending on your site conditions a scut may be the perfect fit but a zero turn and a good used older tractor might be better too. Twelve acres can shrink a tractor if you do much more than mow with it.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I think I read that you have some marshy area. You may want to get something with more ground clearance than the BX with its tiny tires and barely 6" of ground clearance. If you bog even a little you will be on the ground. If you want Kubota move up to the B series and you will get that much clearance under your belly mower, which I like but also hate. I like the fact that you can see what your are doing with it but I hate that it limits your ground clearance to about 8" when installed. It will also be harder when sharpening the blades compared to a rear finish mower especially if you have an FEL, just pick it up with the FEL from one side and remove them where with a belly mower you're going to have to take it off to get to them (I think)
I drove my daughters B 2920 and it handle really well with light tracking even in their sandy soil I could hardly tell where I had driven over the grass and then only because it was laid over slightly and it had R4 tires. It is a very nimble little tractor but still big enough to handle an FEL bucket full of sand well.

 

[woodlandfarms]

I will interject my 2c here. Buying is not about the tractor but about the service. You need to meet the service managers, look at the shop. These machines break, it is just what the do. Some more than others but I feel that all the major players offer the same level of quality in the end. Price points, comfort, extras, are what we look at, but in the end service and parts is what wevrely on the most.

Carl

 

[Coginchaug]

When you look at price, Massey is giving about a 4k discount on the 15xx series until the end of the month. I was just today quoted on the 1526 and 1529 and was impressed with the numbers in Litchfiled CT. We also had a **** of a deer run thru the parking lot at about 2:00 when we were testing the tractors. I have to say the ROPS on the 1526 sure looks strange. We liked the hydrolic layout on the 1526 FEL itself much better then the 1529, but the drivers area on the 1529 was superior.
Carl from Woodlawn makes a great point service is a factor not be neglected.

Coginchaug means "Long Swamp"

 

[Don87]

When you look at price, Massey is giving about a 4k discount on the 15xx series until the end of the month. I was just today quoted on the 1526 and 1529 and was impressed with the numbers in Litchfiled CT. We also had a **** of a deer run thru the parking lot at about 2:00 when we were testing the tractors. I have to say the ROPS on the 1526 sure looks strange. We liked the hydrolic layout on the 1526 FEL itself much better then the 1529, but the drivers area on the 1529 was superior.
Carl from Woodlawn makes a great point service is a factor not be neglected.

Coginchaug means "Long Swamp"

For your purposes, I would lean more towards the 1529, or similar sized machine with 4 wheel drive. And if they are offering a 4k discount............I would jump.

Good reviews on the 1529.:thumbsup:

 

[Gary Fowler]

I almost bought a 1652 cab with QPS transmission but in the end, I found the LS tractor P 7010C to have superior everything for the same money. I do like the QPS technology but it is only available with a cab tractor so it must be a bit sensitive to weather. In the end I opted for simple gear with manual hard linkages to shifting. Couldn't get away from the electronic PTO, 4 wheel drive engagement and diff. lock although I would have preferred simple levers to engage them all.

 

[Gary Fowler]

When I was looking at new tractors, I found that some of the models that folks here were raving about just didnt fit me at all.
A word of advice, read the forum advice but go sit on one. Check the seat adjustment-can it hold your weight and feel comfortable- B.I.L.'s NH has to be adjusted as tight as it will go to support 240 pounds and still bottoms out hard on bumps.
Check the controls like FELcontrols, 3PH lift even gear shifts to see if they are comfortable to use
Check the hydrostatic controls(most folks here get one) and see if you like the way it operates-realize that some getting used to position and operation may be needed, but if it is just awkward, look for another brand or model.

Finally test drive the actual tractor that you want to buy and make sure everything works. ONE poster here got a tractor that the PTO wouldnt work when he got it and the dealer has had it back 3 times and still not working. A good check prior to buying it would have noticed that and shifted to another unit. IF you are buying any equipment with it, hook it up to that equipment and if possible see how well it operates.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I will interject my 2c here. Buying is not about the tractor but about the service. You need to meet the service managers, look at the shop. These machines break, it is just what the do. Some more than others but I feel that all the major players offer the same level of quality in the end. Price points, comfort, extras, are what we look at, but in the end service and parts is what wevrely on the most.

