Buying Advice Need an all purpose machine.

[flusher]

Just go to craigslist and search "garden tractor" in your area. Here's what came up in my area on the first page of the search

garden tractor on SearchTempest

 

[Pele]

Pele,

Perhaps we are not used to your way of thinkin.... :laughing: I'd use that as an excuse to get as Tim the Toolman Taylor says: "More Power." But I certainly understand budgetary constraints and storage.

Good Luck on your search.

Bart

It ain't my decision entirely. The boss has a say in it too.

Unfortunately, she gets two votes in this family, hence the need for hydraulic deck lift and blade lift options.

She's due in March, so she'll need all the help she can get come snow clearing time.

 

[jenkinsph]

Having read all of the thread you need to increase the budget or decrease your expectation dramatically. Consider financing what you really wan't if need be.

 

[some zilch]

it really seems that anything bigger than your typical happy-homeowner garden tractor is just overkill for what the OP wants to do. he has a small trailer, has to store it in backyard toolshed, and has a garden tractor budget. other than the occasional bushhogging at a remote property, he is only mowing a 1/2 acre total, and pushing snow off a sidewalk; a job any home depot/sears/lowes lawn tractor could do. i guess if the OP is really set on a "tractor" that can accept a loader/3pt attachments, etc, a 9n/8n is about the only thing in his price range; but a tractor that size is wayyyyy too big fior mowing a 1/2 acre and working on sidewalks

 

[DennisFolsom]

They are rare, but I think there are some older small tractors that might fill most of Pele's needs, and come within, or close to, his budget. How about the Bolens/Iseki tractors, or the older, smaller Mitsubishi Satoh tractors? I believe there were some Simplicity garden tractors that took a loader. Aren't there also some early small Kubotas and Yanmars that might be in the ballpark? Someone also mentioned Case/Ingersoll. Those were very rugged small tractors.

Pele - Don't give up easily. Check all the sources you can for older, smaller bargain tractors. You may find something that has lived an easy life, and has plenty of wear left, in your price range. On the older machines, you will likely have to do your own mechanic work, and finding parts will be a challenge. There are plenty of guys that do that as a hobby.

Also, if you haven't already, scout through some of the other sections of TBN for information on the tractors that I and others have mentioned.

Good luck in your quest!

 

[RoyJackson]

Deere 670 is WAY too big to keep around here.

Maybe I should just go out and get a brand new Deere 6030 tractor and a Combine. I dunno what a combine does, I just know they're used on farms and it's something way more than I need.

Go back to my first response...I suggested you get an old lawn tractor or a self propelled walk behind mower. Either would suffice for those 1/4 acre lots.

You came to TBN and asked a question. You got very resonable answers...but apparently you don't like the responses and resort to a wise ***** comment.

It's not our problem you can't afford what you want...nor is it our problem if you can't swing a loan.

 

[Pele]

They are rare, but I think there are some older small tractors that might fill most of Pele's needs, and come within, or close to, his budget. How about the Bolens/Iseki tractors, or the older, smaller Mitsubishi Satoh tractors? I believe there were some Simplicity garden tractors that took a loader. Aren't there also some early small Kubotas and Yanmars that might be in the ballpark? Someone also mentioned Case/Ingersoll. Those were very rugged small tractors.

Pele - Don't give up easily. Check all the sources you can for older, smaller bargain tractors. You may find something that has lived an easy life, and has plenty of wear left, in your price range. On the older machines, you will likely have to do your own mechanic work, and finding parts will be a challenge. There are plenty of guys that do that as a hobby.

Also, if you haven't already, scout through some of the other sections of TBN for information on the tractors that I and others have mentioned.

Good luck in your quest!

See, this is what I'm looking for...

Here's the rub on older tractors for me... How do I figure out if it's a good workhorse or a collector's item? If you had a 1957 Chevy pickup, would you toss a load of firewood or scrap metal into the bed?


Also... I see lots of newer tractors boasting 20+ HP two and three cylinder engines. Then I see older ones with single cylinder 8-12 HP. Are they really up to the task? I mean, my push mower is 6.5 HP and it's just swinging a 21 inch blade and pushing a 30 lb aluminum deck... 13 horse should move two blades and push a 60 lbs worth of mower... But this is spinning much bigger blades than the push mower and it's pushing 600+ lbs worth of tractor plus 180 lbs of me on it.

When I see a 20 HP riding mower at Home Depot that takes no implements and I see a compact Diesel with a cat 0 or 1 three point with 15 HP, it gets confusing.

 

[Pele]

Go back to my first response...I suggested you get an old lawn tractor or a self propelled walk behind mower. Either would suffice for those 1/4 acre lots.

You came to TBN and asked a question. You got very resonable answers...but apparently you don't like the responses and resort to a wise ***** comment.

It's not our problem you can't afford what you want...nor is it our problem if you can't swing a loan.

Hey man, I didn't mean any offense. But I really haven't gotten answers to some of my questions... I don't mean any disrespect and I'm not trying to tick you off or anything.

Why aren't the small garden tractors adequate for my purposes.

If a bush hog won't fit on the cat 0 three point, then I can just use the mower deck. None of what's on the empty property is bigger than my fingers, belly mower should take care of it.

I don't know why you're getting all defensive. I never said my budget was your problem. What I did say was, I think y'all were recommending much larger machines than was necessary without saying why I need such a big machine.

 

[Gittyup]

The reason you aren't getting any answers is that there really is very very little that fits yours needs in your budget. You aren't likely to find an older machine that's small enough with a loader in your budget. You'd be better off buying a used lawn tractor for a few hundred dollars and then getting a big tractor with a loader for the other stuff.. Reason? There a a lot more old real tractors around with loaders.

I have a friend who bought a ford 4000 (like 50 hp or so) with loader for $3500. Now it's a beast and the loader is far from modern. But, it lifts and hauls, bush hogs like crazy, and will go just about any where even though it's only 2 wheel drive.

You aren't going to find a smalll used garden tractor with loader that's worth bringing home for $2000. Probably not even for $4000. Just reality. But, keep looking. Miracles do happen every day.

 

[RoyJackson]

Why aren't the small garden tractors adequate for my purposes.

Probably because you want to run a rotary cutter and add a front end loader. Most lawn tractors don't have that capability (lacking hydraulics, PTO and 3PH). The ones that do have those capabilities are beyond your budget, for the most part.

If a bush hog won't fit on the cat 0 three point, then I can just use the mower deck. None of what's on the empty property is bigger than my fingers, belly mower should take care of it.

I ruined a nice old Wheel Horse doing that...better off hiring someone to make the first cut, then maintain it.