What Tractor? The age old question!

5455....are the new Hollands considered reliable?

I saw a couple of mccormicks and in good condition in fairness ..x7s

But when all was said and done after vat you aren't looking at much of a saving on other brands to justify going for one similar hours /age to other alternatives + looks like more basic spec and thrn maybe harder to trade shift afterwards if I did ever want to (nice to have the option without having to take a bath)

I could be wrong but I think the value in mccormicks might easier found in older ones than I'd be looking at…

If the right one came up I'd have no problem looking in NI tbh

I'd not have much experience of buying in the UK however and I assume its vrt and vat then

I'm not that brave…seems to be branded same as the business....

Kinda like white label tractors? I presume some actual manufacturer in China?

They ain't being given away either!

True....but I was comparing apples and oranges ...

The price would be somewhat ahead of what I'd be hunting for second hand....

I'd be conservative/nervous

I'm kind of thinking the same myself tbh....now I can also put it against my tax/depreciate it so there is some benefit there

I want the ability to do certain tasks myself on my timetable

I have a lot of hedges across separate plots that need maintaining in order to fence easily and in some cases stop temporary and more permanent electric fencing earthing etc etc....genuinely getting a lad to do it when I want is a pain in the hole....+ most are pricey...a lad charged me 400 for showing the hedgecutter to a very short run of the hedge a year ago (very poor job) the other lad will do a good job on the plot next to him but it's on his timetable in the depths of winter when the ground is soft and despite saying he would travel to the other plots ...he won't (ive asked over the years and it never materialises) ..... + I have a lot to do and doing it piecemeal over years with one tractor isn't a runner with another job(s) - the storms didn't help boundaries either

I have an old hedgecutter anyway ....then there is the hassle of constantly taking on and off certain implements on one tractor is very time consuming ...having a spreader on while you do all yhe spreading sndcs hedgecutter for yhat window while leaving other tractor free to bring in bales do other jobs in other plots etc I'd very appealing

Then I have a lot of bedded sheds and I recently got an oldish but working rear discharge - The contractor cost is around 1000 a year currently to spread what I have with me loading (im sure that will go up)...and again with most of the problems above...its on their timetable...Its nailing me to a full day off work ...their timetable = when the ground is soft as shite, when I am working, when they have nothing else to do (I understand that btw I'd be no different in their shoes but it doesn't work for me)

Taking out multiple loads with the one tractor doing the loading and then taking the spreader on and off for each load makes a hard job of it + I'd go easy on existing tractor and put about 6/7 tonne in ....meaning more loads

With the mowing, I could give that to the contractor but in my experience that means things don't happen on my timetable either....

Collecting bales etc...

I looked up hiring a more powerful tractor for some of the tasks above but the costs there add up pretty quick, and you are nailed into a certain time period too

Look, there's probably an element of man maths with this....its a fair chunk of change, it does feel like it could be put to better use elsewhere....don't think I'm not thinking it....I just know I generally do things better myself and on my timetable is crucial for me not to end up a frustrated ball of rage at some point during the year...I need things done when I need them done ...there are times I just can't be there, I have to give priority to other things, I need to get them done when I need them done and in a way they are easy to maintain and doesn't leave even more niggles afterward for me to sort out

Initially I was thinking around the 50k mark would get me out but the hours are so high on what I'm looking at there it seems to me you could be importing in lots of niggles and problems and spending a bit more might make more sense

What would you spend it on on the situation if not another tractor?

Lump it into an investment trust and take the pain of getting shite jobs done at the wrong time (and the attendant extra jobs that develop because of said shite jobs) and spend maybe 20k on lads doing a shite job (never mind your own time on loading etc) over the 8 years?

It's a genuine question btw, I take your point, I sort of think it myself....the reality is, it won't have a lot of work ....maybe 400/500 hours a year and serve as a backup if the older yard tractor goes down

That does make a lot of sense...perhaps if I went up to 6400 series, I could do something similar....maybe around 7-8k hrs