For you small-tractor folks

[okiemaggie]

Probably getting tired of the repitition but 4wd is a must on a light tractor, especially with a front-end loader.

Turf tires are nice if most of your mowing is "lawn" as opposed to field. They don't leave tread marks.

Belly mowers tend to throw a lot of grass and dust up onto the driver. After a while you look like Pigpen in the Charlie Brown comics. It also can clog your radiator screen and cause over-heating. That can be a problem with small tractors. Finish mowers aren't very expensive and it sure is nice to have all the dust and clippings behind you.

Silly detail but look for models where the exhaust goes out a tailpipe in the back as opposed to up alongside the engine. I swear, no matter which way the wind blows, it will blow that smoke into your face.

 

[kdlong]

we have a mahindra 2816 4wd with loader, brushhog,boxblade and auger.i think we had about 18000 in it . it has a mitsibishi motor. we used during the snow storm to clean parking lots and driveways worked great. it's 28 horse pulls the 5ft. brushhog great.the onlt thing is if you are long leggged the set doesn't go far enough back. my dad bought him a jd 2305 with loader,and brushhog for around 11500. it is hydostat drive it has the option for the belly mower. it is a very stought little tractor. it is 24 hp. it is a little more roomy. both are diesel. the jd has a yamar engine. i like either tractor there easy to use. also the jd is 4wd.

 

[Thorgrim]

I bought a Kubota L3130 about 8 years ago. It was excellent.(sold due to divorce) It is def. bigger than what you need. It was 4wd, 3cyl diesel, 5' bucket, brush hog, industrial tires, shuttle shift,..... I bought it at Enlow. They made me a good deal and even called me the next business day to offer a better interest rate that became available that day, just resigned papers. I have a friend that has a New Holland and he is very pleased.
If you are not doing much landscaping, you might just consider buying a quality zero turn mower.

 

[willystruck]

A lot of good advice so far here. I would recommend something in the 25 to 30 hp range, 4wd, end loader, and finish mower. Hydrostatic is great but standard will work fine for your uses. You will be suprised how close you can mow to trees and other objects if the finish mower is wider than the rear wheels of the tractor.

 

[smcgee10]

JMHO Stay away from Mahindra. A buddy had a Mahindra and the hyd pump went 6 months out of warranty. He had it at a un named dealer and they told him they could not fix it. He called me and I told him I would try to help out. No numbers crossed. None matched up to any bolt pattern. And it was a Eaton pump. Called and emailed Eaton. No answer. Went to the Eaton building over by Tinker and finally got an answer. The pump was discontinued in 1968!!! WTF? A tractor build in 2002 has a hyd pump that was discontinued to be serviced in 1968??? Went to the dealer and they replied, "Yeah. They used a lot of old surplus parts. That is why they are so cheap. One tractor could have any one of 10 for some parts and it is not even broke down into serial numbers. We just have to guess."

When you say Mahindra, I say NO THANKS!

 

[Perplexed]

Folks, thanks for the advice! It's obvious I'll need 4x4 and should get a FEL along with turf tires. I currently have a zero-turn mower with the deck underneath and in front, and while it's great for mowing around trees, it sucks for mowing in the long, straight lines I follow across my yard. It's also worthless when it comes to moving dirt, and even worse for clearing snow off that 100+ yard-long driveway, and I know all about looking like Pigpen when I'm done mowing on a dry summer day So, I do want to get a tractor.

Much appreciated

 

[ENC]

My advice go brand name, then after that go with whichever one has a dealer/service center closest to you. They will need parts and maintenance, the less you have to travel for that the better you are.

 

[plissken]

I bought blue several years ago. I like blue. BUT, a good rule is to buy what's local and been local. The guy selling Mahindras today may move on to Bransons tomorrow. If you live next to a John Deere dealer that's been there selling Deeres for a few decades, that's the one to get. And you figured it out, 4x4 is a must for FEL work. I like blue.

 

[trickydick]

Wow that's not good to hear about Mahindra. Something I failed to mention earlier, they will usually offer to put on whatever type of tire you want when you buy a new tractor: Ag tires=very agressive rounded deep bar tread pattern, Track loader type=semi agressive flat not so deep bar tread pattern, or turf=usually a cross hatch pattern not aggresive at all

I went for the track loader type tires and have only regretted it once when I had to pull a neighbors tractor out of a very muddy hole but if I had gotten the Ag tires I would have regretted them every time I drove over my lawn. I wouldn't even consider turf tires, if you ever wanted to pull your vehical out of a stuck place you wouldn't have a chance with turf tires.

 

[sesh]

I bought a green and yellow 3032E, it came with a FEL, rotary cutter, box blade, and a trailer to haul all of it on from P&K just a couple weeks ago for under 20k before tax. They are running a zero interest deal right now too.