I just read through the thread and am a bit perplexed with some of the dialogue, as I am also looking at another tractor and have used a few different criteria. .... I need a tractor capable of handling significant weight with the front end loader, but since I keep up 41 acres, I also need to heavily consider the hp out the rear to shred the pastures. I currently use an old 57 hp tractor with 52hp out the pto to shred with, and am constantly wishing for more hp or a multi gearbox shredder. (My 6 ft shredder does not develop the blade tip speed necessary to effectively shred thick bahia mid summer at a decent ground speed.) ....I plan to solve this with a 15 ft batwing of specific choice(high blade tip speed) and an upgrade to a smaller 4WD tractor/FEL with as much hp running out the back as possible.
....Taking this all into consideration, I have settled on the Mahindra 5035 for the tractor of choice. There will still be times that it is a bit undersized, but the versatility of the smaller frame will make up for it when using the FEL. ...I considered others, and looked at the HST options quite closely, but felt the loss of PTO hp would definitely drop mowing performance to unacceptable levels. (Sizing this closely can mean the difference between 'crawling' around a pasture with a couple less hp, or just mowing on through.) ...Weight is another issue when working with a FEL or any ground work, and the Mahindra is hard to match in the price vs. weight arena. ....And last but not least, the dealer is 10 miles away, and selling that specific batwing cutter I want.
An all around tractor is a VERY complex choice, and something that often leaves one with specific regrets. ....I hope you find exactly what you need for your situation!
