First time buying a tractor tips?

[Bentrim]

I am aware you stated new, but a used small utility tract or a used industrial tractor may serve you better and be cheaper to purchase. the down fall is that the most affordable don't have 4wd, and may take more repair than new.
Because I spent most of my career repairing MF those are the ones I am familiar with. MF started in the late 40's and then slightly changed by adding a 2 speed to the transmission which has been used at5 least thru the 90's if not longer. Available from 38 hp and up. Most have a very fuel efficient Perkins diesel.
My starting recommendation would be the 135, 150, 165, 175, those were built in 60', then came the 230, 245, 240, 250. I do not recommend the 235 due to steering box issues. On the industrial models the 20, 30, 40 with letters following the models. On industrials just be sure they are equipped with 3 point and pto.
As for other brands I am not familiar with their models.
Here are some links that may help.

TractorData.com - information on all makes and models of tractors

www.tractordata.com

TractorData.com - Massey Ferguson industrial tractors sorted by model

www.tractordata.com

 

[airbiscuit]

Decide to learn first and buy second. By learn first, I mean going to dealerships and test driving. I would start at the John Deer dealer - their model nomenclature is the easiest to understand. You will start to develop an eye for size, layout, features, ergonomics, etc. It takes several visits for this to start to settle in.

10 Series 1025R Sub Compact Tractor SCUT - Too small for you
20 Series 2032R Small Frame Compact Utility Tractor CUT - Slightly small, but would work
30 Series 3033R Mid Frame Compact Utility Tractor CUT - Might be just the right size

I would put Kioti high up the list - maybe a Kioti CK3510 HST

 

[metalbender]

Is there snow? Big factor in purchase.

 

[airbiscuit]

Hi everyone,

My family and I bought our first property on 10 acres. We need to get our first tractor for to do a few various tasks: drilling holes for fence posts, creating a fire break, plowing, mowing the lawn, moving soil, etc. the tractor will stay at our property and will be used maybe 2-3 a week.

I’ve never shopped for a tractor before so I wanted to get some advice before going to the dealerships. We wanted to buy a brand new one so we can finance it. We are in Dixon California.

• What brands do you recommend?
• What size tractor would you recommend?
• Are you able to negotiate on pricing for tractors or ask for attachments? Do dealerships have tractors ready to be taken home or are they built to order?
• Are there any other tips you recommend on buying and owning a tractor?

Dixon is a city in northern Solano County, California, United States, located 23 miles from the state capital, Sacramento. It has a hot-summer mediterranean climate on the The Köppen climate classification scale.

 

[Rbp_280z]

Hey everyone,

I really appreciate the replies. Work has been hectic and I haven’t had a chance to visit here. We live in Dixon California. Our 10 acres is all flat grassland. Some tasks we would be using the tractor for would be to move dirt, dig post, plow, create fire breaks around the burn piles, dig. We do not get any snow where we live.

 

[Junguda]

What a great adventure… when we bought one 15 years ago, the good people on TBN gave us great advice and insights… just like those above… I’d add that you may want to drive around and see what your neighbors are using…. Compliment them on the nice fencing, mowing, road grooming they’ve done… Ask them why they got the size, brand, implements they’ve got… Enjoy the challenge of finding the perfect tractor (for you)…

 

[Cahaba Valley Farm]

Please read this thread as many of your questions were covered in detail there:

Please Read If You Are A Newbie Tractor Buyer

Hello to all of you out there that are new to the tractor world. I imagine many of you have either just purchased some land or inherited some land and have many big plans on the horizon for your property. You have come here because you are looking to get information about purchasing a tractor...

www.tractorbynet.com

 

[airbiscuit]

I would say, read this thread ...

Currently In Decision Phase - Tons Of Info To Be Had - Hopefully This Helps Some

First off; appreciate all of the info I was able to get from the threads here. It can be an overwhelming experience for someone about to buy their first tractor. Is it procrastination when you put off a purchase because you want to get all possible information to make a good decision? Someone would probably say so. For those of you in the same boat as I am; take solace in the fact that there are many like us.

