Buying Advice The new guys first post who knows nothing about tractors....

[nwut05]

Just keep in mind that if you buy from a box store they do not usually offer transportation....great advertised prices...and they do have their place.... but dealer support sound like it will be very important for you.....even if you buy a used brand name tractor and have dealers near you that service that brand or brands they will arrange transport to them for a fee of course.....but if you buy...and i am just throwing this out there, not bashing, not prejudice, just using examples..........an off brand tractor RK,LS,Koti,Branson,Yanmar, ETC...........You may live 5 miles away from a major tractor dealer with a full shop....but they usually will not touch the off brands and if they did you will $$$$$$$$$$$$....

Also it's not too bad a problem in your HP range but in the smaller tractors watch out for GREY MARKET tractors.....they have their place just be sure you are aware they exist...........

ALso Just a Disclaimer to make people happy.....ANY BRAND NAMES I USE IN THIS POST ARE FOR NEW MEMBER INFO AND EXAMPLE ONLY I DO NOT PROMOTE ONE BRAND OVER THE OTHER. EVEN THOUGH I HAVE MY OWN PREFERENCE. I AM JUST TRYING TO HELP

 

[Tractorable]

Excellent first post with ample information to help us help you.

21 acres in East Tennessee, mostly open, with bush hogging as a primary task tells me you’ll want to hedge towards a higher horsepower machine and quite possibly a cab for protection from the sun, high heat, grass and pollen, dust, and stinging insects during your long hot summers.

Think about if for the next 20+ years do you want to be exposed to all that. A cab over time can significantly reduce the chance of skin cancer and allergies. Also, since your property is mostly open you don’t have the height concerns that a guy living in the woods would have. Just make sure you spec the pole barn with tall enough doors for a cab tractor.

Cabs also protect the tractor. So the buttons, dash, levers, and switchgear won’t be clogged up with dust, dirt, water, or be chewed on by rodents.

General rule of thumb for a bush hog is 5 PTO hp per foot of mower, so 30hp at the PTO minimum for a six foot mower. Bush Hog, Landpride, and Woods all make excellent rotary cutters.

 

[Jchonline]

Well.....I just bought my first piece of land, a very nice 21 acre parcel that we will soon begin building on. I have never owned more than 1 acre in my life (or lived on any) and so my need for a tractor will be imminent. I just have a few quick questions regarding the future tractor.

I'm not going to ask the "best buy" as so many people like different brands that it's often hard to narrow that down. I did want to ask about the trailer I would need for a tractor (I'm planning on a 35-40 HP tractor). I've noticed a lot of dealers offer trailers in a package buy (usually 7x16) is that size fine for hauling the tractor around or do I need bigger. I would only plan to haul for service issues otherwise the tractor will stay on the land.

My primary use of the tractor will simply be to bush hog, I will finish mow about 1 acre and bush the rest so will a 72" make a huge difference over a 60" in terms of time.

Finally the cab....is it worth the extra cost and can they be added later if you buy one that's cab free.

I'm sure I'm in for a rude awaking having this much land, but the views, the privacy, the elbow room etc will certainly be worth all the extra work. Also one day maybe the kids will move out to our land and throw up a house.

Thanks,

PS.....The three tractors I've looked at so far but only in the looking stage have been:

1. JD 3038e
2. Kubota L3901
3. RK 37S

I haven't driven any yet and there are still a few more to compare. This Forum is fantastic for getting reviews and owners perspectives.

1. For Brands IMO you want decent access to a dealer, service, and parts. That means one relatively close and that will be in business selling that brand for the next few decades. Be careful not to buy a machine without this support as a 1st time buyer.

2. Tasks sound like mowing, road maintenance, some light dirt work. It sounds like the L series Kubota range is about right. Deere 3 series, etc. I would also check on Massey, LS, Kioti and see if there are options in your area.

3. Trailer package - I would discourage this. Not only is the trailer going to be cheaper, but often the implements are as well. The lowest grade the manufacturer makes. Buy once, cry once.

4. Cab - This depends on climate and conditions. In TN a long hard snow season is probably out. So you are dealing with heat, rain, insects, dust when mowing. 20 acres with a bush hog is going to take awhile. You want to be comfortable. I would say if you dont have a bunch of insects and dust or bad respiratory system then you can go no cab. For heat a canopy helps a bunch. You probably arent going to be mowing when it is raining or snowing, so these are mute. The advantage of no cab is access. On/off the machine is much quicker. However it doesnt sound like you have a bunch of tasks that require this, so the benefit may be minimal. No trees. My gut says go with cab if you are mowing a bunch, but this is personal preference.

 

[Thomas]

:welcome: to TBN.
What type of tire thread also transmission are you considering?
Will the rear tires be loaded? Do you plan on running rear tire chains,if so model you pick need rear tire spacers?

 

[TheMadOne]

Primary use being bushhoging, I have to recommend a cab model, which puts the standard L line out of contention. 21 acres...if the budget is tight, take a look at the B3350 cabbed model. Bit smaller than the L, but still has almost the same PTO hp. You may be stuck with a 60" hog, depending on how thick the brush is, but you would also be able to finish mow with a Mid Mount Mower instead of a pull behind or separate Zero Turn, while staying in the AC.

If budget isn't tight, then the L4060 or a JD 3R model with cab. If budget is really good, L6060, M7060, JD 4066R and a batwing. Plus a good Zero Turn.

