Buying Advice Overwhelmed by options

[grm61]

The main reason I am suggesting a newer gas tractor with good parts availability, is for the long term. I expect the bottom to fall out of the diesel engine market within the next several years. Because the Otto cycle works even better on NG than PG, a gas engine is easily converted. The supply of NG is almost unlimited in Canada and the US. That is not so with oil, which the diesel requires. If this guy wants to get his money back out of his tractor 20 or more years down the road, I definitely think gas is the way to go. The way diesel prices have gone over the last 10 years, what do you think they will be then? Compare the trend in NG. It is going to be very difficult to sell a diesel if it costs that much more to run. That fuel served us well, but it has almost run its course in my opinion. Yes he may get better dependability today out of a new diesel. He could also buy a half a dozen old gas tractors for the same money and keep his whole family working if he wanted to. If Deere and Kubota engineers are not working on NG designs right now then I am afraid they will be in for a rude awakening fairly soon. Maybe they are to busy working on the various diesel "Tier" upgrades to look that far into the future.

What is a newer gas tractor? can you give an example?

 

[akroeze]

So here are two quotes I received from a Kubota dealer. Interestingly, this was the only dealer so far which I have received a fully itemized written estimate. Everyone else has just written a price in their brochure.

L3301 HST
R4 Front
R4 Rear
Rear work light
Block heater
Loaded rear tires
LA525 loader
66" Squareback bucket
Skid steer coupler
TOTAL: $28,250.00 CDN (all in with taxes/freight/etc)

L3901 HST
R4 Front
R4 Rear
Rear work light
Block heater
Loaded rear tires
LA525 loader
66" Squareback bucket
Skid steer coupler
TOTAL: $30,510.00 CDN (all in with taxes/freight/etc)

Thoughts on those prices?

 

[wolc123]

I gave a couple examples of what I would consider a newer model gas tractors in my earlier post on this thread. You can look it up.

 

[varmint]

My un-informed opinion about NG engines vs. diesels would be to look at European autos... more and more diesels, and even here in the US, the interest is growing. I thought that there are issues with fuel storage with NG that complicate its widespread use?

 

[wolc123]

That's not surprising as the Europeans are quite lacking in NG compared to on this side of the pond.

 

[GManBart]

I gave a couple examples of what I would consider a newer model gas tractors in my earlier post on this thread. You can look it up.

The only example you gave was a Ford 2000/3000....nothing else.

At best, that means you're recommending a 39 year old machine to someone not mechanically inclined....bad idea. How is he supposed to even know which ones are in good shape or not?

He never said he had to get his money out of the machine in ant timeframe, or any if the other stuff you're making assumptions about

 

[GManBart]

That's not surprising as the Europeans are quite lacking in NG compared to on this side of the pond.

?

The world's largest gas reserves are in Russia and Iran.

 

[grm61]

I gave a couple examples of what I would consider a newer model gas tractors in my earlier post on this thread. You can look it up.

Personally, I would skip a step, and consider an older, gas tractor such as a Ford 2000 or 3000. For about $4000 today in Canada, these can be converted to Natural Gas fuel which would then also satisfy all of your "environmental" concerns 10 fold over a "tier-4" diesel. .

I looked up your post and you called them older gas tractors, so that is where the confusion is... So again I ask,who makes this newer gas tractor that you are touting?

 

[hawkeye08]

Be careful of trying to find one tractor to do it all... you may have to rent some equipment to do things only done once. This allows you to focus on the things you will do with your tractor.

 

[akroeze]

Massey guy quoted me $29,900cdn plus tax for a 2013 model 1643 (pre tier 4) with fel, ssqa, loaded rears, hst, free delivery, free first maintenance/oil change.