Justification for your purchase / A BX in my case...

[Musclford]

My 2 cents..on Justification and the Big Picture...

I ended up buying my BX, with an FEL & 60" deck. I don't regret the deck size one bit.. That cut my mowing time by a 1/3 at least...

I consolidated my Wolverine 350 4x4 Quad w/ blade, 44" simplicity mower and have already gave away 2 wheel barrows due to the loader. ( Reclaimed $4,500.00 in an ATV I had, only to plow, & $1K in the Simplicity, not to mention maintenence on 1 versus 2 machines.

I can use my Mow-N-Vac and still climb hills with it being full. Rotate my compost piles (Never did that b4).

Can dig out of the mounds that plow trucks pile at the end of the drive, and when it's all said and done, should be able to resell my Bota with no problem should I ever move / upgrade.

Yes, it's a lot of money.. But, look at it over a 10-15 yr. period..

Some people spend 1.75 / day on coffee... That's $5,900.00 in a 15 year period on coffee.... (225 days * 1.75 * 15).. That's nearly $6K on COFFEE...

One of my friends was talking about the cost of my BX...

First of all, it is like a big kids toy, it saves my back for countless other tasks, I have a number of landscaping projects that it already has and will assist in doing. Not to mention the fact that I brought up to my friend that the Chrysler minivan he bought brand new 3-4 years ago has already depreciated more than my tractor cost... + he didn't get 0% like I did.... (Free Money)

So if you can consolidate to one mid size machine that can handle most of your tasks and give you a very good cut.... That's the angle I would look at it..

Again, just my 2 cents, which is really probably not worth the electricity that it took to write this....

BTW, just another way to look at things.. I have a friend that lives 10 miles further than me out in the country because of the price of taxes are cheaper...

Here's my justification for living in the city on a comparable nearly acre lot...

My Taxes $3,000 - My round trip drive to work, 8 Miles - 15 mins
His Taxes $1,500 - His round trip drive to work, 28 Miles - 50 mins

say 15 mpg out our trucks..

My cost / year on fuel only 1800 miles = 120 gal * 2.50 = $300.00
His cost / year " " 6300 miles = 420 gal * 2.50 = $1,050.00

A difference of $750.00, and 4500 miles. Which I might add is yet another 1.5 oil changes ($35.00)

Now figure tires/brakes/ etc, not to mention add another 131.5 hours of driving time he has, and in 10 years, he has an extra 45000 miles on his truck... What does that do to his resale versus mine?

So if your looking at merely a cost basis just for WORK TIME ONLY for just one person, it isn't cheaper as it may first appear to live in the country. And again, that's just for a single outside the home income. Double that for 2 people...


I realize this example got way off the subject, but the principle is the same... Don't just look at the initial cost, try to look at the big picture and what your real intent is..

It is a lot of money, but if your lot justifies it, you like to do your own work and save some money, you really want a tractor, then don't just look at the initial cost.

I bought a yard man 11 years ago and it was seeing some wear so I upgraded to a Simpliicty that was 8 years older for the same price I sold my yard man for. Sold the simplicity 6 years later, for the price I paid for it, and then bought the Bota... I wish I would have just could have bought my Bota, way back when and basically saved me all the hassle..

If I would of bought this tractor 5 years ago, I could have saved yet another 800.00 in machine rentals and a lot of transportation hassle.

Now I just need to justify owning a lot that requires a plow, and some type of riding mower...


Man can I ramble.... Sorry... but sumthin to think about....

 

[Ken_CT]

First of all, it is like a big kids toy, it saves my back for countless other tasks,

That's justification enough right there.

 

[AndyMA]

Did you really do all this or was this done in fun afterwards? If I had to justify my tractors I wouldn't have any...

Andy

 

[gavski]

I am going to send this to my wife verbatim.

