I get e-mails all the time from people who are shopping for tractors and there are five common mistakes that can be made when buying equipment that we discuss today.
Got an e-mail this week from a viewer shopping for a sub-compact tractor, he wants a cab, he's going to be using it to brush hog and clear timber, and he wants a 5' cutter and he wants to know what brand I'd recommend. He could be making all five of them.
First, a lot of folks are shopping for a tractor that's too small. Sub compacts are great for small acreages and tight quarters, but if you're trying to brush hog a big field, you'll be on the tractor a long time. I'm not aware of sub compacts with cabs, and you have to be careful, a cab air conditioner will take 5-10 horsepower to run, and on a small tractor, that doesn't leave enough to do work with.
Second, be careful where you put a cab tractor. If you're brush hogging a big field in the summer, cabs are great. If you get cabs and low limbs together you can have an expensive disaster quickly. Cab glass is expensive to repair, and it doesn't take much of a tap from a limb to blast a glass out. You won't forget the first time you do that because of the sound it makes. If you have to put a cab tractor in the woods, invest in a pole saw or tree shear to prune the lower limbs before going there.
Third, in my opinion, a 5' cutter is too much for a sub compact tractor. Generally, on small tractors, you want the cutter to be the same width as the loader bucket. If the tractor has a 4' bucket, you'll want a 4' bush hog, a 5' bucket gets a 5' cutter, etc. Also, match the size of the cutter to the horsepower of the tractor and the size of material you want to cut. Every brush hog will tell what size material it's rated for and how much PTO horsepower is required to pull it. Don't get too light a cutter to cut your brush, or too little PTO horsepower to pull it.
Fourth, it's really hard to compare brands of cutters. Most of the major companies make an economy cutter that cuts up to 1" material, a mid-range cutter that cuts up to 2" and a heavy cutter that may cut 2 1/2 or 3" trees. If you compare one manufacturers economy cutter to another's mid-grade cutter you would think the latter makes better products, but that would be comparing apples to oranges. Bottom line is to find a good dealer that you get along with, have them help you spec a cutter and buy the brand that they're selling.
Finally, I get the feeling that this viewer is a kindred spirit...he's done a little shopping and research online and he just wants this project to be over and wants me to help him get something bought. I'm the same way when shopping for most everything, I do a little research, get bored and just want to get it over with. Haste makes waste when tractor shopping. If you do the research and take your time about making a decision, you may be rewarded with a tractor you can own the rest of your life. It's frustrating, but it's worth it.
I'm maintaining contact with this viewer and he's already changed the criteria for what he searches for. I'm confident he's headed in the right direction toward finding the perfect tractor for what he wants to do.
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11 сен 2024