TopSpeed1
Silver Member
I've been shopping a new compact tractor since Fall '18. My current ride is a International 285 4WD (25hp, 3 cyl Mitsubushi). It only has 360 hrs, meticulously maintained and always been a garage queen. I own and maintain both wooded and groomed/grass around the house, a tad more than 2 acres of mowing so not too bad. The mower currently is a 84" 3pt and it can absolutely flat out do the job in a timely manor that I crave. Yep, bigger than a lawn tractor for me mainly becuase I don't want to sit mowing for hours on end. With the 84in, I got it down to under 2 hrs easily. My dilemma is/was; I can't do it at a high enough speed when it's wet or too tall. Aww, poor me! 
In the winter, it plow "okay" but not neqarly as good as my Ford 1000 I had prior, and that was 28hp, just a bigger heavier tractor and that really helped in the snow dept.
So, my shopping woes for what I figure to be my last tractor (in 'm'y lifetime anyways) as the International 254 made it 33 years... I purchased it brand new in 1986.
My personal desires are/were as follows:
-Cab w heat
-More ponies (torque)
-Heavier unit so as to limit the 'thrown around by snow pushing'.
-Turf Tires (Mowing over-rules Snow pushing)
-Front Loader
-Backhoe
[and most important] - Belly Mower of at least 72"
The last is because constantly twisting my body and head around to get that 3pt finish mower around tree bases is... well, no fun at all!
Homework.....
Watched over 1000 YouTube video's. Read 100's of posts, blogs and reviews. This has been ongoing "hardcore" as said since like Sept. Visited Dealers, touched, felt and test drove and this actually includes back in early August at our NY State "Empire Farm Days" which is held just a few miles from my property.
Shopping my "PREMIUM" Compacts.....
My clear cut favorite was John Deere going into this. Let's face the truth. There is absolutely no other brand with better dealer coverage, parts and supply network than the big green machine. So I started with them, I'll run down the line of the serious contenders; Pretty much everyone has/had 0% financing. There is a game to this w higher pricing... another story in itself.
John Deere 3033R Cab, 3039R Cab & 3046R Cab. Essentially all the same tractor as they don't upsize the frame etc to match the HP.
Test drove the 33 & 46 (did not find a 39R Cab in my central NY search.
The Good:
-Name says it all, part availability and dealer presence... like in 30 years I have faith they will be there in full force!
-Overall quality was what I expected.
-Drive over mower deck. Nobody has a better quicker attach/detach system in my mind. Whether it will last through the years is for maybe a later discussion.
-Loader quick on/off
-Cab was quite plush, everything seemed tight, fit & finish was very good.
-Could get vertical/overhead exhaust (albeit a $500+ option)
-Plastic hood and fenders. Yepper, I like that and when a baseball sized rock falls off the loader... no dented hood. Super ABS like modern wheelbarrows is the way to go!
The Bad:
-Noise! Those Yanmar 3 banger (and notice I said "banger") are friggen loud! Yanmars turbo models were a bit smoother, but dang, this is the day of modern diesels that don't have that clatter anymore (like my old pickups use to have).
-Particulate Filter w regens, DEF fills etc. I have a '17 F350 with a "Super quiet" 6.7PS, it's awesome but the regens and DEF fill is not.
-Price. Take this very lightly however as all the "Premium" tractors seem to be in the same ballpark. It's just that Mihindra lineup that gets you thinking that you can save!
Next up was Kabota. I tried out a 2650 Cab, it featured no EPA regulation at this HP (no DEF, regens), but.... it was just a tad bigger than what I had now, and, it looked like the snow would throw me around in it.
I then went through the L series. Very very nice, I liked but the quick deal breaker (for me) was no under belly mowers in this series. JD does, Kabota just does not.
So the Good or the Bad was not in the picture because the platform that could accept a belly mower was just a tad too small. Again, these are just "my" assessments and my desires or needs. I though Kabota was going to be the Green machine killer when I first started out shopping... nope.
Mihindra. Man, I loved the price tags!. I loved the No particulate filter! (Huge yahooie!) But for me, these really were not quite "premium" tractors, and not nearly in the ballpark with my No.1 favorite JD 3046R Cab.
One of the last compacts i shopped was Massey Ferguson. Why the last? Well my dealer for them was the farthest away (about an hour) and the others were all like in my backyard! (JD was 15mins away!)
Massey's Premiums are the 1700M series. The minute I sat down inside the cab, I knew it was a final contender.
The JD 3046R was still No.1 however, and after nearly 4 Mos of flipping back and forth, here's some things that pushed me to the Red guys.
Massey 1735M & 1740M Hydro
The Good:
-Cab.\; Plushiest easily (is that a real word? lol). Fit & Finish was also a tad better than green.
-No Particulate filter, regens and DEF to add. Yes there 36.2HP to 60HP models do not have these PITA emissions.
