Buying Advice Tractor advice for complete idiot?

[sweettractors]

As a dealer, I can tell you for sure, that 0 % for X # of months makes what you are buying cost that much more on the selling price. Just a selling gimmick. Borrow at 8 % at the bank and pay cash for the implement or tractor and you get a lot lower quote on price at the dealer. Ken Sweet

 

[TripleR]

Thanks a million guys- are you always this helpful? The land is just rutty, not really hilly. It was cleared for timber a few years ago. I'm comfortable working on older cars, so if a tractor engine is like that (meaning I don't have to stick a computer on it to figure out what's wrong), I should be OK.

A couple more questions if you have the time:
Some people recommended a regular lawnmower for the yard... Why? Is it because the tractor will tear it up? Or the tractor is too big to get around most people's landscaping, etc.?

Also, it seems like the financing situation is much better on new tractors... Is that right? Can I get financing from a bank on a used tractor?

Are older tractors easier to work on than newer ones?

Should I plan on getting a trailer for getting the tractor serviced?

Thanks again. This is the most helpful forum I've ever been on.

I agree, this is a very helpful and informative forum for novice and experienced user alike.

Most on here could go walk your land then come up with a length assessment of what approaches will work.

There is an almost infinite number of approaches from one tractor to tractor and mower to tractor and pay for some limited projects to keep the size of your tractor down.

Then you must deal with a tractor that will encourage/discourage projects you haven't even thought of because of its capabilities or lack thereof.

I have pretty much done all you describe with a Kubota BX, but I do not consider it optimum, it was just all I could afford at the time. I had been using a 54 Ford NAA and John Deere 425.

Some example for your property would be a Kubota F2680 and L3240 with FEL, cutter etc.

You could also get a B2x20 or B2x30 or B3x30 all of which would work fairly well on your lawn as well as the rest of your property. (I refer to Kubota as I am more familiar, but JD, MF etc should all be considered)

Some people look at their new property and consider the need for something to deal with smoothing out the ruts and smoothing out the terrain when this could be contracted out or a machine rented once; same thing for a back hoe. Many on here can't live without one while I have several hundred acres and don't use the one I have enough to keep it running, so on the occasion every few years I need one I barter for a track hoe and do the same with a skid steer.

As to servicing, it is fairly simple, my wife and I do routine servicing on most of our stuff or I get my son for the heavy lifting etc so to speak.

I trailer a couple, but it is cheaper to have the bigger stuff hauled on the rare occasion it needs to go to the shop. To go a few miles between farms I just drive them.

Good luck in your search.

 

[gauthier]

Happy birthday to you johndeere You got about 3-4 good years left,than its all down hill till you get to about 50,than who cares!

Everybody hypes on these fel's,I don't think they are the end all,be all thing for a tractor,if you really need one,sure,but I wouldn't have a real use for one but maybe once every couple years and the rest of the time it would be sticking out in my way when I mow and till my garden.Coulda got a fel on my ck30,for pretty cheap,but the only way I woulda got one was if it was free,[which by the way turns out they was free for a while later if you financed or something].
You can always add the fel later if you find you really need one.

What you need,is what you need.

And I never had industrial tires before either on a tractor,but will say now that I've been in some mud and 2-3 foot of snow,that I really like them,prefer them for my uses better than ag tires,alot more stable to for mowing on sideling ground,tough to. You need to have them loaded,makes the world of difference.

 

[MMagis]

Everybody hypes on these fel's,I don't think they are the end all,be all thing for a tractor,if you really need one,sure,but I wouldn't have a real use for one but maybe once every couple years and the rest of the time it would be sticking out in my way when I mow and till my garden.

I'm glad someone else agrees. I've lived on this farm my whole life and we've never needed a FEL. Sure, I could find things to do with one, but they're not that important for most people.

 

[dodge man]

I wouldn't overlook the possibility of using your tractor for mowing your yard. Just think of the bigger the tractor, the worse it is as a finish mower, even more so if you have a lot of stuff to mow around.

I can't agree with anyone that says you don't need a FEL for your tractor. Maybe in some situations, that would be the case, but not for me. I live on 3 acres, and have a Kubota BX2350. I bought a FEL a couple of months after I bought the tractor for a specific project. I have about 270 hours on my tractor, and almost half of that is using the FEL. I am still amazed at how handy it is having a FEL and how often I use it. I can take mine off in about 3 minutes, so it doesn't get in the way ever.

Good luck on your up coming purchase and the country life. If you are like most people on this board, your going to love both of them.

 

[gauthier]

Well,it would be handy to have a backhoe and a dozer sitting there waiting for you too,but....Its all about money and what you need,he needs a hog,a blade,a tiller or plow and disks,and a tractor,he don't really need a fel.

 

[brin]

People sure love to spend other peopleç—´ money. What you describe can and has been done countless times with nothing more than a little 8N, brush hog and rear blade, and a lawn mower for the yard. Anything more is just gravy, not needed. That being said, don稚 jump into anything yet. I think a 1-2 acre garden is a lot bigger than youæ±*e thinking. For a garden that big you WOULD want a bigger tractor with a 3 point tiller. But, I really don稚 think you want a garden that big, unless you plan on selling produce. You should be able to get everything you NEED for $5000 or less by shopping used. Farm auctions are a great place for deals, but you really need to know what youæ±*e looking at.

