Looking for my first (and last?) tractor... What do I need?

greenspun.com : LUSENET : Countryside : One Thread

I've never owned a tractor and, before I got eleven rolling acres this year, never ever thought I would. Now it seems I need one. I've tried hard to talk, ask, listen and learn about them recently. After all of that I think what I'd like is a wide front larger compact or utility diesel 4x4 with a quick release front end loader, ROPS, live pto and three point hitch in the thirty to forty HP range. Ideally, I'd like to get a six foot bush hog and auger with it.

I don't want to turn this into a 'Chevy vs. Ford' thread here but I do need some help on brands, too. I would like to stay away from brands I don't know at all and I definitely want to avoid those sub-compacts that look like a garden tractor on steroids (I'm a pretty big guy and need something that'll accomodate me, too). Beyond that, I'm open.

I have a Kubota dealer less than a mile down the road so Kubota would be perfect but they are so expensive and tough to find used. I also have a John Deere dealer and a Ford/New Holland dealer nearby. I've seen different brands in the Kubota shop so I assume they work on about anything.

Now that I've shown my champagne tastes I'll share my beer budget, too. I'd like to get this thing accomplished under five figures. ;o)

Does it sound like I'm anywhere near the right track here? What input or suggestions do you have for me?

-- Gary in Indiana (gk6854@aol.com), July 04, 2001

Answers

All of the brands that you mention have pro's and con's,I guess you have to ask yourself do I need a 4x4,a loader, a sync.transmission?? If the answer is yes to the loader then 4 wheel drive is a real plus.As well as a sync. transmission,it makes shifting from foward to reverse much more user friendly.I'm sure you are aware of price of these options,a used one on the other hand is maybe cheaper to purchase but is still more than likely to need some sort of repairs.If one is mechanical enough to do their own repairs a used one might be a good place to start and gain exposure to the world of tractors. As far as H.P. goes,I've found it's better to have the power and not need it than to not have it when you really need it.BTW I run ford/NH so I have a bias opinion.

-- steve in Ohio (stevenb@0hio hills.com), July 04, 2001.

Start haunting the auctions. You should be able to pick up something like a Ford 800 series for a few thousand dollars (like around 3k, or maybe a little more depending on what if any attachments go with it).

Lots of times these smaller tractors go for fairly cheap because they don't have all the bells and whistles (like AC) that the bigger newer tractors have.

9Ns used to be a good deal (you can get a kit to convert to live PTO) but it seems they're popular with collectors now so they're getting hard to find and expensive.

Tractor collectors. Sheesh, what next? LOL!

-- Sojourner (notime4@summer.spam), July 04, 2001.


Hi, Gary~ Think used. Think old. That's the only cheap way to get a tractor. No way to get a new farm tractor these days unless you are making big bucks. I have a Ford 5000 bought new in 1967 and my "new" tractor is a 22 year old Same (Italian)also bought new. They both run great and are in good shape. Both are around 55-60 hp and do all I want them to most of the time. Like Steve says, never underestimate your need for hp, especially if you want to run something like a bush hog, which eats a lot of power. The mid size tractors are going to be more common, anyway, than anything small and you'll have more choice.

From my experience with an off brand tractor, don't go there if you can help it. You can have dealer in your back yard and parts still have to come across the ocean by ship, so you can wait sometimes for things. Also, it makes the parts more expensive. Something like Kubota, which is more common, may not suffer this problem, though, but if you're looking at Belarus or Zetors, don't!

Personally, for brand, I'd go for one that had a close dealer that has a good service department and looks like a going concern, so you've got a choice with your near dealerships. Don't worry about paint colour. :) Just get what you want on the tractor with a good dealer and you're set.

Jennifer L.

-- Jennifer L. (Northern NYS) (jlance@imcnet.net), July 04, 2001.


