Suggestions for First Time Tractor Owner

[jeff9366]

So if I were to go the direction of a L3302, would you be inclined to go gear or hydro?

HST

Traditional clutch and gear format obliterates tractor resale value.

Few today can competently operate traditional clutch and gear formats. Clutch rebuilds are $1,200+ each for compact tractors, in low-cost Florida. Tractors are not the venue to acquire clutch and gear skills.

( An HST is SOMEWHAT like the automatic transmission in a car, but instead of having just two car ranges. LOW and DRIVE, compact tractors have three HST ranges: LOW, MEDIUM and HIGH.)

90% of compact tractors are sold with HST transmissions. Most traditional clutch and gear tractors are in the 60-horsepower / over 4,000 pound category, used by full time farmers pulling implements through row-crop fields where forward/reverse maneuverability is NOT important.