Buying advice.... DONT BUY A TRACTOR

jaargh

Member

Equipment
BX1880V w/LA344 FEL, BB1248 Scraper, RCR1248 Brush Mower, 60" Rock Rake
Mar 30, 2021
47
49
18
southern california
Seriously tho... what a difference it makes... last year with all the rain we had the freaking mustard weed was over 7 feet high... I drug a 10 foot section of highway guard rail with about 200 pounds of rock on it to pull the weeks down. This year with my tiny tractor and the 48” brush hog in 2 hrs all mowed down. I actually felt guilty it was so easy! BUT.. none of you sob’s ever mentioned the rabbit hole these things are. Barely a month into ownership I have the tiny guy with the fel, rock rake, brush hog, box scraper, post hole auger , little dump trailer and picking up a grading blade tomorrow. Add the quick hitch and fabbing up a toolbox and cooler rack and tow hitch for the trailer.. piranha bar, lift hooks I welded up... omg I can’t look at something now and not go online to see if there is an attachment I can’t live without... lol does it ever end?? I haven’t been on my Harley in 3 freaking weeks... so if you ask my advice... stick to whiskey, Harley’s, women and cigars... it is WAAAY cheaper.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 11 users

PaulL

Well-known member

Equipment
B2601
Jul 17, 2017
2,098
1,106
113
NZ
You'd spend a lot on your tractor before it was cheaper than women. Just saying. (well, at least, a single woman isn't too expensive. But if you try to have women plural, then that's gonna get expensive real fast).

I don't see mention of a grapple, pallet forks, wood chipper, spray unit (those are real cheap and frankly awesome - mine has a small boom as well as a wand - amazing what you can spray quickly). You have some way to go.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user

jaargh

Member

Equipment
BX1880V w/LA344 FEL, BB1248 Scraper, RCR1248 Brush Mower, 60" Rock Rake
Mar 30, 2021
47
49
18
southern california
You'd spend a lot on your tractor before it was cheaper than women. Just saying. (well, at least, a single woman isn't too expensive. But if you try to have women plural, then that's gonna get expensive real fast).

I don't see mention of a grapple, pallet forks, wood chipper, spray unit (those are real cheap and frankly awesome - mine has a small boom as well as a wand - amazing what you can spray quickly). You have some way to go.
Lol seriously considering the chipper and sprayer... looked at the grappler but I swear.. just not come up with a good reason. Yet... still considering it tho
 

PaulL

Well-known member

Equipment
B2601
Jul 17, 2017
2,098
1,106
113
NZ
The chipper is great if you have some land, but not so much you want a burn pile or can push trash into the woods to rot. No green waste leaves our property, I have a nice mulch pile, and I can use it next year in the gardens.

Sprayer I bought a very cheap one sized for an ATV - 60L (15 gallons?) with an electric pump and small boom as well as a hand wand. I welded a mount for the 3ph, which was easy because it's light. Just some straight pipe that fits through the 3ph ends, and then two L shaped sections with a ratchet strap to pull tight over the tank, and an upright for the top link. I sprayed the lichen on the driveway, easy. Sprayed flat weeds in the lawn, easy. Spraying used to suck, now it's fun. Everything gets sprayed. I wired in a switch on the dash so I can turn it on and off easily, and don't have to plug into cigarette lighter. Main advice I have is get one with a long wand, or one that you can easily buy an extra insert on the wand (mine is cheap Chinese and can't get parts). You want to be able to sit on the tractor and spray, and mines a bit short for that.

I want a grapple, but I also have no use. I would have used one last weekend, I tidied a big pile at the local community land. But that's maybe once a year, hard to justify. It was annoying moving a pile of off cuts with pallet forks - I couldn't get a grab on a decent pile. I ended up with the bucket on and hand piling stuff into the bucket. Better than carrying by hand, but not much.

Don't underestimate pallet forks. Mine go on the 3ph as well as the FEL, and that's useful. They're not expensive. Even clip on ones for your bucket are useful if you don't get over keen on what they can lift.
 

mcfarmall

Well-known member

Equipment
Kubota M5660SUHD, Farmall C
Sep 11, 2013
1,377
1,648
113
Kalamazoo, MI
Ditch the hog. A tractor is much safer and tractor folks are more fun to hang with, plus you'll learn more skills like welding and fabricating.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users

Bmyers

Well-known member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
Grand L3560 with LA805 loader, EA 55" Wicked Grapple, SBX72 BB, LP 1272 mower
May 27, 2019
3,151
3,628
113
Southern Illinois
Lol seriously considering the chipper and sprayer... looked at the grappler but I swear.. just not come up with a good reason. Yet... still considering it tho
Interesting. My grapple is my most used attachment, from moving chunks of concrete, brush, logs, old attachments, and tearing down buildings.

