Trying to find our way through pros and cons of different tractors

[NewbieAcreageOwner]

We just purchased a 4 acre parcel. It has a nice large sized manicured lawn. The back portion is a natural river side landscape. It also has an open area, however with some trees, two nice open fields, previously used as horse pasture and many trees. We also have 3 large gardens so we were looking at tractors with rototillers, however the gate on one is quite small, so we may not be able to fit in that one, and the second that is all fenced may also be too small, at least for a "tractor"...

We are looking for a subcompact/compact (we think) tractor that can manage the "yard" but also the back portion as we will be using it to run fitness camps, possibly create a diy chipping course for our teenage son (no special grasses or anything, just regular lawn), eventually we would like to put a swimming pond in there and we have to build a 2 storey garage. The 2nd storey will be office space and indoor fitness. We hope to build it with straw bales. There is some dead fall that will have to be removed. We also live in Canada by the mountains so there will be many snowy days that we will have to clear the drive way and a parking area for clients.

We want something that can maintain the yard, around the trees in the back, (there are too many to have to do with a regular lawn mower if we can't get close enough) handle the "natural" landscape, remove snow, carry some items and hopefully when the time comes, help us dig. Seeing money doesn't grow on trees around here we are looking at the cost and want to try to stay on the lower end, while also not having to upgrade again in two years time. So we aren't against spending a bit more to have 1 thing that will mostly fulfill our needs. Obviously nothing is perfect at everything.

I have attached a few pictures showing the type of landscape that we are trying to figure out how to maintain. The other weird part is that we are in town, and I mean 1 block off main street in the middle of town, we have houses beside us and a couple that run down the one side, then the back is open acreage living (4 small acreages tucked in along the river that no one really even knows are there ), so this has to be taken into account as far as noise levels go.

Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for helping us newbies out!

 

[DT86]

Welcome.

Gate posts can easily be moved and widened for better access, so I wouldn't let the width of a gate dictate the size of the tractor.

I would recommend to stop by several dealers close by to get a feel for how they do business. To me a good local dealer is very important, while others have no problems buying from dealers hundreds of miles away.

Go crawl around all over several brands and get a feel for how they operate and fit you. With any of the better known brands I don't think you can really go wrong. Some to look at in no particular order would be Deere, Kubota, LS, New Holland, Case IH, Yanmar, Kioti and Mahindra.

 

[murphy1244]

:welcome: to TBN. Check out the Kioti DK series.

 

[TripleR]

Pretty much what DT86 said, I can off-hand think of thirty plus SCUT/CUT tractors that will work and that is conservative. First impressions would lead me to consider something along the size of a Kubota B/John Deere 2000 Series or equivalent in the other brands, all make good tractors and only you can determine which is best for you.

I find it is often helpful to rent a tractor of the size you think might work for you for a weekend to get a baseline for comparison.

In more cases than not any one machine is going to be a compromise, so you have to get what is best overall.

 

[NewbieAcreageOwner]

Thanks everyone! I hadn't even heard of the Kioti DK series so I will definitely look into that. I like the idea of renting for a weekend, that would be great. My husband says we also have to be careful of size or more weight and tires so it won't destroy the manicured lawn.

Our other problem is due to cost we will most likely be looking at something used, so some of the features are different. I think one of the things that will make a big difference to me is steering position as well as pedals, as I am just a shortie at 5'1"! Hubby is 6' so finding something we both enjoy may be interesting, just like his truck I HATE and he LOVES, but that is for a different forum.

Thanks again

 

[jerrybob]

Welcome. Lots of tractors to look at.......fun to test drive. Good advice above......take your time....check em all out. Good luck!

 

[TripleR]

If you can find a good used tractor for a decent price that will be great. They are in pretty short supply in my area, either they are beaten half to death or the cost is really high. Fortunately, many tractors operate pretty much the same as the models that came before them. You can easily get off our 2003 BX2200 and feel right at home on our 2008 or any subsequent BX up to the BXxx70 Series.

Some tractors come with tilt steering and most have adjustable seats, some even adjustable backs so finding one to fit different sizes is possible.

You might want to see if this is still in print: http://www.tractorbynet.com/book/

Good luck.

 

[NewbieAcreageOwner]

Thanks, ok well seeing it seems pretty standard and that there are many to choose from so maybe it would be easier the other way, are there any "duds" or lemons that we should just steer clear of?

 

[TripleR]

Thanks, ok well seeing it seems pretty standard and that there are many to choose from so maybe it would be easier the other way, are there any "duds" or lemons that we should just steer clear of?

That is a recipe for disaster as different people will have different opinions, there are threads on here similar to " I will never buy (insert name brand here) again because..."

I am sure any brand or model any of us might mention would bring out its defenders; wish I could be of more help.

 

[Briana03]

Welcome to TractorByNet!

I moved your thread to the Buying/Pricing/Comparisons forum.