what tractor to buy?

yellowsocks93 · Jul 2, 2004

You will probably want a hydro for your wife. My mom can't drive my tractor so if your wife can't drive a manual car in the first place I don't think she would want a clutch at all. Except you can't kill a tractor like a car.

MicroPilot · Jul 2, 2004

( ....The Chinese is the low end entry the kioti is the next folowed by the big three. )

Didn't you forget Zetor/Century/Branson. I would put these up there with the Kioti, of course I'm kinda biased as I bought a Century.

Bob_Skurka · Jul 3, 2004

( I am new to this "tractor" thing. I need to get the foot high grass mowed. I would like a USA Deere, I don't think that I can afford one My needs are to main/mow the 6.5 acres, move horse poop (FEL), winter plow a driveway, perhaps back hoe (there are drainage issues away from the house, and perhaps dig a dry well for roof runoff, etc. Keeping in mind that I am not experienced in such tractors and actual use, plus my wife must beable to learn to drive the thing )

Steve, you definately need to look at a machine with a hydrostatic transmission for your wife. In fact I would bet, based on your post, that if you get a gear tractor she won't ever use it.

Hydro machines that will do what you need come is pretty small sizes, but they are still fairly expensive. The Kioti CK20 HST is a small tractor, but big enough to do what you need done, and it is usually priced well below Deere/NewHolland/Kubota. Those 3 are typically the highest priced machines.

I would skip the backhoe, they are very expensive and the smaller ones can't do much real work and (in MY opinion) are not cost effective and a huge waste of money; but folks on this board typically disagree with my opinion on backhoes. If you need a back hoe, line up your jobs, rent a real unit, get the work done in 1/10th the time, pay a few hundred dollars and save $5000 or more on the cost of the purchase.

To20Chris · Jul 3, 2004

Based on the budget constraint, I would ususally recommend a gear tractor to save the $1000 over hydrostatic, but in this case that savings won't mean much if your wife won't use it. She'll definitely be able to use a gear unit, but if you don't think she'll try, then go HST. The Kioti CK20HST is a great choice, but there are others as well.

Also, while I love my backhoe, and am glad I bought it, it's a big ticket. You can rent one or get one later if you want to, it does not have to be from the same mfr that made your tractor, although it might be easier to finance. I would say to get the tractor you want, and don't let it hinge on the BH.

todd_arganti · Jul 5, 2004

Joey-

www.farmtrac.com/

is the address that comes up on the homepage?

Try that. good luck

todd_arganti · Jul 5, 2004

Farmtrac or the old landtrac our owned by LG (longagribusiness) the old luck goldsmith company. The tractors are put together in NC the diesel are installed and bolted to the frame in NC. Daedong and Mitsubishi are the enginge choices. I have the 270DTC with fel and brush hog. The synchromesh tranny and shuttle shift is just as easy as the HST tractors which Farmtrac makes in the bigger models. They are priced right and work hard, no complaints.

DavidBradley · Jul 8, 2004

Joey,

I am a newbie to tractors also, and from my other posts you will be able to see this. Maybe I shouldn't be posting a reply at all because of this but anyway..... I just bought a Farm Pro 2420, mainly just to mow a little, and do some light landscaping. From your posts, I wonder have you ever used a tractor before, by that I mean worked with one. I hadn't, and they are quite different from driving one around on a dealer lot, and actually using it. Have you ever done any of the work you mentioned doing? If not, prehaps you should go to a friend or neighbor that has a tractor and actually try doing some of these things. I have been around construction for about 30 years (electrician, not heavy equipment operator), and a lot of the chores you mentioned are going to be tough ones regardless of what type equipment you have. Watching a guy dig a trench with a big ole Case backhoe and actually doing it are two different things (Why do you think they call it construction WORK?). Maybe you could stop by somewhere that they are starting to build a house and the operator will let you use his machine for a short time while he watches you. I think from your list of things to do, you would be better off hiring most of this done and get a whatever you want kind of tractor to mantain the place afterwards. As to the farming part, evidently you have never farmed either, or you wouldn't be asking "Which tractor do I need". Maybe you should go to a friend or neighbors farm, and see if they will let you plough up a couple of acres just to see what it's like. I am not trying to talk you out of buying a tractor, just hoping you know what you're getting into. I like my little tractor, and when I learn how to use it, I may even like it better. Just an opinion.

Dave

MicroPilot · Jul 8, 2004

David, that sounds like very good advice to me. Alternately shamban could rent some equipment and use it. I think this would give him a good feel for what different features translate into in actual use. You are right about the drive around the lot not being representative of what actually using the machine will be like.