Is it extravagant?

[Carl_NH]

Steve,

Not a lot to add to whats already been said, but after days and months of talking about a new one, she said OK just go get one, but make it a good one, cause it's the last one.

This was after 2 other tractors and she was a tractor widow when I retired to the garage to repair and restore them.

Regarding the "last one" thats yet to be seen, but I'm happy for at least the next few years.

By the way, I see you're just down the road in Ma. If you're looking at JD they have an open house at Rosencrantz on Saturday & Sunday - Rt 108 in Kensington NH. I heard they might have the new 110TLB there and since I'm heading that way to Sams Club I was going to check it out.

If you're thinking Orange, let me know as some are more flexible than the others.

Carl

 

[Hoosier_Daddy]

"Buy it for her for her birthday and tell her you'll be very hurt if she wants to return it"

Oh Ya, I know a guy that bought his wife a weed whacker for her Birthday. She didn't say a thing about it. On his birthday she bought him a dress and a purse....... Tom

 

[Pilgrim]

Is spending 20+-K on a piece of equipment that you have no intention on ever making a penny on extravagant???
Well, the answer is YES!!!
Yes, it is extravagant. It IS extravagant!
Geez, all you guys trying to justify to this guy something that can’t be economically justified.
ALL the money you are going to save this guy.
You guys sound like stock brokers!
Would someone please step up and be honest by telling this guy that the reason many of us plunked down this type of cash is simply because WE CAN.
For some reason we have set priorities that owning a tractor is important.
Some guys buy boats, or campers, or PU trucks, sleds etc. Some guys buy all of those things.
Some guys just want to own a freeking TRACTOR.
I say to Mr. Haz,
You want a tractor? You saved enough money to buy a tractor, you lay there in bed at night thinking about a tractor…
Tell your wife your going to buy a [censored] tractor.
If you have taken care of all of your obligations to your family there is not a reason not to pull the trigger.
Bash Me Now.
The CT Pilgrim.

 

[RanchMan]

Pilgrim-

<font color=blue>Bash Me Now.</font color=blue>

Ok - just a little though.... /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

<font color=blue>Geez, all you guys trying to justify to this guy something that can’t be economically justified.</font color=blue>

Well, for me, it really was cheaper to buy a tractor. To make a long story short, if I took my property out of Agriculture Production, the State of Texas adjusts your tax rate from "Ag Production Value" to standard property tax rates. On top of that, they require that you pay 5 yrs. of "back taxes" on the property at the new adjusted rate. In other words, if you buy a farm or ranch and then turn it into a parking lot or the such, the state hammers you in taxes.

My tractor with all the implements, which is what is required for me to keep my place in the type of Ag production I wish to go after, was multiple thousands less than the retro-tax burden, not to mention the tax burden going forward.

'course, I guess I wouldn't have this problem if I didn't buy the place, so I guess your original point of "...the reason many of us plunked down this type of cash is simply because WE CAN." still applies.... Oh well, so much for rebuttal! /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[frank_f15]

STEPHEN: is it extravagant? i don't think so. for years i had an old ford tractor, it did not do all that i wanted , but it sufficed. it was a bear to steer, and all the clutching and braking and yanking on the steering wheel was taking its toll on my old body. plus there was no live hydraulics on it so that was a pain.about 15 mo ago i bought a kubota b2400 and life has been so much easier, can do more and much easier. go for it.

 

[crown]

Hazmat,
When it boils right down to it most things we buy could be considered extravagant. Take you house people years ago lived in far smaller houses, I'm quite sure we could do the same today but life is too short. The wife and I try to be prudent and save for the future and the kids college but we do get somethings for the simple reason (We Want It). My tractor is not only a tool it a sence of pride. Bottom line a really wanted one and went for it/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif I have not regreted it for a second. Good Luck and keep us posted on your progress.

 

[bgott]

Just buy it...It's always easier to beg forgiveness than it is to ask permission!

 

[Thomas]

Try and make her feel real comfortable about the tractor use on the 4 acres..projects,snow removeal etc..Have your wife read some post on TBN.
If that doesn't work give your wife 11 roses and tell her she the 12th rose. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[hazmat]

Carl_NH I'd be interested in your recommendation for orange. I've been to MB in Plaitstow. I also checked out New Hollands at Chappell in Brentwood, he said he had another store in Milford that also sold Kubota. I was at Rosencrantz's plaitstow open house last weekend. If I can, I'll go again this weekend. None of the places gave me great prices, but then I did NOT have my checkbook in hand & no negotiation took place. Chappel gave me the best impression, followed by Rosencrantz & then MB (not that they were terrible, just not as good). MB seems to have a ton of overhead tied up in their huge new showroom & all the equipment on the lot.

I believe that I'm making progress. Last night we reached an agreement that the 1978 JD 316, while a fine machine, isn't a good match for the property and our uses. I've been tasked to find something in between the $2K lawn tractor & $16K 4110. I've interpreted this assignment to mean I need to do a cost benifit analysis of all the machines I feel will do what I want (some quicker than others). The goal being to show that if we spent a bit more now, it will be "the last one".

So I'm setting up a spreadsheet comparing the JD X595, 4010. 4110, Kubota BX2200, NH TC18 & TC21D. I didn't include the bigger 'botas because I want a suspended mowing deck (I think the NH have that, correct me if I'm wrong). Are there any other tractors I should be looking at? Anybody have 3ph & loader lift capacity on the X595?

