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

[Industrial Toys]

I always suggest something in the 40hp pto class. However tractors have become smaller, and chincier with bigger advertised hp. If all you want is a BIG lawn tractor, I guess that's one thing. But if you really have stuff to move, lift and dig, a compact is just not quite enough. What a downer when your little tractor just won't lift what you tell it to. No magic little blue pill will fix that except a bigger tractor. Case in point, I have a Steiner 430 Max Diesel and it is a marvelous little machine for certain tasks but the thing can't even take a real bite out of a pile of anything! So I have bigger equipment too, but if I had to only have one, it would be in that (old school) 40 PTO HP range.

 

[RusselF]

As someone who just bought his first tractor, and is also a total newbie, the advice I got from so many (which has proved helpful), is "get something a bit bigger". I was leaning toward buying new, from a dealer, but decided to stretch the budget a bit, and go for a bigger, late model used unit. For the price of a new small (BX to B series Kubota), I managed to find a used L-series 2011 Kubota, which I am very happy with. I had not planned to buy such a large tractor, and was really thinking in terms of a much smaller BX series unit (18 hp), mostly due to price. But if you look around (ie. eBay, Kijiji, Craigslist, etc.), and also the farm-equipment classifieds, you might find something almost new, and in good shape. Look for less than 500 hours, only a few years old, and probably no less than 25 hp. If you have friends who are farmers or tractor owners, query their experience. I basically went thru a similar purchase decision to what you have indicated. I looked very closely at New Holland, John Deere and Kubota, and chose the Kubota. A friend had a similar experience, except he bought the smaller Kubota back-hoe/loader combo (BX series I think), and traded up to a B26, as he felt his first choice was just too small. (He has a lakefront property, not a farm). You should also take into account if you have a particularly good dealer near your property, as that may make life easier, and might affect your choice. Also, what do folks in the area where you have your property use? Where I am, John Deere is very popular, as there are dealers nearby, and the bigger John Deere tractors have a good reputation. Smaller, "compact" and sub-compact tractors are a different matter, as they tend to be world-products, with bits and pieces made everywhere, with final assembly in low labour cost regions. Quality varies, according to most accounts. One thing I learned is that the hydraulic pump size and power is quite critical, and will determine the "strength" of your tractor. If you are digging or pushing gravel or earth, you will want to go big, I suspect. I got the entry level L-series Kubota (L3400), which has full-sized hydraulics, and a 35 hp 3 cylinder diesel engine. I need to move snow, and after my first day pushing this stuff around, I am very glad I did not choose anything smaller.
Best of luck.

 

[gladehound]

If you are digging or pushing gravel or earth, you will want to go big, I suspect. I got the entry level L-series Kubota (L3400), which has full-sized hydraulics, and a 35 hp 3 cylinder diesel engine. I need to move snow, and after my first day pushing this stuff around, I am very glad I did not choose anything smaller.
Best of luck.

I think 99+% of tractor owners would say they are glad they did not choose anything smaller.

What is too small? And what is too big? I've finally come to the point where I can answer that question for myself - but not for anyone else. I share my thoughts below in case it helps anyone going through this process.

What is too small? Everything is too small. I had a long discussion about this with my cousin who builds ponds for a living. It doesn't matter what equipment you buy, there will always be a rock too big to lift. Or a job too big to do in a reasonable timeframe.

What is too big? - If it doesn't fit where you need it to fit it is too big - i.e. on your trailer, in your storage buidling, between the trees you need to get between etc.

If we accept that everything is too small, the question of what to buy becomes easier. The deciding factors on what to buy become budget and where you need it to fit. Then you just get the biggest equipement within those two constraints. Whatever size you get, a low hour, barely used machine is always a good way to maximize your dollar compared to buying new.

 

[Parkanzky]

I recently purchased my first tractor. A bit of advice from that:

The dealer matters. First, cross-off any brand that doesn't have a dealer within a reasonable distance. Your tractor may have to go back there for service and that transportation is on your dime. Even if they come to you, you'll get quicker service if you're within a reasonable radius. Then, for the remaining brands, talk to people that have their tractors, read reviews on the internet, tour their service department, etc. Make sure that you get a good vibe. If you don't, cross those off the list two.

Test drive anything you're considering. I had a hard time choosing the right size tractor for our new home (4.4 acres, mostly wooded). I originally thought that the John Deere 1-series or the Kubota BX would be about right. But when I drove them, they felt like big lawn mowers to me instead of compact tractors. I test drove the 3-series and a Kubota L and decided they were too big for my uses. That's how I ended up cross-shopping the 2-series and the Kubota B.

Finally, don't obsess too much about the specifications and don't agonize too much about the final decision. It's important that the tractor be able to do everything you want it to do, but for a hobbyist like us I think it's also important that you're comfortable on it and like using it. I gave up a couple horsepower and a couple features because I preferred to operate the one I bought. I also had a really hard time making the purchase after I narrowed it down to my top two. I finally realized that there aren't any bad choices out there. I'd have been happy with just about anything I bought. Just pick one and start using it.

 

[TSO]

I think 99+% of tractor owners would say they are glad they did not choose anything smaller.

