Please Help! Kubota L3830 or New Holland TC40A?

[uhley]

Hi all. I'm new to this wonderful board and new to the "big" tractor world and could use some help.
I'm a new owner of 47 acres for which I need a tractor. I've done a lot of research and figure I need/want a 40(ish) hp tractor with fwd, R4 tires, standard-shift transmission, front loader, 5'-6' rotary mower, and a 6'-7' finishing mower. I have a 7 acre dammed lake, about 25 acres of pasture divided into six different areas where I plan to use the rotary mower, 8 acres of turf runway in which I share mowing responsibility hence the need for the finishing mower, will have two horses w/barn, and figure I'll find numerous uses for the loader. I know that ag tires give the most bite to take advantage of the horse power but I'm afraid of damaging the runway when it's my turn to mow, particularly when it's softer from rain. I hope that the industrial treaded tires are a decent compromise between traction and turf damage. It's gotta help that I live in Georgia where the ground is clay.
I'm scared to death of buying the wrong tractor ($$$$$!) or implement. I want this to be my first and last tractor purchase and hope to hand it to my kids one day so I want to do this right.

The Kubota dealer has quoted me the following:
L3830 w/R4 tires $15,400 /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
6' Bush Hog RDTH-72 finishing mower $1840
5' Bush Hog SQ720 rotary cutter $1250
LA513 Kubota loader $3710
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$22,200

The hew Holland Dealer has quoted me the following:
TC40A w/R4 tire & loader $19,850 ($15,500 w/o) /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
6' 930B finishing mower $1875
6' 951B rotary cutter $1399
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$23,124

I've test driven the L3830 and liked it and will probably test drive the TC40 this weekend. When I buy a car I always haggle with the dealership on price but I have a very good idea what their costs are and what I can get away with. When I do the haggle dance with the tractor dealer it would be nice to know their costs. Any ideas?
It's been therapeutic for me to type out my thoughts on the matter. Thank you in advance to anyone who responds. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[_RaT_]

I have a L3830 HST and use only a 84" finish mower. I have a 80" brush mower, but the finish mower handles everything that I have here including sticks and tall weeds and does so without compromise. I have R4's and while the traction on my hills is not necessarily the best, 4WD takes care of that. Side hill slippage is an issue but my hills are pretty steep. I have the LA723, I think you would want that if you can even get the LA 513 for the L3830. I think the tractor is superb. I have had it about 9 months and am almost at 200 hours. Smooth, quiet, tight turning, it works great. You might consider just a heavy duty finish mower over a brush hog unless your mulching sticks and very tall weeds, then a brush mower may be the better bet. I would personnally think one ot the other would be sufficient.