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Alan H
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2001-03-17          25590

I need some selling points. I've been checking the papers and have been to the NH dealer 3 times & the JD dealers twice. I would like the TC25 or the JD 4200 but probably would settle for a TC21D or a JD 4100. I want a loader and back blade for driveway work. I don't really need a mower. It looks like I can get the TC21d bucket& blade for about $1500 less than the JD. My problem is my wife says that the day the tractor arrives is the day she leaves. I've been working on her for the last 3 weeks with little progress. I do ware the pants in my house but I think she's serious. I do like having her around and I can't afford the costs of divorce. I can't financially justify the tractor expenditure because I could probably hire the work out and never approach the cost of the tractor but damn-it I WANT THAT TRACTOR. I know some of you will admit to similar dilemmas. Any good tactics out there.

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Glenn
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2001-03-17          25591

Check with the dealer to see what she's worth on a tradein. ....

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Alan H
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2001-03-17          25592

That's a thought but she's got a broken foot right now and I know the dealer wouldn't give me what it will cost me. Is the TC21D easy enough for her to drive ? ....

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Larry in MI.
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2001-03-17          25593

Hide the car keys and buy the tractor. She won't get very far with a broken foot and she is bound to settle down some by the time the foot heals. On a more serious note, the JD4100 should be easy enough for just about anyone to operate. I don't know much about the TC21D. ....

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Roger L.
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2001-03-17          25595

Well, if all else fails you might just go looking at the small older US farm tractors. You can find very nice working ones in the $2000-$3000 dollar range complete with a nice 3pt blade. No loader; not unless you are very lucky.
Less seriously, you can tell your wife that I know exactly how she feels...but sort of in reverse. Just this morning my wife came up with an elaborate argument about how much money we could save if she could buy a new tractor. I feel that her old one works fine, though I admit it is beginning to need some work from time to time. After that didn't work, she came home this afternoon loaded with brochures on new pickup trucks. I'm afraid I'll have to side with your spouse. Us financially concerned spouses have to be ever-vigilant. ....

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D. McIntire
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2001-03-17          25598

Alan,

I had the same problem about three years ago but my wife finally decided it would make a lot of sense after about 15 yards of loam was delivered and it was going to have to be spread by wheelbarrow. If I were you I would take a look at the Cub Cadets. I got a new 23 HP 4WD drive and love it. It handles a lot more than I would have thought from moving trees to plowing my driveway and moving snow. Excellent tractor and is very heavy for its size. If I am not misstaken the bucket will out reach and out lift either the NH or JD in the same size tractor. Take care and I wish you well. ....

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Jim Reichard
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2001-03-17          25599

Hi Alan, I don't know were you live or if your in a naighborhood or development. But my selling point was that no one in are development had a tractor for snow removel or land scapeing. since we purchased our John Deere 790 I've fixed a couple driveways and some land scapeing and received some good income (about $800.00 in snow removel in 2 snow falls), or cakes, Bottles of wine, lots of free dinners and baby sitting. Our naighbors LOVE us and my wife thinks its great! and now wonders how did we ever get by with out one. our driveway is 750' long and at a 15 degree angle and had to be repaired several times by our builder .the last repair that he had to pay for was over $14,000 so in our case the builder had to repair it 5 to 6 times in the first year . So with us I know maintianing our driveway is a on going thing. So yes you can pay some one to do it but how many time over the coarse of 10 years will you have to pay some to do it? I hope this helps!and you can reep the rewards of being a tractor owner without a divorce!GOOD LUCK! we'll be praying.
JIM ....

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Alan H
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2001-03-17          25602

Thanks guys. I've got a 1300' driveway winding up a hill in Michigan. It has been the scene of a lot of problems especially in the winter. In fact my wife and I had a head on collision totaling one of the vehicles a few years back. It's a dirt two track and she was headed down the hill and I was headed up. It was icy on a blind curve the rest is history. I've since put up a mirror but with a TRACTOR I could clean up that curve. I could put in a new septic drain field. Hey I could build that stone wall SHE wanted. Haul some firewood from down the hill. Put in that garden the deer will trample. I thnk I'm getting the hang of this all I need is a spreedsheet itemizing every potential saving including my back. Lost time from work oh yeah I could probably sell an even bigger tractor ! ....

