Go Bottom3320 vs 20 acres
 | jcsimons
Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 3 San Francisco 
|
2009-04-02 161665
Hello All, another new guy here.
I've got 20 acres in Mendocino county in northern California at 3000'. I just had a 3/4 acre pond dug which leaves me with a lot of landscaping and mowing eventually. I've got hills (hardly anything is flat in fact) as steep as San Francisco streets.
So, I'd like to do the landscaping, drag the occasional fallen black oak out for milling, haul firewood, tend a fair size garden, clear manzanita brush, push snow around and probably some other stuff that I can't imagine at the moment.
I've looked at used tractors but cannot find the one that has what I need (or at least not in this state) so I've expanded my search to new. I stopped in to the JD dealer in Santa Rosa and now I know why I stay out of new car dealerships - its pretty tempting, even without the hard sell.
Anyway, I was shown a couple of bedrageled used machines for $10k plus, without FEL or box (couldn't even get them started) and then the line of 20 new JDs came into clear focus. All used for serveral weeks for grape harvesting and then turned back in. (Its apparently cheaper to do this than buy and maintain their own machines - they all have about 80 to 120 hours each). They are selling the base machine with new FEL and box scrapper for about $16k (plus this and that I suspect) with new warrenties on them and 42 months free interest on the loan.
Even though I was going to be frugal (such an ugly word...) and pay cash for a used machine, now it looks smarter to get the 'new' one and put the cash into an account to pay for it.
So thats it - do you think the 32hp is good for all this? Does it sound like a reasonable deal?
Thanks
JC
Reply to |
Quote Reply |
Add Photo3320 vs 20 acres
 | kwschumm
Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 5764 NW Oregon 
 Pics
|
2009-04-02 161669
Doesn't sound like a bad deal to me. I use a 32hp JD on 15 acres and it does just fine. For the real heavy loads just take smaller bites. The only thing I haven't been able to do is lift a 3000 lb pallet of blocks with the loader forks.
Be aware of the safety issues. They aren't terribly hard to roll. Don't go sideways on hills, just up and down. After rolling mine one I went from R4 industrial tires to R1 AG tires set to the widest possible mounting configuration, which increased stability quite a bit. Also, when pulling you have to keep the tow weight below the axle center line, otherwise it's easy to flip over backwards. Wear your seat belt and keep the ROPS locked up.
....
Reply to |
Quote Reply |
Add Photo3320 vs 20 acres
| hardwood
Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 3583 iowa
|
2009-04-03 161672
I think the 3320 is a sister to my 4310 with a different dress on. I use it for farm maininence, backhoe work, mowing, whatever comes along and have never wanted anything bigger or different. It's been as reliable as you can get, with that kind of deal, I'd grab it. Frank. ....
Reply to |
Quote Reply |
Add Photo3320 vs 20 acres
| jcsimons
Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 3 San Francisco
|
2009-04-06 161783
Thanks for your thoughts on this.
Any comment on the 300x CP loader that is quoted with the tractor?
Also quoted a Frontier RC1060 cutter at $1350 extra - is this brush cutter or grass?
Kuhn EL32-130 52" tiller at $2250?
Can anyone think of anything else that should be included in the 'basic' package
Thanks
....
Reply to |
Quote Reply |
Add Photo
Go Top
Share This