Re: the right size of tractor

Posted by Dan Kelley on May 09, 2002 at 14:38:38 from (63.104.174.146):

In Reply to: the right size of tractor posted by dave on May 09, 2002 at 13:37:26:

Good question!

When I bought my M, my wife asked me if I really needed a tractor that big. I didn't have a good answer, but bought the tractor anyway. (My wife rolled her eyes, and said something about men and their toys.) I have since used it to move a stack of steel columns, and there were a couple times when the rear wheels threatened to lift off the ground even with wheel weights. At the time, I was only lifting one big column! So, I think I bought the right sized tractor.

You're going about this exactly the right way. You're asking yourself "Why do I need this tractor?" Sounds like either a C or an H would do you pretty nicely. If you plan on taking it to other work sites or shows, the H will be harder to move. If you're in an area where the snow tends to drift a little deeper, than the H might be the better choice. If you're going with a front loader instead of a blade, either will handle deeper snow; the C would just take more time.

You may want to look ahead to other uses for your tractor, too. If you want to do some finish mowing, I'd go more with the C. It would be lighter, and would not damage the lawn as much. If you want to brush-hog, I'd go for the H, because it has more power. Post holes? How hard is your ground? Also, keep your eye out for a 3-pt hitch. I screwed up a bit. I bought the tractor, then thought of post holes later on. Now, I need to install a 3-pt setup and replace my PTO-driven hydraulic pump.

You can always add stuff to your tractor once you get it, but its cheaper to buy the tractor the way you want it. I can get a 3-pt setup for my M, but it will cost me. I can do live hydraulics for my M, but it will cost me. I can do an M&W hand clutch, but it will cost me. In my case, I think I'd have fun installing all that stuff, so it might be worth the price. To me, its a hobby. Then again, I may just make my money back doing driveways (back blade) and post-holes for neighbors on the weekends. In your case, look ahead to possible future uses.

Another thing to consider is the local market for tractors. I bought my M for $2K, delivered, with the front loader already installed. It has turned out to do everything I've asked it to do, and so was a bargain. It's also a seller's market, so I really did OK. You may find a real honey of a tractor at a good price, and the decision will be made for you. I came real close to buying a W9 with a blade for $1500, just because it was available and I knew I would be needing a tractor eventually. (I know where that tractor went, and he only used it one month to do his driveway. Its been parked ever since. I wonder if he'd take $1000 for it?)

Live hydraulics and live PTO are nice to have. I frequently find myself trying to raise my bucket with the clutch in. My hydraulic pump is PTO-driven, and I don't have live-PTO. In my case, its just an inconvenience, and a nice reminder that I'm driving something from a better, more simple time. So, I shift to neutral and let the clutch back out before lifting my pucket. Big deal. It gives my tractor character. If you plan on a lot of brush-hogging or other stuff where the PTO will be in use all the time, perhaps live PTO would be the way to go. If you're not going to use the PTO, don't worry about it. Same goes for live hydraulics. If the only thing you're doing is lifting a blade, then perhaps live hydraulics are no big deal.

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• Re: Re: the right size of tractor dave 20:12:10 05/09/02 (0)

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