I'm just starting to scratch the surface on researching a tractor for the cabin property to do various chores:
Picking up loads of various things, wood, rocks, etc... Landscaping, levelling, etc... Mowing and bush hogging A nice vegetable garden later Maintaining gravel driveway etc...
Hell... I'm not even sure if I need a tractor, but I can think of many situations over the last 3 years of building this cabin that I could have used a tractor. Since we are going to retire up here and make this place our homestead and a small farm, it seems like a worthy investment.
I'm pretty sure I want the following:
A compact tractor. A 4x4 tractor Either a bush hog or a mower deck. A front end loader Possibly an excavator Possibly a tiller Possibly a box blade or scraper
I've been looking at the compact offerings from John Deere and Kubota, and just recently watched a video on the Mahindra eMax22. It's made in South Korea and seems like a pretty nice tractor.
I've never been one to finance stuff, but it seems like it's almost a better deal to buy a tractor new and take advantage of the 0% financing that most dealers are offering. Used tractors seem to hold their values really well.