Buying Advice Tractor Advice -The hunt is on.

[airbiscuit]

If you have a good jacket, you'll be fine without a cab. The bigger question is, what kind of tires Ag vs R4s?

 

[hdmyers]

R1 vs R4 is good question. I do have some 'softer' ground at times to deal with in the spring, that being said, i'm hoping to get away with studding my tires for the snowblowing.

From what I read, the R1 is the way to go for me in this matter...

I"m interested in options there..
thanks!

 

[RSR]

I have a very similar situation as you. 90 inches of snow a year in far Northern New York, with a 1200' driveway. I cleared it for 5 years with a walk behind. It's doable, but takes forever. I went with a 45 hp tractor, with a 6' blower on the back. What used to take 2 hours can now be done in about 20 minutes. The problem is then I don't get to feel like I enjoyed enough time on the tractor, so then I usually clear out my 3 neighbors driveways, and also clear out to the last house on the lane, which is another 1500 feet of road. I can still do all that in about 45 minutes.

I debated on cab/no cab. I would strenuously argue it is a need, not a want. It was the best decision I made about the tractor.

As I read on this forum years ago, "you wouldn't consider an enclosed cab on a car a luxury, so why do you consider it on a tractor?"

The fact that I can just get in the tractor and go, rather than getting suited up, and then peeling layers off afterwards, saves more time and hassle. Plus, blowing snow while listening to tunes and sipping a hot beverage is downright enjoyable.

I have never regretted spending more for a cab, and never will. It's great during the summer too, when the flies and mosquitos are out, it's 90 and humid, and you are doing dirt work that has the entire tractor coated in dust (this was my scenario this past weekend.) In contrast, I'm in the cab cool and comfortable and listening to tunes, rather than sweaty, dirty, swatting at flies, and needing a shower when I'm finished.

Get a cab!

 

[airbiscuit]

I've had R1s and R4s. The R4s have stiffer sidewalls for loader work, wider tread (better flotation) and kind of an all around compromise. R1s have much better TRACTION. My R4s turned into racing slicks in wet snow.

 

[CobyRupert]

R1’s for deep snow. Unless you need a tire to drive on lawns, I wouldn’t bother with turfs or R4’s.
Studded or bare tires might work, until they don’t, then you’ll eventually get chains.
Open station tractor will want a deflector chute that is easily adjusted from tractor seat so you don’t have to launch snow up into the wind.

 

[hdmyers]

R1's it is... not woried about lawn.
i'm getting remotes to control the chute rotation and deflection.

what i read about the cab was watching what you do in the scrub... konwing myself, i'd end up somewhere where i'm going to maybe be challenging the strength of glass/mirror?

i'm now thinking about the cab.... that being said, i'll be just doing my property and then putting the machine back in its leanto/garage area... the goal is to keep the property maintained for next 30 years (if i last that long lol).

cheers!

 

[pokey1416]

Don’t know if this is popular but I shopped based on the best cab. Been outside working for over 4 decades and I’ve had enough! Get a cab.

 

[airbiscuit]

Sometimes the choice is getting a tractor and needed implements and no cab

Or

Getting NO tractor at all. Not everyone has an unlimited budget

 

[RSR]

Sometimes the choice is getting a tractor and needed implements and no cab

Or

Getting NO tractor at all. Not everyone has an unlimited budget

Or

Wait to buy, and save more money so you can afford a cab.

That was my approach. But I also didn't need a tractor urgently. Every situation is different, but if you prioritize it, it is achievable in most cases.

In my opinion, the deferment in purchase, if needed, to get a cab is well worth it. I'd rather wait a year so I could afford a cab, and then enjoy it for the next 20 years, then get it right away, and either spend the next 21 years wishing I had a cab, or waste money buying a new tractor a few years later to get what I originally wanted.

 

[airbiscuit]

Or

Wait to buy, and save more money so you can afford a cab.

That was my approach. But I also didn't need a tractor urgently. Every situation is different, but if you prioritize it, it is achievable in most cases.

In my opinion, the deferment in purchase, if needed, to get a cab is well worth it. I'd rather wait a year so I could afford a cab, and then enjoy it for the next 20 years, then get it right away, and either spend the next 21 years wishing I had a cab, or waste money buying a new tractor a few years later to get what I originally wanted.

OR

Buy what you need and can afford now, and use it knowing that there may be another tractor(s) in your future. My first tractor was a 15hp grey market Shibaura that I worked the snot out of. Sold it for what I paid for it and bought a 24 hp John Deere. Sold it for more than I paid for it, and I bought a 34hp New Holland ........ you get my drift.

