As the title states, im looking to buy my first real tractor. Im open to anything right now, but i think I'll stick with new as opposed to used.
My primary role will be to grade our dirt road that we live on. Its about 12 feet wide and 350 feet long. Right now it is full of potholes and im tired of knocking my teeth out whenever i drive on it.
I have no idea of what even horse power i should be looking for. I assume somewhere in the 25-30 range, but im just guessing.
Im open to any brand too. Around me i know we have the following dealers: John Deere, Kioti, New Holland and Kubota. Maybe others too, but i know for sure those.
Thank you for your help!
You pretty much can buy a tractor from any of the big names and get a good machine, so it really comes down to personal preferences, the dealer, and budget. I don't know all the dealers in the area, but know a fair number of them.
Nobody can argue Deere and Kubota make great tractors, but they do tend to be the most expensive for any given size/power/capability.
New Holland and Case/IH are simply selling LS tractors with their own colors and decals in the size range you're talking, and charge thousands more on average, so I can't see them making much sense for many folks when you can buy the same machine from LS for far less. I know at least some models use a loader they have made different from what comes on an LS, but they tend to be less powerful, with a bit higher lift height, so that might sway things for you.
Kioti and LS are the newcomers on the block, but making really nice tractors at a great price point. I've been highly critical of the LS and Kioti dealer in Whitmore Lake not far from you, but others have had similar experiences. Michigan Iron and Equipment in Morrice, MI is really easy to work with, and I drove a long way to visit them a couple of years ago....well worth the drive if you want to look at a Kioti....they will even give you a quote over the phone in about two minutes, which isn't something all dealers will do.
TYM is making some decent machines, but those I've seen in person didn't impress me. They struck me as crude in many ways and less robust in important areas like axle housings, etc.
Mahindra is a mixed bag. They build some of their own tractors, buy some from TYM, and others from Mitsubishi (going off memory). They tend to offer powerful loaders, and heavier weights, which can be a good thing. In general, I avoid supporting Indian companies the way I avoid supporting Russian or Chinese companies, so I wouldn't buy one, but I won't say they're bad machines. There aren't any dealers within an hour or two of me, so it wasn't even an option the last time I was buying new.
The one that it seems you left out is Massey Ferguson. There are a couple of dealers not terribly far from you, and while they are on the higher price side, are certainly worth a look. MF is buying some of their smaller tractors from Iseki, but they are really nice machines. In the SCUT arena they compete really well with Kubota, which is saying something.
Regardless of brand, make sure you get seat time in the machines you're considering. Something like the loader control position, or the seat/peddle arrangement might be great for me, and drive you crazy....or vise versa. You don't want to be irritated by something like that every time you use the tractor, so get as much time running them as possible before you make your final decision.