Resized_20191231_132654.jpeg
Resized_20191227_130731.jpg
three.jpg
Resized_20191207_102850.jpeg
Resized_20200307_072409.jpg
 

Magicman

Well-known member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
M4900 Utility Special 4WD e/w FEL & 1530 John Deere "Traveling Man"
Oct 8, 2019
5,058
6,438
113
80
Brookhaven, MS
knotholesawmill.com
Upgrade to the much needed larger tractor and the rabbit hole gets deeper plus wider. :oops:
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users

je1279

Well-known member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
LX2610 w/ 60" MMM, LP 72" Snow Plow, EA Wicked 55" Grapple, and Woods 60" BB
Dec 6, 2020
723
453
63
Upstate NY
Got the tractor when I was 40. Maybe I will buy a hot rod or sports car when I turn 50. That's if there's any money left in the budget after all of the accessory, implement and storage purchases. I probably should have done this the other way around 🤔
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user

skeets

Well-known member

Equipment
BX 2360 /B2601
Oct 2, 2009
14,094
2,755
113
SW Pa
If you think bikes and hot rods are wabbit holes,,,,,,,, welll just hang on
 

timb365

New member
Apr 9, 2021
22
2
3
Western NJ
Got the tractor when I was 40. Maybe I will buy a hot rod or sports car when I turn 50. That's if there's any money left in the budget after all of the accessory, implement and storage purchases. I probably should have done this the other way around 🤔
I am right there with you! A tractor filling up the garage spot was NEVER my plan entering (and now on my way through) my 40's! I just have even more motivation now to get the tractor eventually in its own home to make room for something shiny that goes a bit faster than 10 MPH!
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user

tbk5

Active member

Equipment
L3710, L3010, ZD1211, RTV900xt, GR2100, lots of 3pt equipment
Sep 24, 2013
163
73
28
Central AL
Have you started on the body customizations yet?

1620831371299.png


:ROFLMAO:
 
  • Like
  • Haha
Reactions: 3 users

NCL4701

Well-known member

Equipment
L4701, T2290, WC68, grapple, BB1572 box scrape, Howes 500, 16kW IMD gen, WG24
Apr 27, 2020
2,489
3,508
113
Central Piedmont, NC
It’s not a fully developed disease until you have at least three tractors.

I do have limits but my wife and I have discussed pretty openly some guys have motorcycles, some have boats, hot cars, or tricked trucks. I have a tractor and most of what I do with it is 100% practical but if some is just because, that’s OK, too.

Do I “need” a hydraulic top and side link? Honestly no. But I want it and it does have practical application so I’m now waiting for the parts to arrive. That’s OK.
 
Last edited:

orange crusher

Well-known member

Equipment
BX 2680
Sep 30, 2017
356
479
63
ontario canada
But, why can’t I have both?

Because as you get older it takes a whole lot longer to heal when you fall off that hog vs. falling off your tractor. Not to mention the fact that is a whole lot less likely that some dumb chit cager will try to flatten you on the tractor vs. the hog.
 

leveraddict

Well-known member

Equipment
2017 BX23S 60" LP BoxBlade 54" mower 60" BackBlade EA 12" 1 bottom plow & Forks
Apr 1, 2019
906
580
93
NEPA
My wife said the tractor is a toy! I say it makes me do work! Where was she when I redid the property working everyday for 16 weeks the first year I got it? Saved a ton $$$ redoing the drainfield when it failed! Dug chimney down to footer for repair! Diging stumps and making a drive way to access the back yard! Made much needed parking areas! Burying rain gutter run off. French drains! So on and so on!
 

Bmyers

Well-known member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
Grand L3560 with LA805 loader, EA 55" Wicked Grapple, SBX72 BB, LP 1272 mower
May 27, 2019
3,151
3,628
113
Southern Illinois
My wife looks at the tractor as a medical device. It gets me out of the house and active. It allows her to keep her sanity as I'm not under her feet driving her crazy.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users

tbk5

Active member

Equipment
L3710, L3010, ZD1211, RTV900xt, GR2100, lots of 3pt equipment
Sep 24, 2013
163
73
28
Central AL
When I went to buy my first one, she asked: "Are you sure you are buying a big enough tractor?" I think she knew all along how lengthy her honey do list was....
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user