Maybe what I post here can help you out. I am putting this in the Kioti sub as it is currently the front runner in my search for a tractor.

I have been a field service technician for industrial and construction equipment for almost 20 years, thankfully. That sure does help a little in situations like these. I have been on basically every forum that comes up in Google results. I have watched hundreds of tractor owner "reviews" on YouTube. The people I know who have their own machines of various brands, are all relatively satisfied. I will be testing some theirs when I get a free weekend. I have spent the last few weekends tending to a friends farm on their Kubota L2900. Nice tractor; little small for what I will eventually need.

What makes this process so aggravating; I believe, is that people routinely prop up a brand or manufacturer because they refuse to think that they could have made a mistake with their choice. Every time I read a review, I try to remember that. I listen to the complaints carefully. Operator error is a legit thing. As are manufacturer defects. Naturally; if I am in the market and I hear someone complain that their tractor breaking down, I am curious. But; I have found a lot of complaints about a particular manufacturer are unwarranted. You probably have heard a few of them. Maybe you didn't catch them.

When you hear someone say "Kioti is a waste of money. My radiator fluid (oh my.....) was gone and I couldn't use the tractor."; be suspicious. As an owner/operator of a machine, there is more responsibility on you other than simply using it. It's a tool. The tool is only as good as it's user. Owners manuals are provided at sale because it contains very important information; the do's/don'ts and in's/out's of your machine. Read it. Keep it near. To give you a quick idea; error codes. Not every manufacture includes them in their manuals but most do. A man was complaining about a "trash machine" because he had a code. It would not start. A simple opening of his manual or even a Google search would have told him it was a loss of signal at a temperature sensor. The manual (or Google) also gave specific troubleshooting steps easily conducted at home by even the most amateur of home owners.

You would be surprised just how many mechanical failures of a machine are a byproduct of the operator. So; as potential owners of these machines, we need to be leery of anything overly negative or positive. Anything that relies on multiple systems to operate runs of risk of failures and breakdowns. Manufactures procure parts for their machines from other suppliers. Their quality control measures vary and are only so good at detecting material defects in their parts. It's not a fail safe. Lemons do exist but they are actually quite rare.

The decision to add a $20-60,000 tool to your homestead is a big one. So; kudos if you are not taking it lightly. Aside form the information above; may I also offer these as advice for the situation some of us are in?

One: Over planning for the usage of the tractor can limit your field of prospects. Trust me. It just does. It can put you in one of two spots. The first is restricts your real field of prospects. You could miss out on the perfect one. Or two; gives you too many options and you over do it.

Two: Budget. Set it. You know what you have on hand or are willing to finance for this purchase. Everyone's situation is unique. 100 acres or 3; a balance of need and budget will save you tons of headaches going forward.

Three: Know the limits of the machine you are considering. Your needs will most likely change over the course of your ownership. Some of them you couldn't possibly take into consideration now.

Four: Package "deals" may not be deals at all.

Five: Taking 2 and 3 into consideration, buy the most machine you can at your budget. Even if it means going beyond your current need.

With all of that said; I wish good luck to all who are in their search. I thank those willing to give their opinions of the machines they own. Hopefully I can end my search in the near future.

 

[mred2]

I agree to read and do your homework. I purchased new a couple of years back. Not my first tractor, but an upgrade, more power. I thought I wanted one brand, went to dealer and test drove it. It just did not fit. There was no way that I could sat on that tractor for hours at a time. If you can narrow down the size and hp, test drive, and test drive again. This is a large purchase and you hope to do it right the first time.

 

[workinonit]

I buy my tractors based on looks. You gotta look good when you're out there plowing, planting or grading.

