I bit the bullet

[loulblades]

On a side note (not trying to hijack thread) has anyone got a toothbar for there GC2310 or GC2300. Any advice, prices?

I have a Woods toothbar on mine and am extremly happy with it. I hear Markham makes a good one too. They are in the $200 range.

I wouldn't have one of these tractors without a toothbar due to the capability it adds.

Go to this thread if you want to find out more about toothbars
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/massey-ferguson/60487-added-toothbar-my-gc2300.html .

 

[putt_putt_green]

What are the disadvantages to having a tooth bar?

 

[loulblades]

What are the disadvantages to having a tooth bar?

Hmmm...I would take it off when I used the FEL to remove snow from the driveway.

Since it only takes 2 bolts to remove it, if there was a disadvantage found, it could easily be taken off.

 

[archerynut]

The only disadvantage I would see is the uncontrollable need to just go around and dig up everything that been getting on your nerves. I never did like that tree there or those flower beds.

Seriously, my experience is that when backdragging the toothbar gives you more of an uneven surface.

 

[HomeBrew2]

Yeh, I don't know if there's any real disadvantages. It's just, does one have a use for a toothbar. I seem to be one of the few that doesn't, yet. I think mostly it's because I don't dig holes with the loader (I dig with the BH, scrape w/ a blade, load with the loader). In over 900 hrs and 2.5 yrs, I just haven't had anything I couldn't load fast with the bare bucket, including dry compacted stockpiles of clay/clay-loam. But, when I do find the need, I'll get right onto making one

 

[loulblades]

... Seriously, my experience is that when backdragging the toothbar gives you more of an uneven surface.

I use the toothbar to "rake" the dirt and break it loose then turn the bucket up so the toothbar isn't contacting the ground to smooth it.

Now that I have a backhoe, I can see where the toothbar would become less of a "requirement" but I will say that I am still glad I had the bar when I used it to tear out a bunch of small trees and large shrubs. The backhoe would have taken much longer. However the times I used the bar to pry roots out of the ground, I think a backhoe could have done the job more efficiently.

No matter how you go about it, I believe there is plenty of fun to be had...and I do.

 

[BAGTIC]

I hadn't even heard of MF until I stopped by the old neighbors (30+ acre beef cattle farmer) and he said how much he loved the massey that he had. So then I started doing more research. I just wonder how popular a tractor is depends on the region that you are in. It's possible that MF has a much bigger following other places than where I live, all that I see when I drive around are Kubotas and JD's in the newer compact range.

I think it has to do with advertising and name recognition. JD and Kubota sell a lot of construction equipment and they both do a LOT of advertising in publications aimed at other than the agricultural market. I see their ads in garden magazines, builders magazines, etc. I think of MF as a manufacturer of FARM equipment not construction, landscaping, etc. It may take MF a while to be well recognized off the farm.

 

[JerryG]

I think of MF as a manufacturer of FARM equipment not construction, landscaping, etc. It may take MF a while to be well recognized off the farm.

That and they do a very poor job of advertising. The more you want to target homeowners and small property owners, the more you need to advertise.

 

[61flattop]

Jerry,
I agree 100%. I am convinced that Massey makes the superior piece when it comes to tractors in this class and I still can not fathom how long it took me to find them and do my own reserch to come to that conclusion.

 

[archerynut]

That and they do a very poor job of advertising. The more you want to target homeowners and small property owners, the more you need to advertise.

Ditto.