Buying Advice Total Newbies have no clue what size tractor to get?

[Fireman11]

Pretty much anything in the SCUT (Sub-Compact Utility Tractor) should handle those jobs pretty easily. Which one depends on what dealers are nearby, and how much you're willing to spend on your machine.

Right now, new machines are often available at very low, or zero % interest, and used tractors don't save you much at all. The fact that a new machine has a warranty is helpful for anybody who is new to tractors...you can learn how to do the maintenance easily enough, but it's just one more thing to learn as you get started. The best values in SCUTs from some of the more popular brands come from LS, Kioti, TYM, Yanmar and Mahindra. Deere, Kubota, Case, New Holland, and Massey Ferguson all have very nice machines, but they come at a price premium and some (Case, NH, and MF) don't make their own machines in this size, so you're buying something built by another company.

It's a good idea to have a dealer reasonably close if you're new to tractors, so I'd pick a distance that's reasonable (maybe 25-50mi?) and see which brands are in the area. After that, you'll want to visit, and get some seat time. Things that I don't even think about might be annoying to you, so you really have to try the machines and get a feel for them. Tractors aren't overly complex, so in many ways, what you see is what you get.

I've been working on a SCUT/CUT tractor buyer's guide for newbies....PM me if you'd like me to e-mail you a copy. I've had maybe 10 or so folks review it (half very experienced folks here and half newbies) and they all said it was helpful...walks you through terminology, options, etc.

Hey GmanBart,

I'm certainly a noob to tractors, That being said I'd like to take a look at that tractors buying
Guide you put together. I run a landscaping service and we're starting to look into scut/cut units.

Thx

 

[Juanito58]

That is something I never considered I will be doing a lot of paver work at the house as far as patio and walk ways and being able to unload those pallets straigt from the truck would be great. Thanks for the input its been a great help and I agree better a lille over what I need than under. Thanks agin grm61 !

 

[Juanito58]

I would like to thank everyone for their input so far, lot of great Ideas and things I need to consider if you can think of anything else please share thanks again

 

[Juanito58]

Thank you !!!

 

[grm61]

I would like to thank everyone for their input so far, lot of great Ideas and things I need to consider if you can think of anything else please share thanks again

I don't know what a pallet of pavers weighs, you still might have to throw some off with the DK40-45-50.... properly ballasted the DK will lift 2765lbs to full height..minus the weight of your fork attachment and minus more because the load is further out in front of you,,,,That is why for me this size tractor is the minimum I consdered..and the DK has a very strong loader.:thumbsup:... but they are not forklifts

Your 30-35 horse tractors are gonna range from 1100 to to 1600 lb lift minus your attachment wieght depending on brand.

I think that LS has a 39 horse unit, sized like most of other 30-35 horse tractors that will lift 1800lbs or so..minus the attachment weight...

Scuts.....your not going to lift much or high with pallet forks..

So you get the Idea....Try and think about after your shop is built etc...how much, how high etc...You will use your tractor for things that never occurred to you...make sure and. get enough

 

[k0ua]

While we are discussing Pallet forks. or Grapples, or other tools that might go on the front end of a tractor.. (oh boy here comes more spending of YOUR money) we need to talk about SSQA (Skid Steer Quick Attach) This front tool attachment system allows you to quickly in a few seconds go from a bucket to a set of pallet forks to a grapple, or to anything else you can build/buy/think up. This system was first developed for Skid Steer machines, but many tractors now have it as a standard. Usually starting in the 30 horsepower range of tractors. I have it on my 35 horsepower tractor and would not be without it. But thats just me



I actually have 4 front attachments 2 buckets, pallet forks, and a grapple. All take mere seconds to attach.. With the Grapple taking a few seconds more to hook up the hydraulic hoses to actuate the lid. Many others have things like snow plow blades or front boom poles

 

[grm61]

A couple of tid bits, most of your cuts now come with the quick attach front bucket system that James mentioned, with the exception of JD.. they offer this as a option...don't buy a tractor without this.

