Nee Help JD 790 or JD 950

[don7231]

Need help. I have just purchased 10 acres that will need bush hogging. The terrain is hilly. I have the opportunity to purchase a 2001 JD 790 2wd 135 hours for $8800.00. I have also found a 1985 JD 950 with 1100 Hours for $6400.00. Can anybody tell me if these are fair prices and which tractor would you go with in this situation? I am looking to spend the least amout of money possible but don't want to skimp and be sorry later. How important is Power Steering? The 950 has Power Steering and I am not sure on the 790. Both of these tractors are 2WD, do I need 4WD?

Thanks,

Don

 

[JClark]

I can speak to the 950 as I had one for 15 years. Great tractor, stone axe reliable. Mine had 4WD (MFWD) but no power steering. Just bushhogging the lack of power steering was not a problem. My experience is that 4WD is a must on a CUT in anything but ideal conditions. For myself, I would not consider a tractor without 4WD. The price of $6400 for a 2WD 950 is not unreasonable if it is in great shape, but the lack of 4WD really holds down its resale value.

 

[Bellville]

Don, I dont' know how prices in your area (can't tell where you are from your post or Bio) are running but right now, but JD dealers around here are offering the 790 2wd for $8,375.00 brand new. In other words I think the price on the 2001 is a little high unless that includes implements.

With respect to the capabilities of the tractor I am working 11 acres with mine and find it well suited to the task. I do have MFWD though, and could not do alot of what I am working on without it.

Best of luck to you in your decision.

 

[smilingreen]

The new 790's have had the Hp reduced down to 27 Hp on them. I live in a hilly area(Middle Tennessee) and I know for a fact that, unless I have 4wd, I could not get to a lot of the areas I have Bushhogged in unless i had it. It helps a lot too, going down hills. My 790 is 30 HP and 4wd. I have a #70 FEL on it, which when I bought the tractor, it did not have. With the 513 brush cutter on the back and going up hills without the FEL, the front end would come up off the ground if I raised the TPH with the cutter on the back of it. Just my $.02 worth.

 

[BB_TX]

I have a 950 and it is a great little machine. But I do have MFWD (4wd) and FEL. When mowing/brush hogging I rarely use the 4wd except on steep slopes. Then as much for the additional braking as traction. However, if I am doing dirt work or pulling a fallen tree over damp ground to the burn pile, I usually need the 4wd to get the needed traction.
The PS is great when mowing. Requires no effort at all to whip around sharp turns.

 

[Joe1]

I would recommend you consider a tractor for all the potential jobs you may do in the future.

While a 2 WD tractor may do what you want now (bush hog), there will probably be other tasks that it may not do so well (FEL and ground engagement). I have a 770 with 24 HP, 20 PTO with MFWD and loaded tires. With a 4' rotary cutter, and the FEL and me it weights around 3,700+ pounds. I have plenty of HP, and can bushhog my mostly flat lot in 2 WD. If the grass/weeds are tall and a little wet, I have traction problems on tight turns and on a few berms I have to climb.

Like I said, HP is not the problem. I run out of traction before HP. That's with R4 Industrial tires. I'm not saying it's this tractor's problem, most posters here, regardless of tractor, will tell you the same thing.

If all you want to do is bush hog, those tractors may be OK. If you plan on the dozens of other uses for a tractor they may not be.

If a more expensive tractor (4 X 4) is not in the budget now, you might want to hire out the bush hog job now or rent a tractor with a bush hog or flail mower and get a feel for what a tractor can do and what you want it to do.

What you rent will probably be a larger tractor than the two above.

As far as the relative value/price on those tractors, a lot has to do with where you are living. Tractor's seem cheaper in Texas compared to the California coast. People in New England complain that they are expensive there. If you add some City/State info to your BIO, you might get other's to respond with more meaningful info.

Good luck and let us know what you do.

Joe

 

[zuiko]

I would get the 950 from those two choices. 4WD would be a big help but the only thing I think I absolutely needed it for so far is digging with the FEL. It just makes (almost) everything else easier and expands the kind of conditions you can work in. The 950 sounds like a pretty nice tractor for the money if its in good condition. If the choice is 2wd or 0wd (no tractor) I wouldn't hesitate to go with 2wd.