Tractor Smitten

[Solinski]

Greetings, I'm an :confused2ld guy from Redding, Ca. and currently do not have a tractor. For a short time I owned a 2001 New Holland TC 25d with FEL. I'm currently in the market for a new tractor. I have been considering the following tractors with gear drive shuttle shift and FEL, LS 3010, Mahindra 3016, and Kioti CK27. My wife liked the LS 3010 best of all but unfortunately the LS 3010 has been discontinued and there are no more available in our area. My local dealer says the the LS 3033 has replaced the LS 3010 but there are several features on the LS 3033 that I don't care for. The tractor will be used for cutting approximately 10 acres of natural grasses (some call them weeds) on rolling rough terrain, replacement for pushing a wheelbarrow hundreds of feet per year, restoring and grading 10 acres, gravel driveway grading and repair, and anything else that I can use a machine to do. I'm a pensioner so money is a limiting factor. The implements that are on my must have list: rough terrain rotary cutter or licking:flail mower $$$$), and a box scraper. The implements on my dream list to start are: rototiller, disc, backhoe, post hole auger,etc. I have enjoyed the TractorByNet forums and found them to be my favorite source for all tractor information. I even found one of our local tractor dealers participating on the flail mower thread. So I'd like to hear your advice and opinions on my tractor choices. Thanks to the folks that offer TractorByNet and provide a :thumbsup: great service! Solinski

 

[Muhammad]

Welcome to TBN.

 

[the6shooter]

Welcome to our site, we're glad to have another member. what dealers are in your area ? and please go to the website for your shopping idea's tractorhouse.com you can get an idea of what the prices are from coast to coast. At lease that's what I did. and to get your questions answered you can always come here to get answers or somewhat answers LOL happy hunting.....
david

 

[murphy1244]

Welcome, Try a kioti. what is so good about a flail mower?

 

[creekbend]

Welcome aboard. There are formative forums here on TBN in relation to specific tractors. There is also an implement forum. No need to rush because you will probably have your tractor and equipment for a long time. Choose the make and model that best meets your needs, and you will be more satisfied. Best of Luck.:tractor:

 

[Solinski]

Welcome to our site, we're glad to have another member. what dealers are in your area ? and please go to the website for your shopping idea's tractorhouse.com you can get an idea of what the prices are from coast to coast. At lease that's what I did. and to get your questions answered you can always come here to get answers or somewhat answers LOL happy hunting.....
david

Welcome to TBN.

Hi 6 Shooter, thanks for welcome and info. Ls dealer: Lane Tractor Sales - New and Used Tractors & Equipment. The owner Mike is a very knowledgeable and patient young man, he answered this old guys questions without hesitation in person as well as numerous email's that I have sent him this last year. This is my first experience actually participating in a forum so I hope everyone has patience with me and my :confused2:mistakes! thanks! Solinski

 

[Solinski]

Welcome, Try a kioti. what is so good about a flail mower?

hi murphy, I was hoping I could find out here why a Flail mower may be better. I have read a lot of the posts in the Flail mower section and they seemed to support flail mowers? but I'm still learning! I hope that a rough terrain rotary will work for me since they cost at least 1/2 as much as a flail. Tell me what you think of flail mowers? I do :thumbsup:like Kioti CK 27 but for less $$$ the LS 3033 offers a lot of tractor! Still shopping till I drop!
Solinski

 

[Solinski]

Welcome aboard. There are formative forums here on TBN in relation to specific tractors. There is also an implement forum. No need to rush because you will probably have your tractor and equipment for a long time. Choose the make and model that best meets your needs, and you will be more satisfied. Best of Luck.:tractor:

Hi Creekbend, Yes I need to calm down and not rush! I'm 62 years old and this will hopefully be my last tractor. Thanks for welcome! Solinski

 

[Solinski]

Welcome to TBN.

Thanks Muhammad!
:thumbsup:Solinski

 

[Davinator]

Solinski,

I, like you, am an old fart new to this forum. And I, like you, am really enjoying learning from this incredible recourse. But unlike you, I am a year or two ahead in the process and after doing a ton of research and visiting more tractor dealers than I care to remember, finally bit the ol' bullet last year and have been enjoying my purchase for the last several months now.

It sounds like I had/have the exact same challenges as yourself with a near identical wish list. Good luck in your decision making and feel free to contact me for any limited advice which I may be able to offer.

Dave Vetter

 

[mcd176]

Welcome!

 

[Bob77064]

Welcome Solinski

 

[Solinski]

Solinski,

I, like you, am an old fart new to this forum. And I, like you, am really enjoying learning from this incredible recourse. But unlike you, I am a year or two ahead in the process and after doing a ton of research and visiting more tractor dealers than I care to remember, finally bit the ol' bullet last year and have been enjoying my purchase for the last several months now.

It sounds like I had/have the exact same challenges as yourself with a near identical wish list. Good luck in your decision making and feel free to contact me for any limited advice which I may be able to offer.

