<font color="blue"> You can never be too sure about such things when Jim is concerned, but many more time than not, he's right on the money. <font color="red">Besides he's at least a few years older and wiser than me. </font> I think the last time he was wrong was back in the 19th century and with 4700+ posts since then, I think my chances are pretty good. </font>
Could there really be someone here who's actually older than I am? (53 going on 100 /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif). Oh please let that be true. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Funny how we kid those whom we admire most ... Jim passes a little test of mine with flying colors - namely: what would the world be like if everyone was just like (Person X).(And so do most, if not all, of you too - you know who you are /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif) I only wish I did, but I'm working on it, honest! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
Hey - somewhat against my "better" judgment, or lack thereof, I feel the urge to post a PM that I sent to Dalhan that I didn't really want to post here for fear of ruffling feathers, being out of line, or doing anything else that might not be "good". (I think its "kosher" to post an outgoing PM, since I could have just as easily posted in in the thread instead, as I am now doing. Posting a received PM would be another story IMHO). This "change of heart" has a lot to do with some things that have been going on lately in my personal (family) life. Things having a lot to do with communication, how we say the things we feel are "important" to say, and how well we "receive" the observations of others. Things having to do with mutual respect, judgment, subjectivity, objectivity, the "truth" (whatever the heck that is), and a whole host of other things having to do with our journey through life as we try to get ahead, get things done, and perhaps most importantly, "get along" with one another as we do all of the above. So here goes:
<font color="blue"> Hi, sorry I didn't get back to you sooner. I was originally going to tell you just to be sure not to leave the Kubotas out of your decision-making process. Specifically, the L4330HST or the L5030HST (I don't like the
L4630). But now, I also want to make sure that you don't leave the John Deere 4000 twenty series out of your choices either. JD did an unbelievable job on that series. A JD like the 4720, 4520 or 4320 might be just the thing. They're all turbos, which you might or might not want, but they are great tractors with a lot of amazing standard featues like LoadMatch, electronically adjustable hydros and a whole lot more. they are all-american tractors, built in the USA and built from the ground up by John deere, not Yanmar.
All of these tractors are in, or very near, your price range. I paid $24,950 for my Kubota 5030HST with 853 loader, R4 tires and a HD bucket. The JD 4720 is a little more than that.
Lastly, here is a very good thread that I think you might find helpful: </font>
TEST DROVE 4720 W/CAB & 5030 W/CAB
I included that thread in my PM for its opinions about tractors. I refer to it here because I think it is a really good example of how easy it is as human beings - all of us, me included (and perhaps even especially) - to fall prey to our own "human-ness" and allow our emotions to creep into situations that might be better off without them. As I said, there's a lot of good stuff in there about tractors - not
just how we discuss them, and things in general.
I love the saying - "Understanding is a three edged sword; there's my side, there's your side, then there's the truth". I would love to be able to say that it's from the Bible, or was said by Freud, Nietzsche or Plato - but actually I believe it was the character "Kosh" from Babylon 5. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
I also include this thread because someone posted after its near-conclusion: "Best.thread.ever". I don't know about best ever, but it is darn good. As I am so fond of telling people, "Tractorbynet is an amazing site - and it's
not just about tractors." Ain't that the "truth".
In that thread, I allow my own emotions to come into play in my interactions with someone whom I am very hopeful will forgive me for that, and for whom I have the utmost respect. I have a great deal of hesitation about posting this link, and my intention is NOT to call attention to any particular comment, viewpoint, opinion or action by ANY of the participants in that thread. I asked Bird for his opinion of my own actions in it, and he correctly told me that some of my comments did not belong in the thread itself, but rather should have been made privately. ** (As I am re-reading this post and making some edits, I just realized a very glaring flaw in my decision-making process, and since I guess it's too late to reconsider my own judgement, or lack thereof, in my decision to reference this thread, I suppose I will have to live with the consequences of this decision, and let any readers of these threads judge me and my actions as they see fit; or ideally, not judge me at all, but rather help me to see the possible error of my ways in order to help me to do better in the future. Sorry Bird, I am still not nearly as wise as you).**
******************
Lastly, I know that we're not supposed to talk about religion in here, and I'm not espousing any particular one. If anything, I'm a buddhist, or just a person who thinks the Golden Rule might be all the "religion" anyone might really need. But this quote happens to be from the Bible, which I think has a lot of good sentiments in it, to say the least, regardless of one's personal convictions. I hope that the following quote will be tolerated to the same degree as my previous one from "Babylon 5". This quote happens to be from Romans 2, and I think it's a very good one to revisit, especially in these troubled times:
<font color="blue">1 Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.
</font>
I apologize to anyone whom I have ever judged, or even appeared to judge, for that is not my place, or right, in this world.
I take some (perhaps well-deserved) ribbing for my penchant for love, understanding, forgiveness and peace, but I think they're very "good" things, if you all will forgive the obviously subjective opinion. Good for all of us in TractorByNet, and good for a world that is seeing some very troubled times right now. And if the Beatles tell us that "All You Need is Love" - well then give me that "old-time" "religion", or is it "old-time rock 'n' roll" ... maybe they're pretty much the same thing ... anyway, they're both "good enough for me".
Maybe I'm "coming from the "right" place, maybe I'm just crazy, maybe some of both ... whatever the case may be, please don't judge me too harshly ... or better yet, as I said earlier, I hope you don't judge me at all .... it will be my honor and privilege to do the very same for all of you.
Peace to you all, and "Joy to the World" (Three Dog Night, more of that "old-time rock 'n' roll') /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
John