Thinking about purchasing a tractor

[engatwork]

I've got some land that I want to clean up enough to put some rv spots on and figured I'd purchase a tractor and start cleaning it up. Anyway, I want to purchase a good used tractor with a front end loader and back hoe. Alot of what I have to clean up are saplings under 4" in diameter. I will have someone else take care of the full grown trees when I get ready to take them down. Any guidance that ya'll can offer in what to look for regarding brand, ease of maintenance, etc... will be appreciated. I figure something with more than 50 hp. I have tested a New Holland with the 28 hp diesel and 4wd and felt it was a little too small.
tia

[SwampYankee]

Bang for the buck Kubota's are hard to beat, unfortunately they hold their value. At least in these parts. Most high end landscape contractors around here prefer them. You see a rare JD or New Holland.

I don't know anything about them, but for the price of a late-model, used Kubota or JD you can get a brand new NorTrac, Jimna, Kioti etc. (probably all made by the same Chinese manufacturer ) which might work just fine, depending on use and your feelings about Chinese products.

[kip Foss]

Even though a Mahindra is made in India it is still an International. Int. had its small tractors made there for many years. When the got out of the business the Indian co. started making the Mahindra.

If you don't plan on making your living off the tractor and run it 27 hrs. a day 9 days a week any known brand will work. Check out industrial and farm auctions, esp. now that the economy is down. To find out which is better look up independent tractor repair shops. Check out highway verge mowing cos. They put a lot of hours on their equip. Construction cos. will tell you about backhoes.

[Hatterasguy]

My grandfather used to have a nice Kubota, bought it new and it was pretty sweet.


Anything John Deere is probably nice.

[R Leo]

For one-time land clearing I'd rent machinery before buying. You buy, you break it, you're screwed...you rent one and break it, it's their problem. And I guarantee you one thing: a 28hp anything isn't going to be able to do much real work.

I own a 40hp Deere tractor with a FEL, a 9500# Komatsu D20 (about 40hp) dozer and am currently renting a JCB 214 backhoe (about 18000# and 60something hp) and constantly amazed by the quantum leap in work that the big iron JCB can do.

In short: Rent a big enough tool to do the short term job you need done. Then buy the size tool you need to maintain the place.

JD or Kubota are painfully easy to get parts and service (we also have a Kubota BX1800 for mowing the ROW and odd little jobs) . OTOH, Chinese and Indian brands may be OK for the hobby farmer but some of those units have literally sat for YEARS on docks and in lots waiting for customs and/or a buyer and believe me they have mucho problems after that and service is iffy at best. I wouldn't touch one.

PM me for more if you want it.

[Hatterasguy]

When in doubt get a bigger machine.


How much site work are you going to have to do? Is the land pretty flat? With tree's even little ones a chain saw is your best bet. You can knock them down with a machine, but I wouldn't go and get/rent one just for that. Just go cut them.

If you plan on pulling stumps, whatever you get will need some balls. Any stump that is of decent size will require a good sized machine. Back hoes don't have a lot of balls for stuff like that, or reach. For the little 4in tree's almost anything could pull those, but for the big stuff your going to need a decent excavator. Or just grind them.

[Gurkha]

Kubota is excellent and super reliable, so is German Brahma-Steyr using good old MB technology with excellent BOSCH hydraulics.

[G-Benz]

How 'bout a LAMBO?!!


Here's an auction listing:

http://www.tractorhouse.com/listings/detail.aspx?OHID=5239187