L5030HSTC after 2 years

[Marooned]

Bob,

I agree that it is nice to see reviews from longer term use, but in defense of us "newbies", at some point in our lives we were all newbies to tractors /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif. I believe forums in general were developed to exchange information, experiences and ideas. Should an individual be excluded from a forum discussion just because he has limited experience on the topic? I believe even an inexperienced "newbie" can make useful contributions to these discussions.

That said, being a "newbie" myself /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif, I tend to read alot more than I type on this forum. I'm always scared I might write something that will make me appear "inexperienced", but hey, that's what I am, for now.

I also agree that we should all try to control our "enthusiasm" on one brand over another. As you said, all tractors have their "good" and "not so good" points.

I really enjoy reading opinions from the veteran tractor folks on this forum, and I hope that you will all keep the "golden nuggets" coming. But leave a little room for us "newbies" too. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Hey, I'm just happy to have a tractor! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Larry
A future Non-Newbie

 

[Dargo]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( How many hours is on your now? )</font>

I'm not where my tractor is right now. I think it's three hundred and something, maybe four hundred and something. Not too many. Whatever it is, I'm expecting it to go at least 10 times as long. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[Dargo]

I think what Bob was talking about is the guy (nobody in particular in mind) that goes on and on and on about how durable his tractor is, how strong his tractor is, how beefy his tractor is, and how much more his tractor will do than he expected, and he has 10 hours on his first tractor. Or, 20 hours on his first tractor newer than his old 8N he had for 30 years. Even the least expensive (junk) new tractor will appear that way to someone who does not know them. Many new people come here to learn about tractors and they do not know that the poster I'm describing has no more real knowledge than they do, and they are often given bad advice because the person giving the advice simply does not have any experience. That poster I'm describing is then thrilled that he is now an 'experienced' tractor owner and is only too happy to continue to guide these new users because it makes him feel even more like a wise old sage. All the while he is likely giving incorrect and, sometimes, dangerous advice.

Again, not to say that someone new to tractors cannot notice things that 'experienced' users can, but for the most part, they are much more impressed with things that should be considered completely expected. Although I have a couple decades of experience and a few thousand hours of seat time, some here would consider me to be still green behind the ears. My only reason to post was to give a point of view on a Kubota Grand L tractor a couple of years out.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

Marooned & Jim . . .

I believe both of you have taken my statement the wrong way. But that may well be my fault and I may have written it in such a way that it did not portray what I intended.

What I liked about Dargo's post was his review based on real multi-season use. What I do not like are the 40 hour "experts." Those few guys who graduated up from their 2 cycle Lawn Boy push mowers to their first tractor, they are now know-it-all brand advocates who boast their brand is best, blah blah blah. Bear in mind that I am a city-boy convert. I'm the first to admit it. I didn't grow up on a farm, I grew up in the shadow of the steel mills and oil refineries just south of Chicago. I've been a rural land owner for about 15 years, playing with tractors almost that long, but have a long history with skid loaders, fork lifts, front loaders, etc. I've said all that many times before. I look to guys like Dargo, rockyridgefarm, and cowboydoc as experts and consider myself a newbie.

I have helped people and will continue to help anyone who needs help with their first tractor. One of my hobbies is playing with small tractors.

Now all that said, I have no tolerance for the newbie 'experts' who frequent so many of the forums and are either ignorant liars, stupid liars, or just jerks. They push their brand, or their tractor, even when it is not suitable for the task. They claim their brand is "best" or "cheaper" or "stronger" or "better looking" or some other such nonesense. And if someone stands up and says something that contradicts their so-called expert opinion, then these newbie blow-hard experts jump up and scream bloody murder.

So while my statements may have been written in such a way as to be unclear, I hope I have now cleared that up. I have nothing against newbies. I have something against the newbie 'experts' and I'm frankly sick of them.

As for Dargo's review. AWESOME assessment of tractor, featuring both good and bad, comparing his brand to other brands the he has owned and/or tested. That is what I am looking for when I read TBN.

 

[JimMorrissey]

Thanks for clearing that up Bob /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif I enjoy your posts!

 

[JerryG]

Bob,
I agree with everything that you said and it all happens all too often. When you have years of experience with something and you are made out to be stupid or ignorant by a person that has 30 - 100 hours of total time in, it makes you want to just quit trying to help sometimes.

 

[npaden]

I appreciate the review and also think that a review 2 years down the road is better than one after 2 hours of use.

With that said, one of the great benefits of the internet and the information available is that a person can research and learn a tremendous amount of information before they ever put 1 hour on a tractor. I agree that nothing beats time in the seat for experience, but there could be someone that has studied and researched for a year before buying their tractor and putting their 2 hours on it. Their opinion might be worth as much as someone who has driven a tractor of a particular color for 2,000 hours but never compared it to anything else.

There are plenty of folks with thousands of hours of seat time that I wouldn't want to let operate my push lawnmower because they are downright destructive to the equipment that they operate. Most of those are people that don't own the equipment they operate, but there are a few that just don't seem to care about their equipment even if it is their own.

From researching on this board as I was looking for my tractor I found out things that even the salesman didn't know on pressure relief valve settings and fun stuff like that.

The best thing about this review is that it is 2 years down the road. It's easy to sit down and do a review when you get your tractor and are really excited about it but harder to do 2 years down the road. I for one really appreciate it.

Thanks, Nathan

 

[EastTexFrank]

Dargo, that was a great review. I wish we had more of them.

Bob Skurka, I read your first post and I must admit that I was a little surprised. I feel as if I have known you for years on this board and that was the first uncharitable thing that I had ever heard you say. I'm glad that you cleared it up. You're back on my Christmas card list again. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I've been riding tractors, red, green and orange, for 20 years and there are about a dozen people on this board (no names), but when they talk, I listen. It is a little upsetting to see them being lambasted by someone whose experience consists of a few hours on one model of one brand. That's how we occasionally lose a very experienced, knowledgeable member and the board is a lot poorer for it.

OK, I'm off my soap box now.

 

[DDT]

I was thinking you had more hours than that. I got mine Nov 04 and I am getting close to the 800 hour service.
Knock on wood, I have not had any problems with mine, has not been the the dealer yet. Oh one big problem the right door needs adjusting, dome light flickers in rough ground.
I really like mine. My 4 earlyer tractors were green. I strayed and am glad.

 

[ns_in_tex]

(I've now seen the new JD cabs and they look sweet!)

I've always had a soft spot for green, since owning JD hay equipment over 30 years ago. I probably would have owned green tractor instead of orange, if they had made a low height cab tractor when I was in the market.

I saw one on a dealers lot the other day & just had to stop & sit in it. I was really impressed. Really liked the seat, compared to my Kubota. When I looked outside again, I then noticed it must be nearly a ft taller than the Kubota. Just won't work around my trees.

Shucks, foiled again. For a minute I was thinking new tractor.
Now have 1050 hrs on the Kubota, but it still performs great.