What do I need?

[Musdalen]

I'm a new guy here. I am considering a new and modern tractor. I need help. While waiting to have my registration approved, I have meandered among the fora looking for information and getting a feel for the helpfulness of this place. I think I am in the right place. I think I know what my needs are. But I sure as heck don't know much about modern tractors. Perhaps you can help.

I like old stuff (esp single shot rifles; that's another story), but I don't much like grease and cold wrenches. For 15+ yrs, I have used a very early Ford 8N made in 1947 (I think). It has been a good tractor for us. I've cleared land, built a house and barn, and hauled enough wood to keep us warm and in furniture for 15+ yrs. But it may be time to move forward a little. Join the 21st century before it becomes the 22nd, I guess.

I've been seduced by the sleek loveliness of a JD 3039R at the local dealer, just 2 miles up the road. It has a loader bucket on it (something that I've denied needing all this time), 4 wheel drive, live PTO, and a host of other things (like it starts on command every time at minus teens Fahrenheit?). That might come in handy.

But it is Bloody Expensive!

Do I really need this? I don't know, but I do believe I want it.

What I would like to ask of all of you, far more knowledgeable folks, is what would work best for what I do? My 8N has worked, but there are many times with the brush mower and dragging logs where I'm right at the limits of what it can take, even with loaded tires, field chains, and lots of time. So, I've cast my eye upon this fair young thing and wondered if she or something like her will do.

What I actually need to get done is:
1. Mow tall weeds and brush (6-8' tall) with a 5 ft rotary mower. Not a whole lot of it, but a couple acres now and again. The 8N did it, but barely when the weeds and brush got thick and tall.

2. To heat with wood that I split by hand, I have to drag hardwood logs, relatively big ones, on soft ground out of the timber. I also need them for lumber as well.

3. I might get old(er) and find splitting by hand overwhelming and need to go with a hydraulic log splitter (sacrilege but no one gets out of here alive).

4. I have always moved snow with a rear-mount blade (6 ft). It works, but it ain't always the best. That loader would help.

5. I move a lot of post-processed hay. You might call it horsestuff. Not heavy, but there is a lot of it (at least for me), and it needs to be piled, moved from here to there, loaded into trucks, and so on. That front loader looks even better.

6. I have a large pile of wooden fence posts waiting for the spring thaw. I will need a large number of holes to put them it. A good posthole digger is helpful. I never seem to run out of fence posts to plant, though I thought I had set my last 30 yrs ago. I was wrong.


So, if I was to buy (invest?) in a chore tractor that could do all of these things, and, most of all, be dependable!, what would you guys recommend? Is a 3039R more than I need? I can't believe it is too small (though my 8N dwarfs it). Would a smaller (read cheaper) model leave me with no regrets (there is a cherry 2032R for sale nearby, but yikes!, that thing is tiny!).

Also in the running, but which remains un-investigated, at this point, are Bobcats and Kubotas. I'm a firm believer that a dealer close by is a really important feature for a guy that likes ice cold wrenches at little as I do. The JD dealer is 2 miles away. The Bobcat/Kubota dealer is about 14 miles away. Everyone else is substantially further, so, I am mostly interested in these three brands.

What say ye? Is this wandering eye of mine onto something logical, or am I simply under the spell of the green goddess and in need of a cold shower and heavy dose of reality?

Thanks for any and all suggestions and attentions to this somewhat uncharacteristic first posting here.

 

[Grandad4]

Once you have the tractor bug, it's too late. There is no known cure. So you might as well adapt your life to the idea that you'll be thinking about one of these things during many of your waking moments from now on. Particularly when your 8n isn't being cooperative or productive in completing your chores. That's no knock on your 8n. You're not getting any younger, and there comes a time when working smarter instead of harder is forced upon you by the aging process.

You're in the right ballpark regarding size and power. Big enough to get significant work done efficiently, but not so big that it overwhelms your place and your bank account.