Gary, I would buy the best you can afford. Our old neighbors have a Kubota they love it. Stay away from Leland/Long we have one, great tractor can do any thing but no info is available about it (parts repair etc.) Keep in mind if the Kubota dealer down the road goes out of business where is the next dealer. Auctions are a good place to buy buyer beware. Maybe someone could go with you to advise. In our part of Indiana (Bloomington/Spencer) there are several places that sell used tractors of different makes go there and compare this might help you decide on the make with out going to a lot of places. You can buy a good used tractor but a new one like you described will cast you a lot.

-- Linda in Indy (freeinindy@yahoo.com), July 04, 2001.

Gary, What about an old Farmall H or M? Sounds like they might work for you, parts are available, they are easy to work on, lots of attatchments are available, the price will be right, and I don't believe you will have to worry with depreciation. Seems to me that the Farmalls are appreciating more and more as collectors buy them up.

On another note, my uncle owns a Kabota, with a lot of hours and wear on it, and it is EXPENSIVE to work on and to find parts.

I, too, am in Indiana, and there is a large, and I mean large, farm equipment auction somewhere around here. They have row upon row of tractors etc. I will find out the name and location of this place if you would like. (I cant believe I cant remember the name of the place).

By the way, where in Indiana are you, Gary?

-- clovis (clovis97@Yahoo.com), July 04, 2001.



Clovis,

I'm in Fort Wayne.

-- Gary in Indiana (gk6854@aol.com), July 04, 2001.


If you buy new, it will depreciate. If you buy used, chances are that much of the depreciation has already occured. Key is to find something well maintained, in great shape and with reasonably priced parts and implements available. Don't be afraid to pay a little above "going price" for a machine in great shape... its amazing how quickly the dollars and time add up when repairing anything which needs "a bit of work".

cheers,

-- Max (Maxel@inwindsor.com), July 04, 2001.


Linda,

I like your idea of buying the best I can afford but I also have to remember that every dollar that goes into the tractor I buy is a dollar that doesn't go into the house I want to build. That's why I've tried to set a limit of around $10,000 for this.

-- Gary in Indiana (gk6854@aol.com), July 04, 2001.


Jennifer,

Believe me, used is the only thing I'm thinking on this deal. In a weak, early moment in my search I looked at new. All I remember is the first digit was a "2" and there was another digit after that before I saw a comma. That was enough for me. LOL

-- Gary in Indiana (gk6854@aol.com), July 04, 2001.


Sojourner,

I know what you mean about tractor collecting. I had a good friend who collected military vehicles and fire trucks. A couple jeeps, personnel carrier, 6x6, pump truck, ladder truck, etc. He also had a 65 Mustang, a Duesenburg, an older Rolls Royce and a 52 MGB/TD. To his credit, though, these were not museum pieces to him. He drove every one of them on a somewhat regular basis, much to the amazement of collectors. LOL

-- Gary in Indiana (gk6854@aol.com), July 04, 2001.



Steve,

Used is definitely the way I intend to go. I agree with you that brands aren't going to be crucial in most instances. I can live with Blue or Green or Orange or Red(s). Might I ask where in OH you are? I'm only half an hour from the OH line here (Fort Wayne, IN) so if your store or anyone you know there has something that might work for me I'd love to hear about it.

-- Gary in Indiana (gk6854@aol.com), July 04, 2001.


Gary; your figures are realistic, sounds like your well though out. Any older American made that runs on diesel should fit the bill, the only foreign made tractors I would suggest is Kubota or Deutz; I have ran a Duetz for 27 days straight with a bat wing mower and the only problem it developed was a clogged fuel filter. I feel that diesel is superior due to the fact that there is no plugs to foul, no points to burn, no carb to clean or adjust, diesel will not go stale like gasoline, and pound for pound they have just got more "hiney" than gas.

-- mitch hearn (moopups1@aol.com), July 04, 2001.

Max,

I agree with you on buying one that "needs 'some' work." I'm a truck dealer by trade and know from experience that 'some' always turns into more and by the time you're finally done and add everything up, you could have bought better than you have for the money you've spent.

