Terrible business model. Places like that tend to only keep customers they have by blind loyalty and never get new blood into the cycle.
New Utility Tractor Advice Needed 50-60hp
- Thread starter Piparoo
- Start date
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Terrible business model. Places like that tend to only keep customers they have by blind loyalty and never get new blood into the cycle.
flashpuppy
Silver Member
You may want to check that again... I am also in NC and we only have to show $1k for our ag exemption on property taxes.
I just reread the relevant portions of the state code and I see a requirement of $10k in annual income from farming in the past year, or the average of the past three years, to qualify for the agricultural sales tax exemption. BUT, it does look like I can apply for a conditional exemption certificate. :thumbsup:
duffer
Platinum Member
Obviously everybody thinks the tractor they own is the best. Me included. I narrowed down the list to 3 for various reasons, mainly because I had to eventually get to 1. those three were Kubota, Deere, and Mahindra. Had dealers reasonably close was another factor. You buy the tractor, but you're marrying the dealer. So make sure he's a keeper.
Kubota got DQ'd right away, because their "we don't care" attitude evidently runs rampant. Seems to be a recurring theme. Came really close to pulling the trigger on the Deere, but then found out about the exhaust re-gen system requirements, vs the Mahindra and that was a win for Mahindra. Also compared the lifting capacity & bucket size of JD & Mahindra and that was another win for Mahindra. Price was a little better on the Mahindra, (not a huge factor) but the ergonomics of the Mahindra fit me better than the JD. Might be the opposite for you.
I've had mine for almost 3 years now, with 850 hours on it, and not one significant problem, and I work it hard. My neighbor just got the same hp JD, and has had multiple problems, with weeks of down time with 60 hours on his. Not an indictment, just an observation. The warranty on his JD actually got in the way of getting his tractor fixed recently. Part needed to fix it was warrantied, but JD had a back order for 2-3 wks on it, and dealer couldn't substitute another part.
I would suggest you spend a LOT of time with the dealer, not just the salesman, but talk to the shop mgr, or even a mechanic to get a feel for what they deal with on a daily basis. If the dealer is frustrated with the manufacturer (you'll get a vibe if he is, when you talk to them), then that will translate into frustration for you. You probably don't need any more of that in your life.
I wish I had "played around" more with each of the tractors I was considering. Hook up implements to see how easy/difficult it is, and believe me they are NOT all the same. Go over the entire tractor from bumper to 3 pt hitch, over, under, and see how easy the maintenance that you want to perform is going to be for you. Tractors will last a long time if you do good maintenance on them.
Sounds like you're going to use a fair amount of PTO implements, and least in frequency. How easy is the PTO hookup? I have a friend who has a tractor where the PTO spindle cannot spin freely, even when not engaged. You have to spin the PTO shaft of the implement to get the spline fittings to line up. Ever try to spin the PTO shaft of a baler? It's little things like this that will drive you crazy if you don't research it before you shell out a lot of money.
All tractors have strengths and weaknesses. Get the one that has the strengths you need, and the right dealer to help you along the way.
Good luck!
Kubota got DQ'd right away, because their "we don't care" attitude evidently runs rampant. Seems to be a recurring theme. Came really close to pulling the trigger on the Deere, but then found out about the exhaust re-gen system requirements, vs the Mahindra and that was a win for Mahindra. Also compared the lifting capacity & bucket size of JD & Mahindra and that was another win for Mahindra. Price was a little better on the Mahindra, (not a huge factor) but the ergonomics of the Mahindra fit me better than the JD. Might be the opposite for you.
I've had mine for almost 3 years now, with 850 hours on it, and not one significant problem, and I work it hard. My neighbor just got the same hp JD, and has had multiple problems, with weeks of down time with 60 hours on his. Not an indictment, just an observation. The warranty on his JD actually got in the way of getting his tractor fixed recently. Part needed to fix it was warrantied, but JD had a back order for 2-3 wks on it, and dealer couldn't substitute another part.
I would suggest you spend a LOT of time with the dealer, not just the salesman, but talk to the shop mgr, or even a mechanic to get a feel for what they deal with on a daily basis. If the dealer is frustrated with the manufacturer (you'll get a vibe if he is, when you talk to them), then that will translate into frustration for you. You probably don't need any more of that in your life.
I wish I had "played around" more with each of the tractors I was considering. Hook up implements to see how easy/difficult it is, and believe me they are NOT all the same. Go over the entire tractor from bumper to 3 pt hitch, over, under, and see how easy the maintenance that you want to perform is going to be for you. Tractors will last a long time if you do good maintenance on them.
Sounds like you're going to use a fair amount of PTO implements, and least in frequency. How easy is the PTO hookup? I have a friend who has a tractor where the PTO spindle cannot spin freely, even when not engaged. You have to spin the PTO shaft of the implement to get the spline fittings to line up. Ever try to spin the PTO shaft of a baler? It's little things like this that will drive you crazy if you don't research it before you shell out a lot of money.
All tractors have strengths and weaknesses. Get the one that has the strengths you need, and the right dealer to help you along the way.
