Been following the thread with interest....I think most of us are that same way with big purchases.....particularly mechanical purchases. One thing that hasn't been mentioned is just how handy is it for your work? Would you consider renting one for a week? Many dealers do that for a very reasonable fee and even deliver and pick it up. I wouldn't buy one any other way. An afternoon on any of these tractors would probably cause you to ask entirely different questions. A week certainly would. They do the same job but in slightly different ways. It's a personality thing as much as anything. But there are very noticible differences in steering, transmissions, control "feel", and general handyness that will mean more to you a year from now than you would believe.
Some folks prefer both wheel brakes on one side of the steering column and others find that awkward. All of mine are different and I don't care where the brakes are. Although my hip wishes that the heel & toe hydrostat foot pedal on the M59 was a couple inches to the left and that the seat was higher. And a friend is always wishing that someone would offer a left-handed control set up. Again, I don't care about that.
I've got one tractor - the 33 hp Yanmar - that has the nicest controls of any of the fleet....but is painfully awkward to get on and off. Or here's another thing: the backhoe controls on my current Kubota are like fine instruments and make the same controls on my JD's feel stone age. But I've owned other models of both makes that were just the reverse of that.
Of course right now you are concerned now about relative numbers for weight and lift and such - and durability....but IMHO all of these tractors will do about the same job. After you get above 20 hp - and certainly above 30 - tractors have plenty of traction and power to spare. Also, tractors tend to be awesomely rugged and dependable compared to just about any other mechanical device. That basically goes for all of them. After ironing out the wrinkles that seem inevitable in a new machine, it wouldn't surprise anyone here one bit if the only mechanical attention you ever need is routine maintenance..... for decades.
To back up the reliability, I saw where you initially mentioned that one of the prospective tractors was new and the other(s) were used - although I think you said with low hours. Still, I don't remember anyone commenting about that making much of a difference - if any.
Finally....having a sympathetic dealer close by is something I cherish - even though I don't need many parts I've still got questions and frankly it's important to me to enjoy working up a relationship that hopefully will last as long as the machine does.
good luck,now. You are looking at some pretty good machines and there are some other good makes as well. Do check out the 3pt operation while driving around the dealer's dirt test patch with a heavy implement - use a box blade or HEAVY grader blade. The 3 pt operation plus the way a tractor balances with a load on the 3 pt is definitely different from brand to brand and is very much an individual preference. At the dealers you can try it and see how easy - or not - it is to turn a washboard bit of his dirt patch into a smooth surface. That will tell you a lot, and it will have the added benefit of letting the dealer know you are serious about how his tractors work. Most anyone can use a loader but using a 3pt well does takes some practice. You'll be rough with it at first, but what you are looking for is how quickly it becomes instinctive for you when using that machine. Expect that models within the same brand will vary as much or more than different brands. Your dealer probably already knows that about his machines.....
Good luck, I bet you'll like your new tractor - regardless of which.
rScotty
