For you small-tractor folks

[Perplexed]

Yes, I know this is a firearms forum, but I also know a lot of you live in the country, so hopefully you'll be able to help. I'll soon be in the market for a small, 20-30 hp tractor which will be used mainly to mow 3 acres of mostly open yard. The tractor will also see some duty for light earth-moving, so the capability to mount a small front-end loader is a must, and I also want to be able to use this tractor in the winter to move snow off a 100-yard driveway. While at it, I'll probably also clear off my neighbor's driveways as well.

From what I've read, Hydrostat transmissions are a definite plus when it comes to using a FEL even at the expense of some power loss at the PTO. Four-wheel drive seems also to be a boon, though I'm not sure how much of a difference that'd make. Towed mower decks seem to be the way to go for ease of connecting and disconnecting, though mid-mount mower decks make for better maneuverability around trees and shrubs... am I right?

So far, Mahindra's 20-22 hp offerings seem to be a good choice when compared to the price boosts caused by the brand-name recognition of John Deere, Massey Ferguson, and Kubota. Comparing the lists of features puts Mahindra on a par with those other manufacturers, which is why I'm leaning in that direction. However, this is mostly on paper, with not a lot of feedback elsewhere on the Net. Most of what I read seems to come from folks who are convinced that "their" brand is the only way to go, and everyone else can go ... well, you get it.

So, are there any unbiased opinions about good choices in tractors, given the parameters I've outlined?

 

[radarmonkey]

In my expericence you get what you pay for. That being said if you aren't trying to make a living with your tractor you could probably skimp on a few things. I spent thousands of hours in my youth on tractors so my number one advice to you is go drive them....get one that fits so to speak. What you described using it for is pretty tame in my opinion. I would give serious thought to those Mahindra's unless you hear otherwise. Also, don't forget about used equipment. Check out tractorhouse.com. You can search by zip code, manufacturer, HP etc.

 

[mspaeth53]

Check out the LS tractors at suttun tractor supply. I have the ls3010 and love it. It is shuttle shift but does every thing I ask it to do. I had an old Ford 3000 that would get stuck if I looked sideways at it but this LS has yet to get stuck.

 

[UnSafe]

Thoughts from 5 years with my little NH 30 HP tractor, and the borrowing of others that led me to buying my own.

Light tractor= Not so much traction. 4WD definitely helps. I leave the box blade on it when using the bucket to balance things out. Haven't put Calcium Chloride/ water in the tires but might this year. Weight plates are an option.

Tires- I opted for the combination lug tread tires as opposed to the traditional big tread tires offered on some. The big lugs are hard on your lawn. The loss in traction is worth the tradeoff to me.

Get a bucket loader at the time of purchase. You'll learn to use it for things you might have never thought of. A box blade with rippers is handy as well.

Mowers- No experience with belly mowers. I bought a 60" towed finish mower, which works fine for my use, but is a bit of a PITA in the tighter trees. The plus is that I can back into narrow areas to mow. I bought an old Howse rotary mower that needed a bit of love and gearbox seals to get going, but has chopped and cut everything I could find to drag it over. Awesome for Johnson grass and poison oak thickets.

Transmission- I went with a conventional manual transmission. The price break for the hydrostat was significant. Hydrostatic drive is an asset if you do a lot of forward/ back/ forward. If you can live with the price, go for it.

Brands- Green seemed to run more for similar features. Orange, blue and red all were competitive. Shop and look for 0% interest deals. It's "Hobby tractor" season right now.

Trailers are handy if you intend to travel any distances, like hunting leases, friends, or whatever and are sometimes included in the packages offered. Be sure to look at the trailer specs to make sure you're getting a good deal.

Used? I have several Rancher friends that all offered to help me find a good deal on a used tractor. I looked at several, but in the end, I didn't want another project, just a reliable tractor that starts every time I put a key in it.

