Buying Advice Need/want a new tractor

[rusty842]

Zerks are the fittings you attach a grease gun to about every 10 hours of use. Best done using a Lockn'Lube coupler.

Lock n' Lube couplers are awesome. Reduced my stress level tremendously.

 

[Phillip w]

I must say from experience as well as shop talk at local cafe, if you get a front end loader study the front axle pretty hard. A loader is hard on front ends. Dad had a Kubota about 25 year ago and he had front end issues ( Maybe Kubota fixed problems by now). I have a massey ferguson compact tractor and that front end has lots lots lots is problems, it is a total joke. After studying front ends, dad's little John Deere yanmar has what looks like a heavier front axle and it is less tractor. It has held up well. I will say I was I was at the agco dealer for parts and serevive and did a little "window shopping". The newer massey ferguson compact tractor looks like they have beefed up the front end. Don't know for sure, but agco and massey ferguson has left a real sour taste in my mouth.

 

[bspeedy]

Maybe I'm missing something here. OP has smaller implements, no huge acreage to cut, not logging, just general utility work. Why not a 50 to 70 hp tractor like a Kubota Grand L 6060 or a NH 4020 or whatever the newer equivalent is?

I don't think he needs 75-100 hp for his usage, especially with that budget. Why pay more money to use more fuel to wear out larger tires? And have a machine that is too heavy to haul on your current trailer with your current truck. Unless we're talking 20-foot batwing mowers or lifting and toting large round bales.

Get a good hardly used 55-70 hp cabbed tractor for 35 grand. That money buys a lot of tractor. Spend another 10K on larger implements, a grapple, etc.

I'd be looking at something like these from my local craigslist:

215 KUBOTA M7 CAB TRACTOR - farm & garden - by owner - sale

Kioti tractor NX5 - heavy equipment - by owner - sale

26 NEW HOLLAND TD75D - farm & garden - by owner - sale

Since you sound like a guy who pays cash and buys smart, I'd go with slightly used. Guess how many guys have 30-40 grand cash in hand to buy a used tractor? Hardly any, that's how many. Take advantage of that buying power and get a bargain.

Massey Ferguson 1655 Utility Tractor - farm & garden - by owner - sale

 

[ArmyDoc]

Maybe I'm missing something here. OP has smaller implements, no huge acreage to cut, not logging, just general utility work. Why not a 50 to 70 hp tractor like a Kubota Grand L 6060 or a NH 4020 or whatever the newer equivalent is?

I don't think he needs 75-100 hp for his usage, especially with that budget. Why pay more money to use more fuel to wear out larger tires? And have a machine that is too heavy to haul on your current trailer with your current truck. Unless we're talking 20-foot batwing mowers or lifting and toting large round bales.

Get a good hardly used 55-70 hp cabbed tractor for 35 grand. That money buys a lot of tractor. Spend another 10K on larger implements, a grapple, etc.

I'd be looking at something like these from my local craigslist:

215 KUBOTA M76 CAB TRACTOR - farm & garden - by owner - sale

Kioti tractor NX51 - heavy equipment - by owner - sale

26 NEW HOLLAND TD75D - farm & garden - by owner - sale

Since you sound like a guy who pays cash and buys smart, I'd go with slightly used. Guess how many guys have 30-40 grand cash in hand to buy a used tractor? Hardly any, that's how many. Take advantage of that buying power and get a bargain.

Massey Ferguson 1655 Utility Tractor - farm & garden - by owner - sale

Thanks for the input. My biggest fear with buy "lightly used" is not being able to tell if it's bean "heavily abused, but well painted". If it weren't for that, I would definitely be looking used. I'll try to post some pics of my land and see what you folks think about size and implements

 

[ArmyDoc]

Here is some of the work I need to get done - some of the brush I need to clear. all under 2 inches at the base, but I don't want to drive over it to get the bush-hog on it. Was wondering if a grapple might be a better approach? Or a FEL based bush-hog? Anything attachments has one that runs on 15gpm. or maybe the Intimidator by Danuser?

Here's my larger pasture:


Here's an overgrown fire break. I could get through here on my existing tractor, but the sides are encroaching and getting to big.

