Again thanks for all the feedback, i appreciate you all taking the time.
RE Backhoe: I'd like to have one (more power toys is good
) but have a hard time justifying the extra $$$ when i really don't foresee us needing it but a couple times (no trees or big rocks around to uproot for example) and thus renting one for the few times we'd need it would be much cheaper.
RE PHD: I think we'll give a 3PH one a go. Friends of ours have one and have successfully used theirs to put up fencing. Since we're talking about a few hundred feet, and none of it critical, i think we'd like to try using our tractor for it instead of renting over several weekends. We'd be looking at the price of the auger ($500-$1000 tops) vs renting equipment several weekends (at least $200/weekend).
RE HST: It sounds like it has some advantage, and that some of the disadvantage we experienced really would show up with a manual transmission as well. I don't like the idea of having to slip the clutch to manage the forward motion while maintaining enough RPMs for the PTO. We'll have to take another look and compare the brakes etc on them.
RE 0%: Both Kubota and Mahindra have 0% programs. Just the term is different. With Mahindra they have the 0%/$0 down for 60 months for the 2816. For the 3316 they don't have a 0% program; it'd be 4.49% for 60 months. The monthly payment for the 2816 would be around $250, and about $75 more for the 3316. Not sure the 3316 is worth that much more for our situation? Kubota has only 24 or 36 months at 0%/$0 down. The Kubota L3400HST or L3240 (price is pretty much the same due to the L3240 being from pre-price increase), with 0% for 36 months, would come out to about $525/mo, which would be more than twice that of the 2816 and about $300 more than the 3316. Looking at the other financing options Kubota offers, they cannot get as low as Mahindra's. Comparing the L3500HST/L3240 vs the 3316 for example, the 3316 would be about $1500-$2000 cheaper, and the rate would be 1% lower. So Mahindra's got Kubota beat on price and financing it would seem.
I spoke with the Kioti dealer on the phone today. Their deal is either a) get a free FEL, but not the lower rates (and thus the rate is the standard agricredit rate which apparently is 10.4%(!?) according to the guy) or b) pay for the FEL but get the lower rate, which is 0% for 24 months and goes up to something like 4.some% for 84 months IIRC. Not bad? The CK27 on paper sounds like a good comparable to the 2816 with some extra features here and there, and the price is $13,700 or thereabouts. The CK25 is $11,700 or so, but i'm not sure that'd be too small a tractor for what we'd need? They don't have a CK30 on the lot, so we wouldn't be able to test one, and i don't know what the price is. It may be a good option as something between the other options. In either case the choice would be get a free FEL but finance at a higher rate, or pay $3100 or so extra for the FEL to get the lower rate. Not sure which one would work out in our favor yet. We're planning to go by the Kioti dealer Saturday morning to check 'm out in person and talk some numbers.
I looked for a YTM dealer, but the closest is 90+ miles away, which is too far to be practical.
The way things look this far, to me it seems the Mahindra 2816 is the one to beat for our situation? Its specs are in line with the comparable Kubota and Kioti, but with a better financing deal. On top of that the Mahindra dealer is relatively close by (20-ish miles or so), and we have 2 friends who have worked with that dealer before and have been pleased with the service. (Free pickup / delivery for maintenance for example.) The thing i want to make sure though is if that 2816 would be a good fit for what we'd need. Is it too big, too small, or about right? Unless i'm misunderstanding those of you who have similar situations, it sounds like it'd be a good fit size/power wise?
RE Backhoe: I'd like to have one (more power toys is good
) but have a hard time justifying the extra $$$ when i really don't foresee us needing it but a couple times (no trees or big rocks around to uproot for example) and thus renting one for the few times we'd need it would be much cheaper.RE PHD: I think we'll give a 3PH one a go. Friends of ours have one and have successfully used theirs to put up fencing. Since we're talking about a few hundred feet, and none of it critical, i think we'd like to try using our tractor for it instead of renting over several weekends. We'd be looking at the price of the auger ($500-$1000 tops) vs renting equipment several weekends (at least $200/weekend).
RE HST: It sounds like it has some advantage, and that some of the disadvantage we experienced really would show up with a manual transmission as well. I don't like the idea of having to slip the clutch to manage the forward motion while maintaining enough RPMs for the PTO. We'll have to take another look and compare the brakes etc on them.
RE 0%: Both Kubota and Mahindra have 0% programs. Just the term is different. With Mahindra they have the 0%/$0 down for 60 months for the 2816. For the 3316 they don't have a 0% program; it'd be 4.49% for 60 months. The monthly payment for the 2816 would be around $250, and about $75 more for the 3316. Not sure the 3316 is worth that much more for our situation? Kubota has only 24 or 36 months at 0%/$0 down. The Kubota L3400HST or L3240 (price is pretty much the same due to the L3240 being from pre-price increase), with 0% for 36 months, would come out to about $525/mo, which would be more than twice that of the 2816 and about $300 more than the 3316. Looking at the other financing options Kubota offers, they cannot get as low as Mahindra's. Comparing the L3500HST/L3240 vs the 3316 for example, the 3316 would be about $1500-$2000 cheaper, and the rate would be 1% lower. So Mahindra's got Kubota beat on price and financing it would seem.
I spoke with the Kioti dealer on the phone today. Their deal is either a) get a free FEL, but not the lower rates (and thus the rate is the standard agricredit rate which apparently is 10.4%(!?) according to the guy) or b) pay for the FEL but get the lower rate, which is 0% for 24 months and goes up to something like 4.some% for 84 months IIRC. Not bad? The CK27 on paper sounds like a good comparable to the 2816 with some extra features here and there, and the price is $13,700 or thereabouts. The CK25 is $11,700 or so, but i'm not sure that'd be too small a tractor for what we'd need? They don't have a CK30 on the lot, so we wouldn't be able to test one, and i don't know what the price is. It may be a good option as something between the other options. In either case the choice would be get a free FEL but finance at a higher rate, or pay $3100 or so extra for the FEL to get the lower rate. Not sure which one would work out in our favor yet. We're planning to go by the Kioti dealer Saturday morning to check 'm out in person and talk some numbers.
I looked for a YTM dealer, but the closest is 90+ miles away, which is too far to be practical.
The way things look this far, to me it seems the Mahindra 2816 is the one to beat for our situation? Its specs are in line with the comparable Kubota and Kioti, but with a better financing deal. On top of that the Mahindra dealer is relatively close by (20-ish miles or so), and we have 2 friends who have worked with that dealer before and have been pleased with the service. (Free pickup / delivery for maintenance for example.) The thing i want to make sure though is if that 2816 would be a good fit for what we'd need. Is it too big, too small, or about right? Unless i'm misunderstanding those of you who have similar situations, it sounds like it'd be a good fit size/power wise?
