ORIGINALLY POSTED BY Pugemasta
rScotty:
1. I suppose i'm lazy! a top and tilt kit sounds like its worth it, especially when I am learning and making constant adjustments. I recognize its a bit of a luxury, but think it will make grading more enjoyable.
I hear you. I'm not debating whether or not a T&T it is "worth it". I happen to think they are great. But there's often a financial limit so I was just pointing out that the T&T only does hydraulically what a basic 3pt does manually, - and as dollars pile up, keep in mind which options can be added later. Most options can be added at any time for the same or less money as you gain experience.
If your find a tractor with a full category II 3pt - which you should for the kind of use you anticipate - and if you also plan to swap it back and forth with a backhoe, then put some thought into how difficult it is to change between BH and 3pt. In fact, you should try it before buying it. Backhoes are so heavy that it is required that they are often designed to lift themselves into position onto a subframe which is revealed when the 3pt hitch is removed.
BTW, you don't want a 3pt-mounted BH. Very few people will recommend a 3pt backhoe anymore. You want one that has a frame mount.
But a frame mount often means that those heavy Cat II 3pt hitch components have to be removed and replaced when mounting the BH. And those pieces of steel are just at the borderline of being heavy enough that the manufacturer expects you to wrestled them onto and off the tractor by by muscle power. That's ok. Just realize that adding TNT makes them heavier yet.
2. I'll try not to worry too much about valves. Hydraulics at the dealer certainly do get expensive as I found out at the Kubota dealer pricing out an MX5200.
Yes, Kubota's do cost more. The things you get for that higher price may not be worth it to you -they certainly aren't worth it for a lot of people who have excellent tractors which don't cost what Kubotas do. They are grinning all the way to the bank.
I agree especially about the price of Kubota's add-on hydraulic outlets - they seem to me to be are priced unrealistically high. That forces me to compare their extra hydraulics with what I can get done at the tractor shop down the street or or by myself by simply making a bracket and buying a valve & hoses. And Kubota loses a sale they apparently don't need anyway.
On the other hand, sometimes Kubota's high price makes sense. Their top line HST has no competition. And it really makes a difference in my own steep, hilly mountain country where we have a use for the more sophisticated HST with more gears. That's an example where the extra price buys something of value that cannot be added later.
That HST has value to me, but the value may not be there for everyone. It simply isn't necessary on flatter ground with occassional hills. So why pay the extra money?
3. Was thinking a 24" bucket for the backhoe would be a good call, not too big and not too small, thank you. Low clay in our soil. Hydraulic thumb it is. One of our projects will be installing retaining walls. Hadn't thought of this use.u
The backhoe isn't just an attachement, a good one is almost a whole different animal than a tractor & 3pt hitch. This is where you need some experience. Have you considered renting machines for a weekend to help with buying decisions?? I would. No matter how much the difficulty I would do that. It used to be common for dealers to work out some sort of way to help make that happen.....but you had to ask, and sometimes insist.....I know it seems like throwing money away, ... Does anyone else agree??
4. Thanks for clarifying on suitcase weights. Thinking I may just fill the tires for now, sounds easy enough to add weights later. I have indeed heard more HP does not equal more fun, but perhaps less frustration equals more fun. Jeff and others seem to think its a good call considering the weight of the tractor and I'm feeling good about it.
I think the bit on suitcase weight was "SoundGuy", but I'll sure take any credit I can get! I enjoy reading his posts, along with half a dozen others.
Regarding weight vs HP, generally more weight is a greater advantage than more HP. In fact, Jeff often points that out. He says that these are traction engines and the greater weight is usually necessary to get full use of the HP that they come with. I agree that unless you are pulling heavy loads up steep hills, higher weight is more of an advantage than higher HP.
But your case may be the exception. Most tractors are used on more or less level to hilly ground. On steep mountainous terrain things do change. There weight and HP are both second to stability. you will be better off with adjustable width and low center of gravity than with anything else. Backhoes are scary on hills. Steep hills doesn't necessarily mean going away from traditional tractors configuration. There are models of regular tractors where the rear tire width is adjustable. Look at those. You want wide, and you want low CG. Those things can save your life. Big wide R4 type tires help a lot on steep terrain. Add weight later if you need it. But if your hillside land is ever slick or snow covered, consider trying the tractor first in wide mode without extra weight. They do slide and heavy ones don't stop as fast....you don't want to tip over.
5. I do not consider myself wealthy, but have a decent, stable job, no family and living is pretty cheap around here. So I can afford a couple hobbies. I just don't see too many used around here that are relatively low on hours and not close to the same cost as new. A little background: The land is a large purchase, plus I had another recent unexpected expense, so I don't have enough cash on hand to buy a tractor outright and will be financing most of it. I hate not be able to pay cash, but w/out my own equipment I'll be paying more to have someone else fix the road, install septic, etc... And it would simply be more fun and satisfying to do it myself and will end up with a nice tractor at the end of the deal. We'll see when I price them out, but the promotional rates offered by the manufacturers would likely outweigh any $ I saved on the purchase price of a used tractor if financed at 6% or so. But we'll see. Haven't looked for used at dealers yet.[/QUOTE]
Yes, I agree, In fact, I thought that my comment on "being wealthy" was poorly expressed when I wrote it. It was subject to all kinds of wrong interpretations, but you seemed to have handled it rather better than I wrote it.
As you point out, there is little difference between cash on hand and financing. I agree. Wealthy people have both cash and financing available to them; it's just a matter of deciding which to use.
What I meant by "your being wealthy" was intended to be more of a comment about how a person attacks a challenge than it was about how much spare cash or financing ability that a person has.
Look.....I'm old, and I've gone from poverty to being wealthy myself. So I've had both time and experience. And in that time I've noticed that the big difference isn't the money, it's how people approach the job to be done.
Wealthy people tend to start out by comparing how new equipment will help them get the job done. That's different than how people without funds or financing approach the same problem. Folks without money or financing often have the same job to do, but they know they can't buy new equipment. So conversations with them tend to concentrate more on how they are going to apply whatever other skills they possess to dealing with older 2nd hand equipment.
So It's not about money or financing as much as it's a difference in how a person approaches the problem of getting a job done.
And that is what we are doing here - comparing new equipment to be purchased. Hence the comment on being wealthy.
Good Luck beats Good Planning,
rScotty