 

[newbury]

Maybe I'm missing something here. OP has smaller implements, no huge acreage to cut, not logging, just general utility work. Why not a 50 to 70 hp tractor like a Kubota Grand L 6060 or a NH 4020 or whatever the newer equivalent is? <snip>

Well if you read the whole thread you should have seen several responses for a 50 to 70HP tractor.
However, he does have 190 acres and indicated cattle would be in his future so I wouldn't go below 50.

Thanks for the input. My biggest fear with buy "lightly used" is not being able to tell if it's bean "heavily abused, but well painted". If it weren't for that, I would definitely be looking used. I'll try to post some pics of my land and see what you folks think about size and implements

It seems YOU already bought "lightly used" and now you need a little more power, a FEL and Grapple and a CAB.

Now you could add a FEL and a cab to your MF 245 for probably less than 10 grand, maybe even 5, but you would still have a platform that may require repair at any point in time.

There are a couple of dealers I can think of, Messicks in PA and Barlow in KY, that I would be comfortable with buying a used tractor from at a distance but otherwise you are stuck with what's local to you. I ALMOST bought a 40HP from Barlow's before my M4700 (50 HP Kubota) came up on a public surplus auction.

If you read the threads on here for 7 years you'll probably find fewer complaints per 100 new tractors with Kubota and John Deere and I think that is partially because most of the other small tractor dealers are newer.

One of the main complaints I've seen about John Deere is that often the dealers are not very supportive of small tractors (< 100HP) but that could be because there's less money in it for them.

Looking at your pictures you should DEFINITELY get a grapple. They are excellent for moving brush. However if you get a 60HP tractor you should be able to drive over all of the brush < 3" DBH and just cut it down.


Be sure to read the subforums for whatever brand you focus on.

 

[Phillip w]

Here is a spin off different idea. Keep you current tractor or purchase a nice older tractor from that same era that a lititle bigger. Take you money and buy a tough skid steer, say a bobcat. You'll have you front end loader and you can buy all kinds of attachments. Pallet forks, grapple forks, tree shear, snow plow, post hole digger, mower/brush hog, etc. Those little bobcat are tough. You can even get them with rubber tracks instead of tires. No worry of ruining a tire clearing brush. However, if you ruin one of those rubber tracks, now that gets pretty pricey right quick. Just a thought from a different angle.

 

[Turbys_1700]

A utility sized cab tractor with FEL will serve you well. If you have larger open areas think of how big a shredder you want to run. If it's 10 foot get at least 60 HP at the PTO. If it's 15 foot get 75 HP at the PTO. If you have a lot of trees be sure the cab will clear the obstacles. I want a cab tractor now but I always manage to hit my ROPS top on limbs. Get the color and brand you like best with the most convenient dealer for support unless you are a mechanic. Most all brands are good. We all have our preferences.

 

[ArmyDoc]

So, I went to see the Deere, Kubota, Mahindra, New Holland and Case Dealers today. I have to say I'm leaning toward the Case for several reasons.
First, the dealer is only 20 min a way vs 45 for the others, dealership was clean and well stocked and the service area seemed to be active. Second, the Case Dealer was really nice and took the time to talk to me, answer questions in detail etc. New Holland dealer was nice, but I'm not sure he was as, um, complete in his explanations - specifically he said the 74hp net/64hp PTO model would have no trouble pulling a 15ft batwing bushog. Where as the other dealers said youd need 75 PTO Hp to pull the 15 ft batwing, and the Case Dealer said you could pull a light duty 15ft batwing if the grass was short and you went slow, but recommended either dropping to 10ft heavy bushog, or upgrading to a bigger tractor for the 15ft. The Kubota Dealer was also pretty helpful, if not as frienly. The Deere Dealer was too busy to talk with me, so I ended up leaving after waiting for about 20 min.
I also like the Case tractors more. The Cab was nicer and better laid out. Though they didn't have the kubota model I was interested in instock, so I can't be sure.