What is too small? And what is too big? I've finally come to the point where I can answer that question for myself - but not for anyone else. I share my thoughts below in case it helps anyone going through this process.

What is too small? Everything is too small. I had a long discussion about this with my cousin who builds ponds for a living. It doesn't matter what equipment you buy, there will always be a rock too big to lift. Or a job too big to do in a reasonable timeframe.

What is too big? - If it doesn't fit where you need it to fit it is too big - i.e. on your trailer, in your storage buidling, between the trees you need to get between etc.

If we accept that everything is too small, the question of what to buy becomes easier. The deciding factors on what to buy become budget and where you need it to fit. Then you just get the biggest equipement within those two constraints. Whatever size you get, a low hour, barely used machine is always a good way to maximize your dollar compared to buying new.

I like that.

 

[varmint]

Too big, Too small, just right? My own experience might help folks with similar conditions avoid mistakes. After owning a B8200 for years, I wanted HST so my wife would be comfortable using it, and a front mounted snow plow. I got a nice Grand L 3130, with SSQA front bucket and a plow, filled rear tires, which was a great size and weight (I figured about 5500 lbs as equipped) for pushing snow, but way too heavy to run around the grass areas for drilling fence posts. Plus, my wife was intimidated by its size. We wound up with a L3400, which will plow, but more importantly, weighs about 2000 lbs less and is physically smaller, plus has fat turf tires, so much less lawn damage. Your uses will be the best determinant of what to get. I don't worry about a dealer, maybe dumb, maybe just lucky in 15 years of not requiring one.

 

[GManBart]

I think 99+% of tractor owners would say they are glad they did not choose anything smaller.

What is too small? And what is too big? I've finally come to the point where I can answer that question for myself - but not for anyone else. I share my thoughts below in case it helps anyone going through this process.

What is too small? Everything is too small. I had a long discussion about this with my cousin who builds ponds for a living. It doesn't matter what equipment you buy, there will always be a rock too big to lift. Or a job too big to do in a reasonable timeframe.

What is too big? - If it doesn't fit where you need it to fit it is too big - i.e. on your trailer, in your storage buidling, between the trees you need to get between etc.

If we accept that everything is too small, the question of what to buy becomes easier. The deciding factors on what to buy become budget and where you need it to fit. Then you just get the biggest equipement within those two constraints. Whatever size you get, a low hour, barely used machine is always a good way to maximize your dollar compared to buying new.

Well said, and I agree with everything except the last sentence, but only because you said "always." Especially right now, low-hour used machines cost nearly as much as new....lots of demand for pre-Tier IV machines. For many new tractor owners, having a warranty can be a huge plus that makes the higher price of new worthwhile. For folks that have some experience working on stuff, it may be a non-factor....just sort of depends on the person.

 

[gladehound]

Well said, and I agree with everything except the last sentence, but only because you said "always." Especially right now, low-hour used machines cost nearly as much as new....lots of demand for pre-Tier IV machines. For many new tractor owners, having a warranty can be a huge plus that makes the higher price of new worthwhile. For folks that have some experience working on stuff, it may be a non-factor....just sort of depends on the person.

Thanks for pointing that out. I'm surprised I wrote "always" because I'm usually careful about using words like "always" and "never". I completely agree with you. Another option are the demo's and leftovers which typically come with full warrantee and are technically sold "new" on paper even thought the dealer may have been using them for a year or two. I was one of the people trying to grab a pre-Tier IV tractor. I get nervous about new tech.

 

[vtsnowedin]

I was one of the people trying to grab a pre-Tier IV tractor. I get nervous about new tech.

That was what I considered when I bought tier three a couple of years ago. I'm glad I have it and would not consider selling it for what you can find them advertised for with similar hours on them. In fact you would have to pry my "cold dead hands" off the steering wheel to get mine while dodging my daughters that all have a rifle and know how to use them.
But back to Juanito58"s question. He has bought five acres of flat pasture in Florida. He is going to build or have built ,house, shop , driveway , paved patios and fences. After that he is going to have four and a half acres to mow and he doesn't have to mow it all in the same day. Five acres is not enough to both graze some animals and put up winter hay for them so haying equipment is unnecessary. He doesn't need to cut any wood or move any snow. He has several good options that have been proposed above. If he wants to" do it yourself" he can get a tractor new or used of around 35HP with loader etc. and have at it. When his building phase is done he can trade that tractor in on a nice zero turn mower or small tractor his wife likes to run to keep things mowed. Or to the other extreme he can hire all the work done and watch the contractors bring in their big equipment for a few days along with a gang of day laborers and have things done quickly and probably as well as he can do it himself then watch them go away leaving him with a big lawn to mow and a gravel drive to drag a couple of times a year. Or he could buy a fifty HP cab tractor with loader and backhoe and really get his projects done really handy and quick but then not have much to do with it once the last fence post was in.
There is a reason why you can find very nice two and three year old machines with all the bells and whistles on them with only a couple of hundred hours on them.
Juanito58: Buy the tractor you want and do it your way. You've worked hard to get where you can buy and build and even if you indulge a desire to have too much tractor you'll find somebody else with plans to buy it back from you when your done with it or your plans get changed for you.

 

[gladehound]

while dodging my daughters that all have a rifle and know how to use them.

:thumbsup: