Help buying a new tractor

[zxracer3]

My grandpa is looking to buy a new tractor and is not sure which one to buy. I know nothing about tractors but he does not know how to use the internet and I told him that I would go to a forum (I am into cars know how helpful they are). He’s had several older tractors but has never bought a new one before and wants to get the best for his $$. He would just ask the people at the dealership but they keep giving him all different answers, so I am asking you for your help. He will mainly use it for brush hogging so a 3 pt. hitch is mandatory. There are a lot of hills (he will be brush hogging around 100 acres). His price range is around $25,000-$30,000. He plans on having the tractor for the rest of his life so it has to be reliable. All makes are alright except Kubota since he was in the war and has a strong disliking towards anything Japanese made. He has looked at several tractors already and so far he likes the Kioti dk45 the most. What do you guys think would be the best tractor. Is the dk45 a good choice for him?

Thank you for any help!

 

[GaryCrowell]

I would personally pick one of the established makers instead of the kioti. The kioti may be a fine machine, but they are new to the U.S. (at least they are around here) and who knows if they will be around in ten years. My concern with buying an off brand is that you might not be able to find parts in years to come when it starts breaking. All tractors will eventually break, it's not a problem IF parts are available. I know this from buying an off brand tractor 15 years ago. It's now an expensive boat anchor because I can't get parts unless they're shipped in from timbuktoo at prices higher than the value of the tractor.

He'll be better served by sticking to an established brand like John Deere, Massey Ferguson, or New Holland. All three make excellent machines that will last him the rest of his life, and he'll be able to get parts in the future. If he's looking for a 45 HP machine and has a budget of 25-30K then he should have no trouble finding one within that price range. If he's got a lot of hills then I'd get a 4WD. Look at a John Deere 5205, Massey Ferguson 3600 or 500 series, or New Holland TN60.

I understand his reason behind not wanting to buy anything japanese. My neighbor was a WWII vet who served in the south pacific and until the day he died I believe he would have shot any japanese that came on to his property. The japanese certainly earned his animosity through their butchery during that war and it's not for me or anyone else to tell a man he should feel otherwise after their experiences.

 

[Dmace]

I would personally pick one of the established makers instead of the kioti. The kioti may be a fine machine, but they are new to the U.S. (at least they are around here) and who knows if they will be around in ten years.

Kioti has been in the US since 1986 and the parent company Daedong has been building tractors since 1947. They are not a new company by any means.

I think the DK45 would be a great fit for him. It has a real nice cab and more features than any other comparable tractor. I have some good hills, so I had the tires filled at the dealer for extra weight below the center of gravity. If I were him I would look at getting HST for ease of use. He wasn't in the Korean war, was he?

 

[JDGREEN4ME]

If your Dad likes the Kioti that is all that matters. I really don't think Kioti is going anywhere but up in the market place over the next ten years. I plan to take a good look at them when I buy my next tractor.

 

[Jaybr]

Dmace said it well, and I wouldn't worry in the least about Kioti's future or parts.

I recently purchased a Kioti CK35 and I'm very happy with it. My first new tractor was a 2000 JD 790 which I sold last year, it was a great tractor but the quality of the Kioti appears to be every bit as good.

 

[zxracer3]

He wasn't in the Korean war, was he?

Oh he was. He managed to get into WWII as well as several other small time ones. He was in the Navy and the Air force for as long as they would allow him to be and he joined at 17. But yeah the Korean war is the one he seems to have the most concerns about. He doesn't dislike any race other then the Japanese. Its funny because he is the nicest guy but mention anything Japanese and its like watching Dr Jeckel and Mr. Hyde.

Yeh he's really looking at getting the best tractor he can. I have asked everyone and all I have gotten is mixed emotions. He has went to New Holland, John Deere and Kioti and so far I think he likes the Kioti the best. Is there any one tractor that stands high above the rest? Or should I say, which one would you guys purchase?

