I received a call from George, a guy I know from church, who is buying his first tractor. He has 15 acres and he needs a tractor to bush hog with, also to occasionally do some lifting at his business. He doesn't have a lot of tractor experience.

George had done two things that I recommend in my book, "An Insider's Guide to Purchasing a Tractor" available here: https://asktractormike.com/product/an.... First, he's established a good relationship with a dealer salesperson, and he's working with them to get what he needs.

Second, he's buying the biggest tractor he can afford. On paper, a 40 hp tractor is more than enough for what George does, but it might not have the bulk to do the lifting jobs required at his business. He's moved up to the next frame size and is looking at a 47 hp tractor.

Since the beginning, George has told me he's buying a tractor with hydrostatic drive and I think that's a good thing. He's run a hydrostatic garden tractor before, so it won't take him long to learn to drive it. Plus, he has a son and grandkids that may also be using the tractor. It needs to be userfriendly to operate.

I'm a big proponent of hydrostat tractors. They're easier to use than gear drive, they're great for loader work, and you can slow way down when working on slopes. On the downside, they do build heat, which can lead to an early failure. Having said that, my perception is that you'll be replacing or rebuilding a hydrostatic transmission at about the same interval you would be replacing a clutch in a gear drive tranny. If you disagree, put it in the comments.

At the last minute, though, George decided he might want to buy a gear drive transmissionequipped tractor. When I asked him why, it was because a neighbor talked him out of hydro. The neighbor drives a tractor for the Missouri Department of Transportation and would never own a hydro because he feels it's a lot more difficult to operate for long periods of time.

The question becomes: are you buying a tractor for your neighbor, or for you and your family? I've seen customer select the wrong tractors many times in my career because of bad advice from friends or neighbors. If buying your first tractor, it is wise to get a lot of advice, but take it from everyone with a grain of salt. Their needs and preferences may be wildly different from your own, and, no matter how long they've been running tractors, their advice may not be the best for you.

In the end, I'm not sure what George bought, but I think I brought him back to the hydrostatic camp. Sometime when I see him I'll find out what he got and whether it worked for him and do another video.

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00:00 Introduction
01:14 Find a Dealer You Like
02:02 Don't Buy Too Small
03:40 Transmission Options
07:52 Neighbor's Bad Advice