Hazmat

PS I got her a snow shovel for Christmas & she loved it, of course she has never used it, but does enjoy the cleared walk.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Hazmat
My old pappy use to tell me "when you've made the sale, say thank you and get out". Sounds to me like you really already sold the CFO so continued discussions could point out potential new objections that she hasn't tought of yet. Women will forever roll their eye's at us boys and our toys-oops-I mean tools.

 

[skid mark]

Interesting thread.

After a couple years of thinking about it, I recently bought a new (well, new to me) tractor to replace my Ford 9N. I finally found something that met or exceeded my needs that I could pay cash for.

Personally, I didn't want to go into debt to buy a tractor that I could admitedly get along without. IMHO, I couldn't tell my wife or myself that "I can afford this" if I had to borrow money to buy it.

Everybody has a different comfort level with taking on debt. I think that many women like the "safety net" of having some savings. Perhaps this is a factor in the reluctance of many spouses from giving the thumbs up?

 

[hazmat]

Good point about the loan. An investment professional will tell you that if you can borrow the money cheap enough (low interest rate) you should leave your savings invested. I fall somewhere in between. I have some savings set aside which I will liquidate for this purchase, rather than financing 100%.

Hazmat

 

[wasabi]

Consider these thoughts from one wrestling with irrational rationalization of such a technically non-justifiable (extravagant) outlay (I'm trying to stretch for a PT2445!!):

1) List the potential costs of subbing out the jobs to be done.

2) What is the cost of postponing such satisfying productivity?

3) If it makes you a truely happier person, what is that worth?

My two cents worth is to keep planting the hint seeds until it becomes her idea./w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif.
You are, after all, talking about a very healthy obsession/addiction here!

(for additional insights go to the "What do women want???" thread in the "off topic and just for fun" forum.)

Good luck in your negotiations!!

 

[TerryinMD]

Hazmat,

Talking about financing... another alternative route is to take a second loan on your house.

The interest rates are sometimes lower than a loan from the dealer and you get an additional benefit - you can deduct the interest on your income tax.

There are many ways to skin this cat. What it really boils down to is what is you comfort level on:

- convincing the CFO
- total cost (always more than you first thought!!)
- cost of operation
- what are the benefits (real and derived)
- ROI (return on investment) in most cases our tractors really hold their value due to the amount of hours we put on them.

Have we convinced you yet!!!! /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Terry

 

[hazmat]

I'm convinced, just finished up my homework comparing the various tractors. Here is my order of preference with pricing (assuming 10% off list plus rebates)

4110 $16,850
4010 $14,456
TC21D $16,955
TC18 $14,400 (estimate)
BX2200 $13,023
X595 $15,908 (deisel)
X575 $14,270 (gas engine !!)

I can't get over how much Deere wants for the X tractors. Their 3ph capacity is very weak too (450# at lift arms). Not close to a fair fight with the BX2200. Loader spec is similar They do win the mobility contest.

I'm going to present my report to the CFO tonight.

Hazmat

 

[hazmat]

Forgot to mention that all are priced with Loader, ballast box, 60" MMM R4 tires (where available) folding rops.

Hazmat

 

[Charliebrn]

ok...mine went like this:

Wife: Hey, hon, whats that guy doing in our driveway?
Me: Oh, that must be John from Industrial Equipment delivering my tractor! Yeehaa!

Wife: what tractor?
Me: The one I bought last week.

Wife: You bought a tractor? Whats wrong with the Cub you bought last year?
Me: The Cub? Oh, I sold it two days ago to my brother. Didn't need it since I bought the tractor.

Wife: Silence......
Me: Well, hon, look at it like this. I could have spent the money at a bar or on some other woman, or gambled it away, but I figger its better spent on something I can do around here. You want to go out and drive it?

Wife: Silence.....

She's gotten used to it, though she really doesn't understand why i like it so much. But she can come out and get me any time she wants...cuz she knows right where i am.

 

[MikePA]

I did something similar about 7 years ago when I traded my Chevy S10 4x4 Ext Cab in on a K1500. I did it all on my own and just drove the truck home and parked it in the driveway. I will never do that again. /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif Even though the truck has been invaluable for many chores, most of them related to her favorite activites, e.g., horses, gardening, it matters not. There have only been two things I have purchased w/o consulting her, the aforementioned truck and a 35 mm SLR camera right after we were married. The camera purchase occurred when I was young(er) and stupid(er). I should have known better with the truck. /w3tcompact/icons/sad.gif

 

[Carl_NH]

Stephen,

I looked around at all the local dealers Mears, Rosencrantz, as well Cub dealers, and then did some comparisons on line. I ended up with East Elliot Garage in Elliot Me, just over the bridge in Me. Larry is the owner, and that's who you deal with, no BS just made an offer and he accepted. I was happy and presume he was too.

We had a relaitonship already, and I had been looking around, and knew what I wanted to pay, it was done.

From reading your recent posts, looks like you have a price and equipment target, so if I were you I would look at the best deal (comparable tractors and features) then the dealer and relationship.

Regarding Chappell they are good people and a good reputation, likewise Rosencrantz. My feeling is Rosencrantz is a little higher than a comparable Orange or Blue machine..

So, if it was my $ I would probably look at Orange for value for $, then NH, and if you want a JD then go for it, but have some bargaining chips (alternate comparisons) in your pocket when doing the final deal. They are all good machines, it just depends on what you want..

Good luck with the CFO tonight,

Carl

 

[Dave41]

For what it's worth, Cub is also making a "BX fighter". I saw one while driving by the local dealer today, but didn't have time to stop and check it out or ask about pricing.