Thanks to everyone who offered their advice about choosing Kubota and Massey-Ferguson in this and similar threads. We went red. I just had my first real work session on the machine yesterday and it was great. The power was stunning to me. As the day went on I got better with the loader, but I'm still jerky with the backhoe.
The most important tractor job for us in the long run will be snowblowing a 700' driveway at the new house that we're building this year, and working a garden. No mowing. After hiring a mini-excavator for several tasks, we decided to get a tractor now so that we can take over that kind of work. We considered orange, green, yellow, and red. Orange and green are by far the most popular brands in my area for small machines. I think our red one might be the first one in our Valley. Dealerships range from 45 to 100 miles away.
I ruled out green early on because a number of locals thought there were chronic problems with their smaller tractors. I also got negative feedback about the green dealer, especially their sales force. So I got quotes for orange, red, and yellow tractors. Cub Cadet lost out because they were most expensive ($17660), didn't seem to have a stellar reputation with people, and the dealer didn't have any to see and test drive. Plus the person I talked to just didn't make any case for it. Kubota was the front runner, because they are well-made, reliable, and definitely a known quantity where I live. But the dealer didn't have any available, for at least 3 weeks, and there was no deal to be had. In the end we went with red, and the choice was easy for three reasons: 1) least expensive, 2) it seemed to be a better overall machine, and 3) the dealer had one on the lot.
We got the MF GC2410 TLB. The dealer, Central Washington Equipment, is very much an old-fashioned kind of place, dirty inside and out, no salespeople (we dealt with the owner), and minimal computerization. It was quite a contrast to the clean, well-lighted milieu of the Kubota dealer. But we were impressed by the shop--at least half a dozen mechanics, and tractors being worked on that were stripped down practically to their chassis--a real serious fix-it place. It seemed that the low-overhead nature of the dealership worked in our favor in terms of getting a good price ($15,990 cash for the TLB). We also got a Rankin ZLL-130 rototiller and Rankin box scraper, with an MF snowblower to come this fall. The dealer threw in a Rankin thumb, front tire sealant, hooks on the loader bucket and a chain for no extra charge. The BX-25 price was $17,160, and the implements would have cost more too. I think a significant price differential often comes down to factors like manufacturer incentives and whether the dealer has already bought the machine or has to order it.
!! I too will try to help inform people about the MF GC performance and service it brings me. I am purchasing a 4' box blade, and 4' rotary cutter too. 