You are exactly right MMagis...Folks sure do get caught up on the name Kubota or Deere..What he needs is what will get the job done and a 8N or 9N would do just fine as well as many other well maintained older tractors. Just a little shopping can save a lot of money.

 

[TripleR]

You are exactly right MMagis...Folks sure do get caught up on the name Kubota or Deere..What he needs is what will get the job done and a 8N or 9N would do just fine as well as many other well maintained older tractors. Just a little shopping can save a lot of money.

Guilty as charged, I farmed with a Ford 9N then 600 Series, still have a NAA and two 600's, but I much prefer my Kubotas, John Deeres with FWD, FEL power steering etc.

Smaller properties can be handled with the older and or smaller tractors, but I need the bigger iron on several hundred acres, really I do

 

[Artesia Aggie]

A couple more questions if you have the time:
Some people recommended a regular lawnmower for the yard... Why? Is it because the tractor will tear it up? Or the tractor is too big to get around most people's landscaping, etc.?

Also, it seems like the financing situation is much better on new tractors... Is that right? Can I get financing from a bank on a used tractor?

Are older tractors easier to work on than newer ones?

Should I plan on getting a trailer for getting the tractor serviced?

Thanks again. This is the most helpful forum I've ever been on.

I just did this a month or so ago and I am a city kid too, so here is what I learned. Depending on the size of the tractor and the area to be mowed a tractor can be too big. It was in my case, but I have an older lawn tractor so no problem.

The type of tire and the weight of the tractor is important if you are driving on the lawn. Ag tires can be hard on the lawn. You can get turf tires which are made for a lawn but don't have as much traction for plowing, tilling or other work. Industrial tires are a good compromise.

FIND A GOOD DEALER!. My dealer will pick up and deliver the tractor for any work they do so I didn't need a trailer More $ for attachments ). I know I probably paid for this service in the price of the tractor at the time I bought it. But their service is excellant and well worth to me.

They also showed me how to use what I bought. When the tractor was delivered we attached, unattached and used every implement including the loader. This was a BIG help. The manual was fine, but it helps me to have some hands on instruction.

Good luck and have FUN shopping.

 

[fshrking]

Thanks again guys- Can someone summarize what features you gain from buying a newer tractor? I read something about positioned hitch placement, rather than just up and down... There must be others?

 

[TripleR]

Thanks again guys- Can someone summarize what features you gain from buying a newer tractor? I read something about positioned hitch placement, rather than just up and down... There must be others?

As much as I like new tractors, looking to buy another one now, there is really very little to nothing a new tractor will do that an older one won't. Yes, there are the eHydro on the John Deere and new HST on the Grand L40 Kubotas, but if you go geared a thirty year old tractor will do it all and I even drove a pretty old Kubota last year that did everything that my new ones will except it didn't have a cab.

There are of course the newer Hydraulic Shuttle shift and GST, but again, it all depends on "needs" v "wants". I am disabled, so my "needs" and "wants" are pretty darned close now, but I got by a lot of years with just a basic tractor. Only you can decide your priorities. My tractors don't make me a dime as I quit farming years ago and now I just do it because it keeps me active and out of the house, but I do like some degree of comfort and don't like to work on the darned things any more than I have to so it's newer for me.

 

[sweettractors]

You don;t have to worry about that until you get back to the N series Fords and 20-30 Fergusons. They pretty much solved that problem in the early fifties. Ken Sweet

 

[gauthier]

Well, its like buying a new car verses a 10 year old car,[as far as features on new tractor verses old],all machines break,some are not created equal to begin with,so....
Many people sell machines they are not happy with[there are of course other reason,but],thats the big advantage buying new over used. It ain't been broken or broken in by previous user.
People sell houses cause they are moving,they sell land cause they don't need it and want some money,but not all that many sell machines that still work like they like them too,yes of course you can buy a good used machine,but the odds are not in buyers favor.

 

[TripleR]

Well, its like buying a new car verses a 10 year old car,[as far as features on new tractor verses old],all machines break,some are not created equal to begin with,so....
Many people sell machines they are not happy with[there are of course other reason,but],thats the big advantage buying new over used. It ain't been broken or broken in by previous user.
People sell houses cause they are moving,they sell land cause they don't need it and want some money,but not all that many sell machines that still work like they like them too,yes of course you can buy a good used machine,but the odds are not in buyers favor.

Yes, it is a minefield for those who don't know what they are looking at/for or have access to someone who does. I bought my last used tractor from the dealer that had sold it and maintained it. I got copies of all of the service records since it was sold new. My brother is also an experienced mechanic who started out in a tractor dealership, so I have him check anything out. Otherwise, I stick with new equipment.