-Oil dipstick, filter and fill all easily accessible without removing any additional panels
-QUIET!... Way smoother than the Deere! I have a cab for mainly winter yes, but when mowing, my idea is to not wear hearing muffs anymore! This was huge, the JD just seemed to resonate engine noise and vibration up and into the cab.
-LED lights, mirrors, rear defrost in glass, air seat all in the deluxe package. No nickle and dime-ing, they just spell it out and by having it all packaged, it's a savings over JD ala-carte.
The Bad:
-Metal Hood and Fenders. Say what? Yep, read JD comment above, I like the Super ABS, I have a contractor wheelbarrow that you can beat with a sledge hammer and it just bounces off.
-It has a drive over mower deck yes, but it's about a 5min job to attach the PTO (JD's is instant) and attach the front and rear guide bars (hitch pinned).
-It's not Green! The actual color Green in itself is my ugliest of choices. Like how many shirts or coats do I own that are green. Would I ever own a green truck or car? Nope and nope, but, in a tractor it's different. JD is everywhere, will Masey be in like 30 years? Well, I'm sure hoping so!
-Dealer is almost an hour away, not nearly as established (residing yrs) either as my JD dealer.
To sum this purchasing review up; nervously I placed my order (1/29/19) for a Massey 1735M Cab Hydro as "supposedly" in literature, you couldn't put an underbelly mower on only the 1735M (nothing larger). The Massey Rep upon reviewing my order contacted me and said he saw my notes of wanting the 1740M and that they have now (since) made the 1740M fully work with the 72" drive over deck. We negotiated the price difference and I'm now ordering the 1740M Premium Cab w Loader, 72" Belly/Finish Mower and Backhoe. I already own other attachments, so I should have a good mix of tools to do the many jobs around my house, pole barn, lawn and woods (and creek).
My bottom line. Notice the "My", as these comments were all as neutral as I could give them. I feel being a business owner of 40 years gets me to an unbiased opinion for (my) usages and applications. It doesn't mean it's whats right for you or your applications. I'm not a brand-banner waving person. I own a 2016 Mercedes E250 twin stacked turbo diesel sedan that I believe to be "my" perfect car, surely and probably not yours. On the brands and models I did take into consideration? Not one of them was chopped liver. In fact, they all had there certain features that I would say I would be proud to own any one of them.
I did and still do really favor the JD... for a certain strange reason that I can't really put to text. I wish Kabota's L series was in my buying field, but w no belly mower?... that was an instant killer [for me].
I'm super glad it's over. I really don't think I'll have any buyers remorse and anyone reading this who is in the market for this size tractor, please shop for yourself and your needs. My above comments were/are just for my buying/shopping experience!
Cheers all, comments are welcomed, and just no Mfgr wars, personally I could care less about the actual branding.
KJ Miller
Finger Lakes NY
YouTube Channel: Where TWO Next?
In the winter, it plow "okay" but not neqarly as good as my Ford 1000 I had prior, and that was 28hp, just a bigger heavier tractor and that really helped in the snow dept.So, my shopping woes for what I figure to be my last tractor (in 'm'y lifetime anyways) as the International 254 made it 33 years... I purchased it brand new in 1986.
My personal desires are/were as follows:
-Cab w heat
-More ponies (torque)
-Heavier unit so as to limit the 'thrown around by snow pushing'.
-Turf Tires (Mowing over-rules Snow pushing)
-Front Loader
-Backhoe
[and most important] - Belly Mower of at least 72"
The last is because constantly twisting my body and head around to get that 3pt finish mower around tree bases is... well, no fun at all!
Homework.....
Watched over 1000 YouTube video's. Read 100's of posts, blogs and reviews. This has been ongoing "hardcore" as said since like Sept. Visited Dealers, touched, felt and test drove and this actually includes back in early August at our NY State "Empire Farm Days" which is held just a few miles from my property.
Shopping my "PREMIUM" Compacts.....
My clear cut favorite was John Deere going into this. Let's face the truth. There is absolutely no other brand with better dealer coverage, parts and supply network than the big green machine. So I started with them, I'll run down the line of the serious contenders; Pretty much everyone has/had 0% financing. There is a game to this w higher pricing... another story in itself.
John Deere 3033R Cab, 3039R Cab & 3046R Cab. Essentially all the same tractor as they don't upsize the frame etc to match the HP.
Test drove the 33 & 46 (did not find a 39R Cab in my central NY search.
The Good:
-Name says it all, part availability and dealer presence... like in 30 years I have faith they will be there in full force!
-Overall quality was what I expected.
-Drive over mower deck. Nobody has a better quicker attach/detach system in my mind. Whether it will last through the years is for maybe a later discussion.
-Loader quick on/off
-Cab was quite plush, everything seemed tight, fit & finish was very good.
-Could get vertical/overhead exhaust (albeit a $500+ option)
-Plastic hood and fenders. Yepper, I like that and when a baseball sized rock falls off the loader... no dented hood. Super ABS like modern wheelbarrows is the way to go!