So, here's the next question. The Case 75C is 74hp with a 64hp PTO, and Hydraulics are 12.5 gpm. 3 point is rated at 3664#lift. It weighs about 6240#. The next size up is on a larger frame, which comes with a significant price increase. The 90C is 86hp with a 73hp PTO, hydraulics are 17gpm. 3 point is rated at 4339# and weight is 8157#.

The question is it worth the extra $15k in price for the extra weight, Hp and hydraulic flow? Once in this series, the price goes up slower. For instance the 110C is 107hp, 93hpPTO, and is only 5k more than the 90C.

 

[Phillip w]

Well i myself am leaning toward a case-ih. I will say we had a 15 ft bat wing mower. We pulled it with a 2090 case which is every bit of 100 hp. Case and ih both made good tractors before the merger. I'm in the farm belt and I see a lot of case-ih tractors around here. Anymore, I don't even worry what people say, I watch what the farmer are doing. It is mostly John Deere and case-ih. Nobody will put a tractor to the test like a farmer. They tell me that the utility tractors are not the same qualiyas the big 250 hp ag tractors, but do not know for sure.

 

[Phillip w]

Ps. About the extra hp. I my self always like a little more tractor than I need. I bale with a tractor that is 70-80 hp. They claim it only takes 35-40 hp. My tractor virtually plays with that baler. If I'm pulling a plow or disc, I like that true grit hp. The kind that when you put the throttle to it you can just feel the hp. Over the years I have been in situation with tractors where I wished I had more hp. The only exception is an 8320 John Deere aboit 250 hp. I don't know if you could power that work horse out. It was real beefy and a real horse. The only probelm was if you were out turning the ground, it was pretty hard on fuel. She sucked fuel down like a drunk drinks his beer.

 

[rusty842]

New Holland dealer was nice, but I'm not sure he was as, um, complete in his explanations - specifically he said the 74hp net/64hp PTO model would have no trouble pulling a 15ft batwing bushog. Where as the other dealers said youd need 75 PTO Hp to pull the 15 ft batwing, and the Case Dealer said you could pull a light duty 15ft batwing if the grass was short and you went slow, but recommended either dropping to 10ft heavy bushog, or upgrading to a bigger tractor for the 15ft.

I have a Rhino Flex 15 Magnum (old and heavy) and have pulled it with Kubota M7040 which is 64 PTO HP. It would cut half knee high thick fescue fine on flat ground running 5+ mph. It was pulling hills while cutting said fescue that it didn't like. I had to start gearing down when it got hilly....

As long as your on "Flatish" ground and just clipping pastures I think 64 PTO HP will be fine.

That being said I did upgrade to a M9540 which is 84 PTO HP and handles it a lot better.

I would rather have a tractor that is a little too big instead of one that is a little too small. I don't think the hydraulic flow is as big of an issue as HP unless you are going to running a hydraulic motor. Less hydraulic flow just means things will move a little slower.

 

[ArmyDoc]

I would rather have a tractor that is a little too big instead of one that is a little too small.

I think that's my fear... buying just enough now and wishing I had a bit more later. I really don't want to buy another tracter down the road. If it were just up to me I think, with a little fear and trepidation, I would get a used 110C, which has 100hp. New its 69k, but used I should be able to find it closer to my price range. But my wife is a founding member of the "buy new and know how it's been taken care of" camp.

Another thing, which I have been wondering about. The 75C is the highest Hp version of that frame. The 90C is the smallest Hp on the next size larger frame, that goes up to 117hp. Not sure if that matters or not. Any thoughts on that aspect?

 

[rusty842]

Another thing, which I have been wondering about. The 75C is the highest Hp version of that frame. The 90C is the smallest Hp on the next size larger frame, that goes up to 117hp. Not sure if that matters or not. Any thoughts on that aspect?

My Kubota M9540 around 7,000 lbs with the tires loaded without the loader and around 9,000 lbs with the loader. Tractor weight will have to do with handling a Batwing that weighs 4,000+ lbs.

75C weighs more than the Kubota M9540 so I don't think you will have a problem with the actual size of the tractor. On the flip size if it weighs more, it's going to take more HP it pull the weight of the tractor.

A friend run a 75C planting fields last year and he thought it was under powered for its size compared to a Kubota M7040.