 

[5030]

My only comment is, the longer you wait the more it will cost and... I always look good in my tractor. Not so much in person though, least my wife tells me that...lol

 

[jyoutz]

I buy my tractors based on looks. You gotta look good when you're out there plowing, planting or grading.

But does she think your tractor’s sexy?

 

[Cahaba Valley Farm]

I buy my tractors based on looks. You gotta look good when you're out there plowing, planting or grading.

That's another approach.

 

[workinonit]

But does she think your tractor’s sexy?

Of course. And my tractor is always sexy.

 

[workinonit]

Guys, face it. It's all about the look.

 

[5030]

For me, it's all about the work actually.

 

[Ninja Rooster]

I would say, read this thread ...

Currently In Decision Phase - Tons Of Info To Be Had - Hopefully This Helps Some

Thank you for the thumbs up on that thread. I really need to proof read better haha

 

[Ninja Rooster]

Hi everyone,

My family and I bought our first property on 10 acres. We need to get our first tractor for to do a few various tasks: drilling holes for fence posts, creating a fire break, plowing, mowing the lawn, moving soil, etc. the tractor will stay at our property and will be used maybe 2-3 a week.

I’ve never shopped for a tractor before so I wanted to get some advice before going to the dealerships. We wanted to buy a brand new one so we can finance it. We are in Dixon California.

• What brands do you recommend?
• What size tractor would you recommend?
• Are you able to negotiate on pricing for tractors or ask for attachments? Do dealerships have tractors ready to be taken home or are they built to order?
• Are there any other tips you recommend on buying and owning a tractor?

I was in the same boat as you not long ago. I came here and read a lot of information. Sometimes, information overload.

@airbiscuit shared a thread I had posted to help anyone who may be looking into their first tractor.

I can't recommend enough to set a budget first. Set it. Work within that budget. Don't worry about brand at first. Cap yourself. I ended up going over my budget by $106.40. But, I got a cool hat.

Get to know your local dealers and their products. You won't be doing yourself any favors by purchasing a brand of tractor from a dealer 400 miles away simply because of who made it. Take a Saturday and go look. They're salesman; be prepared for them to want to talk up their product and get you into something. I found that if I took a small notebook with me; it was more clear I was in research phase haha. If you have anyone you know who has a tractor; ask them to let you tool around on it.

Someone suggested to me early on; you don't buy a tractor for what you need now, you buy it for what you're going to need it for later. Basically; you buy the biggest tractor you can afford to do the things you need now and cover the potential things you'll need to do later.

Price is basically price. I didn't need to haggle with anyone because I knew the offers Kioti had at the time and I knew the prices of the tractors from a bunch of different dealerships. Some have more overhead than others etc. The prices for my tractor around the country did vary. I chalk those up to many different things. When you know the machine you want; also know what they are being sold for. Know what the manufacturer is offering at the time. As far as implements and attachments; I think you can get lower prices on some when you buy the tractor. I priced mine out with the implements I wanted and then looked into what it would cost to buy them separately. It was cheaper for me to get them at the time. Keep in mind, not all dealers have the same brand of these things. Know those tools too.

Many tractors come in on skids to be assembled. The items that aren't always on the tractor when it arrives at the dealership are the optional equipment things: tires, loader, canopy etc. When the dealer called me and said one of the models I was interested in arrived; I drove up to look at it. It was in a steel framed box. It looked like a tractor without tires. I got to pick my tires, add a canopy, pick the implements etc. They put the tractor together, did the dealer pre delivery inspection and set up delivery day. When they arrived; they spent about 2 hours at my home going over the tractor again. The picture of how it arrived is attached.

The pressure relief I felt after signing for my tractor was great. But; this isn't something you should want to take lightly. Unless you are a gagillionaire. If you are, buy 6 or maybe 20 different ones.

Trust me when I tell you that you will teeter totter between makes and models until you can start narrowing down the specifics of each one. Good luck. It's a jungle out there.

I will add that prices are increasing and stocks are limited for many. Take that with a grain of salt but take it none the less because it is important.