By all means look at - and actually test run - the available equipment in your area. While similar sized equipment across different brands will broadly do the same work, it's like anything else: there are differences in how they work and feel that will result in your developing a preference for one over the others. If you expect to own it as long as you've had your 8n, you should go for the one you really like.

While you're out comparing the tractors, try to size up the dealers also. You'll want to have a level of confidence that a dealer will treat you fairly when buying and later if any parts or service are needed.

Best of luck with your new obsession!

 

[jeff9366]

TractorData.com Ford 8N tractor information

TractorData.com John Deere 3�39R tractor information


What I actually need to get done is:
1. Mow tall weeds and brush (6-8' tall) with a 5 ft rotary mower. Not a whole lot of it, but a couple acres now and again. The 8N did it, but barely when the weeds and brush got thick and tall. Power steering on a tractor is as nice as power steering on a car or truck.

Deere 3039R will operate a 60" Rotary Cutter easily. To cut 8' weeds you will need to sharpen mower blades annually.

2. To heat with wood that I split by hand, I have to drag hardwood logs, relatively big ones, on soft ground out of the timber. I also need them for lumber as well.

Almost any tractor can drag logs. That is what low gearing and large rear wheels are all about. 4-WD will make dragging logs easier.

Have you been dragging logs from the rear/center drawbar, flat on the ground, or elevating butts on the Three Point Hitch?

3. I might get old(er) and find splitting by hand overwhelming and need to go with a hydraulic log splitter (sacrilege but no one gets out of here alive).

I recommend a $300 electric log splitter rather than a Three Point Hitch log splitter. If you have 220 volts available, I recommend a $500/220 volt lot splitter. Less mess, less complication.

4. I have always moved snow with a rear-mount blade (6 ft). It works, but it ain't always the best. That loader would help.

Yes, it would. Get your FEL with SSQA = Skid Steer Quick Attach.

5. I move a lot of post-processed hay. You might call it horsestuff. Not heavy, but there is a lot of it (at least for me), and it needs to be piled, moved from here to there, loaded into trucks, and so on. That front loader looks even better.

The FEL on Deere 3039 may be marginal for this task. Are you moving round bales?
Get your FEL with SSQA = Skid Steer Quick Attach.

6. I have a large pile of wooden fence posts waiting for the spring thaw. I will need a large number of holes to put them it. A good posthole digger is helpful. I never seem to run out of fence posts to plant, though I thought I had set my last 30 yrs ago. I was wrong.

Deere 3039R will power a post hole digger easily.

 

[Musdalen]

What I actually need to get done is:
1. Mow tall weeds and brush (6-8' tall) with a 5 ft rotary mower. Not a whole lot of it, but a couple acres now and again. The 8N did it, but barely when the weeds and brush got thick and tall. Power steering on a tractor is as nice as power steering on a car or truck.

Deere 3039R will operate a 60" Rotary Cutter easily. To cut 8' weeds you will need to sharpen mower blades annually.

I am worried about the weight as much as horsepower. I have to lift that mower to get into and out of some places. But I guess its not that terribly heavy.

2. To heat with wood that I split by hand, I have to drag hardwood logs, relatively big ones, on soft ground out of the timber. I also need them for lumber as well.

Almost any tractor can drag logs. That is what low gearing and large rear wheels are all about. 4-WD will make dragging logs easier.

Have you been dragging logs from the rear/center drawbar, flat on the ground, or elevating butts on the Three Point Hitch?

I can bury the N when trying to move a big log or tree, especially one headed for the sawmill. Getting a log up from a lower floodplain bench to a higher one can be tougher still. Dragging logs is definitely not so simple that any tractor can do it.

I drag from the toe bar and do not elevate the butts often. That's a good way to flip an N.

3. I might get old(er) and find splitting by hand overwhelming and need to go with a hydraulic log splitter (sacrilege but no one gets out of here alive).

I recommend a $300 electric log splitter rather than a Three Point Hitch log splitter. If you have 220 volts available, I recommend a $500/220 volt lot splitter. Less mess, less complication.

