Buying Advice Intro and Advice

[joleat]

Dragon,

I do, indeed, plan to be a DIYer. I have no hard deadlines for any of my projects and imagine some of them will almost be therapeutic. My day job involves a whole lot of sitting behind a desk. I grew up riding ATVs, go-carts, etc. and thoroughly enjoy spending time outside whenever possible.


Tractorable,

The grapple looks amazing. I'm pretty sure that's the same one I've seen in a few YouTube videos. That's definitely worth a deeper look.

 

[dragoneggs]

Dragon,

I do, indeed, plan to be a DIYer. I have no hard deadlines for any of my projects and imagine some of them will almost be therapeutic. My day job involves a whole lot of sitting behind a desk. I grew up riding ATVs, go-carts, etc. and thoroughly enjoy spending time outside whenever possible.

Oh then, you must be chomping at the bit. The reality is you will love the power beneath you... especially the back hoe. Many will say a BH is a luxury but when I bought my BX, it brought me back to my sandbox days with my bare hands and Matchbox, plastic army men, and Tonka toys! Just on a bigger and real life scale. If you have any trenching, planting, or retaining wall plans, you will love having a BH... don't let others talk you out of one.

 

[ning]

IMHO, keep the backhoe on your list.

Backhoes are definitely expensive, but at least weekly if not more often I end up with something that's much easier done with the backhoe than without - and it's not always digging a hole; even with a prianha tooth bar there's some dirt that's too tough to dig into and with a backhoe you can loosen it up.

Personally I'll always have a backhoe as long as I've got a few acres. I'd rent an excavator or hire out for large dedicated digging jobs, but I won't incur the extra time in my schedule to rent a differ for smaller jobs that keep popping up.

 

[4570Man]

I sold my L3240 with a grapple and a backhoe for a tad less than your budget. It was twice maybe 3 times the size of the tractor you’re considering. I don’t think you’ll regret going bigger. I don’t think you’ll regret a backhoe either. I know mine got used a lot. And I’m a lot more likely to do a project if it doesn’t directly cost me very much vs about $400 to rent a machine for a weekend. If you only rented a backhoe ever other year for the next 25 years that would more than pay for the depreciation on the unit.

 

[jeff9366]

I have a ~200-yard gravel driveway. I've also identified a number of smaller grade-related projects on the property, such as reworking the crown in a heavily packed clay/gravel parking area that measures about 30' by 40'. From the YouTube videos I've watched, the box blades seem to add an almost dozer-like capability to a tractor.

Consider a Rear/Angle Blade along with a Box Blade. Rear/Angle Blade and Box Blade can both crown, but crowning and maintaining ditches is easier with a Rear/Angle Blade. Both require quite a lot of (fun) practice to use efficiently.
Angle Blades are often used for snow removal when snow is too deep for removal with Front End Loader bucket.

ARCHIVE LINK: Rear Angle Blade versus Box Blade site:tractorbynet.com - Google Search

VIDEO: TRACTOR REAR BLADE CROWNING - YouTube

Simple and faster to operate, with the significant advantage of "recovering" gravel, also consider a Land Plane/Grading Scraper (LPGS) Probably more useful for your road maintenance than a Landscape Rake.
VIDEO: land plane grading scraper - YouTube

Photo #4 ~~ A Box Blade can PULL dirt with "chain"/turnbuckle stabilizers securing the Lower Links of the Three Point Hitch. In order to PUSH dirt with a Box Blade, which is handy, you must have heavier rigid stabilizers, which usually also offer desirable pin adjustment. "Chain"/turnbuckle stabilizers only provide Lower Link support when tractor is moving forward. Rigid Stabilizers offer equal support moving forward, "some" support operating in reverse.

VIDEO: Kubota Standard L Series L843 Telescopic Stabilizer kit (overview and install) - YouTube

I usually have my Ratchet Rake mounted on the bucket when I have either my rake or Box Blade on the Three Point Hitch. Photo #2 + #3.

We enjoy spending your money on this site.​

 

[jeff9366]

In the case of tractor dealers, I have a Massey Ferguson dealer and a John Deere dealer less than an hour from me. They are both small family-owned dealerships. This is a significant purchase. I place a lot of value on sustaining my local community's economy.

A quality dealer, reasonably close, available for coaching, is important for tractor neophytes. Almost every new tractor is delivered with a glitch or two requiring correction. My kubota dealer is six miles away. I feel my local dealer continues to add value to my equipment after eight years. Dealer proximity is less important to those experienced with tractors and qualified to perform their own maintenance.

 

[jeff9366]

My wife and I plan to be at this house for the next 30 years, so buying a tractor is absolutely part of the plan. We'd like to stay at or under $25,000 and the initial purchase must include the FEL, Backhoe, box blade and landscape rake.

If i was looking at new tractors today, i would give RK a good look.

High value pricing on Rural King/TYM tractors as they ramp up, hoping to reach a sustainable volume of sales.

I like the restrained writing style of RK tractor's Tractor Flack, RK Tractor Guy:
https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/search.php?searchid=4446962

https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/search.php?searchid=4446965

Some retailers dabble with private label tractors for 1-2-3-4 years then drop out of the tractor business. (I believe this is RK's second endeavor selling private label tractors, but I am not sure of this.)

Tractors; not an easy business.
LINK: https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums...defunct-tractor-manufacturers.html?highlight=

I share your concerns regarding service, which will vary from store to store.

Backhoe $6,500 of $25,000 budget.

 

[majorwager]

Jeffy,
To clarify, if snow is so deep it can't be removed w/ a FEL and bucket, guaranteed a rear blade would then be worthless, your extensive florida experience removing snow notwithstanding.

As for RK, they attempted to market Massey Tractors. Agco did Not offer a profit margin commensurate W/ the potential volume, so they discontinued the arrangement, This I believe and no consumers were harmed.

As for store service, it was reported by the Factory Rep that this will be uniform across the spectrum.

There are brand loyalists on TBN who will make snide disparaging remarks about the RK Brand. They are entitled to their opinion. BUT it is just that, an opinion and RK is a Billion Dollar a year family owned business that is rapidly expanding.

RK roots date back to the 1960's and to the naysayers, a bit of advice, buckle up and hang on tightly, RK has every intention of proving long term market presence and endurance.