Newbie - need input & help please

[Williy]

With a hydro tranny most try to push the pedel to the floor
going up hill causing you to slow down wrong way

willy

 

[redman135]

Some food for thought.
Instead of doing the break in of the overgrown pastures etc, hire a contractor, with thier big gear you will be surprised at the bang for buck that you get. The EFFECT of this is you can get a smaller tractor to do your regular chores.
This should stretch the budget.

Manufacturers generally have a budget tractor and a primium tractor in the same size/power but different price.
Tyres: use agriculture tyres, not industrial (default tyre in your size tractor).
Rims: ag rims are 2 piece so they can be ahjusted wider for stability. Industrial tyres come on 1 piece rims, and can't be adjusted.

Hydraulics: Generally recommended to get 3rd service on loader as it is pricey to retro fit. Also good future proofing.
Rear hydraulics: minimum of 2 pairs.


Budget vs primium models: usually shows in 3 places. transmisssion. hydraulic pump capasity and tyres.

Budget trans = 2 speed hydro trans, primium = 3 speed hydro trans.

Hydraulic pump: budget = low output (slowish performance) and primium = higher output making the loader quicker and better performing.

Tyres: budget = narrow primium = wide

Loader: be aware that some loaders capasity is measured at the bucket pins (is a real world disapoinment). While others are measured at a point about a foot in front of the bucket pins (accurate real world lift) This is why some tractors will have a higher lift compared to others.

You will hear cat0, cat1 and cat2 mentioned. This refers to the size of the balls on the lower links of the tractor and the SIZE of ATTATCHMENT.

Being in Michigan can you afford a cab, if so get ac and heat. summer = roast, winter = freeze.

I recomend a hydrostatic trans as this is easiest to learn for complete beginners like you and you can put other beginners on it and still be fairly safe.

When using the loader travel with the load low to the ground as with the weight up high there is a lot of leveage and it is very easy to roll the tractor when turning (even gently) and just driving across a side slope.

Ergonomic matter. If a tractor is not comfortable to operate don't buy it. Particularly the loader controls. You will be surprised at the small diference between just right and wrong.

Good Luck

 

[arrow]

I have a strong dislike of hydrostatic transmissions.

In the hills we have around here Hydrostats suck power causing you to have to choose a lower range than you would have otherwise. The need to set a cruise control or keep your foot on the pedal is a compromise. They are very inconsistent for ground speed, making spreading, spraying and other speed sensitive chores a challenge. I am a fan of powershift transmissions. They are very nice and easy to use, put full power to the ground maintain a more consistent speed and make shifting on hills easy. Doing ground engaging work such as plowing or discing really makes a geared tractor shine. If I were in the market for a compact tractor I would absolutely go with a Kubota GST or an older Case CVT. My Massey is geared with a shuttle. It will go up hills better than my friends Kubota L6060 60 hp hydrostat despite being only 45HP and weighing twice the L6060. Most of my friends that grew up on farms share a similar disdane for hydrostatic transmissions for the reason I mention above.

However my experience is that hydrostat is easier to learn. In college we had geared and HST (Hydrostatic transmissions) on the tractors. The new students had a much easier time driving hydrostatic tractors as they only had to learn how to run the loader since the pedals or tredle is intuitive and requires 0 skill. The learning curve on a hydrostat is much shallower making efficient operation quicker to achieve with most operators. I have friends that I taught how to drive tractors, two of them struggled with my geared tractor due to the transmission. Both can drive stick shift cars so they understand the basics. Both now own hydrostatic tractors that they are efficient with due to the shorter learning curve. When they run my geared tractor they still struggle.
This is my experience with hydrostats and folks new to tractor operation, as well as my desire to never own a HST tractor (I do really want a Verstile 276 or Ford 9030 despite being HST).

The point you make for initial experience on a tractor is valid. Hydros are just about fool proof.
It is why this market sector moves toward the automatic tractor as they did the auto tranny in cars.
That being said, the op l feel is apprehensive to a larger tractor however she needs as much work efficiency as possible in a smaller machine.
I feel the gains made with getting used to a shuttle, has a myriad of advantages as it applies to
long term usage.

 

[arrow]

Some food for thought.
Instead of doing the break in of the overgrown pastures etc, hire a contractor, with thier big gear you will be surprised at the bang for buck that you get. The EFFECT of this is you can get a smaller tractor to do your regular chores.
This should stretch the budget.

Manufacturers generally have a budget tractor and a primium tractor in the same size/power but different price.
Tyres: use agriculture tyres, not industrial (default tyre in your size tractor).
Rims: ag rims are 2 piece so they can be ahjusted wider for stability. Industrial tyres come on 1 piece rims, and can't be adjusted.

Hydraulics: Generally recommended to get 3rd service on loader as it is pricey to retro fit. Also good future proofing.
Rear hydraulics: minimum of 2 pairs.


Budget vs primium models: usually shows in 3 places. transmisssion. hydraulic pump capasity and tyres.

Budget trans = 2 speed hydro trans, primium = 3 speed hydro trans.

Hydraulic pump: budget = low output (slowish performance) and primium = higher output making the loader quicker and better performing.

Tyres: budget = narrow primium = wide

Loader: be aware that some loaders capasity is measured at the bucket pins (is a real world disapoinment). While others are measured at a point about a foot in front of the bucket pins (accurate real world lift) This is why some tractors will have a higher lift compared to others.

You will hear cat0, cat1 and cat2 mentioned. This refers to the size of the balls on the lower links of the tractor and the SIZE of ATTATCHMENT.

Being in Michigan can you afford a cab, if so get ac and heat. summer = roast, winter = freeze.

I recomend a hydrostatic trans as this is easiest to learn for complete beginners like you and you can put other beginners on it and still be fairly safe.

When using the loader travel with the load low to the ground as with the weight up high there is a lot of leveage and it is very easy to roll the tractor when turning (even gently) and just driving across a side slope.

Ergonomic matter. If a tractor is not comfortable to operate don't buy it. Particularly the loader controls. You will be surprised at the small diference between just right and wrong.

Good Luck

The op is an individual with no tractor experience.
Some of Your info l think, is a bit of overload for such an individual.

 

[arrow]

I don’t quite understand this comment.

In response to your statement of “ no perfect size in anything”
As it applies to tractor selection, that is a generality.
As elusive as “perfection” may be, a proper selection of tractor with the correct guidance based on job description, can come mighty close.
For instance, my tractor will not skid out an 18” dbh oak in one shot. It does so if l cut off the crown and section the stem in two.
If adhering to a stringent criteria, then my tractor is not perfect for not being able to drag out such a tree in one piece. It is perfect if l’m ok to harvest a tree of this size with three trips.
Saying my tractor is imperfect or perfect, then becomes a generality.

 

[redman135]

Arrow, on post 54 , the OP does not have enough knowledge to even know what questions to ask. The aim is to show some general things to consider. This should guide them to ask some of the questions they need answers for.

 

[arrow]

Arrow, on post 54 , the OP does not have enough knowledge to even know what questions to ask. The aim is to show some general things to consider. This should guide them to ask some of the questions they need answers for.

I know you’re trying to help but I feel she may be overwhelmed already.
When someone comes to me for a tractor and is a neophyte in the subject matter, I am not getting into discussions about pumps, rim particulars or hydraulic extensions.
They simply want to know what will do the jobs they described.
They are confused enough and to bring up the stuff you talk about is an absolute over load for them.