 

[napabavarian]

Yes, justification? People need tractor work, maby you can make more working for yourself with that tractor than you are earning working for someone else

 

[GaryE]

Try, "I WANTED IT, SO I BOUGHT IT"... Nuff said????

Enjoy the new tractor...


Gary

 

[Volfandt]

Sounds like somebody likes their new toy, errr ahhh tool

Only bad thing I can add to this thread is that since I don't get enough snow to reconfigure my machine to add a heated cab and snowblower or front blade, all I can do is go out to the shop and wipe my freshly washed & waxed BX23 down and on Saturdays run it out to turn the compost piles and fetch the mail.....

 

[Big_Lug]

Don't let what other people say, whether it's negative or positive, ruin your decision for buying a tractor,whether it's a BX or not, this was your decision ,not his and if you felt you had a need for it, then it was a good one. I have people at work that say I should just rent instead of buying but I could not use my tractor like I wish and when I wish. i want to buy a Zero turn lawnmower and they ask why I don't buy a throw away lawnmower at Walmart, but a Zero turn is really what I want so I am going to buy one as soon as I can. It's your money, spend it the way you want. I don't listen to people like that. I realize people have their own opinions, but negative one's they should keep to themselves. Be happy , just think you may find you need a bigger tractor later. I'm on my 5th in 10 years b/c I slowly upgraded in size.

 

[Musclford]

Did you really do all this or was this done in fun afterwards? If I had to justify my tractors I wouldn't have any...

Andy

Well, the purchase of the house in town, I actually did the justification, and went to alot more then I said here.

The tractor, well, I really wanted it, wanted to consolidate since I no longer ride the quad for fun and have put a whopping 2 hours on it in the last 2 years, not to mention we have alot of potential landscaping to do, and I told the wife I could buy the tractor, use it and sell it for nearly what I'm paying for it (Out of state) and still spend less than if I had to rent.

Then I Bought it...

Just wanted to help those that are on the fence...

 

[Buster57]

I had no problem justifying a Grand "L" series purchase at all.

(Just had to buy the wife a BMW first...)

 

[Musclford]

I just re-read my original message...

It sure sounds like I'm a 10 year old.... The grammer is horrible..

Grammer was never one of my strong subjects, but it appears I better start writing my threads and saving them as draft before I post in the future..

It seems as though the board doesn't allow edits after a certain time frame, or maybe it's locked after the first reply..

Nonetheless, I think the general idea is conveyed.... But I'm just sitting here laughing at myself as I'm trying to re-read it..

Oh welll,,, I still Love my Bota...

 

[Singlecoil]

I don't think many of us on this site get out our red pens and shake our heads at grammar and spelling errors, so no worries.

I bought a BX-24 to finish and unfinished backyard at a new house in a new subdivision and then to tackle a 20 acre lot with various projects. I justified buying a post-hole-digger for my fence, rather than trying to rent one, under the notion that my neighbors would be stepping over themselves to give me $150 each to dig holes for their fences. I thought is would be a good deal for everybody, and I could come close to having the digger paid for in the process.
In reality, just about everybody seems to think that since you own a tractor, you should be a good neighbor and help them out. Admittedly, I was also weighing the long-term relationship with the folks and wanting to stay on good terms as well. One neighbor helped me tremendously on my fence, so I had no problem helping him dig all of his holes. Another neighbor loaned me his pickup to pick up drain rock; I wanted to dig his holes in return but he never got around to getting the concrete and posts, or had the spare time. He did contribute for his share of the fence and helped to build it, though. After my yard project was completely done, one neighbor came over and said I could borrow any of his tools if I would dig the 30 holes he needed for his fence. I declined. I also spread about 10 yards of topsoil for a different neighbor, under the agreement that I would be paid $25 and about a yard of gravel. I never did get the cash and I'm not the kind of person who is going to ask for 25 bucks. A next-door neighbor agreed to pay for her portion of the fence materials, didn't do any labor, had me dig the rest of her holes, then never paid me anything. That one sticks in my craw a little as it is about $325.
Later someone else asked if I hired out when he saw the post hole digger, but I declined. I should have taken him up on that one as I'm sure he would have paid, and the fence he built is already falling down.