No power back in the trees. Could haul out a generator, but that would be a PITA. Never seen a decent self-powered splitter for under $2k either. Electric ones are news to me.

4. I have always moved snow with a rear-mount blade (6 ft). It works, but it ain't always the best. That loader would help.

Yes, it would. Get your FEL with SSQA = Skid Steer Quick Attach.

I'll investigate. Not sure what that is.

5. I move a lot of post-processed hay. You might call it horsestuff. Not heavy, but there is a lot of it (at least for me), and it needs to be piled, moved from here to there, loaded into trucks, and so on. That front loader looks even better.

The FEL on Deere 3039 may be marginal for this task. Are you moving round bales?
Get your FEL with SSQA = Skid Steer Quick Attach.

No roundbails. Small squares we move by hand. It's just manure that has to be moved and that should be easy for the FEL. Persumably moving and spreading gravel and crushed limestone would also be easy. Way easier than dragging it with the N's blade.

6. I have a large pile of wooden fence posts waiting for the spring thaw. I will need a large number of holes to put them it. A good posthole digger is helpful. I never seem to run out of fence posts to plant, though I thought I had set my last 30 yrs ago. I was wrong.

Deere 3039R will power a post hole digger easily.

Would smaller tractors like the 2032 do all of these jobs just about as easily (and $10k cheaper)?

These smaller tractors come with either hydrostatic or "PowrReverser 12F/12R" transmissions. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each?

What about similar (cheaper?) Bobcat or Kubota tractors? I don't know what models they make. Maybe I'll drop by the dealership today and check them out.

Thanks!

 

[Citydude]

By all means, check out the other dealerships. Ask the questions you have asked here.

My opinion, I wouldn't go smaller than your 8n. You have a firm grasp of what it can and can't do. That is a very good starting point in looking for the loader and 4 wheel drive upgrades you need.

 

[fried1765]

I am worried about the weight as much as horsepower. I have to lift that mower to get into and out of some places. But I guess its not that terribly heavy.





[/I]
I can bury the N when trying to move a big log or tree, especially one headed for the sawmill. Getting a log up from a lower floodplain bench to a higher one can be tougher still. Dragging logs is definitely not so simple that any tractor can do it.

I drag from the toe bar and do not elevate the butts often. That's a good way to flip an N.



No power back in the trees. Could haul out a generator, but that would be a PITA. Never seen a decent self-powered splitter for under $2k either. Electric ones are news to me.




I'll investigate. Not sure what that is.




No roundbails. Small squares we move by hand. It's just manure that has to be moved and that should be easy for the FEL. Persumably moving and spreading gravel and crushed limestone would also be easy. Way easier than dragging it with the N's blade.





Would smaller tractors like the 2032 do all of these jobs just about as easily (and $10k cheaper)?

These smaller tractors come with either hydrostatic or "PowrReverser 12F/12R" transmissions. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each?

What about similar (cheaper?) Bobcat or Kubota tractors? I don't know what models they make. Maybe I'll drop by the dealership today and check them out.

Thanks!

"Small" tractor is not good!
If you buy a tractor that is just adequate for your current uses, you will soon be spending MORE money for an upgrade tractor.
Buy the tractor NOW that will READILY meet ALL your future needs.
You will spend far more total dollars if you buy a just meets your needs tractor now, and then buy a larger tractor later.
Buying TWO tractors is a LOT more costly, than buying the right one the FIRST time!