 

[Cacinok]

zxr, for the most part, quality will be similar with most of the major brands. from my experience, looking at many new tractors, prices will be similar, but the bells and whistles will vary slightly. for example, i would rather have an extra set of remote hydraulics than the ability to control how quickly the tractor slows down after taking your foot off of the go pedal. that's just me, however, and the best thing to do is test drive all that you (your grandpa) can and get a good feel for the lay out and ease of use of the tractor. have your grandpa decide what bell or whistle each tractor has is useful, to him, or simply fluff. also, i would look hard at the service you get at the dealerships, this can make or break your experience. a good tractor purchased at a poor dealer makes life **** down the road when the inevitable break down/need for parts happens.

brush hogging 100 acres will take a while even w/ the largest of tractors, so definitely get the biggest tractor you (your grandpa, i mean) can afford.

 

[flusher]

My grandpa is looking to buy a new tractor and is not sure which one to buy. I know nothing about tractors but he does not know how to use the internet and I told him that I would go to a forum (I am into cars know how helpful they are). He’s had several older tractors but has never bought a new one before and wants to get the best for his $$. He would just ask the people at the dealership but they keep giving him all different answers, so I am asking you for your help. He will mainly use it for brush hogging so a 3 pt. hitch is mandatory. There are a lot of hills (he will be brush hogging around 100 acres). His price range is around $25,000-$30,000. He plans on having the tractor for the rest of his life so it has to be reliable. All makes are alright except Kubota since he was in the war and has a strong disliking towards anything Japanese made. He has looked at several tractors already and so far he likes the Kioti dk45 the most. What do you guys think would be the best tractor. Is the dk45 a good choice for him?

Thank you for any help!

100 acres is a lot of brush hogging. You'll need a large batwing mower unless you want to spend a week in the saddle to finish that mowing chore.

Does the budget include the mower or just the tractor?

Does he want a cab on the tractor? Air conditioning?

Assuming he wants 4WD, hydrostatic transmission and a cab, something like a John Deere 4320 would cost around $30K new. It's a 40-hp (pto) tractor, which is way on the small side for working 100 acres. I doubt that you could run much more than an 8 ft mower with this small tractor.

If you back off on the cab requirement, you could fit a JD 4720 with 4WD and hydrostatic transmission into your $30K budget. This would bump you up to 50 hp pto, which is still too small for a large batwing mower.

A bare bones 2WD tractor without hydrostatic transmission and cab, like the JD 5425, would fit into your budget and give you 65-hp pto.

Woods makes a 15' batwing mower (model 3180) that Wengers sells for $3950. However, the JD 5425 is a bit small for this mower. I just mention the Woods mower to give you and idea of the price.

Wengers of Myerstown

 

[putt_putt_green]

Why does your grandpa want to brush hog 100 acres?

One option is to lease a large portion of that land to a farmer to help pay the taxes. He could then brush hog a smaller portion with a smaller tractor.

 

[FULLPULL]

If i was going to bushhog 100 acres with hill at least a 55 hp tractor. The best option for me would be 65to75hp.

 

[mboulais]

That Kioti 45 hp. will be fine for the described use. Most 100 ac farms were maintained with smaller tractors than that just a generation ago. It should be able to pull about a 7' bush hog, unless it is thick grass over 4' tall. If that will be the case get a 6'.

by my math 100 ac = 4356000 sq ft.

at 5 mph and a 5' bushhog you mow 132,000 sq ft / hr

that's 33 hrs to mow it once ( not quite 1 wk, just 4 eight hr days)

at 5 mph and a 7' 'hog you mow 184,800.00 sq. ft. / hr

that's 23.57 hrs to mow it once.

I don't know how well you need it maintained but I only mow fields for brush control 2 times per summer.

As far as Hydrostatic goes, If he has been on a tractor most of his life he will probably be more comfortable with a shuttle shift.

Dealer quality is more important than brand.

 

[zxracer3]

As far as the time it takes to mow the 100 acres he does not care. Actually he would prefer that it takes as longer. He is 80 years old and retired. He's from the city and simply enjoys doing outdoor things. This is the same guy who mows his lawn on the lowest speed possible (basically crawling).

He already gets the tax reduction. The farmers in the area do not need the hay (that and they are all no closer then 3 miles away and extremely lazy) so they just right him off but do not mow it. He only mows it to keep it looking nice, at most 2x a year. He also wants the tractor to play around with (dig holes and fill them back in). This is basically a toy for him to play on his farm with.

He does not need a cab. 4wd is a must. He likes the idea of having a quick connecting FEL. He wants 45hp or above. The compact tractors he likes because he can easily fit it in his garage. That’s about it as far as preferences.

