Ready to buy ?

[PA hayseed]

I'm by no means the most experienced guy on this board, when it comes to tractors. having said that, I have bought two new ones, and if money is no object to you then disregard the following.

Financing rates. Its Important to note which dealer has the best rates. I just bought my second one, and got 3 yr 0%. It makes a huge difference in your budget if you have to pay interest.

Cost of the tractor and maintenance schedules. Find out what the parts are going to cost you when you do your service. You will find that different companies that sell tractors have some very different pricing on things such as filters oil/hydraulic. You can find alternate means by which to purchase them, other than the dealer, but it is still a costly item. At 50 hours most of the companies recommend a complete changing of everything. If you finance too tightly, 3 filters, oil, hydraulic fluid, and gear oil can be a whopping bill.

See if the dealer charges for pickup/delivery of the tractor, setup, and other related fees. Some of these items, if they charge for them, cannot be financed. Could make your out of pocket costs considerably higher. Plus, you'll be getting that tractor bill in 30 days.

Some dealers offer special rental rates for equipment for your tractor. This is something to consider, as those items will be cheaper to rent from your dealer, in many cases, than it would if you went to a rental place. Some dealers include delivery with the rental, blades, backhoes, bushhogs etc.

Ensure you make an apples to apples comparison. If one tractor has a feature the other one doesn't, and they cost the same, then one tractor is overpriced. See what your dealer is willing to include in the deal or for a reduced cost, filling your rears, oil, service work at first interval, cut rate prices on implements, etc. All these things add up.

Good luck to you. Hope this doesn't sound preachy, just trying to help a little if I can. So many people here have helped me.

 

[Beavis]

PA Hayseed,

Thanks for the advice, I'll look into the "total cost" of the 50 hour service and maybe that is something the dealer would throw in with the tractor purchase.

THANKS,

 

[Erik_in_Hoyt]

QA/QD front bucket is your friend!
With the list of activities you have planned, you may want to look at "universal" quick attach/detach front loaders. Lots of brands offer their own version of QA, but one that's actually skid steer compatible will be very helpful. makes buying used attachments cheaper, easier to rent as needed, as well, etc....
I highly recommend a set of heavy duty pallet forks, especially since you're planning some buildings. I was able to use mine to lift my 6' wide french doors up to the main floor above my walkout and provide a platform for the installers to stand on while setting it with mine.

I also suggest a medium to heavy duty box blade at least a foot wider than the rear wheels on whatever you end up with - and a lot of dealers will sell you attachments "at cost" if purchased at the same time at the tractor. this can also let you roll them into the financing if cash is an issue.

 

[teeravis1]

Just to give you an idea on the 50 hr service. I have a B3030, and when I brought it in for the 50 hr service it cost me about $320. That was with me hauling it and picking it up, so there was no pickup/delivery charge.

 

[Beavis]

Well, I did it !!!

Today after work I picked up my new John Deere 3320 Hydro with 300X FEL and 72" Frontier Rotary Cutter with slip clutch. We had 1 1/2" of rain last night and this morning so I can't use it, but that is probably a good thing since I can flip through the owner's manual.