Warming the spouse up to buying - wasn't prepared for this one!

[SmallChange]

Preparing for the day I hope I'll be buying a new tractor, I've been trying to warm Mrs. SmallChange up to the idea. Not that she would have to be involved, exactly -- it's just that anything the size of a small car, that roars, and is bright orange, she's gonna notice. It didn't go so well last time. I'd like a smoother ride to ownership this time.

And I was explaining that wrestling with the steering on the old tractor is getting too hard on my old neck (in which the surgeon says I don't have a single normal disk) and shoulders (rotator cuff surgery a few years ago too). I say, "I want something with power steering."

Then she says, "Uh huh. Next you're gonna want a new car, too."

"What? No! Why? I love my car!"

"Honey, your car's a stick shift."

"So?" I say.

"Stick shifts can't have power steering!"

We proceed to arguing whether it's possible for my two year old manual transmission car to have power steering, her look alternating between pitying my ignorance, and trying to figure out what I'm trying to put over on her.

I gotta admit. This is one point I just wasn't prepared to debate.

 

[RCW]

Small - gotta ask...you say a smoother ride to ownership THIS TIME.....

What did you screw up before?!?!

There's a School of Hard Knocks Course for husbands on this subject....

Just poking fun, but my wife was practically TELLING me to buy a Harley once...(I obliged, by the way).

Another VERY important point is the Missus is half Italian and half Irish.... I learned many years ago to NEVER forget that!!!

We're "professionals" and can provide some pointers.

Part of my "pitch" for the Kubota was it would mow and move snow like my former JD, but the loader and 3PH open up many possibilities to save my aging and ailing back.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[michigander]

My cub cadet was suppose to be my last tractor its a 2006

What happen to me this is a true story your results may vary.

May 2018 dealer closed on weekend took wife to look at BX1880 before I bought one , she sat on it .. tractor is too small , sat on BX2380 then noticed BX23S we need backhoe.

Few days later got back to dealer to price BX2380 and BX23S , BX23S was sold out. Summer went on wife still saying this is last tractor I'm getting so get what I want big enough and attachments from get go. august fair time looked at B2301 wife says that's what we need for ground clearance for woods working. For HP changed to B2601 I never saw one in stock. March I stopped by dealer to order in B2601 ... he had in stock what I wanted turf tires , MMM and back blade... My wife insisted she wanted to be with me when I did the deal to get backhoe too .. I didn't get backhoe... there was nothing to the deal i just needed to drop of DL so could get copy.

Does this sound like your wife ... my wife drives it loader work .. loves it

no backhoe is talked about daily , I'm currently hand digging out a 28" pine stump

Post I made last summer

http://www.orangetractortalks.com/forums/showthread.php?t=37630&highlight=wife+trouble

 

[BruceP]

I always LIKED the 'road feel' with nonPower rack-n-pinion steering.

...now all I can get is electric PS with nearly zero 'road feel'. It feels almost disconnected from the road.

 

[SidecarFlip]

My Focus SE has a 5 speed and power steering windows and climate control and gets 40 mpg.

Wanted an RS turbo but the wife nixed that.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Do up another spread sheet on it!
Put some mathematics to it!

 

[Missouribound]

My Kubota came about after a few years of back pain after mowing my 3 acres with a Cub Cadet. Nothing wrong with the Cub Cadet, a fine mower.
But here in the Ozark the ground can often turn into Baja-like terrain. Rocks grow here and a good rain can turn a gentle swale into a small canyon.
I would come in after a few hours bent over holding my lower back. And it was happening every time I mowed.
My wife suggested I get a bigger mower to help with that issue.
And we agreed I needed something to keep the driveway maintained, move dirt around......you guys know the rest.

But now I still have the Cub and the Kubota. I did buy a suspension seat for it an it actually took away the back pain. I use it to pull a cart when I am spring cleaning the yard. It's also my trimming machine and I have the cart set up for my weed eater, gas, rakes and lopping shears. When all of that is done I'm on the Kubota.

 

[Yooper]

Open up the hood of the car and tell her to point to the power steering pump.

On second thought, better nix that idea...

 

[RCW]

On second thought, better nix that idea...

I was wondering where you were going.....reality obviously set in.....

 

[Fordtech86]

Open up the hood of the car and tell her to point to the power steering pump.

On second thought, better nix that idea...

P/S pump?? What is that lol.

 

[SRG]

Easier to beg forgiveness, than ask for permission.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Easier to beg forgiveness, than ask for permission.

You have not meet my wife...
I'd be sleeping with the wolves and only the wolves for a long time!

 

[skeets]

OH and you forgot what the resale value would be in a "K" tractor compared to any of the off brand tractors

 

[AndyM]

You need an unassailable reason to buy it. When we quit travelling south for winter we had to have a way of clearing the driveway of snow to get out. Kubota lives here now.

 

[bearbait]

It's threads like this that makes me realize even more what a great wife I have, married 42 years yesterday. If I need it and can afford it she's usually fine with it. I give her a hug every morning when she gets up but an extra big one for her this morning. Boy could I ever us a backhoe.

 

[CaveCreekRay]

Bearbait,

Congrats to you and your wife. My wife and I hit 40 next year. Yeah, I count my blessings too. I jokingly tell people I buy stuff for my wife, like the HST Kubota. Or the Ranger 900 I bought her for "our" anniversary. She just smiles. I constantly tell her how much I get done "borrowing" her tractor.

After a few years of marriage, there's nothing to be gained by trying to pull one over your wife. I get her involved in the decision from the gitgo. Together, we make better decisions. Or at least one's I don't have to regret later!

 

[bearbait]

Bearbait,

Congrats to you and your wife. My wife and I hit 40 next year. Yeah, I count my blessings too. I jokingly tell people I buy stuff for my wife, like the HST Kubota. Or the Ranger 900 I bought her for "our" anniversary. She just smiles. I constantly tell her how much I get done "borrowing" her tractor.

After a few years of marriage, there's nothing to be gained by trying to pull one over your wife. I get her involved in the decision from the gitgo. Together, we make better decisions. Or at least one's I don't have to regret later!

It was funny last week we stopped at the Chrysler dealership where a friend of mine is a mechanic and when I walked in without my wife (she waited in the truck) Terry walked up to me a jokingly said he didn't recognize me without Pauline being with me. Yep, I'm sure she knows what's on my mind before I do.

 

[Mikeinfrank]

My method for big ticket purchases is one of mind control. I get her to thinking it's HER idea. May take awhile but it works.

 

[shootem604]

For me, it was a matter of pointing out a couple of things on her "honey - do" list would happen quicker with a tractor...and a backhoe

 

[Stmar]

My argument was that my 8Ns were older than me, they still worked but were detrimental to my quality of life. The final last ditch pitch was "If we want to stay here I don't want to plow snow without a cab and 4WD". Then I took her to Florida so she could see what would be in store if we moved from snow country. People, people, people, so she loosened the purse strings and capitulated. 0% interest softened the blow to her thrifty personality.