Twice the Tractor: A Visit with Mark Colburn
Cheaper isn’t always better as far as getting the job done, says Mark Colburn.
“Cheaper isn’t always better as far as getting the job done,” says Mark Colburn about work on his multifaceted farm.
“Originally, we had purchased a 135 Kubota in the M series,” he says of the tractor he planned to use for spreading manure, as well as mowing, baling and transporting hay. “We had a bit of bad luck with the first one, ended up getting another one. Beginning at haying, we had a bit of bad luck with that one.”
Price, says Mark, had been the main reason for his decision to buy the Kubota. Yet frustrated with its performance, he decided to visit Northeast Farm Sales & Service and test-drive a Massey Ferguson® 6485. His son, Devin, had recently purchased an MF1660 and was extremely happy with everything from its turning radius and fuel efficiency to power and durability.
After driving the MF6485, Mark says he was sold immediately. “It’s twice the tractor of the lesser brand.” The advantages are plenty, he says, including …
- Power. “It pulls the manure wagon up hills without a problem.”
- Ease of use. “The 6485 is definitely user-friendly. The controls in the cab are easy to find and understand.”
- Comfort. “The climate control [cab] is second to none. The cab is mounted on rubber, so it’s free-floating, and so is the air-ride seat. You don’t feel the bumps as bad.”
- The Dyna-6 transmission. “There’s never a gear in there that you can’t find to get the job done.”
- Fuel efficiency. “Whether you’re at low rpm or high rpm, the fuel efficiency is still equivalent to the smaller tractors that we have around here on the farm.
“There’s always plenty to do [on this farm] and the 6485 is a big part of it,” Mark says. “The only thing I don’t like about my tractor is I can’t have two.”