If you have any interest in the DK series Kioti, last year of manufacture is 2013 they are tiier 3 emissions, mechanical injection and governor and a muffler.

Tractors manufactured for 2014 are tier 4 emissions, high pressure electronic fuel injection computer DPF filter(diesel particualte filter) EGR some take urea (diesel exhaust fluid) etc, a whole lot of crap you don't want on your tractor for home use...$$$$$

The DK series has been replaced by the NX series for 2014 with all the emission goodies.

There are still some DK series tractors out there, last year of manufacture is 2013...if you have any inkling that this may be the tractor for you, and happen to find one, don't snooze on it.

 

[texasjohn]

Juanito, you strike me as someone who wishes to do as much for himself as is realistically possible. Therefore, your work time is precious since you will have so much to do. I have a few thoughts...

I think you are looking at something around 50 hp. It is your biggest jobs which dictate size... max FEL lifts, digging and moving dirt, etc...

You are looking at a variety of attachments, front and rear, you need to think thru these carefully, getting them sooner rather than later...a tractor is simply an engine, it's the attachments which allow you to get the work done.

Welcome to TBN....your questions have been asked and answered here, multiple times....thus, the absolutely best way to invest your time is to read, read, read previous threads ... there are questions asked and answered you haven't even thought about yet... the TBN search function is your friend in this quest...just enter the subject of interest and read, read, read....oh, yes, make notes when you find something which you find particularly important...or print out a page or two...then you have it for future reference.

That said, people here always tend to post from their personal experience, so it is worth looking at photos of work they have actually accomplished to see how it matches your anticipated projects and needs. Look for what DIDN'T work so well, often this is equally significant as what people say DID work.

 

[grm61]

Backhoes... a lot of folks will try and talk you out of one...most don't own one.
For me the conveniance is worth it 10fold.....every thing my wife dreams up involves digging a hole:banghead::

I also use ii for stripping sod out of overgrown garden or yard spaces...it works really good once you get to know how to operate i Digging out boulders etc.. It is really nice to have it when you need it versus renting. I have my rears tires loaded on my DK, 1164bls betweeen the two rears.....Throw the 1200lb hoe on the back and you have all the ballast and stability you need for heavy lifting, pluss the thing will just flatr push some stuff orund because it is so heavy.
Setiing posts is also another use if you don't have a posthole digger...takes more concrete because the hole is bigger, but you can get er done....

Next big can O worms for the new guy is hydrostaic V\S gear transmission.....I would urge you to go Hydrostatic for your intended uses,v s gear,, hydrostatic trans are really nice to use..nearly as fast as a skid stear shuttling dirt/gravel, .not really any reason to consider gear in a cut unless you are a row crop farmer IMO


I know things are out of order here but.....consider weight... unless your rig is a lawn mower and your worried about soil compaction.... a heavier tractor is going to push more and lift more......

**** it man, buy a tractor, not a tinker toy:drink:

 

[Grandad4]

Well, Juanito, the first few posts here suggested you look at a mid-20's hp. tractor that weighs maybe 2,500 lbs at most and now there are recommendations for up to a 50 hp. bruiser that can tip the scales somewhere north of 5,000 lbs. in its usual working configuration... for your 5 acres of Michigan flat land. There was nothing in your original post that couldn't be handled readily by one of the smaller machines. It was when the subject of unloading pallets of patio block came up that the proposed size and power started escalating. Around here, the trucks that deliver stone bring their own forklifts for unloading.

Only you can judge just how much work is needed to whip your place into shape and then care for it. Going a bit larger than necessary is sensible but there is a huge jump in size and cost between a 25 hp rig and a 50 hp one. Just my opinion, but you wouldn't need such a big tractor for anything besides that patio job, and even that's doubtful. If you want a hoss of a tractor and your budget can handle it, by all means enjoy, but there are many thousands of property owners with 5 or 10 acres that do just fine with a 25-30 hp tractor.