 

[Rmally]

I didn't realize how much I didn't know....or needed to know. So I looked bak at the specs of the three tractors I've sat on, they have 28.8 PTO on one, 30.0 and 30.2. Will 2-3 less PTO hp make a huge difference? I could step up to a 55hp with more power (full disclosure the only larger tractor I've seen is the RK55 simply because it was in stock, the JD dealer and Kubota larger tractors were in the back and it was raining buckets so I didn't see them). I havent priced the brand names but the RK55 seemed very reasonable. I also am not committed to a new tractor, but the only used ones I've seen have been 400-600 miles away and I would be buying sight unseen and not sure thats a good idea.....thoughts?

I assume I need the R1 tires with the slope I have, but welcome any input.

PS....regarding dealers and support. My closest dealer in JD, probably 5-7 miles away. Then Rural King which is about 15 miles away. The Kubota and Massey (who I havent been to yet) are both about 25 miles away. So those are the only 4 in my area.

quick edit....after searching there is a New Holland dealer about 25-30 miles away.

 

[fried1765]

Also it would be helpful to know and make sure you consider.....What would you be pulling the new trailer with....

Currently I have a Chevy Suburban, it tows great but towing a tractor maybe not so much...I haven't looked into the weight of these tractors yet.

PS....Yep I'm that new, had to look up what ROPS meant. With some of the slope I have will defiantly need that and a seat belt. Thanks for bringing that to my attention.[/QUOTE]




"Currently I have a Chevy Suburban"

What kind of Chevy Suburban?
1500 series, or 2500 series?
2WD or 4WD.

I pull my 14,000 GVW 20' equipment trailer (I only load to 12K GVW) with a 1997 4x4 GMC 2500 Suburban and 392 V-8.
You will need a stout horse in the hills of East Tennessee.

 

[GSVette]

Couple of things from my point of view. Was in about same place as you- bought my 30 acres without a ton of experience with tractors-mine is quite hilly and treed.

I researched tractors quite a bit before buying my property and started out thinking an open station 25-30hp would be adequate. After looking at many of the tasks I would need to accomplish- road and trail maintenance (and building), brush and field mowing, fence building, tree and debris removal, trench backfilling (have a full size backhoe for the digging part) and general material moving and handling the tractor quickly grew into the 45-55 hp range.

I looked at all the brands (JD, Kubota, TYM, Kioti, Mahindra, NH, Yanmar, LS). Each one had strengths/weaknesses that could really only be assessed by butt in seat time. Finally thought I’d settled on the Yanmar YT359C-the engineer in me totally geeked out over the iHMT transmission!! Couldn’t get the price below my pain point. Fell into an LS XR4155HC w/lots of options for a great price.

Regarding trailer-I wouldn’t be without my 22’, 12k tilt bed-not for moving the tractor (although I did use it to haul the tractor 450 miles to its permanent home) but more for all of the other things I have hauled to the property with it (septic system parts- including a 1500 and 1000 gallon tank, pallets of insulation for my shop, 100+ sheets of OSB sheathing, used and new implements, etc) most used and useful piece of equipment I own.

 

[TheMadOne]

RK55 is made by TYM with a Yanmar engine. Nothing wrong with it. I tend to only list Kubota and JD because they're the only brands I can assume 90% of people will have nearby. The RK tractors tend to be pretty big bang for buck, so don't discount it just because it's not green or orange(The right shade of orange, anyway). I still regret not being able to nab a tractor during Cabela's fire sale.

 

[Tractorable]

I didn't realize how much I didn't know....or needed to know. So I looked bak at the specs of the three tractors I've sat on, they have 28.8 PTO on one, 30.0 and 30.2. Will 2-3 less PTO hp make a huge difference? I could step up to a 55hp with more power (full disclosure the only larger tractor I've seen is the RK55 simply because it was in stock, the JD dealer and Kubota larger tractors were in the back and it was raining buckets so I didn't see them). I havent priced the brand names but the RK55 seemed very reasonable. I also am not committed to a new tractor, but the only used ones I've seen have been 400-600 miles away and I would be buying sight unseen and not sure thats a good idea.....thoughts?

I assume I need the R1 tires with the slope I have, but welcome any input.

PS....regarding dealers and support. My closest dealer in JD, probably 5-7 miles away. Then Rural King which is about 15 miles away. The Kubota and Massey (who I havent been to yet) are both about 25 miles away. So those are the only 4 in my area.

quick edit....after searching there is a New Holland dealer about 25-30 miles away.

If you want to run a 6ft rotary cutter you need the PTO horsepower (30hp+) but also a tractor with enough weight to counterbalance the weight of the mower and the leverage it exerts on the tractor.

A six foot mower weighs about 800lbs extends back about 8ft so when you crest a hill the leverage will try to lift your front wheels off the ground and you lose the ability to steer. Not safe on hills. The tractors you’re considering are in the ~2700lb range. Suggest you consider tractors in the 3500-3700lb bare tractor weight to safely run a 6ft hog on hilly terrain. You want to avoid a “tail wagging the dog” situation.

R4 tires are wider and provide more stability on hills. Higher spec tractors like Kubota Grand L series have adjustable width rear wheels adding the option for more stability. R1 tires will provide more traction but are narrower thus less stability.