Carl

I disagree with this totally. Parts can be had online cheaper than driving to a dealer for them in most cases. It is mostly about the tractor. Sure service is good to look at just in case you may need it, but I would hope that my tractor never goes back to the dealer. I do my own oil changes and minor maintenance so unless I have a major malfunction, I dont want to see the dealer again. Lots of folks here talk about service and friendly this and that, but lets face it. DO you really want a lot of friendly folks around while your tractor is constantly in the shop? I think everyone would prefer that they never have to go back to the shop. Sure there are a few folks that dont even change their oil but I am not one of those.
I like to have a friendly knowledgeable dealer to deal with, but the right tractor at the right price is more important to me

 

[nwngunner]

I disagree with this totally. Parts can be had online cheaper than driving to a dealer for them in most cases. It is mostly about the tractor. Sure service is good to look at just in case you may need it, but I would hope that my tractor never goes back to the dealer. I do my own oil changes and minor maintenance so unless I have a major malfunction, I dont want to see the dealer again. Lots of folks here talk about service and friendly this and that, but lets face it. DO you really want a lot of friendly folks around while your tractor is constantly in the shop? I think everyone would prefer that they never have to go back to the shop. Sure there are a few folks that dont even change their oil but I am not one of those.
I like to have a friendly knowledgeable dealer to deal with, but the right tractor at the right price is more important to me

Doing your own oil changes are one thing, doing real service is another. My local bobcat/white dealer "being i have an oliver tractor" is an *******. When you have an issue, if you call him he doesnt want to help you unless you bring the tractor in to him. I blew a pin on the skid steer and needed to find out what thread size the nut and parts were, he acted like he really didnt want to help me. After the money spent with them they still act that way. I am sorry that i am capable of putting in my own clutch and rebuilding the engine. That i dont need to give them 1,500 bucks to do a one day repair for me.

Just like the dealer i bought my first atv from, complete waste of time. Go in spend 12,000 dollars with them and the next time you come in your nothing. I drove 500+miles to get my next atv just because of the service i had gotten from them.

So in the end, its about buying service along with the tractor. Your going to have questions and need answers. Need to do business with some one who is willing to talk to you. To many times i walked in to places looking to buy a skid loader and never even got asked if they could help us.

You would think as "bad" as the economy is, the dealers would bend over backwards to help with w/e you need.

 

[Martian]

Doing your own oil changes are one thing, doing real service is another. My local bobcat/white dealer "being i have an oliver tractor" is an *******. When you have an issue, if you call him he doesnt want to help you unless you bring the tractor in to him. I blew a pin on the skid steer and needed to find out what thread size the nut and parts were, he acted like he really didnt want to help me. After the money spent with them they still act that way. I am sorry that i am capable of putting in my own clutch and rebuilding the engine. That i dont need to give them 1,500 bucks to do a one day repair for me.

Just like the dealer i bought my first atv from, complete waste of time. Go in spend 12,000 dollars with them and the next time you come in your nothing. I drove 500+miles to get my next atv just because of the service i had gotten from them.

So in the end, its about buying service along with the tractor. Your going to have questions and need answers. Need to do business with some one who is willing to talk to you. To many times i walked in to places looking to buy a skid loader and never even got asked if they could help us.

You would think as "bad" as the economy is, the dealers would bend over backwards to help with w/e you need.