 

[Musclford]

I don't think many of us on this site get out our red pens and shake our heads at grammar and spelling errors, so no worries.

I bought a BX-24 to finish and unfinished backyard at a new house in a new subdivision and then to tackle a 20 acre lot with various projects. I justified buying a post-hole-digger for my fence, rather than trying to rent one, under the notion that my neighbors would be stepping over themselves to give me $150 each to dig holes for their fences. I thought is would be a good deal for everybody, and I could come close to having the digger paid for in the process.
In reality, just about everybody seems to think that since you own a tractor, you should be a good neighbor and help them out. Admittedly, I was also weighing the long-term relationship with the folks and wanting to stay on good terms as well. One neighbor helped me tremendously on my fence, so I had no problem helping him dig all of his holes. Another neighbor loaned me his pickup to pick up drain rock; I wanted to dig his holes in return but he never got around to getting the concrete and posts, or had the spare time. He did contribute for his share of the fence and helped to build it, though. After my yard project was completely done, one neighbor came over and said I could borrow any of his tools if I would dig the 30 holes he needed for his fence. I declined. I also spread about 10 yards of topsoil for a different neighbor, under the agreement that I would be paid $25 and about a yard of gravel. I never did get the cash and I'm not the kind of person who is going to ask for 25 bucks. A next-door neighbor agreed to pay for her portion of the fence materials, didn't do any labor, had me dig the rest of her holes, then never paid me anything. That one sticks in my craw a little as it is about $325.
Later someone else asked if I hired out when he saw the post hole digger, but I declined. I should have taken him up on that one as I'm sure he would have paid, and the fence he built is already falling down.

You sound a lot like what I do... It erks me that they don't follow through, because I keep my word.. But it doesn't seem to bother others... or they just plain forget... how, I don't know, but some do..

The other cautious part of me is reluctant to do work on others property since I only have insurance coverage for my unit while it's on my property.. not others. Not to mention, if I screw up and drive through their house, or for some reason the Tractor were to have a problem and lunge forward / reverse into a car, kid etc... Who's liable?

I'm on their property so do they pay or do I?

Do they end up owning my house through a law suit??

I know these sound very very rare, but that's why those type of things make headlines and we all know about some idiot that gets awarded millions for spiling hot coffee on themselves...

 

[KeithInSpace]

On Singlecoil's vein, I have a neighbor that I'm not on particularly good relations with make gestures at me making me feel like they EXPECTED me to help them haul some mulch since I had this nifty orange toy.

Story: We both happened to have big piles of mulch delivered at the same time...they're busting their butts with a trailer on a Craftsman and a couple pitchforks and I'm zipping around in my dress pants spreading 18 yards in 2 hours.

Two things I learned that day:
1) "Tractor Envy" can be a bad thing at the hands of the wrong neighbor.
2) Make the payments, dude. Make the payments.

This type of machine is easy to justify if you have anything over 1.5 acres and you don't mind saying "...and it's really cool" to your wife. It doesn't hurt that the value of the home projects I do myself (rather than contract it out) (not just tractor related, but all my random projects) on an annual basis far exceeds what I paid for the tractor in the first place. Bought A LOT of tools using that rationale.

 

[Musclford]

That's right baby,,

Every home project is separate here.. I get a new power tool with every project...

That way moma's happy, and ultimately me too..

Isn't interesting though how in the big picture, something that doesn't cost very much, can cost quite a bit overall if done every day..

Now I see why gumball machines exist.. Quite a lucrative business if done properly...

 

[escavader]

The justification comes after you have used your tractor;for example in two years ,350 hours times 40 dollars per hour[if i hired a tractor]=$14160.00 You see mine has almost paid for itself.
ALAN