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john hunter
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2001-03-17          25604

You are saying the same things that I said before I got my tractor.I have not done any of them, but I am having fun. Good luck ....

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Alan L. Lewis
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2001-03-17          25605

Well shouldn't have mentioned the tractor to the wife. Should have just gone out and bought it. Its a whole lot easier to get forgiveness than permission. ....

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JonB
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2001-03-18          25606

Don't forget tractors save time too. Now I spend more time with the family, wife & kids ... cuz I'm not out doing all those jobs by hand. My wife was against it because of the money, until the first time she saw me use it ... doing in minutes what used to take days. That changed her mind. Best of luck. JonB ....

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JonB
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2001-03-18          25607

Alan, I also spent years talking about it before she reluctantly agreed. The tractor is great, but the wife was more important. She knows it and, as I mentioned, now supports me getting more implements. JonB ....

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TomG
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2001-03-18          25608

I needed an apple tree and a storm myself. We had to upgrade the electrical service for a house and change from an overhead to underground feed. It was toward the end of building season, and all electrical contractors were busy repairing storm damage. I could do the electrical work myself, but I needed to trench for the service. How does the tree fit in? An old apple tree was along the trench line. Inspectors approved bending the line around the tree but not putting sweeps in the conduit. The only contractors with hoes who were interested in the job had big dedicated hoes that would have wiped out the tree. In short, no compact tractor, no apple tree. My wife really likes that tree. I got the compact, the tree survived, but wasn't happy enough to produce apples the next year, and my wife now finds all sorts of things the tractor does that she likes (and some things she still doesn't). I think the moral here is that in our lives there is her stuff, mine, and ours. These things have to be kept in balance or one of us is going to be aggravated. If a tractor is viewed entirely as 'boys toys' then the high cost is really going to unbalance things. The decision is easier if the view of a tractor can be moved a bit from mine to ours. I was lucky I had a tree doing the work for me. Of course, it helps also helps to have a bunch of building projects and some new land. Unless there's on-going stuff to feed the 'our' thing then maintenance costs are going to eventually unbalance things. DON'T FORGET MAINTENANCE. Right now my wife is lobbying me to get a chipper/shredder. She like composting things and views brush as valuable. My view is that I can make a bunch of trips to the dump for the cost of a chipper. It is possible for the 'our' thing to get carried away. Good luck. ....

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Terry Weivoda
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2001-03-18          25610

Jon, did I read your post correctly? It sounded like you said the tractor was important but the wife was more important. Come on man! You've been watching Oprah again right? Perhaps getting touch with your feminine side? The only way for a marriage to thrive is if there is complete and total honesty. Be truthful with her. It is the tractor (and attachments)first, then the children followed by the wife. Believe me, she will appreciate your candor. By the way, no more episodes of Oprah. She has yet to have a show with a theme of; "Men who love their tractors more than their spouses. What can women do to understand their addiction." When she has this show then it will be ok for us to watch. Until then, stay away from Oprah. ....

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Jim
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2001-03-18          25611

Hey Aal, I had the same problem. Back in 1987 I had about 4 tractors. she said it was getting out of hand, no more or else. Or else what? now I have a 120+ machines and still no or else. I've been trying to see what "or else" means?
120 and she's still here!! how many do I need to accumulate for her to leave??
don't sweat it. ....

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Dave Wells
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2001-03-18          25613

Alan, it's really very simple - get your wife interested in tractoring. That's what I did - and now I have more implements than you can shake a stick at. (See other posts of mine.) On top of that, she told me (and I swear this is true!) that "I should give her the JD4100, and go get myself a 4200/4300..." (Gosh I love that woman!) Seriously, I made sure that I got a tractor that she CAN and WIll operate (JD4100 Hydro), and took the time to show her how to run it. Also helped to take her shopping with me - she's a pretty good negotiator...Best of luck!!! Dave Wells
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JeffM
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2001-03-18          25625

Alan, in my case the barter system is at work. My tractor was good for a swimming pool in the future. Of course, the tractor also gets used for landscaping, etc., but I could have hired that out also. So even though I don't know when I'll be able to afford it - I know there is a pool in my future. ....