-- Gary in Indiana (gk6854@aol.com), July 04, 2001.


Gary, I'm in south-central Ohio,about 50 miles south east of Columbus. We just traded off a real nice 3000 Ford,gas tractor.Sounds like it would have been just what you are lookihg for.A tractor like that around here brings 6K to 6.8k..............

-- Steve in Ohio (stevenb@ohiohills.com), July 06, 2001.

If you got hills that you are going to be brushhogging or baling hay off of, you can't go wrong with a Ford 4000 SU model, has a wide front end, and is very low to the ground, very stable. Ours is 45 HP, plenty of PTO power to run a baler and even a small round baler, or your front end loader. We paid 10,000 dollars for a 1972 model, parts are available at the dealer, or sent overnight mail,if they are out of sock on what we need, part availabilty is imperitive, you can't be making hay and something break and have you wait a week or more for it.

Kubotas are very overpriced, and part availabilty is sometime slow, they cost almost twice to what a Ford will cost you, and remember, a 30 year old Ford is still better than a brand new, or almost brand new foreign job that parts are scarce or non-existent for.

-- Annie Miller in SE OH (annie@1st.net), July 07, 2001.



Sorry, forgot to insist that always go for diesel, NOT a gas job, twice the fuel savings or more, we been there, we KNOW! The Ford 4000 is diesel.

-- Annie Miller in SE OH (annie@1st.net), July 07, 2001.

Do you really NEED a tractor? We decided that we didn't really need a tractor for our 9 acres because a neighbor was willing to cut hay for us free. The deal is that he gets to take the hay for his cows in exchange for keeping our pasture cut. Since we don't need huge round hay rolls, we agreed to this arrangement, and it has worked beautifully for both parties. We saved lots of money by foregoing the expense of buying and maintaining a tractor.

-- Liz Rhein (merhein@shentel.net), July 08, 2001.

Annie,

Thanks so much for your input on this. I've pretty much eliminated Kubota from my search just because of the prices. Even the John Deeres are cheaper to come by and they've been historically high on the resale market. I don't think I've seen a Ford 4000 model as yet but it sounds nice. I've been having a hard time finding what I want here for some reason. It's so bad I'm now talking with a dealer in western Canada on one he has. Shipping wasn't as bad as I'd have thought and at least he has something I want.

As to the property, my ground is not particularly hilly and the county mows the ditch by the road so I'm not overly concerned that way. I want 4x4 for a couple reasons. I think it should be a big plus when using the loader and especially when moving snow piles after plowing with the truck.

If you know of anything in your area you think might work for me, please drop me a line.

-- Gary in Indiana (gk6854@aol.com), July 09, 2001.


Liz,

I'm not sure I need one for the bulk of what I own because I think I could make a deal like you describe. I have a lot of other things I'll use it for besides just mowing. And, truth be told, I've kind of gotten to like the idea of having a tractor, too. I'm sure part of it's just a 'guy thing.'

On the more practical side, with a loader I'll be able to write the tractor off against my business as snow removal equipment, which will help with the expense. I also believe that having a tractor there will motivate me to get more done sooner regarding a general clean up, tearing down old fence and putting up new, doing some landscaping around the barn and along the drive, etc. I think it'll be a huge asset when building a house there, too.

Besides... Having a tractor would be "cool," too. ;o)

-- Gary in Indiana (gk6854@aol.com), July 09, 2001.


If you buy used, get a warranty. Even if you buy it from the front of some guys yard. If he is not willing to give you at least a 30 day warranty against major problems I would suspect he doesn't trust the machine. If he doesn't, why should you. Also if you find yourself looking at a used Yanmar or Kubota check with a local dealer and make sure it is not a gray market and that they have parts to support you.

-- Jack (tuffstuff@proaxis.com), December 13, 2001.

Moderation questions? read the FAQ