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[edwannatractor]

Folks I saw your site and thought I'd pick some educated tractor owners brains. Looking for my first tractor to shread and haul a little dirt around on 28 acres of rolling central TX countryside. Not so sure where to begin!
thanks

 

[teg]

Welcome to TBN... you've come to the right place!!!

Budget is one place... used vs. new (financing?) Do you have more time than money? Both on working to fix an old tractor but getting a larger tractor to get work done faster...

Some on here say bigger is better... will you have to mow around trees and other obstacles? or it wide open spaces?

How much dirt do you need to move? are you planning to dig a pond and reshape your world? or a little here and there?

A heavy tractor is good for moving dirt but not so good if you are mowing a lawn.

Other questions, what dealers are around you? Do you like to pay for top quality or is a second tier manufacturer (more bang for the buck) appeal to you?

Myself, I have a 28 HP tractor for my 28 acres... it's small by most standards but it gets into some pretty tight places with the mower. Save money for implements, if you have trees, a grapple is very nice to have. If you plan to grade a gravel road, hydraulic top and tilt is a must have. I bought almost all of mine used and saved a ton of money. I like the color of rust...

 

[Thomas]

:welcome: to TBN.
Great folks here w/a lot of knowledge...just ask a way or try search.

 

[edwannatractor]

Excellent questions for sure. I am happy with a "second tier " brand perhaps but would like a dealer close by. JD , New Holland, Case, Kubota are all close. The new property has two ponds and a bit of river frontage. It will be mostly maintenance not recreating the landscape, but I may cut a road and a handful of tiny home sites at some point. The wife trusts brand name rigs. I see pretty strong support from some for the TYM, Bransons, Kaoti, and Mahindras running around as well, even the Zetor, but really need more data. I really would like to maintain it myself unless something big happens..

 

[mguitas]

:welcome:

 

[TBN Support]

:welcome: Welcome to the forum!

:tractor: I'm going to move this thread over to our buying, pricing and comparisons section.

 

[Tractorable]

Decide on what size implements you want first, 5ft or 6ft, then decide on tractor size. For rotary cutters (bush hogs) general rule of thumb is minimum 5 PTO HP per foot of rotary cutter.

 

[Olympus]

You need to know your budget first. That will determine a lot of things. As for brands, you'll get more tractor for your money by going with a S Korean brand like Kioti or LS. Go to each if their websites and enter your zip code for a dealer search to see how close each one is to you. Mahindra makes a good machine, but prices are close to Kubota and Deere.

Best advice you'll hear is that no matter what brand, get a machine that you can grow into. Don't just get something that will barely accomplish what you need for right now. Get a little bigger than you think you'll need.

 

[Tractorable]

Excellent questions for sure. I am happy with a "second tier " brand perhaps but would like a dealer close by. JD , New Holland, Case, Kubota are all close. The new property has two ponds and a bit of river frontage. It will be mostly maintenance not recreating the landscape, but I may cut a road and a handful of tiny home sites at some point. The wife trusts brand name rigs. I see pretty strong support from some for the TYM, Bransons, Kaoti, and Mahindras running around as well, even the Zetor, but really need more data. I really would like to maintain it myself unless something big happens..

Add Yanmar to your list while doing your research. 100 year old Japanese company that builds and supplies John Deere with most of their engines, and has built entire tractors for JD. Excellent quality.

 

[Olympus]

Definitely add Yanmar, but their tractor pricing in my area is right up with Deere. They make a good tractor and engine, but you pay for it too. May was well just buy a Deere.