Noob Here...Seeking a Tractor Education, Please

[Ninja Rooster]

Your tasks are going to change over time. The last thing you need to do is finance a tractor based on today's needs. Tomorrow it won't handle it and you'll be looking at needing another or contracting the task out. I am also seeking a tractor. My first tractor purchase. Hours of YouTube videos and months of forums and searches has led to circles and manufacturer pissing matches.

The first thing I can recommend is setting your budget. Simple to do. "I have X to spend cash." or "I am able to finance X". It is your unique situation so your budget will pay the primary role in what you get and don't let it be manipulated by anyone else.

You will find dealers who want to meet numbers on models they have to push. You will find dealers who don't care as long as they get the sale. You will find dealers who are genuinely interested in you and their sale at the same time. They exist. So; I find it best to go in guns blazing.

What I mean by that is "Be A.S.A.P". My acronym for being as specific as possible when you go in there. The more you know, the better deterrent you are to the first two dealers I mentioned.

Moving on to the specifics of the tractor. From what I find; PTO output and weight play a bigger significant role in what you are able to do. 4x4 versus 2. Hydrostatic is better than manual geared unless you are doing heavy earth manipulation in dense clay or rocky soil. Then the standard manual can be more beneficial.

All of this can be pretty overwhelming. So; one thing I am going by is my budget = buying the heaviest duty tractor the budget will allow. This way; I can consider myself pretty covered if I add acres later on. If my little homestead changes with needs etc. Brand is an afterthought for me.

Once I set my budget and found all the ROP models from all brands with dealers near me (THAT IS IMPORTANT) that fit that budget; I then categorized them based on HP output PTO. Highest PTO to lowest; all 2WD were removed from contention. Then weight. Then type of trans. Etc. You can see where I am going with this. If you focus on brand; you'll miss the important considerations and possible solid investments. That's what this is and the more you can plan, the better.

Anyway; hope this can help. If not; just ignore it and good luck with the search.

 

[Ashland268]

When I bought my first tractor, one thing that I didn’t consider carefully enough was the cost of implements.

My wife certainly thought we’d buy the tractor and be mostly done with spending money.

ballast box, mower(s), snowblower, forks, grapple, spreader, food plot planter, and all the small miscellaneous tractor stuff has added up to over $25k since I got my tractor about 18 months ago.

That new tractor is only the beginning of money being spent. Just like an expensive new puppy.

edit……but researching and buying implements is a big part of the fun too, IMO.!!!

 

[Rockbadchild]

I agree with defining what you want to do with your tractor and implements you will be using first. Then determine the frame size that will do your tasks optimally. I am guessing a 35hp mid frame tractor about the size of a John Deere 3039R or 3032E (or same size Kioti, Kubota or LS) would do the trick. Go to a few dealers and do some test drives to get the feel of things - If you can find any dealers who have tractors in stock!
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am I the only one thinking 30 to 40 hp is a lot of tractor for 5 to 10 acres ?

 

[TractorTYMe]

Heck I own 0 acres, but maintain 30+ acres, I still decided to with a cabbed compact tractor. And I think I hit the Goldilock zone on 1st try after extensive reasearch, I have yet ran into needing a larger or smaller tractor.

 

[Torvy]

Hmmm. I disagree with it being a horrible deal. INHO, too much is made of the importance of price. Viewed as a purchase of something that will last a lifetime, a few dollars one way or the other doesn't much matter. I prefer to do as Ashland did. Take the discount up front and get on to other things.
rScotty

As always, life is about choices. I cannot stomach wasting money like that. I don't begrudge y'all making other choices. I just think it is important that people who may not have your level of assets make good decisions so they can build wealth, too.

 

[CharlieBlaxcell]

I have the same thoughts, thanks for the advice.

 

[rScotty]

Hmmm. I disagree with it being a horrible deal. INHO, too much is made of the importance of price. Viewed as a purchase of something that will last a lifetime, a few dollars one way or the other doesn't much matter. I prefer to do as Ashland did. Take the discount up front and get on to other things.
rScotty

As always, life is about choices. I cannot stomach wasting money like that. I don't begrudge y'all making other choices. I just think it is important that people who may not have your level of assets make good decisions so they can build wealth, too.

One thing you notice when valuing time over money is how many things are thrown away that are 90% good as new. If that rings your chimes, choose wisely - the USA part of the world is full of valuable things that only need is to be taken apart and fixed. Go for the good ones.

Then for very little money you get to have something nice and save all the time that didn't go into paying for a new what-ever-it-is.

That goes for tractors, implements, tools, cars and probably for houses and land as well.

rScotty

 

[Williy]

This site has some good information:

Compact & Sub Compact Utility Tractors | YANMAR Tractor

www.yanmartractor.com

willy

 

[HawkinsHollow]

I think after you define the size tractor you need the next best advice here is sitting in the tractor and driving it around. Ergonomics is huge! I did not do that, and while I do not regret my choice in tractors one bit, there are definitely some things I do not love about the cockpit of my tractor. Some easy to fix, others next to impossible. And try not to let the newness of sitting in that shiny new tractor cloud your vision. They all seem awesome when you sit in them. Good Luck!

 

[JasperFrank]

It depends on your land. The land determines the tractor.