Help me make a decision

[Poopdeck Pappy]

paulfun, I spent my entire childhood and teenage years driving old Minneapolis Moline, Allis Chalmers and Farmall tractors that were all 2wd, so I know a little something about using 2wd tractors. And, yes, in some ways I long for the "good old days" when a 40 hp 2wd tractor weighed 6,000 pounds or more without loading the tires.

We all know it is possible to get most things done with a 2wd tractor that you can do with a 4wd tractor. You just have to be more careful and sometimes you just have to wait until the ground dries up a little more than you would if you had 4wd. I could also sell my vehicles and get a horse and buggy to go buy groceries with, but that's not gonna happen.

But this is not 1960, and we have all these compact 4wd tractors available to us along with 2wd tractors. The question, therefore, is which tool should someone pick to do the work that needs to be done on a daily basis around their property. For most people, especially someone new to tractors, a 4wd makes more sense and is a safer, more useful tool.

 

[Poopdeck Pappy]

One more thing. I take people's budget constraints with a grain of salt. I see people griping about not having any money, yet they have an iPhone, an iPad, high speed internet service, cable/satellite TV with a million channels, a new car, a new truck, a boat, an ATV, a ZTR, a trampoline, their kids play every sport known to mankind, and they live in a nice house. And they always seem to have enough money for beer, cigarettes, video games, going out to eat at restaurants, etc.

And I see people on TBN saying they just bought a bunch of land and are gonna build a house, etc., but they've only got some paltry amount of money to spend on a tractor.

We all have priorities on how we spend our money, and that's fine. But I've been standing in line long enough to know that most people can figure out how to buy what they really want.

 

[TJP89]

One more thing. I take people's budget constraints with a grain of salt. I see people griping about not having any money, yet they have an iPhone, an iPad, high speed internet service, cable/satellite TV with a million channels, a new car, a new truck, a boat, an ATV, a ZTR, a trampoline, their kids play every sport known to mankind, and they live in a nice house. And they always seem to have enough money for beer, cigarettes, video games, going out to eat at restaurants, etc.

And I see people on TBN saying they just bought a bunch of land and are gonna build a house, etc., but they've only got some paltry amount of money to spend on a tractor.

We all have priorities on how we spend our money, and that's fine. But I've been standing in line long enough to know that most people can figure out how to buy what they really want.

Yes, I always try to buy the best thing for my needs, if that means I have to wait till I have that money in the budget, I wait. I bought a 2WD bigger tractor, I then got a smaller 4WD tractor when the bigger tractor didn't cut it. With a land/house purchase/construction, I would just call the cost of the tractor part of the cost of house/property. Probably seem a whole lot smaller amount of money when compared to a house, unless you're buying a combine harvester.

On prioritizing, I hear you. I once read an article which was discussing the fact that many people can't afford internet service which is necessary for school, work, etc. However, somehow, while none of the persons used as examples could afford internet, they could all afford cable TV and smartphones. I had to think that this was a case of messed up priorities.

 

[paulfun9]

I can drive my F450 all over the place in 2wd as long as it's dry and moderate terrain. Add mud, snow, etc ... And it's USELESS without 4wd. It's not Luxury, it's a requirement. I could spend the better part of an hour providing specific references to the instances that has applied to my tractor as well. But I won't. The simple fact is, there are some applications where four wheel drive is not optional to get the job done in a reasonable amount of time... In many cases, it is simply required. Don't know why anyone would bother trying to argue against that.

I haven't owned a truck with 4 wheel drive yet! Wonder how I ever survived?

 

[oldpilgrim]

I'm nearly 70 and just bought my first 4wd pickup last year.

If I live long enough to buy another truck, it will also be 4wd.

 

[MinnesotaEric]

I couldn't even get around on my own property without four wheel drive, let alone drive rural Minnesota roads in winter.

 

[GManBart]

As TSO said, this ain't the 1920s.

Hey, don't go getting him in trouble for something I said :laughing:

 

[GManBart]

I Don't think Kioti would be considered a economy brand any more than Kubota would be.

How so? An equivalent Kubota usually runs at least 20% more than a Kioti.

