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Re: Which tractor to Buy?????
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Posted by Gerald on January 23, 1999 at 19:07:35:
In Reply to: Which tractor to Buy????? posted by Larry on January 23, 1999 at 15:35:10:
Been there, tried that, have 25 acres in hay and row crops. Forget the antique toys! For nearly the same money you can get something with power steering, ground clearance, power brakes, differential lock and enough power to get real work done. I gave up the 8N years ago, bought a MF-135 after I bought the land. Farmed OK, but about a year ago I bought a JD4020 for more ground clearance in cultivating. With larger plow and disk and the same 6 row narrow cultivator and rotary hoe, I produced more crop with only 35 hours on the tachometer instead of 100 hours. I made a better seed bed, planted better and cultivated better (also chose the seed better). A 3020 is pretty good and hardly cheaper than the 4020. Gas is less expensive than diesel though some don't think it will run as long. At 40 hours a year the price difference will buy a lot of gasoline in the next ten or fifteen years. There were half as many 4020 produced as 8N but the parts are 100% available. You definitely want a three point on anything you get. Its more versatile. Plan on spending as much for hay mower and other implements as you spend on tractor. Its more important who the parts source is than who made the tractor. Its no good being a Mercedes if the nearest dealer is a state away. When you shop you will find pockets of lower prices just because the appropriate dealers are a long ways away. Visit that dealer, ask questions. If he hasn't time for you now, he still won't when you need parts. Get a catalog from CT (888-8CT-FARM), a wish book you might call it. See what tractors have lots of parts, and what aren't mentioned. The not mentioned will be cheaper but might not be practical to keep running. Do you want to mechanic or mow? Mowing creates revenue to pay for the machinery and the land. Fixing a broken tractor doesn't. Some day soon I'll have a MF135 for sale, but its not what I think you will find most useful. I need to finish rocker arms and do some hydraulic adjustments. Gerald
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