We recently went through a similar review. 

First off, you should check out www.tractorbynet.com

Huge community and excellent resource.

Next, don't consider just the tractor purchase price.  You really need to go with a tractor brand that has a GOOD local dealer near to you.  Tractors get used hard and will break.  You want parts and generally repair services you can rely on.

All the majors (JD, CNH, Kubota, MF) and the major minors (Kioti, Mahindra, LS) are pretty reasonable machines.  The differences in dealer support are more critical than the differences in the tractors themselves.

You're a bit west of me, but we use Messicks.   They are rock solid for Case New Holland, Kubota and Woods.  In fact, 8 months after we bought our tractor, it became clear there was a problem with the bracket mounting bolts for the backhoe.  Turns out when the set up guy assembled the bracket on the tractor, he used the wrong thread bolts and stripped out the mounts on the transmission casing.  After a few discussions with owner, he replaced our tractor (200 + hours) with a new tractor and restarted the warranty.  No cost to us.  That's what a great dealership is worth.

Our tractor:
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Damaged mounts:
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With backhoe off and pulling the county's seeder:

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Quote from: Mr. Whippy on January 28, 2014, 12:24:15 PM

Our tractor:
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Only because I have no freaking idea, how much does a tractor like that set you back?

The basic 4wd Workmaster 55 tractor with loader is around 22K.  The backhoe adds about 10K.   We also got a snowblade for the quick attach loader.  That tractor is 55HP with 48 HP at the PTO.  4 cylinder turbodiesel.

When we were looking, we talked about a cab.  A cabbed tractor is about 10K more than the base unit, but adds A/C, heat and stereo in addition to the cab.  We have many projects where a backhoe is useful, so it was Cab or backhoe decision.

In general, unless you have a lot of use for a backhoe, you're better off renting a mini-excavator.  They are much faster and will fit in much tighter locations.  They are handy for moving rocks and logs too, but then you have to add a thumb.

The brand has no more failures than any other brand, as far as I can tell on TBN.  If you do a quick search of the dealer's name on there, you'll get a pretty decent feel about how good they are.

Where I live, the JD dealers are good, but are hugely expensive for small timers like me, because they have huge company contracts.  My Workmaster isn't really a compact; it's more of a utility tractor.  However, it will fit in my barn aisle, so it's reasonable for me.  Remember, no one has ever said, "That was too much tractor for what I wanted to do"

I prefer a bobcat (or similar) to a tractor for most everything but actual farming. they are more maneuverable, quicker, and easier to operate. unfortunately they are expensive...

Yup.

Vulcanbill:

Looking at your link, you'd get a LOT more tractor for your money with the 3016.  Bigger hydraulic pump means better performance from the loader and backhoe.  More PTO HP is much better option.

The 28XL is like a lawn tractor that can do a bit more work.  The 3016 is a real compact tractor.  JMO

They tell me that in 10 years, HST will be the only option for transmission.  That's a nice tractor with some nice extras. 

Can you explain the difference please?

HST (HydroStatic Tran) is a much more sophisticated transmission.  No clutch.  Speed and direction (foward/reverse) are all in one pedal.  These transmissions allow you to go very slow or stand still without changing engine speed or slipping a clutch.  They are excellent for close quarter work.  I'm told they are dead reliable, although I've never owned a tractor with it.

This is as opposed to a shuttle shift which requires a clutch to change direction or gears.  The nice thing on shuttle shift is you pick your gear and can change directions by just moving one lever up or down, so much less shifting effort.

The final transmission is the old style transmission like a car where you have to select your reverse gear.  With shuttle shift, any gear you have can be forward or reverse. 

The HST is generally a premium feature.

I prefer a bobcat (or similar) to a tractor for most everything but actual farming. they are more maneuverable, quicker, and easier to operate. unfortunately they are expensive...

neighbor has one and does things with it that I'm pretty sure the creators never intended for it to do.  but I can't count on borrowing neighbor's time and equipment and I can't afford a skidsteer. 

We have about 55 acres with trees, streams, lakes, pasture and woods. Got a small John Deere package with loader, mower, tiller, and post hole digger on a 4 wheel trailer, road ready. We can add a drive on mower deck if we like. Diesel powered. Small for really heavy tasks, but adequate for us. Pulls behind the Suburban just fine.

Package deal about $27K. They financed it, they service it, warranty.

Wifey loves it.

Larry
VFRrider

We have had a little Kubota at work for plowing sidewalks, and it had been indestructible for 15 years.

I'm impressed, because people have been beating on it non-stop, and it just keeps going.

energizer bunny of tractors. Respect!