Hello fellow farmers, hobbiests, contractors and rednecks!

[KB1JIM]

Hello People,

My name is Joe and I grew up in a suburban setting with farming in my heart, I'm a Marine Corps vet, and a soon to be retired firefighter. I have a camp with 28 acres of woods and bog in northern Maine and I just bought a fixer-upper house in the Maine highlands with a barn in need of serious repair, a couple acres of neglected pasture and about an acre and a half of tangled woods. I'm about to buy my first, and probably last tractor, either a Mahindra Max 25 or an LS G3033, both with FEL and backhoe. They're only about $2500 apart and the LS seems like so much more tractor, but I'm not sure I need more. I need to do some digging around the barn's rotten wooden underpinnings, maybe a new septic down the road, mowing, snow removal and general maintenance. Maybe even some actual farming if I'm still around after all that. Anyway, I'm just saying hello here, I can take the particulars to another forum. Semper Fi!

 

[murphy1244]

:welcome: to tbn

 

[The kid]

First let me say, thank you for your service to our free country. Welcome to TractorByNet. :tractor:

 

[creekbend]

Welcome aboard. Best wishes.

 

[vtsnowedin]

Careful now!!... Calling some of us members here farmers is an insult...... TO Farmers Welcome to the site and have fun shopping for just the right tractor for your needs. Start a thread comparing any two makes or models and opinions and experience will roll in by the page.

 

[TripleR]

Welcome to TBN and as mentioned, thank you for your service as a Marine and Firefighter. There is nothing like having land on which to work and as TexasJohn says nothing like having the tools you need and needing the tools you have (paraphrased)

Do you have any experience with tractors?

I am curious as to your two picks as they seem to be quite dissimilar and maybe a bit different than what I see being picked for such a project.

There are quite a few members, new and well seasoned as well as in between doing similar things to what you plan who can give you lots of advice.

 

[jerrybob]

Welcome to TBN:thumbsup:

 

[KB1JIM]

[/B] Do you have any experience with tractors?
I am curious as to your two picks as they seem to be quite dissimilar and maybe a bit different than what I see being picked for such a project..

Thanks for all the warm greetings thus far. People who work with their hands make all things possible for the rest of the world, and it's geat to be here.

My only experience with tractors was with an old Wheel Horse mower which literally fell apart underneath me. So, to answer your question, no. After some online research and a visit to a dealer, it seems that the Max 25, or possibly 28 will meet my needs. Right next to the Max there's an LS G3033 for about $2500 more. More HP, bigger, more powerful everything all around. Nice looking unit with solid reviews. Again, I have some digging to do, maybe skid a few logs, stump removal, small farm kinda stuff. You know the old adage whether it's a tv, a wood stove or some kind of machine; find what you think you'll need and go one bigger. I can't buy until July so there's plenty of time to nail it down. Thanks again!

JoeT

 

[TripleR]

Thanks for all the warm greetings thus far. People who work with their hands make all things possible for the rest of the world, and it's geat to be here.

My only experience with tractors was with an old Wheel Horse mower which literally fell apart underneath me. So, to answer your question, no. After some online research and a visit to a dealer, it seems that the Max 25, or possibly 28 will meet my needs. Right next to the Max there's an LS G3033 for about $2500 more. More HP, bigger, more powerful everything all around. Nice looking unit with solid reviews. Again, I have some digging to do, maybe skid a few logs, stump removal, small farm kinda stuff. You know the old adage whether it's a tv, a wood stove or some kind of machine; find what you think you'll need and go one bigger. I can't buy until July so there's plenty of time to nail it down. Thanks again!

JoeT

Well it sounds as though you have started looking with quite a bit of time and there certainly is no hurry; don't want to wind up buying the wrong tractor.

You will find a wealth of information on here about tire, transmission, size and implement choice for your land. It often helps to sit down and figure out all of the things you want to accomplish short and long term as well as your one time versus ongoing needs. We have several tractors and an old back hoe. We needed the backhoe for a couple of years and now don't even bother keeping it running and go out and rent one when needed. We keep it for sentimental reasons, reminds us of our dad I guess.

We hired a guy with a dozer to come in and spend a few days doing some major work that would have taken months with tractors and the cost was not much more than what we would have paid for diesel.

I know you didn't ask for advice, but if someone doesn't have much tractor experience, I think it is good idea to spend a little money and rent a tractor for a couple of days and use it on their property to get a baseline for comparison. I believe an HST is easier for a new operator to master especially if they expect a lot of loader work. Others will recommend a gear which you will see in the old threads. By renting you can get an idea of what is involved. I drive both types.

As to size, the adage "when in doubt go bigger" certainly is often the case, especially when talking about having only one tractor.

When you get a better idea of your needs, you might want to start a new thread on the buying and pricing forum where you will get some really good feedback. I am not brand loyal and encourage people to look at all the different brands with a good dealer. Most of us tnd to prefer what we have but if I ever buy another one, I will look at all of the brands again.

Good luck in your farming adventures.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/owning-operating/222016-transmission-type-selection.html

 

[Rad1956]

Welcome to TBN!