 

[Harvey7]

As far as the time it takes to mow the 100 acres he does not care. Actually he would prefer that it takes as longer. He is 80 years old and retired. He's from the city and simply enjoys doing outdoor things. This is the same guy who mows his lawn on the lowest speed possible (basically crawling).

He already gets the tax reduction. The farmers in the area do not need the hay (that and they are all no closer then 3 miles away and extremely lazy) so they just right him off but do not mow it. He only mows it to keep it looking nice, at most 2x a year. He also wants the tractor to play around with (dig holes and fill them back in). This is basically a toy for him to play on his farm with.

He does not need a cab. 4wd is a must. He likes the idea of having a quick connecting FEL. He wants 45hp or above. The compact tractors he likes because he can easily fit it in his garage. That’s about it as far as preferences.

Considering the above, the Kioti 45 would be a good fit.

 

[zxracer3]

My grandfather went out on Sunday and looked at the dk65. He liked the tractor but realized that it was entirely too big. The dealer that I found for him was an extremely nice guy. I called him on Saturday and told him that my Grandfather wanted either the dk45 or 65. He called my Grandfather up and told him that he wanted to come out to his house and look at his property in order to give him a better idea of what he needed (My Grandfather is at least 30 miles away from the dealer). He came out told him that the dk45 would be better. My Grandfather then followed him back to look at the dk45 again and the dk 65. After liking the dk45 the dealer said that he would drop one off at his house on Monday for him to demo. He is outside playing with it right now as we speak. I was truly amazed at how helpful and nice the dealer was. My Grandfather so far was having nothing but nightmares. The dealer was probably one of the nicest guys I have ever talked too.

 

[Cacinok]

My grandfather went out on Sunday and looked at the dk65. He liked the tractor but realized that it was entirely too big. The dealer that I found for him was an extremely nice guy. I called him on Saturday and told him that my Grandfather wanted either the dk45 or 65. He called my Grandfather up and told him that he wanted to come out to his house and look at his property in order to give him a better idea of what he needed (My Grandfather is at least 30 miles away from the dealer). He came out told him that the dk45 would be better. My Grandfather then followed him back to look at the dk45 again and the dk 65. After liking the dk45 the dealer said that he would drop one off at his house on Monday for him to demo. He is outside playing with it right now as we speak. I was truly amazed at how helpful and nice the dealer was. My Grandfather so far was having nothing but nightmares. The dealer was probably one of the nicest guys I have ever talked too.

wow, impressive service.

 

[zxracer3]

The dealer is picking up the demo and dropping off the new one tomorrow. He has been playing with it all day today and is very satisfied with it. The one he is getting has a cab with ac/heat, 4wd, FEL, brushog, and I may be missing a thing or two. He paid a little over 31,000 with no tax, since he has a "farm". The dealer did everything he could to drop the price down and was very helpful. He is even going to come and do the oil changes for a while. I’m going upstate for the 4th of July. If I can make my camera work I’m going to take some pictures and put them up to show you guys. Thank you everyone for all of your help. You made my grandfather very happy.

 

[Keith_B]

The dealer is picking up the demo and dropping off the new one tomorrow. He has been playing with it all day today and is very satisfied with it. The one he is getting has a cab with ac/heat, 4wd, FEL, brushog, and I may be missing a thing or two. He paid a little over 31,000 with no tax, since he has a "farm". The dealer did everything he could to drop the price down and was very helpful. He is even going to come and do the oil changes for a while. I’m going upstate for the 4th of July. If I can make my camera work I’m going to take some pictures and put them up to show you guys. Thank you everyone for all of your help. You made my grandfather very happy.

Sounds like your grandfather is pleased with his purchase, which means a lot. With that cab and AC he might spend the summer on the tractor.

 

[Dmace]

Boy, he got a great machine. Tell him I said Welcome to the Pack!

 

[zxracer3]

Sounds like your grandfather is pleased with his purchase, which means a lot. With that cab and AC he might spend the summer on the tractor.

I wouldn’t be surprised if we caught him sleeping in it.

 

[zxracer3]

Boy, he got a great machine. Tell him I said Welcome to the Pack!

Thank you, I will.