The final price I got on an NX5510 Cab was $33,500 (R4s, rear wiper, CD player, dual rear remotes). The closest comparable Kubota is an L4760 (any bigger lacks HST) and using Kubota's builder, it comes back with $49,700. Even if you get 15% off, it's still $42,200. That's $8,700 more for a machine with less PTO power and 1,000lbs less FEL capacity.

Whether we call it economy or value, there's a pretty big gap there.

 

[grm61]

How so? An equivalent Kubota usually runs at least 20% more than a Kioti.

The final price I got on an NX5510 Cab was $33,500 (R4s, rear wiper, CD player, dual rear remotes). The closest comparable Kubota is an L4760 (any bigger lacks HST) and using Kubota's builder, it comes back with $49,700. Even if you get 15% off, it's still $42,200. That's $8,700 more for a machine with less PTO power and 1,000lbs less FEL capacity.

Whether we call it economy or value, there's a pretty big gap there.

I agree a 100% on pricing...That is why I bought Kioti
To me one one calls Kioti a economy brand they are calling it cheap or inferior which is not the case.
Probably misinterpretation on my part.

 

[coobie]

One more thing. I take people's budget constraints with a grain of salt. I see people griping about not having any money, yet they have an iPhone, an iPad, high speed internet service, cable/satellite TV with a million channels, a new car, a new truck, a boat, an ATV, a ZTR, a trampoline, their kids play every sport known to mankind, and they live in a nice house. And they always seem to have enough money for beer, cigarettes, video games, going out to eat at restaurants, etc.

And I see people on TBN saying they just bought a bunch of land and are gonna build a house, etc., but they've only got some paltry amount of money to spend on a tractor.

We all have priorities on how we spend our money, and that's fine. But I've been standing in line long enough to know that most people can figure out how to buy what they really want.

AMEN.You hit the nail on the head with this post.

 

[TJP89]

Hey, don't go getting him in trouble for something I said :laughing:

Whoops, my bad, sorry TSO if the secret police come after you now

Gman, I'm pretty sure the 6060 has HST. But it's still much more than the 6010.

 

[GManBart]

Gman, I'm pretty sure the 6060 has HST. But it's still much more than the 6010.

You're right...the 6060 does have HST (the 5460 as well). I was thinking of the 5060, which is GST only for some reason. I knew there was a cutoff, and the 5060 had me confused.

With that in mind, I just ran the numbers for an L5460 since it's the closest to the 6010 in PTO horsepower (about 1.5hp less) and the Kubota builder comes up with $51,500. If you get a good "discount" of 15% that works out to about $43,750 (round figures). All I can say is OUCH! For a machine with less PTO horsepower, an FEL that lifts 1,000lbs less, and a significant disadvantage in 3pt lift and pump flow, I can't see spending an extra $10K.

 

[TSO]

You're right...the 6060 does have HST. I was thinking of the 5060, which is GST only for some reason. I knew there was a cutoff, and the 5060 had me confused, because the 5460 also has HST available.

With that in mind, I just ran the numbers for a 5460 since it's the closest to the 6010 in PTO horsepower (about 1.5hp less) and the Kubota builder comes up with $51,500. If you get a good "discount" of 15% that works out to about $43,750 (round figures). All I can say is OUCH! For a machine with less PTO horsepower, an FEL that lifts 1,000lbs less, and a significant disadvantage in 3pt lift and pump flow, I can't see spending an extra $10K.

I think the LA1055 on the Kubota L4260---L6060 tractors lifts just under 2400 lbs @ the pins to about 112" ...FYI.

 

[TJP89]

You're right...the 6060 does have HST (the 5460 as well). I was thinking of the 5060, which is GST only for some reason. I knew there was a cutoff, and the 5060 had me confused.

With that in mind, I just ran the numbers for an L5460 since it's the closest to the 6010 in PTO horsepower (about 1.5hp less) and the Kubota builder comes up with $51,500. If you get a good "discount" of 15% that works out to about $43,750 (round figures). All I can say is OUCH! For a machine with less PTO horsepower, an FEL that lifts 1,000lbs less, and a significant disadvantage in 3pt lift and pump flow, I can't see spending an extra $10K.

Yeah, just for fun I once ran the numbers on a loaded GL6060 HST+ Cab. I forget the exact number but it was north of 60K.