 

[VABlue]

You mean position control for your 3pth - and yes, you want it. All of the larger ones do have that going back for years. Basically, when you push the lever down the hitch drops just a little based on how far you pushed the control. Same for going back up. On machines that don't have it (like my 2305) you need to push down, then back to neutral to stop the hitch, otherwise it's all the way down (or up). Much more difficult to control positioning...

There really isn't a lot of 'features' on new machines that the older ones (5-10 years) won't have, other than maybe a better maintenance warranty. But I don't have a big tractor, so someone may contradict that!

 

[Gittyup]

Here are a few things most new ones might have that I don't are available on the majority of old iron:

telescopic 3PH
electric over hydraulic PTO
2 state clutches
hydrostatic drives
tilt steering
full suspension seat
autoleveling bucket
ehydro
drive over mower decks
telescopic 3PH stabilizers


I know. Some "old" iron might have some of these. But, I don't think that most do. And I won't argue their virtues. The OP can look that up here pretty easily.

 

[doall]

some one stated the dealer will give you a better price if you pay cash( get money from another lending institution) , I haggled my price got to where I felt right, then said how about cash. He said didn't matter to him either way , he got his money from either place the same. Told me it was all like cash sales to him and NH actually gave them a little incentive if they sold through cnh capital. reason being (I think) miss a payment or are late boom 20 percent or so I would imagine.

 

[Wayne_Freeman]

As a 60 year old guy that has been using a tractor for the last 15 years here is my 2 cents. I owned two new Chinese Jinmas and can tell you for the money it is the best value out there. I used and abused both machines! Both had Koyker 160 loaders. They are powerful machines and don't know when to quit! I ended up working on them more then riding on them. Got my monies worth but won't go back.

Bought a Kubota L3400 with loader used 60 hrs. That has been three years ago and I have never looked back. It's a well built, reliable machine. The loader is the best wheelbarrow I ever owned. I mow 6 acres and garden one as well as maintain a 1/4 mile dirt road. I have picked up at auctions or craigslist the following: finish mower, bush hog, duragrader, discharrow, bottom plow, backhoe, root rake, pto generator and a stump grinder. You can find an implement for almost any application! Just like buying a car it loses value right off the lot. Spend as much as you can afford and look for newer used tractors. If you are going to buy a loader make sure you have power steering and for your application make sure you have a four wheel drive. Once you get past the learning curve doing anything on the tractor is a nice part of the day!

 

[6011Artist]

Some good advice here but I didn't see anyone mention if you buy an older tractor to make sure it has a two stage clutch, a necessity when bush hogging, and a 2 speed rear end. Some of the older American made and foreign made tractors do not have these two features. Very important.

If you have a pretty good mechanical ability, an older tractor will save you money. You might find a good used one that really has no problems, but the little quirks will be there, small adjustments or repairs will be costly if you can't do them yourself. If you know you will have to pay to keep things going, a newer machine might be the way to go.

Every piece of equipment is designed for its own use intent. A tractor is designed for field work, a lawn mower is designed for just that also. Buy both, you will find in the long run you will be happier unless your yard is wide open with basically no trees and landscape. I have a neighbor that cuts his grass with a tractor/finish mower and is constantly saying he wants a lawn mower.

As far as owning a trailer, I am a self sufficient person, do not like to have to wait until someone else has time to do it. I say yes, you need a trailer. You probably aren't going to buy a really large tractor, so therefore you won't need a really heavy duty trailer, atleast not one rated for heavy equipment.

Keep in mind, the bigger the tractor, the more it cost for maintenance and upkeep, operating costs. Figure out your needs and buy big enough to get the job done but don't over do it. Also, bigger tractors require bigger storage sheds.

Storage sheds. Why does every farmer keep his equipment in a shop or under a shelter? He knows they aren't water proof, they allow water to seep in by the shifter and levers. A properly stored tractor looks better, lasts longer, has less problems and maintenance. I hate to see any tractor sitting out in the weather. Plan on storage costs too, well worth the cost to protect your investment. Mother nature is not kind to tractors left outside.

Not knowing how free money is with you, but the Yanmar line of tractors is a cheaper way to get a tractor for less money. If you do look at this route, stay away from the ones that have been refurbished and have hardly no hours on the hr meter. Some were rebuilt in Vietnam by shady dealers and are nothing but trouble. But some of the Yanmars are great lil low cost tractors. I have a 2200 YM, it is a great tilling or cultivating tractor but does NOT have a 2 stage clutch, not a bush hogging tractor by any means.

When it comes to plows and implements, watch Craigslist, lots of deals out there sometimes. Used tillers are usually expensive, the cost of tine replacement is usually pretty high.

 

[Don87]

some one stated the dealer will give you a better price if you pay cash( get money from another lending institution) , I haggled my price got to where I felt right, then said how about cash. He said didn't matter to him either way , he got his money from either place the same. Told me it was all like cash sales to him and NH actually gave them a little incentive if they sold through cnh capital. reason being (I think) miss a payment or are late boom 20 percent or so I would imagine.

You'll get no arguments from me, when I bought my Massey.........I had the cash in my hand.........made no difference.
Was the same at the JD, Kubota, and Cub Cadet dealers.