Bigger is Not Better

[john_bud]

Hard to get anything perfect the first time. We are now talking seriously about getting our hayfield baled in rounds instead of squares, and if we do that then the 5105 will pretty much justify itself for moving the bales...

The weather here has barely reached 70 and I'm already seeing the benefits that a cab would offer. Funny how after all my time spent on motorcycles (which throw lots of heat on the rider) I didn't think to realize that a tractor would be throwing lots of heat back on the driver.

Well, if you did get it perfect the first time, your needs would probably change drastically shortly there after. Least ways, that's my normal luck!

jb

 

[Soundguy]

I think you are taking the 'general' advice way out of context.

As i have heard it many times.. the advice here, is to get 'as big as you can afford', and still get your jobs done. ( IE.. don't get too big to do your intended jobs. ). That's pretty fair advice... as you have to tak into acocunt circumstances. I have to do open pasture mowing. I traded my 30hp/5' mower for a 95 hp/15' mower rig.. in my case bigger was deffinately better.

If I had a bunch of trees spaced at 5'.. then i might have needed a tc-18 and 4' mower. See where this si going?

soundguy

There is a definite group on the board who always say "bigger is better" whenever anyone is contemplating the purchase of a tractor. I thought about this crowd today as I watched my wife navigate our BX24 between the oak trees, dogwoods, and daffodils in the front yard as she distributed dirt so we could try to grow some grass. I was manning the rake to do the final distribution and leveling of the dirt. She would have had a lot trouble with a larger unit!

Mike T.

 

[art]

I always try to start small to keep the sticker shock in check, but I've had to many people come in that bought the wrong machine. There has been times it was the way that it drove or the options or the size that was wrong. I think that I'd rather have to trade up then to try and trade down in order to justify the trade at all. I've also seen people decide to stay large and buy another machine to do the daily chores.

 

[N80]

I bought the most hp I could get in a CUT for the money I had available. And it is probably just good fortune but that worked out very well for me.

I am in deep want of a bigger tractor but it has nothing to do with what I need. I just like tractors now, and big and strong just seems like a lot of fun.

But the simple truth is that for the things I do, anything larger than my Kubota L4400 would simply cause me problems. I do a very wide variety of things. A bigger machine would be nice when mowing some of my neighbor's fields. A bigger tractor would be a perfect nightmare maintaning my wood's roads and mowing around my cabin.

The problem is that there are machines with higher hydraulic pump output, stronger 3 pt hitch and more hp with dimensions only slightly larger than my L4400. One of those would be really great! Of course that's only a problem if you have a limited budget.

For the time being my little L4400 is doing everything I want and need to do. I got lucky.

 

[Soundguy]

That's where multiple tractors come in!

Get one for each job! sized perfectly.

Soundguy

 

[ccsial]

There is a definite group on the board who always say "bigger is better" whenever anyone is contemplating the purchase of a tractor. I thought about this crowd today as I watched my wife navigate our BX24 between the oak trees, dogwoods, and daffodils in the front yard as she distributed dirt so we could try to grow some grass. I was manning the rake to do the final distribution and leveling of the dirt. She would have had a lot trouble with a larger unit!

Mike T.

Yep, Size isn't always that important, It's how you use it.

 

[jbrumberg]

Yep, Size isn't always that important, It's how you use it.

ccsial:

I agree , both with tractors , and in "real life" . Jay

 

[redlevel]

ccsial:

I agree , both with tractors , and in "real life" . Jay

I'll just tell you what a lady who I taught with told me about that. I asked if it was true that size doesn't matter. She said, "Just think about it. Some man with a small (tractor) started that foolishness."

 

[wkpoor]

Prior to my my getting the JD5400 I operated a number of antiques for my everyday jobs. Everything from Farmall Cubs to Farmall H's. Some Fords and Allis' stuck in the middle. I'm very happy with the size and power of the 5400. Can't imagine doing with anything less. The tractor still seems compact in size yet power and weight are a good match for the jobs I do.

 

[john_bud]

I'll just tell you what a lady who I taught with told me about that. I asked if it was true that size doesn't matter. She said, "Just think about it. Some man with a small (tractor) started that foolishness."

Then again, when you see a guy on 1/2 acre plot with an M7040 you wonder if there is any "compensation" going on.....