Looking to buy my first tractor

[scootr]

My first tractor was too small. A simple 30 hp 2 wheel drive MF. My next tractor was too big. I think I finally got a just right Kubota MX5200 for everything we need to do here on the ranch.
I looked long and hard before finding this garage kept 150 hr 4yr old beauty at quite a savings vs new. Original owner moving out of state had already installed 3 rear remotes and added a LP gannon with hyd rippers and a front cutting edge. About a $6k upgrade at the dealer

 

[Torvy]

Original owner moving out of state had already installed 3 rear remotes and added a LP gannon with hyd rippers and a front cutting edge. About a $6k upgrade at the dealer

2 sets rear remotes standard on the T494/574. You can get a box blade for as little as $850. If you want fancy hyd rippers, they can be had used for under $2k.

Big problem with JD and Kubota is that everything related to them costs more. They figure if you can pay their high prices to buy, you can pay them for parts, repairs and accessories. Even if you get a used one, you end up paying more over the life of the tractor. For some, money is no object. If that is the case, enjoy the journey.

 

[scootr]

2 sets rear remotes standard on the T494/574. You can get a box blade for as little as $850. If you want fancy hyd rippers, they can be had used for under $2k.

Big problem with JD and Kubota is that everything related to them costs more. They figure if you can pay their high prices to buy, you can pay them for parts, repairs and accessories. Even if you get a used one, you end up paying more over the life of the tractor. For some, money is no object. If that is the case, enjoy the journey.

I get it. Cheap is king and I'm a fool for buying Kubota or Ford or any other proven name brand product. As for 3 remotes top, tilt, and hydraulic rippers being fancy, no. They are a necessity on a grading tractor. A cheap box blade is not the same thing.
Enjoy your ride as well.

 

[rScotty]

Howdy neighbor! We have slightly less acreage in the Northern Piney Woods. We're a bit south of Lake Bob Sandlin.

I recently ordered a TYM T574H. It is a little higher than your target price, but is feature loaded and well suited to our area and trees. It is a heavy, strong tractor. 4 dealers less than 90 miles from here (Longview, Carthage, Caddo Mills and Tyler). My tractor out the door was less than $30k. You can save roughly $2500 by getting the T494H which is exactly the same tractor without the turbo. If you prefer a shuttle shift, you can shave off another $1500 or so. That would get you pretty close to your price with a full warranty and dealer support.

Those would be tough decisions for me. I like dependability and luxury about equally and turbos are both.
And for years I was a shuttle shift advocate....then we got this HST+.....

 

[Torvy]

I get it. Cheap is king and I'm a fool for buying Kubota or Ford or any other proven name brand product. As for 3 remotes top, tilt, and hydraulic rippers being fancy, no. They are a necessity on a grading tractor. A cheap box blade is not the same thing.
Enjoy your ride as well.

Value is king. No evidence that Kubota is any higher quality. If cheap was king, i would have said buy a chinese knockoff. The advantage for Kubota and JD is marketing and market penetration. More dealers. Unlike car dealers, though, you usually only need one tractor dealer and some of them treat anyone who bought elsewhere as a leper. In other words, if you buy a used one, you had better know in advance how the local dealer will treat you (or be good at doing your own wrenching). Used is sometimes a good option for some people. Not usually the case nowadays for the hobby farmer unless he or she has good mechanical skills.

I only said hyd rippers were fancy. Other brands recognize the importance of remotes and include them standard. I haven't seen an OEM include top n tilt. Some dealers carry 3rd party ones and will install for a fee. I agree, tnt is very useful on a box blade.

You can get a box blade with hyd rippers used right now at tractorhouse for $1950. (Or a brand new EA one for the same price without hyd rippers)For most of the box blade market, rippers do not need hydraulic adjustment. If you are a commercial grader or spend a great deal of time working on roads on your property, it may be handy, but hardly a necessity.

 

[scootr]

Torvy - I understand you did your research and made your decision based upon everything you could find to read and watch. If I bought new it might have been a TYM. I'm sure you will have a great tractor experience.

I've owned a few tractors over the past 30 yrs and I ran many more. My family has run Kubota tractors since 1970 something on the ranch. We know what they are and what can be expected from them. That's why I jumped on a like new 'used' MX5200 model set up the way I wanted.

 

[Torvy]

Don't get me wrong here. I would have jumped on a rare deal like that, too. As advice for someone looking for a tractor, I don't know that it is likely that a deal like that will come along

 

[c5fire]

Compact track loader would serve you better than a tractor for now. 25,000 you would be looking at a slightly high hour machine that might need a little work. Beat the hell out of it doing your heavy lifting then sell it for a little newer tractor down the road. You should be able to get most if not all of your money back out of it.

Another option if you don't have to trailer it around a used full sized backhoe with a 4 in 1 bucket can do some major heavy work cleaning the place up.

I have also considered some sort of a tracked skidstear unit. I know even less about them. I definitely like a lot of the benefits of them though such as the lower center of gravity for one and from what I understand they are quite capable machines though I’ve also heard that implements tend to be more expensive.

A friend of mine has an old 2010 Bobcat CT230 I’ve been using for a few months now it’s one he got when he first started his landscaping business and almost never uses it anymore. I thought about buying it initially but it’s in pretty rough shape. Though maybe if the price was right who knows.

After trying to do some things I have found it a bit lacking. This could be due to my experience and expectations because I have operated tractors before but it was not something I did in any regular basis only when working with friends and family in the past. Additionally I know I would have to replace several things on it.

 

[m1garand762]

Why would you want to spend that much money on an unknown unproven brand sold at tue farm store. Have we not learned anything from the lack of support rk is providing people that bought there tractors

 

[rScotty]

Why would you want to spend that much money on an unknown unproven brand sold at tue farm store. Have we not learned anything from the lack of support rk is providing people that bought there tractors?

That's a good question. I've wondered the same thing - not just tractors, but lots of stuff.
To me doing that is a mystery, but it seems real obvioius to some fairly smart people.
All I can figure is it must be worth the gamble to them.