Whether you’re a first time buyer or have been around tractors since you were born, the same questions seem to come up. So this month we’re highlighting the top five most common tractor buying questions you’ll find on TractorByNet—topics that have been popular since we opened our doors online in 1998, and will continue to come up every time somebody buys a tractor:
#5 Which Attachments Do I Need?
The better question might be “which attachments DON’T you need?!” As we’ve covered in previous newsletters, the right attachments can transform the same tractor from a kind and gentle turf mower into a wild and crazy ground breaking animal ready to do some serious earth moving. So most people agree that at the very least, you should probably have a front-end loader (in fact, 78% of TBNers have an FEL on their tractor). And if you have a front-end loader, you better have something on the back as a counter weight. And that’s just the beginning of 254 front-end loader topics and 20,081 topics about attachments!
Do you need a backhoe?
#4 Which Tires Do I Need?
Well, this isn’t as vast a topic as attachments, but it’s pretty darn important. Every now and then a daring TBNer thinks he can mow his lawn with R1 ag tires because his tractor is really light, or somebody who wants to run a 2-bottom plow with R3 turf tires because he’s got a lot of ballast and a heavy tractor. Bottom line is you need the right tires for the job, and with three primary choices (R1 ag, R3 turf, or R4 industrial) it’s easy to go down the wrong path. So, which tires are right for YOU? We’ve got 245 discussions about tires that should get you rolling.
Choosing your tires is important.
#3 How Much Should I Pay?
Nobody wants to pay too much for anything these days (and even when the economy is flying high, nobody wants to overpay then, either!). So this question is definitely worthy of our #3 spot. The consensus, you might be surprised to know, is NOT the “lowest price you can find.” So what IS the consensus? Well, read a few of these 350 price check threads to get an idea of how TBN members negotiate and find the best deals on their tractors. We’re pretty sure you’ll agree that this is one hot topic that will never cool off!
Know what you should expect to pay before you show up on the lot.
#2 How Much Tractor Do I Need?
Oh boy, if this isn’t a can of worms. We’ve got members with a garden tractor and 100 acres, and members with a $50,000 TLB for a 3/4 acre sloped lot—and everything in-between. For the most part, the answer to this question is “it depends.” And that’s why we’ve got 91 popular topics on tractor sizing if you’re in the market for a new machine.
Everyone needs their tractor to do different tasks.
#1 Which Brand Should I Buy?
The only bigger can of worms than #2 is our #1 Age Old Tractor Question: Which brand should I buy? Some people will remain loyal to their favorite brand until the day they die, since for many folks brand loyalty is generational or something of a family tradition. But these days there are competitive models from numerous tractor manufacturers, and especially for first-time tractor buyers, it’s an important decision with many factors that can sway a buyer one direction or another. So check out a few of our 211 tractor comparison discussions and see which brands come out on top.
Comparing and contrasting different brands is the #1 age-old tractor topic. What's your take?