Dave Vetter

Hi Davinator, Congratulations:thumbsup: on your purchase! What tractor and implements did you end up buying? Please include all the details! Do you farm or are you a hobby rancher like me? I would appreciate your opinion and comments both positive and negative. I feel like the more I research, the more there is to research. For example I just read a comment here that hydraulic shuttle shift is much better than mechanical shuttle shift? :confused2:I'm not sure why hydraulic is better but this adds to my research list. I have the feeling that my budget of $15,000 is not going to include a tractor with hydraulic shuttle? I just missed an end of year deal on a new old stock LS I3030. I :ashamed:hesitated and someone else stepped in with the $14,000.00(before tax). Lane Tractor Sales - New and Used Tractors & Equipment. Well I hate pressure and I really hate to be rushed! I am totally enjoying this tractor hunting and maybe I just will miss the :licking:thrill of the hunt if I impetuously run out and buy a tractor, :ashamed:especially after only researching for a year! I was a machinist/power plant mechanic, among many other things in my old life(first 50 years). Now I am a full time home landscaper,honey do list avoid-er, touring kayaker, back country snow skier,cyclist, soon to be tractor owner, and the list goes on! So much for short and to the point! I'm starting to ramble like us old folks do! PS. Any relation to the famous Vetter motorcycle fairing guru?
Solinki

 

[Solinski]

Welcome!

Hi MCD, :thumbsup:Thanks for the welcome.I do like diesel pickups! How do you like your 2001 Duramax? I've heard of a few head problems and burned pistons? How many miles? Weight of loads you have towed? Fuel mileage towing? Your tractor list is impressive! My needs require much less tractor but my wants are for much more tractor! My wife says all I need is a Sears garden tractor! But I say that I must have a front end loader so I don't have to wheelbarrow hundreds of miles every year!
Solinski

 

[Solinski]

Welcome Solinski

Bob, Thanks for welcome! Was that photo taken in Kentucky?
Solinski

 

[Hollow]

I was hoping I could find out here why a Flail mower may be better. I have read a lot of the posts in the Flail mower section and they seemed to support flail mowers?

Flail mowers are great for mowing lawns but if you get them in any tall stuff they are painfully slow and nowhere near as forgiving as a good rotary cutter.

 

[Solinski]

Flail mowers are great for mowing lawns but if you get them in any tall stuff they are painfully slow and nowhere near as forgiving as a good rotary cutter.

Hi Hollow,
How about hammer cutters in a rough cut style flail? The flail mower thread has 114 pages and I'm only part way through reading it. So far you are part of a minority that does recommend flail mowers. I hope you are right since buying a rough cut rotary is much cheaper and repairs are cheaper(only from what I have read since I have no personal experience with either style!) I like conflicting views and opinions especially if it saves me :thumbsup:money! I live in the upper Sacramento Valley in Redding,Ca. I have 10 acres (fairly open since a fierce wild fire in 1999). Very rough ground but not terrible rocky. Gently rolling terrain. A scattering of small oak trees,Manzanita,gray pines. Low growing (8 to 24 inches) natural grasses such as rattlesnake grass,wild oats,fox tails,stinging nettle, and of course the very obnoxuos StarThisle which was introduced by Bee keepers some years ago and has taken over many areas. We do not get summer rains so our grasses only need cutting 2 or 3 times a season. I do appreciate your comments and opinion. Keep'em com'in. I have located a used 2005 kioti CK 25, shuttle trans., FEL, box scraper, with 360 hours and original owner. Asking $11,000.00. Any opinions on Kioti CK25 out there? That seems like a high price to me but clean used tractors sell quickly in our area! I'm going to see what Tractorhouse has listed for comparison. Tractorhouse is mostly dealers so prices are usually higher than private party. thanks! Solinski

 

[k0ua]

Hi MCD, :thumbsup:Thanks for the welcome.I do like diesel pickups! How do you like your 2001 Duramax? I've heard of a few head problems and burned pistons? How many miles? Weight of loads you have towed? Fuel mileage towing? Your tractor list is impressive! My needs require much less tractor but my wants are for much more tractor! My wife says all I need is a Sears garden tractor! But I say that I must have a front end loader so I don't have to wheelbarrow hundreds of miles every year!
Solinski

Tell you wife that my wife said that the tractor with Front End Loader is worth having just for the wheelbarrow replacement alone, we are always using it for her landscaping work. Moving mulch, dirt, even the big outside potted plants from one place to another. Her projects use the tractor as much or more than mine. It is an extremely useful platform for all sorts of jobs around the yard.

James K0UA

 

[Solinski]

Tell you wife that my wife said that the tractor with Front End Loader is worth having just for the wheelbarrow replacement alone, we are always using it for her landscaping work. Moving mulch, dirt, even the big outside potted plants from one place to another. Her projects use the tractor as much or more than mine. It is an extremely useful platform for all sorts of jobs around the yard.

James K0UA

Thanks James!
Solinski

 

[Hollow]

If you go with a rotary mower you might look into one of these:

Good quality cutter that's ok on the wallet: Rotary Cutters Single Spindle Squealer

These last two are two cutters are tough and should last you the rest of your life no matter what you throw at them as long as you store them properly and keep oil in the gearboxes.

Rotary Cutters single spindle 280 Series
Bush-Whacker® - Single Spindle Mowers- 6010 Heavy Duty 5-Foot Rotary Mower