Bob_Skurka said:
Do some searches, there have been many
Let me begin by saying I searched 6,856 posts of yours and read tens, if not a hundred and am quite impressed by the breadth of your knowledge and your generally balanced approach. I especially enjoyed reading the thread you created regarding box blades as well as a post or two on measuring and comparing lift capacity. I found the information that you posted very enlightening.
Bob_Skurka said:
my points have been hashed out in detail, often with photos … I looked at the Montana versions (many models of Farmtrac are made by LG, and are mechanically identical to Montana). I was not impressed with many of the design features and thought the ergonomics were pretty bad. I've posted some very detailed photos
I searched posts authored by you using keywords Montana as well as Farmtrac. You appear to be very familiar with the Montana line. I would argue that although very similar mechanically, the comparable sized Montanas and Farmtracs are not absolutely identical.
Bob_Skurka said:
I didn't like the rear remote control being under my right leg so that I had to move my leg to affect control.
My Farmtrac 270 lacks rear remotes, hence this criticism is not applicable to my tractor. As a side note, the Montana 2740 comes with a set of rear remotes standard while the 270 does not. At least that was the case when I did my side-by-side.
Bob_Skurka said:
I didn't like the fact that the loader uses hoses instead of rigid pipe.
I saw more than one photo that you posted that illustrated the shortcomings associated with the Montana loader. Namely hoses (vs. tubes) and curved arms that limit visibility. These in my opinion are valid criticisms however they do not apply to the Farmtrac. The Farmtrac 270 dogleg style blue 1040 loader uses stainless tubes to route hydraulic fluid.
Bob_Skurka said:
I didn't like the long throw of the 3pt.
I don’t know how one measures the throw of the 3 point, other than by eye, so I will grant you this one. In fact, admittedly I am not sure what the “throw” is, although I assume it is the distance the arms travel from fully up to fully down. I will assume the Montana 3 point is identical to the Farmtrac and if anyone on this board can discern this by eye, it would be you.
You speak above of not being impressed with “many” of the design features. I read most of your posts in the Montana and Farmtrac threads and could only find the three criticisms above in addition to a criticism regarding poor ergonomics. I can only address the ergonomics issue by repeating my ignorance is bliss defense. The Farmtrac is the only machine I have ever owned and operated for extended periods of time. I have been up in the saddle on more than one occasion for hours at a stretch and was none the worse for wear when the work was done.
Bob_Skurka said:
I suspect, however, that you do not have much seat time in many different brands, nor many different types of equipment (ag and non-ag) and perhaps that is why some folks can easily see inferior design and others cannot….. Not trying to lay down insults here
Insulting, no… Condescending, absolutely. There was no need to “suspect” anything as I openly admitted in my previous post that I have little seat time in any other tractor but my own.
A few posts back, Dweeks said he was not impressed with the Farmtrac. That prompted my initial post on this thread which was a genuine effort to determine what, if anything, I missed when I conducted what I thought was a painstakingly exhaustive examination of entry level tractors earlier this year.
Nonetheless, after searching diligently, I have yet to stumble upon compelling evidence in any of your posts, in any post on this entire board, on any manufacturer’s specification sheet, or on a dealer’s lot, that the Farmtrac 270 (or the Montana 2740, for that matter) is inferior overall to other tractors in its entry-level class. While it may not have the bells and whistles that other higher priced tractors have, the Farmtrac 270 still gets the manure moved.
Thanks for all of the time that you put into your posts, Bob. I found many of them helpful earlier this year when I was in the market.
