[AT] What to do

[jtchall at nc.rr.com]

There always seems to be way more Ford tractors up your way than around 
here. Since the 80's my area has turned green The exception is a lot of 
Mahindra's have been showing up. I would try to get something fairly common 
to your area, my thinking is dealer support and resale.

Having said that, I'd rather have another tractor if the finances should 
permit. We basically have 2 here that do most of the work, a 4020 Deere and 
a IH 454. However, the 2 Super A's get hay duty, one has the sickle mower 
always mounted, the other handles the rake. I ted hay with the 454. The 4020 
handles loaded wagons. The DC Case pulls the baler. The beauty of having 
plenty of machines is you have a backup should there be a breakdown, and you 
don't have to worry about switching equipment as often---helps a lot when 
you work full time. I understand getting something newer and reliable. 
Especially when you work a full time job, you can't come home and play 
mechanic for an hour just to use the tractor for 15 minutes. I went through 
this with dad a few years back with lawnmowers--I'd come home from work to 
find he was on his 4th lawnmower for the day, the rest were broke. I 
upgraded to some newer machines and went through them with a fine tooth 
comb, problem solved. My 55 Deere combine is sitting under the shed ready to 
go, but face it, its beyond obsolete as far as combines go, that’s why I 
upgraded to a 40 year old machine instead of one that is 55 years old. At 
least parts are available and it is more advanced. I would have rather had 
something built in the 80's, but my acreage won't justify that $$$. If your 
tasks are time sensitive, such as baling hay, reliability means more than 
anything to me.

John Hall