The Bad:
-Noise! Those Yanmar 3 banger (and notice I said "banger") are friggen loud! Yanmars turbo models were a bit smoother, but dang, this is the day of modern diesels that don't have that clatter anymore (like my old pickups use to have).
-Particulate Filter w regens, DEF fills etc. I have a '17 F350 with a "Super quiet" 6.7PS, it's awesome but the regens and DEF fill is not.
-Price. Take this very lightly however as all the "Premium" tractors seem to be in the same ballpark. It's just that Mihindra lineup that gets you thinking that you can save!
Next up was Kabota. I tried out a 2650 Cab, it featured no EPA regulation at this HP (no DEF, regens), but.... it was just a tad bigger than what I had now, and, it looked like the snow would throw me around in it.
I then went through the L series. Very very nice, I liked but the quick deal breaker (for me) was no under belly mowers in this series. JD does, Kabota just does not.
So the Good or the Bad was not in the picture because the platform that could accept a belly mower was just a tad too small. Again, these are just "my" assessments and my desires or needs. I though Kabota was going to be the Green machine killer when I first started out shopping... nope.
Mihindra. Man, I loved the price tags!. I loved the No particulate filter! (Huge yahooie!) But for me, these really were not quite "premium" tractors, and not nearly in the ballpark with my No.1 favorite JD 3046R Cab.
One of the last compacts i shopped was Massey Ferguson. Why the last? Well my dealer for them was the farthest away (about an hour) and the others were all like in my backyard! (JD was 15mins away!)
Massey's Premiums are the 1700M series. The minute I sat down inside the cab, I knew it was a final contender.
The JD 3046R was still No.1 however, and after nearly 4 Mos of flipping back and forth, here's some things that pushed me to the Red guys.
Massey 1735M & 1740M Hydro
The Good:
-Cab.\; Plushiest easily (is that a real word? lol). Fit & Finish was also a tad better than green.
-No Particulate filter, regens and DEF to add. Yes there 36.2HP to 60HP models do not have these PITA emissions.
-Oil dipstick, filter and fill all easily accessible without removing any additional panels
-QUIET!... Way smoother than the Deere! I have a cab for mainly winter yes, but when mowing, my idea is to not wear hearing muffs anymore! This was huge, the JD just seemed to resonate engine noise and vibration up and into the cab.
-LED lights, mirrors, rear defrost in glass, air seat all in the deluxe package. No nickle and dime-ing, they just spell it out and by having it all packaged, it's a savings over JD ala-carte.
The Bad:
-Metal Hood and Fenders. Say what? Yep, read JD comment above, I like the Super ABS, I have a contractor wheelbarrow that you can beat with a sledge hammer and it just bounces off.
-It has a drive over mower deck yes, but it's about a 5min job to attach the PTO (JD's is instant) and attach the front and rear guide bars (hitch pinned).
-It's not Green! The actual color Green in itself is my ugliest of choices. Like how many shirts or coats do I own that are green. Would I ever own a green truck or car? Nope and nope, but, in a tractor it's different. JD is everywhere, will Masey be in like 30 years? Well, I'm sure hoping so!
-Dealer is almost an hour away, not nearly as established (residing yrs) either as my JD dealer.
To sum this purchasing review up; nervously I placed my order (1/29/19) for a Massey 1735M Cab Hydro as "supposedly" in literature, you couldn't put an underbelly mower on only the 1735M (nothing larger). The Massey Rep upon reviewing my order contacted me and said he saw my notes of wanting the 1740M and that they have now (since) made the 1740M fully work with the 72" drive over deck. We negotiated the price difference and I'm now ordering the 1740M Premium Cab w Loader, 72" Belly/Finish Mower and Backhoe. I already own other attachments, so I should have a good mix of tools to do the many jobs around my house, pole barn, lawn and woods (and creek).
My bottom line. Notice the "My", as these comments were all as neutral as I could give them. I feel being a business owner of 40 years gets me to an unbiased opinion for (my) usages and applications. It doesn't mean it's whats right for you or your applications. I'm not a brand-banner waving person. I own a 2016 Mercedes E250 twin stacked turbo diesel sedan that I believe to be "my" perfect car, surely and probably not yours. On the brands and models I did take into consideration? Not one of them was chopped liver. In fact, they all had there certain features that I would say I would be proud to own any one of them.
I did and still do really favor the JD... for a certain strange reason that I can't really put to text. I wish Kabota's L series was in my buying field, but w no belly mower?... that was an instant killer [for me].
I'm super glad it's over. I really don't think I'll have any buyers remorse and anyone reading this who is in the market for this size tractor, please shop for yourself and your needs. My above comments were/are just for my buying/shopping experience!
Cheers all, comments are welcomed, and just no Mfgr wars, personally I could care less about the actual branding.
KJ Miller
Finger Lakes NY
YouTube Channel: Where TWO Next?
