My Bobcat tractor has been giving me some tough love so I am considering a replacement. Here is what I have looked at
LS XG3135 $17900
LS xg3140 $18,900
TYM t394hst $19,500
TYM354hst $20,999
Kubota3301hst $20,490
NH Workmaster35 $19,300
All these are outfitted about the same and are new with warranty. They all will do the job. I have dealer for all nearby. The Kubota dealer is a bit of an unknown but the rest have been around for years. What do you like?
I'd say the first thing is to ignore the prices. Compared to what you want the tool to do, those prices are all so close that they simply don't make any difference.
Secondly, I'd go and at least sit on them. When I made up a list like yours years ago I found that one brand was more comfortable for me to sit on and work the controls than any tractor I'd ever operated. Another (had been my favorite brand) was so uncomfortable that I immediately struck it off the list.
And then I like to walk around the machine and see how well the manufacturer has anticipated routine servicing. How easy are the filters to access, the lubrication points, the oil changes. Can I get to the battery? Is the tool box handy? Is it easy to refuel?
Does the seat adjust?? It had sure better do so!
How convenient is it to lock/unlock the parking brakes? That's something often overlooked by designers, but never overlooked by someone who has actually operated a tractor. Do the 3pt arms telescope? Do the 3pt lift links have a handle to adjust or require tools? Convenient 3pt operation and adjustment is another thing that you only learn to value after doing it awhile.
Look with an eye to how it will weather. Is the dashboard & it's electronics protected against occassional rainshowers? Do the hydraulic hoses have that mesh over them that protects them from the sun? Is anything leaking? How is the finish? Are their anti-scuff areas and rubber mats where you are bound to wear the paint? Is there some finish or protection down underneath where tractors tend to build rust?
Now look underneath. A tractor has to be able to run over the the occassional rock or tree stump without taking damage. Are things well tucked up out of the way? Do vulnerable areas have some protection?
None of these are critical in themselves, and they are the kind of things that cost the manufacturer very little or nothing at all. But they are all the kinds of small details that tell a lot about the quality of things that you cannot see so easily.
Now run it around a bit. These are all hydrostats, so they share similarities. I've noticed that some HST make a definite whine while others do not. I prefer the ones that don't whine.... And BTW, just because the transmission is HST doesn't mean that the transmission can't have plenty of ranges to make it work better and ease the load on transmission and engine. Range shifting itself seems to vary from fingertip ease to levers that require back and shoulder force,
And the engine....all seem good to me. I kinda judge by how it sounds. Unscientific, but so are most of my decisions that have worked out well..... AND don't forget to have fun with the tractor search.
rScotty