I agree. I'm not going to give my money to incompetent people. If you try to tell me that you've never walked out on a deal because of someone's unwillingness to bargain, be friendly or actually do some work for the sale, you are lying. I've walked out on better deals because a guy keeps breaking his word, acting like an idiot or some other stupid thing that makes me question if I'll ever see my product. If all we did was look for the best price and not question morals of people, all these people with craigslist accounts would be millionaires selling their same product over and over again for 1/100th of the actual value. Dealers are VERY important - and so is their integrity. Find a good dealer that will be nice to work with when something goes wrong. You have to go to he DEALER to to get parts, even if they aren't going to repair it. Also for warrantee work I sure as heck wouldn't want a bunch of bafoons working on my tractor and possibly just making it worse. Do yourself a favor and find a good dealer. Buy from who is giving you a fair price and willing to back you up.

 

[DAY]

If you are looking for a toy, then anyone can sell you one!
Does the dealer also sell snowmobiles, jet skis, ATVs? And clothing for each?
Or is half the "show room" filled with tractor parts in bins, and is the part department three times that size? Is the service department working on "real" tractors? Is the "outback" filled with used machinery- not just tractors, but discs, posthole augers, and manure spreaders?

Will they talk to you like a neighbor, not a customer?

 

[bsinhc50]

After trolling these parts for quite some time, and debating whether or not to buy a ZTM or a tractor, i have decided to go for a tractor. Been having some trouble finding the right people to talk to for good hoenst reviews, but it really looks like this is the place.

I own 12 acres and would like to use a tractor to load/haul wood and rock, do some light grading, mow my 5 acres of grass, and for snow removal purposes. I assume i'll need a loader, a mower deck, 5 ft. blade, and a ballast box.

Been looking at JD (1023 & 1026) and Kubotas (BX2360, BX2660) and quotes for these ones with all my implements are aroound 15k. not sure what else is out there but should i be looking at other tractors? I have never owned a tractor before so i want to do this the right way.

I appreciate any/all help that you guys can give me here... thanks again!

If I were you, I'd check out the Yanmar SC2400 and compare it to the tractors you've listed above and the ones that have been suggested on here by others. For the size of the property you have, the SC2400 would be a perfect fit. I know, because I owned one until last week. I bought it in 2009 and it proved to be a good machine, overall, but being we have 50 acres it was just a bit too small for everything I needed it to do so last week I traded it in on a Yanmar EX3200. As for the SC2400 it was set up with a FEL, 60in mmm, grille guard, and loaded tires and all that cost me $13000. Even though I had a few minor issues with it, it was one heck of a good machine and everything was taken care of by the dealer so I never paid a cent for anything. Seeing you are in New York, look up Emerich Sales and Service and give Kevin a call. He sells both Kubotas and Yanmars and I'm sure he'd help you find the right tractor that suits you. I didn't buy from him but do know he has posted a lot of good info on both this site and tos to help everyone with their decisions. Good Luck in your decision....Bill

 

[carhartt56]

I bet he is really confused now , but it all has to be thought about so he can find the right fit for him .

DK 40 SE

 

[bsinhc50]

I bet he is really confused now , but it all has to be thought about so he can find the right fit for him .

DK 40 SE

No doubt he is confused, but he came to the right site that has the people and information which will help him sort out which tractor to buy while getting the most out of the money he's about to spend.

 

[Tractordawg]

I am a fan of Kubota. One reason is they manufacture their own tractor. JD is made by Yanmar and I think Massey is an Iseki. I have seen these relationships break down with other types of equipment and then parts can be hard to find.

Something to consider.

 

[Martian]

I am a fan of Kubota. One reason is they manufacture their own tractor. JD is made by Yanmar and I think Massey is an Iseki. I have seen these relationships break down with other types of equipment and then parts can be hard to find.

Something to consider.

JD uses Yanmar engines in some of their smaller tractors - but everything else is designed and built by DEERE. The only JD tractors left that are 100% made by Yanmar is the 2x20's, 3005 and 4005. To say they won't have parts is also very misleading. Companies have outsourced tractors for years without any problems. You don't think Kubota outsources some of their engineering, designing and even production you are crazy. Their product may be different than in any other tractor, but it's not 100% built in house. If it was they would cost more than a Rolls Royce.

I really don't think anyone should be too concerned about who is making their tractor, but what the quality of the tractor is as well.