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DanaT
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2001-03-18          25627

To all you tractor lovers out there, let me tell you something.... I am the wife of a tractor lover and wouldn't let him get rid of it for nothing. When that money comes rolling in from snow removal and yardwork, it's kinda nice. It also keeps him out of the beer joints. To all you wives, let them have their toys. Your marriage will survive and who knows....you might get something out of it yourselves. I got a diamond for Christmas this year and didn't have to pay for it myself after the credit card statement came in. My husband is even talking about going on a vacation this year. If it wasn't for his tractor we probably wouldn't get to go. Hang in there ladies....you will get something out of it!!!!!!!! ....

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JonB
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2001-03-19          25638

Terry, oops. You caught me. I confess. I'm actually a plant looking for volunteers, "Men who love tractors, and the wives who drive them." LOL. Who has time for Orpah? Especially when there's a tractor to drive? :-> ....

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MichaelSnyder
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2001-03-19          25641

Maybe I can offer some help. But I can't make any promises.

Normally, I talk directly to the "troubled" wife.....and I don't realize
that I'm actually helping the situation.. My neighbor and I are still trying
to figure out what I said... All we know is that we're tractor shopping!!
Oddly enough, this isn't the first time this has happened.

Best advice I can tell you is to ask why this is such an issue for her?
LISTEN to her reasons why.. Validate them with an unbiased mind.
Maybe she has said no.. without really thinking "why"...Woman do that
you know... instinct or something..

No offense, but it sounds like you wear the pants when she says you can put them on..

IMHO,I have two different thoughts on this. 1st, Good husbands & wives stand behind each other... Financially permitting..When I decided I wanted a new tractor, she didn't question me... The same holds true vise vera.
I don't know the specifics, but it sounds like your wife is treating you like a child.. maybe she's afraid you'll hurt yourself or something.

On the other hand, if she is saying no for financial reasons, THATS a whole different story. In that case, I side with her..

Just remember... this can work two ways. If she won't try to be understanding..I'd make her keep her car till the wheels fall off.... Whats good for the goose is good for the gander! ....

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gary mason
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2001-03-19          25642

Allan, I can believe it's a uphill battle for you. Here are a couple of suggestions that may help…
Gather you a list of “chores” that the tractor would accomplish. Then go to a rental place to see what a tractor rental would cost and get it for a long weekend. Get everything ready and go to work. The rental will probably be over $300 for a weekend and maybe as much as $500. I was fortunate enough to have Carver Equipment close enough to us and they had a “lease to own” program that you could lease a tractor ~$500/mo and %100 went toward purchase price. So you actually demonstrate the uses and time savings of the tractor without having to dive in. You could take a load of wood with a wheelbarrow a load with the tractor and track the time and amount each does. Ta Da..
Move some soil for flowerbeds, a few things she would like to see, dig a stump, dig a hole for a tree…no shovels needed. Let her ride it and use it.

gary

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Doug Huebner
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2001-03-19          25651

Nobody posted: "I got a tractor for my wife!" "Boy I wish Icould get a deal like that." Or the "Either the tractor goes or I go." "Boy, I am sure going to miss her." lines.

I accomplished it by making detours into tractor dealers when we would go someplace. She humored me on that. Then I stopped at the dealer I was going to get it at. He had a 4300 HST and told me to take it for a drive. I drove around the yard while my wife sat in the car. I pulled up next to the car and told her to try it once. She did and I did not think she was ever going to get off of it. Now that we have it with all the attachments ["maybe you should get a tiller so you can do my garden for me."] She will go out and plow the drive in winter and is learning the loader, back hoe and tiller. The more she trys the more she likes it - which is a heck of a surprise to me. "I think you should get a bush hog" to go with my 72" finish mower. ....

