HELP Need LOTS of ADVICE

[GaryE]

I fear that my tractor dreams are ending. Hubby is going for Hustler Fastrak ztr. But he can't take my dreams!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think it is time to trade Hubby in...

 

[stimpee]

If you have horses on the property, and plan to properly maintain your pastures, then you are making a mistake if you are buying a ZTR instead of buying a tractor.

I just went through this, and dealed the deal on a B3030 today, after looking at ZTRs and other things. I still have a few attachments to add, but I am so excited I could almost pop!

Sure, perhaps my tractor will be a BIT slower than a ZTR (although with the 72" deck, perhaps not too much), but it will do lots of other things that the ZTR won't.

Tell hubby that proper pasture maintenance will save you lots of money on hay!!

 

[Treemonkey1000]

We don't have to live with the Hubby so I would be careful about too much advice. He may be talking with people that are giving him the ZTR inclination. Maybe buy him a little trailer that he can tow all of the horsey poo out of the stalls with the ZTR. After a short time of that mention that a tractor could do all of that stuff a lot easier...

 

[Podunkadunk]

When you buy your SCUT (Sub-Compact Utility Tractor), be sure to keep the key in your pocket only. That way, you get all the "seat time" to yourself.
I wish I had bought a tractor with a FEL. It sure could of come in handy quite a few times. The next one will have a FEL.

Ditto x's 1000! Biggest mistake I ever made too (regarding tractors at least), however, at the time, I couldn't see justifying the extra 4k for something I wouldn't use often.

Heck, I've since found hundreds of uses for them, especially a grapple!


Clueless,
Like someone already said, when you go find what you want and speak to a salesman, tell him you are just shopping around. Just be honest with him about everything, write down what he says and the offer he makes. Come back here, post it all up. Everyone will chime in and blow the whistle if he's pulling your chain...or worse, trying to pull your purse strings!

There isn't a make, model or year of tractor that someone on here doesn't own, or did own. Also, TBN reaches into every region of the U.S., so as prices vary by area, there are members who live in those regions who have bought at those varying prices . We each know OUR tractors, what we paid and the mistakes we made (if any). You'll get the knowledge you seek and won't have to worry about some slick taking advantage of you.

Podunk

 

[rback33]

Wow. This all sux. I am blessed that my wife and I have always been around horses we are in agreement about needing a tractor. It's just not in the cards at this time... especially since I have almost endless access to all the tractors I need at work. I know we are getting just ONE side of the story but yer hubby sounds like a little bit off an *****. A ZTR is only good if you just want it to mow and you are STILL getting a tractor for the horse stuff. I would say an small CUT or SUB-CUT would be great. Kubota, JD, MF... the list goes on. You HAVE been getting by so I would think that waiting for you old house to sell and using that time to educate yourself is the best thing for you. I would stop the purchase of the ZTR at all costs short of divorce. Sounds like you both need to sit down and have a serious communication session to understand each others viewpoints.

 

[cluelessinalabama]

Didn't buy the ztr! Just said I wasn't going. Have a good prospect on the house in Georgia. If it sells, then I think I can get hubby to get a tractor. It's the waiting game that is killing me. Hubby got push mower out and cut strange crop circles in the highest areas of the grass this weekend.... Can we hold out until the house is sold?

 

[ChuckinNH]

And the Lord said that the meek shall inherit the earth.

 

[Charlesaf3]

There's a lot of good advice up there, but some of it might be too expensive. There's the ideal, and then there's what you can live with.

I think you NEED a small tractor with HST and a Front End Loader and either a mid or rear finish mower. A bigger tractor and a number of implements would be nice, but a subcompact like the Kubota BX will get the job done, it will just take longer.

It will still beat the bejeezus out of the Honda Pilot Chain Harrow/rolling trash can method.

As I was told when I was looking, a little tractor can do anything a big tractor can, it only takes longer. Mind, I wish I bought a bigger tractor in the first place! And I'm going to now. But though I'm really looking forward to it, I can't really complain about the small one - I'm just impatient I guess