Good luck!
dbchaplin03
Silver Member
Piparoo,
I'm in a similar boat. A couple pieces of advice from somone who has been here and made a mistake. Don't buy the wrong tractor because it was the right price! I did that last year with Kioti CK4010SE. It was a wonderful tractor, but much too small for what i needed. I was disappointed almost immediately after i took delivery. As far as Kubota dealers go, I am in southern Ohio and I have at least 5 Kubota dealers within an hour and probably 10-15 within 2 hours. Don't eliminate some VERY high quality tractors just because of one lousy dealer. Kubota's are extremely reliable and have very good resale value. I've owned 3 over the years. (bought my first used with shuttle transmission, sold that for a used Glide Shift, sold that years later for a used HST. We then moved accross the country and i sold the HST before we moved)
I called a dealer 20 mins from my house last week. The guy answers the phone "Hello".. Thats it.. Hello. I say "is this so and so a Kubota dealer?" He goes, "yeah, what do you want".... I told him I want to buy a tractor but you better believe it won't be from you!!!
I'm going to try attaching the spreadsheet I've made on 6 Kubota tractors I've been considering. Please note that I've gotten quotes from at least 3 different dealers on most of these models and 4 on one of them. I listed the cheapest quoted price on my spreadsheet. The price range between dealers has ranged almost $4K on the same model of tractor with the same confirguration!!!
If you have questions about the ratings, just ignore them. I may have had a beer or two when i was making this but more or less the machine with the highest rating was better (to me) than the lower rating. All are rated 6-1 except the transmission. I scored the HST+ from the Grand L series higher than the Power-Shuttle (for my needs) and the MX series the lowest because i don't particularly like the treddle peddle.
I would add the M5660SUHD to you list of tractors to consider. I am leaning very heavy towards buying one very soon. One other quick thing about Finacing. Kioti and Kubota are the two primary tractors I've considered. Kioti are substantially cheaper if you can pay cash. If you use their 0% financing you are going to pay $4500 more for the NX series or $5500 more for the RX series. Kubota's price is only $700 difference between the cash price and 0% finance price. If you do a bank loan or commercial financing, most interest rates are going to be 5-6% and if you calculate that out over 60 months you will end up paying more for the Kioti's then the Kubota. From my expereience selling 3 Kubota's over the years and a Kioti... The Kubota will be worth substantially more for resale wise and have a much wider pool of potential buyers. I really like Kiotis.. lb for lb and dollar for dollar spent i think they are a better value.. But you should just look at all avenues. BTW.. the Kubota dealer 10 mins from me has been consistently $2-4K more per tractor then one 45 mins away that has had the best prices across the board... Difference is one is a Car dealership that started selling equipment as a side business (In the City) vs small, tractor only dealer, out in the country with very little overhead I'm sure..
I'm in a similar boat. A couple pieces of advice from somone who has been here and made a mistake. Don't buy the wrong tractor because it was the right price! I did that last year with Kioti CK4010SE. It was a wonderful tractor, but much too small for what i needed. I was disappointed almost immediately after i took delivery. As far as Kubota dealers go, I am in southern Ohio and I have at least 5 Kubota dealers within an hour and probably 10-15 within 2 hours. Don't eliminate some VERY high quality tractors just because of one lousy dealer. Kubota's are extremely reliable and have very good resale value. I've owned 3 over the years. (bought my first used with shuttle transmission, sold that for a used Glide Shift, sold that years later for a used HST. We then moved accross the country and i sold the HST before we moved)
I called a dealer 20 mins from my house last week. The guy answers the phone "Hello".. Thats it.. Hello. I say "is this so and so a Kubota dealer?" He goes, "yeah, what do you want".... I told him I want to buy a tractor but you better believe it won't be from you!!!
I'm going to try attaching the spreadsheet I've made on 6 Kubota tractors I've been considering. Please note that I've gotten quotes from at least 3 different dealers on most of these models and 4 on one of them. I listed the cheapest quoted price on my spreadsheet. The price range between dealers has ranged almost $4K on the same model of tractor with the same confirguration!!!
If you have questions about the ratings, just ignore them. I may have had a beer or two when i was making this but more or less the machine with the highest rating was better (to me) than the lower rating. All are rated 6-1 except the transmission. I scored the HST+ from the Grand L series higher than the Power-Shuttle (for my needs) and the MX series the lowest because i don't particularly like the treddle peddle.
I would add the M5660SUHD to you list of tractors to consider. I am leaning very heavy towards buying one very soon. One other quick thing about Finacing. Kioti and Kubota are the two primary tractors I've considered. Kioti are substantially cheaper if you can pay cash. If you use their 0% financing you are going to pay $4500 more for the NX series or $5500 more for the RX series. Kubota's price is only $700 difference between the cash price and 0% finance price. If you do a bank loan or commercial financing, most interest rates are going to be 5-6% and if you calculate that out over 60 months you will end up paying more for the Kioti's then the Kubota. From my expereience selling 3 Kubota's over the years and a Kioti... The Kubota will be worth substantially more for resale wise and have a much wider pool of potential buyers. I really like Kiotis.. lb for lb and dollar for dollar spent i think they are a better value.. But you should just look at all avenues. BTW.. the Kubota dealer 10 mins from me has been consistently $2-4K more per tractor then one 45 mins away that has had the best prices across the board... Difference is one is a Car dealership that started selling equipment as a side business (In the City) vs small, tractor only dealer, out in the country with very little overhead I'm sure..
dbchaplin03
Silver Member
I forgot to mention, all of these tractors are Kubotas, all are open station, 4x4, loader, R-4 tires, and a 3rd function valve installed for the price on my spreadsheet. Keep that in mind when you look at the price. The 3rd function valve is close to $900 and $300 to install it on average. So if you don't need a 3rd function, you could save about $1200 off these prices.
