Hi everyone,
My husband and I need to purchase a new lawn/garden tractor. Here is the situation and why we are thinking about this.
We have about 4 1/2 acres that is about half wooded. There are lots of trees we need to mow around. For the most part, our land is flat but there are a few areas that are sloped. One small area is sloped fairly steep. We also have a 200 ft driveway and a 1200 ft private road that has to be snow plowed in the winter. We haul a lot of dead wood and brush and occasionally a yard of soil, stone, or other landscape material. Although we haven't done it, we have a space planned for a 100' x 80' garden (hopefully have it ready to go next spring). In addition to this, we have a rental property just next door that we sometimes need to maintain (about 2 acres).
Because of the number of trees we have to go around and pass through, we want to go with a mower deck below 50". Also, a tight turning radius is very important to us. Eventually, we will want to be able to add attachments to help with the small garden, lawn maintenance, and of course, a plow for the winter.
To all this I have to add that my husband is the one who normally takes care of everything with the tractor/plowing work. However, he is leaving in Sept for 9 months to the Persian Gulf. So, it's very important to me that I'm able to handle all the jobs myself. Including removing and attaching the mower deck and plow.
My husband doesn't care a lot about creature comforts like noise level or power steering. However, I'm very sensitive to loud noise and I like the idea of power steering because of the easier maneuverability around trees. I'm also concerned about the company standing behind the brand if there is an issue while my husband is away. My husband has been nursing our current tractor back to life over and over for the past few years and I know I won't be able to while he is gone. We have known this day was coming but his upcoming jog over the pond is making it a priority.
We've looked at a few different brands/models and I'm a bit overwhelmed. The prices are so much more than I expected them to be! The tractors we have been looking at range between $4600 and $6800. My question is, are we allowed to make a purchase like that while we are in a Ch 13? I am so scared of drawing attention to ourselves and being scrutinized by our trustee. It's tax season and I'm assuming that means they are busy checking out our finances to see if they are going to raise our payment [I'm just speculating because I don't know].
Any advice? I'm not real comfortable getting something used because my husband won't be here to fix it when it breaks.
My husband and I need to purchase a new lawn/garden tractor. Here is the situation and why we are thinking about this.
We have about 4 1/2 acres that is about half wooded. There are lots of trees we need to mow around. For the most part, our land is flat but there are a few areas that are sloped. One small area is sloped fairly steep. We also have a 200 ft driveway and a 1200 ft private road that has to be snow plowed in the winter. We haul a lot of dead wood and brush and occasionally a yard of soil, stone, or other landscape material. Although we haven't done it, we have a space planned for a 100' x 80' garden (hopefully have it ready to go next spring). In addition to this, we have a rental property just next door that we sometimes need to maintain (about 2 acres).
Because of the number of trees we have to go around and pass through, we want to go with a mower deck below 50". Also, a tight turning radius is very important to us. Eventually, we will want to be able to add attachments to help with the small garden, lawn maintenance, and of course, a plow for the winter.
To all this I have to add that my husband is the one who normally takes care of everything with the tractor/plowing work. However, he is leaving in Sept for 9 months to the Persian Gulf. So, it's very important to me that I'm able to handle all the jobs myself. Including removing and attaching the mower deck and plow.
My husband doesn't care a lot about creature comforts like noise level or power steering. However, I'm very sensitive to loud noise and I like the idea of power steering because of the easier maneuverability around trees. I'm also concerned about the company standing behind the brand if there is an issue while my husband is away. My husband has been nursing our current tractor back to life over and over for the past few years and I know I won't be able to while he is gone. We have known this day was coming but his upcoming jog over the pond is making it a priority.
We've looked at a few different brands/models and I'm a bit overwhelmed. The prices are so much more than I expected them to be! The tractors we have been looking at range between $4600 and $6800. My question is, are we allowed to make a purchase like that while we are in a Ch 13? I am so scared of drawing attention to ourselves and being scrutinized by our trustee. It's tax season and I'm assuming that means they are busy checking out our finances to see if they are going to raise our payment [I'm just speculating because I don't know].
Any advice? I'm not real comfortable getting something used because my husband won't be here to fix it when it breaks.
Bankruptcy Wizard
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