 

[carleb]

I have a Kubota 2210 (26 hp?) 4wd and I am amazed every time I use it at how much I can make that little thing do. I'm surprised I don't tear it up, but I haven't yet. IMO snow removal makes 4wd nearly mandatory, especially with the type of snow we had this year. A hydro would be nice, but a shuttle works very well too. I'm not sure about Mahindra, but I have not heard anything negative. Friend has a Kyoti and another a McCormick. Both seem like good little tractors too. I really like JD, but I think all their lower HP tractors are Korean, so it's not really a national pride thing unless you are around 75 HP and up.

4WD adds about 25% effectiveness to the drawbar HP. Get a FEL from the get-go, put fluid in the tires and go have fun! I'd judge the brand by what dealers carry it and the dealer's reputation. Don't need to buy from a dealer, but parts availability is a big deal. When you need something, you need it now!

 

[Stephen Cue]

I'm a city boy and have little practical need for a tractor, but id love to have one and ocassionally price them.

Was at Tulsa new Holland yesterday and seen a Mahindra 2216 (last years model, that size is now 2516) .

1st two digits is HP, second two is drive; 16 = 4x4

They were asking $12k but I'd bet theres wriggle room.

 

[RWS]

if you plan to use a loader, get a 4WD. my FIL had a 30-35 hp 4WD kubota. we have a 70 hp 2wd JD. we built a parking lot with asphalt millings, the little kubota with smaller bucket and blade worked circles around the JD

 

[????]

if I was buying new
http://www.cubcadet.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/category2_10051_14101_1210106_600003_600003_-1_image

I have two neighbors with nifty little cubs. They love em


If not I'd shop for old stuff green,orange, red, blue

 

[Buzzdraw]

If you're doing a bunch of mowing go the hydro-stat, especially if the grass thickness varies and there are obstacles (trees, rocks, etc).

4WD is not essential for mowing. For light duty loader service or other uses you mention, it is virtually required.

You do want a Diesel engine, don't you?

New Holland and John Deere make excellent machines, with good parts availability. I've run both Ford (NH's predecessor) and JD compact tractors. Kubota has a good reputation, but their parts availability isn't stellar. I would not have another Massey-Ferguson.

A rear mounted grooming mower will do, for the reasons already mentioned in other posts.

I notice you are from Tulsa; go talk with the folks at Tulsa New Holland. They are square shooters, with a good service and parts departments. I've bought several pieces of equipment from them and will highly recommend them.

 

[trickydick]

About 5 years ago I checked out most of the tractors and due to not having a Mahindra dealer in this area I didn't get to look at them, from what I saw I purchased a JD 790 27hp 4wd tractor with the front end loader, a LX6 brushhog and a hard canopy on the top, the tractor was 11k and the front loader was 2500, and the mower was 3k the canopy was only about 300 and worth every penny. Looking back this was about the best purchase I could have made, the only thing I should have done different was to purchase the trailer and belly mower at the same time. Unfortunatly they dont make the kit to attach the belly mower to my tractor anymore so that option is out the window. JD's LX6 brushhog is a very heavy and well built deck(it has the slip clutch vs the shear pin and the chains front and rear vs the rubber, so it's DOT appoved for mowing road ways) the only other brand that is built this well is the actual Bush Hog brand and they would have only saved me about $500.
I have a case dealer about a mile from my house and their about out of business because they thing everything they have is made of gold.
The local New Holland dealer in lawton which used to also carry Kubota was a major A-hole and ran off most of his business(he also lost the Kubota brand which was restarted by someone else in Duncan.
BTW New Holland and Case and IH are all made by the same parent company.
The Cub Cadets that I looked at were built like big lawn mowers with kinda a layered c-chanell frame which I didn't care for.
You would really have to work a tractor almost daily to truly need hydro static drive or the shuttle shift, for just your own lawn and a bit of dirt work the standard tranny is just fine.
On most of the tractor in this HP range power steering is optional, but it comes strandard with the 4wd(this is very handy).
If you live around OKC Cat has small tractors in this range and might also be an option.

I hope some of this help ya.