I don't mind the open station in the winter, and I love being out in the open from spring through fall. If I was in TX or AZ, I would want air conditioning. Even then, I would want the first CUT I could afford now, and work my up to a cabbed tractor later.

 

[rScotty]

Sometimes the choice is getting a tractor and needed implements and no cab

Or

Getting NO tractor at all. Not everyone has an unlimited budget

AMEN! I'm still young and I LIKE the out of doors. For the price of a cab I can get a better tractor AND every implement I could reasonably use. Especially if I buy the implements used. Put the bulk of the money into a really good tractor & loader. Used Implements tend to work OK.
rScotty

 

[finn1]

R4 tires work for me, and we get 300” of snow.

The cab works great when blowing snow at -10 degrees (f), and I also appreciated it this week while bush hogging in 91 degree, high humidity conditions.

Made today’s loader work during the downpour, too.

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

R4 tires work for me, and we get 300” of snow.

The cab works great when blowing snow at -10 degrees (f), and I also appreciated it this week while bush hogging in 91 degree, high humidity conditions.

Made today’s loader work during the downpour, too.

Much the same here. Except it's -40 F, wind is blowing sideways at 40-50 mph. Just another winter day. There's "cold" and then there's COLD. Like the kind of cold that can kill you.

Also mowing pastures in summertime heat with the A/C on.

Can't beat it.

No one. And I mean NO one works snow with open station tractors here.

But, buy what you want.

 

[powersrp]

+++++++on the cab, need a loader, front snowblower, mower deck, back blade, everything else i bought as funds allowed. depending on your age, Tell the wife it should be your first and last tractor purchase, i bought mine at 54 and have no wants for a diff model, it will go with me in my bottle of ashes, most likely with deleted emissions.

 

[powersrp]

yepp, spent 5 hrs yest 91 deg mowing grass with tunes and a cold coke, was a nice day in cheboygan

 

[DMW]

Have you had a look at land planes? With a 1300' driveway to maintain, it will pay for itself in a few years with reduced gravel purchases.

 

[hdmyers]

Have you had a look at land planes? With a 1300' driveway to maintain, it will pay for itself in a few years with reduced gravel purchases.

*** I believe the land plane is the ticket for my property. Running 5/8 minus (i'm not sure if correct term) gravel...limestone, on my drive. It has a much bigger base, and this has packed in nicely actually... So will want to try to keep it nice. From reading about the land plane, it will be a great thing to have.

I"m kinda torn between bush hog or simply go for a flail mower. I really only need to clear along my driveway edges...thinking oncei tidy up some i could get away with using the rotary unit to tend to that tall grass... OTherwise thinking to cut a few small trails through my property. I have areas that will readily take to being cut for trails.


ANyway, yah, Land Plane is on the list. I'll probably delay that until the need arises to avoid sticker shock in the household

cheers,
H

 

[billclarketbn]

Are any current tractors simple to work on? Simple as in not having to remove a bunch of body panels to replace fuel lines or a fuel pump. I just spend 6 hours replacing the fuel pump lines on a Massey GC2300. An old guy should not have to bend into these positions and need three hands to do a simple job. I've been driving tractors since the farm (in the 50s). I've worked on a lot of hardware and this was just plain ridiculous. More like working on a modern car. Not interested in any old stuff - I use and don't like to tinker except to maintain. Dealer support??? HAHAHA Got a dealer 12 miles away. Uninterested in even calling back when you need work.

 

[hdmyers]

Have another quote in... and finally figured out wheree my math was so offside in validating the quotes.
1) CK2610 with 72" blower, 66" roatry cutter, loader, HST: 34832 taxes in (CDN) 0% for 84 months: (payment for 72 months, with 3729 downpayment to compare apples to apples: 431). Total cost: 34832
2) another dealer, CK2610, 66" blower, 66" rotary cutter, LAND PLANE as well, 35139 taxes in (CDN) 0% 84 months (payment for 72months, using 3729 downpayment to compare apples to apples: 436) total cost 35139
3) kubota L2601: loader, blower: 37357.75 taxes in. 0% 72 months. Payment they quote: 515 CDN needing a 3729 downpayment per Kubota.: total cost (515*72)+3729= 40809

So 5000 more, with one less implement, but get the KTAC.

I'm leading to putting 10k down, buy the insurance myself and call it day on the Kioti. It is hard to ignore that price difference.

 

[Jstpssng]

It is hard to ignore that price difference

You don't need a calculator to make that math work.
I assume that the Kubota you were looking at was a 2501... the 2601 was made back in the late 1970s and I don't see that they've started producing them again.

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