 

[GregE]

I recently went through the problem as to get a new tractor or keep my older one. I had a Ford New Holland 1630 which I bought used in 1999. It served me well until this fall. Yes I had things that broke or needed replacing, but the straw that broke the camels back was a power steering strut blew a seal and had to be replaced. A replacement was on back order for weeks, so it was determined to locate a used part. It took a while to locate even a used one in good condition. This got me worried as to future parts availability. So I began a search for a new tractor.
I use my tractor for mowing almost five of my ten acres, moving wood, (always in the FEL), and snow removal with the FEL. During mowing season I take the FEL off and use the tractor for mowing only. One of the things that always worried me was the contorting I had to go through to hook up the mid mount mower to the mid PTO. Also, after many winters of freezing my hands and fingers moving snow, (I alternated between a ATV snow plow and my tractor FEL, depending on amount of snow). In the summers I was kicking up more dust and pollen which I blew out of my nose for hours afterwards. I wanted to get a cab tractor. I narrowed my choices to Deere and Kubota.
In November I decided to get the John Deere 3033R with cab. My choice was predicated on the ease of hookup for the MMM, the cab, and the lack of negative comments about their regeneration concerning the new pollution control systems.
So far I have moved snow twice and the tractor had more than enough power for the task. Further it did not slip like my old tractor, ( I had turfs on the old tractor, and this one has industrial s). And even more important, the cab with the heater worked great! (If I had a sunlamp, I could have plowed in speedos and gotten a tan while listening to the Beach Boys!).
I have yet to mow with the tractor as mowing season was over by the time I received the tractor. I do have some concerns about the power to run the MMM on a hill. I do recall seeing a posting from someone in Pennsylvania that he had plenty of power, but I don't recall if he had an open station or cab. My new tractor has over five more HP than the old one, but this one has the cab and one foot of extra mower. I'll find out this spring.
So far I'm happy with the tractor. I had a great deal of angst going through the decision and buying process. Deere doesn't dicker. I bought when I did because I had to finance and rates are low to non existent. (5 years interest free or 6 years 1.9% interest).
The 3039 R you're considering obviously has more HP than mine. I would think you'd have enough power to do your tasks. Regardless, if you choose the open station or cab, both have ROPS. Your 8N doesn't. You can't put a price on safety, (at least that is how I sold the idea to my wife).
Good luck on your decision.

 

[nybirdman]

I would have you look at the Kubota B2650 or L2501.Also a log arch when logging.Haul the logs home and split there.We have a small older L3000 DT and it is a fantastic woods machine.It is a gear model but I would recommend an HST version.I spent years on 8N's and 9N's and these new small tractors are 100 times better and safer.

 

[Musdalen]

So, I stopped at the Kubota dealer this morning. They had an L3901 on the lot and it looks about like what I would want. Very simple tractor. Maybe simple is a good thing in tractors. For a lot less bucks than a JD 3039R, I would have the same horsepower, but some lesser features I guess. Not sure i would miss them. The Kubota Dealer is mostly a tool rental dealer but has a Kubota and a Bobcat dealership on the side. The guy I talked to was very nice and helpful, but I don't know how dependable the dealership will be for service, etc. Still, he seemed like he was earnestly interested in my business and willing to work with me.

I asked if Kubotas came in some other color than orange - which will clash with my red barn - no dice So, one negative.

GregE, what is MMM? I am not good with tractor acronyms yet. Do you think you would like the extra horse power in 3039?

Can someone tell me the difference between the JD 3E and 3R series?

I'm also trying to figure out the + and -'s of hydrostatic or "PowrReverser 12F/12R" transmissions as well. Both makes come with both types of transmissions.

Looks like Bobcat is out of the small utility tractor business. So, it is Big Green vs Orange.

 

[varmint]

To start with, I love Kubotas, having had three of them, all purchased used. Never had any issues with any of them.

Now, I would suggest something like the L3901, or maybe even a tad bigger, but used. SSQA will allow for a front angling plow. Good for snow. 4 wheel drive would be a must. If you could find a 30-40hp Grand L Kubota, you would be a happy guy after using it for a year. Buying used makes for more equipment for you dollar invested. One rear remote is a must, for me, now that I have had it. As for splitting wood, a stand alone gas powered splitter seems to be the best choice. I use an old 35 ton splitter, and the Briggs and Stratton engine always starts easily and splits a lot of wood per gallon of gas. Stuff I couldn't begin to split by hand is no problem. We only use a couple cords per winter, but I am old and don't want the struggle to be any more difficult than it is.