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Bruce Pirger
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2001-03-19          25653

How about this: Print out all the replies from this thread and hand it to your wife. Will she appreciate both the humor and the serious sentiments? If you live out in the bush in MI, as you indicated, I think that already says something extremely positive about your wife. So, as others have said, sharing the work together or being able to accomplish things together would be a great and fun thing. Sounds like your driveway is a bear, similar to mine, and I'm not sure how you have managed to date without the tractor. If it is a financial strain, consider strongly a used tractor. If you already find yourself looking for reasons to stay away from home, or out of the house, and this is just another, be careful...And in case she does actually read this, Greetings Mrs. H. Consider together what you could accomplish around the property...be open and honest. With your driveway, I guess I'm curious how you have managed winter access in the past! ....

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Robert Weiler
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2001-03-19          25661

Last year we went shopping for my wife a new mower (she likes to mow our 4 acres of lawn). We were leaning towards a either a NH Riding mower or a TC18 with HST. We came home with a TC25D with FEL and a belly mower, more for me than her. Ended up returning the belly mower for a pull behind. Needless to say last summer I did most of the mowing, so this year we are again looking for her a mower. She likes the TC alot & even mows with it, but she enjoys seeing me use it even more. And talk about saving time. We do more with the tractor in a day than we could do in a month before. We have lots of underbrush & rocks we're trying to clean up.
I know another guy I've talked to on the internet that I met at another club. He whet to buy a Yamaha Street bike against his wife's wishes, and SHE talked him into a tractor instead. I wonder if he had it planned that way.

Good luck ....

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gws
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2001-03-22          25737

What condition is the wife in?. I have a neighbor with a tractor forsale.he has a wife but she is high maintance and been nothing but trouble since he got her. Maybe he could trade his tractor for you wife and then sell off his wife locally? ....

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tom
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2001-04-23          27129

JonB brought up a good point. I just got a 3pt tiller for her garden and it took me about 20 min to turn that hardpatch and gully into a nice level garden that would have taken all day and worn me out so bad I couldn't take care of the baby all day.

I bet you'll eventually miss that ol' girl ;) ....

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Art White
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2001-04-28          27324

Just a few points missed, a tractor never says no;it still trys, a tractor doesn't have special times during the month, they never talk back,never asks you to go to the grocery store,don't require you to visit there family,they lighten your work load. There are many more lines that can be added on to this list. ....

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gwalljr
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2001-05-05          27766

Alan,
Someone once told me "To ask Permission is to Seek Denial". The Head on collision would have been more than enough reason to have made a purchase of some sort whether it be new or used in order to fix the driveway. After all how many of them can you afford.Anyway there are a lot of great deals out there on 2nd hand equipment, you just need to do a little research. Good Luck. ....

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keith metler
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2001-05-05          27771

Alan, some guys suggested looking into older tractors to save some $$. I would suggest you consider tractors with 4wd due to the topo of your estate. I own a JD4100 and have a steep grade, gotta love the 4wd. Back to your tractor vs wife post- here's my story: Sold my '70 corvette to purchase a 23' SeaRay, let's say it was a family decision. Because of my steep drive and narrow width I needed a tractor to fetch the boat up to the street. My little Case 222 was under powered for the task so I convinced wife into the purchase of my 4100. Now I am looking for a farm to fit my tractor. I'm thinking 50 acres or so in Wis. or Mi. Any sellers out there? ....

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Alan H
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2001-05-05          27777

Sure got a lot of response on this problem ! I'm still working on her and looking for that super good used tractor that fits the bill. She is starting to show signs of fatigue from the tractor debate. She is pointing out the other things that need to get done before I can think about a tractor. I think that's a weakening sign? Of course, a remodeled guest room and a new deck is going to cut into my tractor money. It seems that all the good used tractors get snapped up before they hit the paper especially the compacts.The dealers seem to get the ones that people have trouble dumping because of problems and then jack up the price. Where is that guy that sleeps with his tractor but now has to give it up for a song! Maybe (God forbid) when the economy dips a little more some great deals will surface. ....

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Roger L.
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2001-05-05          27779

. It seems that all the good used tractors get snapped up before they hit the paper especially the compacts.

I'd say that is true. There has to be a lot of owners out there who are undecided whether to sell or not, and rather than deal with the hassles they just trade it it. But the dealer also has a list, and I know for a fact that at my favorite dealer the good used tractors rarely hit the lot. He does a lot of business, but the used tractors on the lot just sit there.
If I were you, I'd run an advertisement stating exactly what you are looking for. ....

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