 

[GManBart]

I think the LA1055 on the Kubota L4260---L6060 tractors lifts just under 2400 lbs @ the pins to about 112" ...FYI.

I thought it looked strange, but on the Builder site, they list 1,784lbs as max lift capacity. I just went and checked, and that's at 500mm forward of the pivot point. No idea why they list that as the standard, but they do...odd.

 

[tim6948]

I didn't intend to start a 2 wd vs 4 wd argument.
To answer some of the questions posed, I actually need a smaller tractor with a 5-6 foot mower, because about half of the mowing is around brushpiles and under trees. A cab is out. I need to stay under $20,000 and any extra goes towards a trailer or new mower.
I realize this is hard to do new, but it doesn't make sense to me to finance most of $12-16 K on a used tractor without having dealer support or a good mechanic to check it over and have to dip into reserve funds for costly repairs. Does anyone have recommendations on used dealers in East Texas that I should check out this week?
Once again thank you for your insight, and I hope I didn't start an argument over something else. I will let you know what my decision is when I figure it out.
Tim

 

[Poopdeck Pappy]

I didn't intend to start a 2 wd vs 4 wd argument.
To answer some of the questions posed, I actually need a smaller tractor with a 5-6 foot mower, because about half of the mowing is around brushpiles and under trees. A cab is out. I need to stay under $20,000 and any extra goes towards a trailer or new mower.
I realize this is hard to do new, but it doesn't make sense to me to finance most of $12-16 K on a used tractor without having dealer support or a good mechanic to check it over and have to dip into reserve funds for costly repairs. Does anyone have recommendations on used dealers in East Texas that I should check out this week?
Once again thank you for your insight, and I hope I didn't start an argument over something else. I will let you know what my decision is when I figure it out.
Tim

Tim, have you ever been to J&K Sales down in Noonday? They usually have a LOT of tractors. They have an auction every month, so their inventory gets cleared out right after an auction, but they usually have a bigger selection than most used equipment dealers.

I just checked their website and they seem to have a lot of tractors right now. Maybe there's an auction coming up. They've got a clean looking little Ford 2100 (listed for $5,900 asking price) that I'd love to have, but I've already got 3 tractors and that's my limit.

There's a place just west of Canton called Tractor Ranch, but I've never been impressed by their tractor inventory. Maybe a wrong impression, but it seemed to me to be where old worn out tractors went to be sold off.

Oh, and don't worry about starting an argument. If we couldn't spit, cuss and argue about one of your questions, we'd find someone else's post to fight about.

 

[Turbys_1700]

I didn't intend to start a 2 wd vs 4 wd argument.
To answer some of the questions posed, I actually need a smaller tractor with a 5-6 foot mower, because about half of the mowing is around brushpiles and under trees. A cab is out. I need to stay under $20,000 and any extra goes towards a trailer or new mower.
I realize this is hard to do new, but it doesn't make sense to me to finance most of $12-16 K on a used tractor without having dealer support or a good mechanic to check it over and have to dip into reserve funds for costly repairs. Does anyone have recommendations on used dealers in East Texas that I should check out this week?
Once again thank you for your insight, and I hope I didn't start an argument over something else. I will let you know what my decision is when I figure it out.
Tim

I just did what you are wanting to do.

I camped out on Craigslist for several months. Time and patience is your friend. I had to drive 160 miles one way to pick up a nice Brown 472 cutter with low usage. Couple months later I drove 60 miles one way to get a 4610 Ford. The tractor was a 2 owner with 2900 hours and in excellent shape. Both of those items were purchased with cash for a very reasonable amount. Are they new? No. Are they good as new. Pretty close. The money saved was well worth the wait. No payments and in the shed.

I did purchase from individuals so I skipped the dealers. If you are not experienced in what to look for you may be able to find someone with experience in purchasing used farm equipment to go with you. I have helped some folks around here in purchasing some things. The folks on here are a lot of help also. Good luck.

 

[Poopdeck Pappy]

who wants buy Chinese tractor?

Answer: Nobody in their right mind.

 

[Poopdeck Pappy]

who wants buy Chinese tractor?

Answer: Nobody in their right mind.