Mitch, being as we are almost neighbors I had to get in on the conversation. I have 11 acres in Austin County, and just purchased a 790 last October. While I can hardly qualify as an expert after only 4 months of ownership, I thought I would at least add my 2 cents.
I read alot of information on this forum, I also used the search function to get information from previous posts. The wealth of information on this site is incredible.
I shopped all the local dealers, and I actually rented a tractor on two occasion's so I could see how it worked on my property. If you have a chance to rent, it is well worth the effort. I was able to rent a tractor with trailer for $175.00, pick up on Saturday morning and have back by Sunday night. As a side note both of the tractors I rented were bigger than the 790, and helped me figure out I did not need to go that big.
One of the things I read here and it has proven to be true is to "buy a tractor that will do what you need to do 95% of the time" For me the 790 does that, is it the greatest tractor ever made, will it do anything, no to both question. Does it do what I need to do 95% of the time, yes and it does it really well.
You stated in one of your post "I'd really like to know the things that it's NOT capable of right now rather than find this out 2 days after I buy it!" Let me give you a few examples of what I have found my tractor will do and won't do.
I have the 419 loader and yes it will only lift 800+ pounds, but so far I haven't found anything I could not pick up a bucket full of, dirt, sand or gravel. To give you an example of what it won't do, I had sixty 7' 4x4's treated delivered in a bundle and the loader would not pick them up. It would however pick up 20 12' 2x6's treated with no problem.
I have the LX 5 cutter and it does a great job on the brush and yaupon we have in this part of Texas. I can chop up 1" material readily and have chopped up 2" on occasion but would not suggest a steady diet of it.
I have a 5' box blade and even in 4 wheel drive if I stick a tooth on a youpon stump it will stop, the wheels don't stop spinning but I dont' have the weight to pull it out. I am not really sure what effect filling the tires would have, but suffice it to say you won't be pulling anything too big out of the ground with this tractor.
The post hole digger has a 9" auger and the soil here is about 8" to 10" of sand and then clay. I have drilled sixty holes 3' deep and have no problem with power, I have however, broken two sheer bolts, I am still learning how much down to allow the auger to have at once /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif
As far as the tractor goes, I really, reallly like it, some of the things on the tractor that are detractors for others were things I really liked about it. I like the exhaust pipe sticking up in the air, I like the lines of the tractor, I like the metal hood, I like the fact that the pedals are bare metal and the fact that it has a gear transmission. I even like the red metal fuel cap. I know it sounds corny but to me it looks like a tractor is supposed to look.
Anyway I don't mean to ramble on so much but I put alot of time in to shopping for a tractor and I could not be happier. As far as the price you got, it sounds good, I paid $15,180 for the same package you are pricing without a trailer.
If you can afford to go bigger I am sure you will be happier as you are working a much bigger piece of land, but if you do have to fall back on the 790, you won't exactly be disappointed.
Best of luck to you in your decision and welcome to TBN.
