SmokemanGRP
Member
I need some advice on selecting a tractor. I have never owned one but I have been doing a lot of online research and now understand most of the terminology (FEL, hydro, synchro-shift, MFWD, live PTO, etc). I know I need to consider the size and weight of a tractor, not just the horse power. Most people I've talked to tell me to make sure I don't get one that's too small, it might eventually get the job done but it will be hard on the tractor and more likely to break down.
Usage: We purchased 36 acres in southeast Arizona and hope to build a home there in the next year or two. I believe my usage for a tractor falls into two categories; construction and maintenance. During construction I need a 900' dirt driveway, a culvert so the driveway can cross a 5' deep wash, a 800' x 52" x 24" power line trench, septic leach line trenches and a 3/4 mile walking path that meanders around the property. Once the construction is completed I need to maintain the driveway and walking path, plant some trees, we'll probably have a garden of maybe 1/8 acre. We will not have a lawn but I'll want to keep the brush away from the house for fire safety; most of the properly we want to leave natural. There are trees along both washes. I do not plan on removing many of them, if any, but I'll have to haul out dead limbs from time to time.
I think the construction tasks would require a bigger tractor than the maintenance tasks. I could hire someone to do the construction tasks then purchase a smaller tractor for the maintenance. On the surface the ground looks pretty soft. But one of the residents, who owns a JD 410 backhoe, says he wouldn't recommend a 3 point backhoe because he frequently encounters cleache (sp?) when trenching.
The property is very flat with the exception of the two washes running thru it.
2WD vs 4WD: Some say I'll need it, some say I won't. Since this is a $2,000 - 4,000 feature I could save some money if I don't need it but if it turns out that I do I'll be stuck, in more ways than one. One guy said I'd be more likely to need 4WD with a smaller tractor, less likely with a larger one; but what is smaller and what is larger?
Hydro vs Gear Trannies: My research seems to indicate that a hydro is most beneficial for FEL work, a gear for mowing acres. My buddy who owned gear tractors years ago says that's all I need; my uncle-in-law who has a Kubota hydro says he wouldn't consider a tractor without it; "that is the best thing that they came out with, it gives you the ground speed you want; you can have 1800 RPM for a brush hog and ground speed of 0 to 3 mph". I like the idea of a hydro and the $1,000 upgrade isn't a show stopper but do I completely exclude gear tractors?
SCUT vs CUT vs UT: This has been the most confusing portion of my research. There seems to be a very fuzzy line between these categories. Where I live there is only one dealer, Mahindra, and he has zero new inventory. He did have a used 4110 that their brochure calls "compact" but he called "full sized". He had a used 3215 which their brochure also calls "compact" but it was much smaller than the 4110.
As another example, I was researching a JD 4400 today and read a post on this forum titled JD 3720 vs 4120 where someone stated "my new 4120 is much more stable than my 4400 which is similar in size to the 3720". I was under the impression that the JD 4000 line were all on a beefier frame than the 3000's.
As yet another example, the pictures I saw today of JD 4400's with a FEL looked like a decent sized tractor. But the ones without a FEL looked more like a lawn tractor.
I'm really sorry about this long post but I wanted to provide enough information to explain where I'm at. I think I need to decide on a HP and weight (frame size) range then somehow determine which of the thousands of models fall into that range so I can concentrate my search on those models. I'd appreciate any comments, suggestions and recommendations. Thank you.
Usage: We purchased 36 acres in southeast Arizona and hope to build a home there in the next year or two. I believe my usage for a tractor falls into two categories; construction and maintenance. During construction I need a 900' dirt driveway, a culvert so the driveway can cross a 5' deep wash, a 800' x 52" x 24" power line trench, septic leach line trenches and a 3/4 mile walking path that meanders around the property. Once the construction is completed I need to maintain the driveway and walking path, plant some trees, we'll probably have a garden of maybe 1/8 acre. We will not have a lawn but I'll want to keep the brush away from the house for fire safety; most of the properly we want to leave natural. There are trees along both washes. I do not plan on removing many of them, if any, but I'll have to haul out dead limbs from time to time.
I think the construction tasks would require a bigger tractor than the maintenance tasks. I could hire someone to do the construction tasks then purchase a smaller tractor for the maintenance. On the surface the ground looks pretty soft. But one of the residents, who owns a JD 410 backhoe, says he wouldn't recommend a 3 point backhoe because he frequently encounters cleache (sp?) when trenching.
The property is very flat with the exception of the two washes running thru it.
2WD vs 4WD: Some say I'll need it, some say I won't. Since this is a $2,000 - 4,000 feature I could save some money if I don't need it but if it turns out that I do I'll be stuck, in more ways than one. One guy said I'd be more likely to need 4WD with a smaller tractor, less likely with a larger one; but what is smaller and what is larger?
Hydro vs Gear Trannies: My research seems to indicate that a hydro is most beneficial for FEL work, a gear for mowing acres. My buddy who owned gear tractors years ago says that's all I need; my uncle-in-law who has a Kubota hydro says he wouldn't consider a tractor without it; "that is the best thing that they came out with, it gives you the ground speed you want; you can have 1800 RPM for a brush hog and ground speed of 0 to 3 mph". I like the idea of a hydro and the $1,000 upgrade isn't a show stopper but do I completely exclude gear tractors?
SCUT vs CUT vs UT: This has been the most confusing portion of my research. There seems to be a very fuzzy line between these categories. Where I live there is only one dealer, Mahindra, and he has zero new inventory. He did have a used 4110 that their brochure calls "compact" but he called "full sized". He had a used 3215 which their brochure also calls "compact" but it was much smaller than the 4110.
As another example, I was researching a JD 4400 today and read a post on this forum titled JD 3720 vs 4120 where someone stated "my new 4120 is much more stable than my 4400 which is similar in size to the 3720". I was under the impression that the JD 4000 line were all on a beefier frame than the 3000's.
As yet another example, the pictures I saw today of JD 4400's with a FEL looked like a decent sized tractor. But the ones without a FEL looked more like a lawn tractor.
I'm really sorry about this long post but I wanted to provide enough information to explain where I'm at. I think I need to decide on a HP and weight (frame size) range then somehow determine which of the thousands of models fall into that range so I can concentrate my search on those models. I'd appreciate any comments, suggestions and recommendations. Thank you.
