Suds -
It sounds like it's very similar to my 2500. If that's the case I can tell you it's a very basic, no-frills tractor. I also have the standard gear drive. Having never used an HST, I don't know what I'm missing and therefore don't miss it. A shuttle would be nice, but as I gain experience it seems to be less and less of an issue with me.
If you're going to be spending 8 hours a day doing back and forth maneuvers, like loading dump trucks, you might just hold out for a shuttle or HST. If you're just going to be mowing or doing odd-jobs like I do, the gear shift is just fine.
Although I said it's a no-frills tractor, the fact is that it's a relatively new model, and as such is a very nice machine. A comfortable seat and power steering make it a breeze to operate, and even though I have less horsepower than you're looking at, I have yet to feel short-changed.
Keep in mind that I only have about 22 hours in the seat, so I'm still low on the learning curve myself. But I've put it through some pretty rough paces and I have absolutely no complaints.
If you're visually-oriented, you can take a peek at
my online scrapbook.
Like I said, look hard at how well it was maintained, get more opinions, and I'm sure you'll make the right decision. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
