Today I stopped at the Mahindra dealer. Rich, it's the same place that worked on your red crew cab 6.0 liter.

I ended up getting prices on the 2538 HST with the cab and without it. I can see how it would be advantageous to have the heat and a/c. With the heat, I wouldn't need to get all bundled up to make money, then change and go to work. A/C and the radio would be nice too, but definitely a big time bonus.
I'm planning on financing for 15 years. Not because I plan on making minimum payments only, but because it makes my payment ridiculously low. Under $250 is my plan. This way, if times are slow, I can make the minimum without issue. I will pay it off in probably less than five.

 

It is hydrostatic. I can see the opinions of the "old school" way of thinking, but having run everything from a subcompact tractor to a Cat 315L excavator I can tell you that if you want to spend any kind of time in a machine making money you are going to want to be as comfortable as possible. Can you make money and get the job done with out all of that, sure can, but at the end of the day if you can be comfortable you will be much happier at the end of the day.

I looked at the Mahindra also and they have a pretty good following. I have actually had Massey's for my personal tractors for the last 10 years, bobcat, case and Cat for the heavy equipment. I do not regret going to Kubota at all, the power and the layout of the controls are really thought out. I had to continually look at the controls on the last Massey to make sure I was throwing the correct lever to engage the pto, not a huge deal but when its more second nature then its much faster.

I set myself up on the 0% financing for the 60 months when I bought mine, with the employee discount is still has the payment just under $500 a month but it'll be done in less than 5 years and I know it's going to last me forever. Keeping it inside most of the time will help keep it as new looking as I can. The only time it would be outside over night is when I take it to deer camp.

 

I'm just having fun.

I do however prefer a manual trans all the way. Years back I helped someone I knew with a job who was way behind schedule. I had my 1710, he had a Kubota. I tried his tractor and I just didn't like hydro, he didn't like manual. I actually was a little more productive with my tractor then he was, but for the decades this tractor was under my tail I can do things without thinking about it. And that's part of my not liking the 1920, it's controls are different. I still look at ads for 1910s as I believe I would fit to it better with the controls being the same. Just hard to get an older tractor with simpler mechanicals with as low hours as I found with the 1920.

Now my dozer, a 1952 A-C HD-9B. Again, total manual and a workout if using all day with arms flailing everywhere. At the end of the day a newer JD can be in my dreams.

For me having a manual gives me the feedback on the strain to the motor, something I hold dear. But as my wife's often tells me, I don't like change.

 

Oh no, I hear ya Jack.

Nothing compares to the drive by wire stuff, could you imagine how easy and how productive you can be on a new dozer. Man are those things nice.

I do have to give credit to the old school guys that can really operate equipment. Now pretty much anyone that has played a video game can do it.

 

But then I wouldn't be listening to a Jimmy 2-Stoke diesel at full whine.

Startup just like this

 

Well, wife might be putting the kibosh to the tractor purchase at this time. Too stressful with the house, my new job and her still searching for a way out of the looney bin she calls work.
I'm planning on totally fleshing out this thread still. The more I know about how I can use it as well as what to use and look for, the better purchase I can make.

 

You started out with snow clearing, and depending on your local situation a plow on the truck with something supplemental may work out for that, and get you some funds for future endeavors. Settle in and work from there. That doesn't require a tractor.

 

One thing to also think about is insurance, "if" you are going to use it to make money and have a side business your regular homeowners insurance won't cover anything commercial.

In fact when I added this tractor that was one of the first things my agent asked me was if I was going to be using it for profit. If I ever do switch to that with it I know that I will need a healthy liability insurance policy.....

 

Man, I take a week off down at the parents and miss a thread like this?!!!

So Torr, even though you are maybe nixing this for now... It was a fun speed-read thread!

Jack mentioned my Bobcat and Rich sounds like he's had/has both. I've also got a 30HP Kubota tractor. Before I forget: Kubota has up to 84 months 0% financing right now.

If I could only have one: No doubt it would be the Bobcat (it is a mid-size, 773/175) -- it is my 90% go-to machine and can lift 3x what the Tractor can. If you have a decent rental place you can rent a bazillion implements for it. Other than finish grading, I can just not DO more, but go more places and do the work Way faster than the tractor. I'm probably a bit biased.... My attachments are: Tilt-Tac, Forks, Lifting boom, double clam-shell Root Grapple, Auger, smooth and toothed buckets and stump bucket. And while not an implement: Mclaren OTT Tracks with rubber pads - pro and con to those..

If you go Tractor: 4x4 only, hydro trans unless you can hang wallpaper with one hand, get the QuickTac front and extra aux. front hydraulics. Also I'd get Top -n- tilt on the rear 3pt. and at least a front bucket and a box scraper. And make darn sure your neck and back are good with twisting around and hitting bumps, because alot of stuff goes on behind you (in my experience).

Not that it applies to you: don't try going across slope in your tractor, don't be too worried if you are in a Bobcat unless you have your bucket up (high) with a load.

I have pulled my tractor out of more things with my Bobcat and it has been zero in the other way around, though the Expy has done 2 rescues of the Bob... In the tractor's defense: you will tear the heck out of whatever you are on if you work one area in a skidsteer, tractor is pretty ground friendly...

Congrats on the job and all the best...

Scott

 

I can hang wallpaper with one hand ..........

 

I don't even care if it's off topic or not since I'm not offering advice.

1949 Farmall Cub. Grill and logos were updated before it was resold to us. I took the head off it for the first time since at least 1962, fewer leaks on that gasket than an average 6.0 We have two of them now, this '49 with a C-2 mower and a '50 with a flail mower, both cut grass better than a JD rider.


Fantastic picture of one in a lot better shape! But it was a little bit newer back then than they are now. I spruced up our '49 some but didn't go overboard, only painted what was down to bare metal, it earned a lot of those marks working hard for 55 years before it went into retirement. Which is only temporary until the bearing on the mower get's rebuilt then it'll be back to mowing, just with the fourth generation driving it this time

 

Jack, only you and a few super-humans.... I had an old Satoh (Mitsibushi) that had double levers for the bucket tilt/lift and a manual trans.

Filling a bucket of loose material and backing out of the pile took Jedi talents... Maybe that is why I like the original Star Wars so much...

Hope you are well,
Scott

 

Apparently a lot of pent up tractor talk in a 6.0 forum that needs to get out .....

Scott, tacks. You use tacks. Ain't super human. This was one of those creative thought tests wasn't it?

Try these levers. On a dozer heading for somethin you don't want to be heading for. Hi-Lo is the one in the crotch area, And don't forget the two pedals for the steering brakes. THIS keeps you busy. Thank god the blade doesn't angle. It takes me some time to get reacquainted with it every time I get in the seat.

 

Bryan,

There were a lot of Cubs built, and a great tractor after the war for 10-20 acres. With attachments for tilling, planting, land upkeep, as you well know. The 4cyl was only rated at 12hp, but a lot of torque. And for you guys who don't some details about them, there's no water pump or thermostat, they cool by 'Thermo-Syphon", the movement of the cooling water due to its temperature.

 

Yes the tractor plans are temporarily on hold. I'm approved by the credit union and if it was the right thing to do, could walk out of the dealer with a brand new 38 hp 4x4 HST with FEL, front mount 66" snowblower, pallet forks, cruise control and loaded industrial tires for $235 a month!
My wife needs to get out of her job too, but the offers she is receiving are considerably less than her current job.
Oh well, now that I'm working at a Ford body shop, I get to check out some nice vehicles again.