Ready to buy ?

[Beavis]

First and foremost, let me say thanks for such an informative webiste and all of those who take the time to share their knowledge and experience with others.

I am shopping for a new tractor, looking close at the JD brand, especially the 3320. I've looked at a lot so far and our State Fair is Sept. 7-16th which should give me a good chance to look at several models side-by-side. My purchase should take place shortly after that.

One Question: I had been looking at the Mahindra 3215HST, which is turbocharged. What are some general thoughts about a turbo vs. a non-turbo: engine life, maintenance, expense, etc.

THANKS

 

[Z-Michigan]

Turbos for diesels are very well proven and in wide use. Unless you're at high altitude (and I assume you aren't in Kansas) the turbo/non turbo issue is of little importance compared to the rated PTO hp and fuel consumption. No significant maintenance difference for a turbo. The turbo will eventually fail and need to be replaced for significant money, but that should be many years down the road (errr, crop row).

 

[BizDoc]

I've looked at the JD 3320, nice tractor, very good looking machine, comfortable, good power, nice size tires, good lifting ability. Almost bought it, but dealer told me it was too heavy for all the mowing I do and advised me to get a Kubota B3030, I was looking for something with a cab.

From reading the posts the Mahindra's seem to be very reliable and appear to be lower in cost per HP. But, I'm a traditionalist, and trust the tried and true, make mine green, orange, or blue.

 

[daTeacha]

Beavis -- welcome aboard! It soundsl like you have been around long enough to know a lot of us look at the dealership as being at least half of the decision. When I was shopping, I looked at Mahindra and almost everything else. Mahindra was in the running 'til the end. I decided to go with Case. The Mahindra dealer is now gone. Both the Case dealers are still doing business where they've been for upwards of 40 years. JD is still here, has branched out to 3 locations now. NH is equally well represented.

The Case dealers also carry Kubota and Cadet, but their big machinery is Case, and I suspect it's also a large part of their business success.

I'm not knocking Mahindra, they look like good machines. I just encourage you to look at the dealership from the standpoint of local history, personnel, service, etc. It sounds like that could be your deciding factor.

For mowing, Mahindra's would be lower down my list due to their weight, and Kubota's would be high up for the same reason. One is heavy, the other light.

 

[Erik_in_Hoyt]

Beavis,
roughly where in Ks are you?
Mahindra has dealers in Wichita, Marian, Hutch, and by KC for the Eastern half of the state. Not sure what they've got in the Western half.
When I was shopping I looked at the 2810, 4110, and 3215 and all were comfortable, but economics kicked in so I ended up with something else.
Good plan waiting for the fair so you can sit in a bunch of different seats on the same day.

Happy shopping!

 

[rback33]

DaTeacher... Funny thing for Beavis is that the Mahindra dealer and the Case dealer are most likely the same for him.

 

[Beavis]

Was down in Hutchinson Kansas today for "set-up" at the fair. I had a chance to look at Kioti, Kubota, JD, and Mahindra. I think I'd be happy with any of these tractors; now it is time to see who is willing to make the BEST DEAL. Any last minute input would be appreciated, I think I've thought about most things but I'm open to anything new. ( for example, the Mahindra dealer told me about a 10 year warranty for only $299 )

 

[frank_f15]

HI BEAVIS, WELCOME TO THE FORUM ! you don't mention what you want to do with the tractor or how much land you are going to use it on. Might be helpful to help you make a decesion.

 

[Beavis]

I've got 24 acres with no trees (yet) and the plan is: build a metal building this winter, followed by a house next year. There will be two driveways, each being approximately 400ft. long. (blade for gravel spreading and snow plowing) I will use the loader for landscaping projects throughout the entire building process. There are some terraces that I will want to flatten out (blade and loader) and MAYBE build a pond in the years to come. I have a dirtbike and may want to play with building a mild motorcross track. (loader) My father-in-law has a Ingersoll 6018 ( 2wd, 18hp gas powered, hydrostat tractor) that I have used for minor landscaping projects at our current house, but it is WAY TOO SMALL for the stuff I have in mind. It is still up in the air wether I will purchase a finishing mower to pull behind or purchase seperately a Hustler Super Z.

 

[john_bud]

On your question on turbos. They are fine. Great in fact at making gobs of reliable diesel HP. One thing you MUST DO, idle the tractor for 1-5 minutes before shut down to allow the turbo housing to cool off. Personally, I would add an EGT gauge between the exhaust manifold and the turbo housing so you can monitor the temps. 1300-1400 is the high safe range. 1600 for long and you will damage / melt stuff that you don't want to have to pay for.

jb

 

[PA hayseed]

I'm by no means the most experienced guy on this board, when it comes to tractors. having said that, I have bought two new ones, and if money is no object to you then disregard the following.

Financing rates. Its Important to note which dealer has the best rates. I just bought my second one, and got 3 yr 0%. It makes a huge difference in your budget if you have to pay interest.

Cost of the tractor and maintenance schedules. Find out what the parts are going to cost you when you do your service. You will find that different companies that sell tractors have some very different pricing on things such as filters oil/hydraulic. You can find alternate means by which to purchase them, other than the dealer, but it is still a costly item. At 50 hours most of the companies recommend a complete changing of everything. If you finance too tightly, 3 filters, oil, hydraulic fluid, and gear oil can be a whopping bill.

See if the dealer charges for pickup/delivery of the tractor, setup, and other related fees. Some of these items, if they charge for them, cannot be financed. Could make your out of pocket costs considerably higher. Plus, you'll be getting that tractor bill in 30 days.

Some dealers offer special rental rates for equipment for your tractor. This is something to consider, as those items will be cheaper to rent from your dealer, in many cases, than it would if you went to a rental place. Some dealers include delivery with the rental, blades, backhoes, bushhogs etc.

Ensure you make an apples to apples comparison. If one tractor has a feature the other one doesn't, and they cost the same, then one tractor is overpriced. See what your dealer is willing to include in the deal or for a reduced cost, filling your rears, oil, service work at first interval, cut rate prices on implements, etc. All these things add up.

Good luck to you. Hope this doesn't sound preachy, just trying to help a little if I can. So many people here have helped me.

 

[Beavis]

PA Hayseed,

Thanks for the advice, I'll look into the "total cost" of the 50 hour service and maybe that is something the dealer would throw in with the tractor purchase.

THANKS,

 

[Erik_in_Hoyt]

QA/QD front bucket is your friend!
With the list of activities you have planned, you may want to look at "universal" quick attach/detach front loaders. Lots of brands offer their own version of QA, but one that's actually skid steer compatible will be very helpful. makes buying used attachments cheaper, easier to rent as needed, as well, etc....
I highly recommend a set of heavy duty pallet forks, especially since you're planning some buildings. I was able to use mine to lift my 6' wide french doors up to the main floor above my walkout and provide a platform for the installers to stand on while setting it with mine.

I also suggest a medium to heavy duty box blade at least a foot wider than the rear wheels on whatever you end up with - and a lot of dealers will sell you attachments "at cost" if purchased at the same time at the tractor. this can also let you roll them into the financing if cash is an issue.

 

[teeravis1]

Just to give you an idea on the 50 hr service. I have a B3030, and when I brought it in for the 50 hr service it cost me about $320. That was with me hauling it and picking it up, so there was no pickup/delivery charge.

 

[Beavis]

Well, I did it !!!

Today after work I picked up my new John Deere 3320 Hydro with 300X FEL and 72" Frontier Rotary Cutter with slip clutch. We had 1 1/2" of rain last night and this morning so I can't use it, but that is probably a good thing since I can flip through the owner's manual.