How hard are they to get parts...? 

 http://www.tractordata.com/farm-tractors/003/4/5/3458-montana-3840.html

http://www.lstractorusa.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LS_Tractors

Rather have a 10 to 20 year old Ford/New Holland, Deere, maybe a Kubota ...

The CUTs are incredibly helpful. However they are only as good as the support of them you will need after the sale. You will eventually need spare parts and servicing components. As a new owner, questions about the tractor's operation will invariably arise, and the longer you own the tractor, the more accessories you will want.

A local stocking dealer is essential, one with a record of having been in business and selling this product for several years. Owing an orphan is not a cost savings, when it become unoperational and can't be easily repaired.

I would suggest also shopping for comparable tractors under well known brands. They may be a little more expensive to initially purchase, but their reliability and ease of servicing, could be less expensive overall during your ownership.

Looks like Montana tractors are no longer a current brand.  Parts availability will not be easy as I like ...

 From website :  http://www.montanatractors.com/custompage.asp?pg=tractorsinaction

Effective January 1, 2011 Montana Tractors, LLC transitioned from a Tractor and Implement Distributor to a Parts, Service and Warranty Company.

 Nope... Whole different animal. Kubota builds their own engines, chassis, tins, etc. All built in house. A Kubota is a Kubota, not some other grey market tractor with the Kubota name and paint.  http://www.kubota.com/product/grouptractors.aspx

 Another is Kioti, all built in house using all Daedong Industrial engines, chassis and parts.  http://www.kioti.com/

All of the major tractor companies have models of that size, and have similar specifications in HP and function specifications. Kubota for some time, had more individual models of the CUT than the other manufacturers. Because of their popularity, new models from every brand are now appearing almost daily. You can now easily purchase similar sized brands, with differences in HP, transmissions, and accessories to exactly suit your needs.

Again, local knowledgeable dealers are the key to a successfull ownership. Pricing is a major consideration in any purchase, but so is the brand name reliability, access and ease of use. You will find what seems a disparity in brands' pricing. American constructed brands sell for more than the Asians that are assembled over seas. In our area, Kubota, John Deere and New Holland are the most popular brands. In others you will find Kiota and Mahindra also have a good following.

I bleed orange, having owned Kubota equipment for almost 35 years. I presently own 3 of their products and have found them to be ideal for my usage. My first tractor purchased new, was kept for just under 30 years, when I traded it for a similar sized unit with a hydro static transmission. At that age, on a trade in, the used tractor returned 65% of the price I originally paid.

Just like a car or any expensive product, shop around. Talk to owners of the equipment, go to Tractor BY Net and research all the questions and answers of every brand. When you find what you need, then see a dealer about pricing. As is usually the case with other products, he may be trying to sell you what he has and not what you need. Knowing as much about the tractors as you can before you see the dealer, will make your purchasing experience much more beneficial.

Originally written by PaulChristenson on 2012-12-07 11:28 AM

Originally written by Gone on 2012-12-07 10:42 AM

Lifting large round bales, auger, moving dirt, hogging etc. The one we have now is an old 8n.

If you are lifting large round bales you want a larger tractor...if just for safety sake...FEL capacity drops dramatically when you get into the Compact Utility Tractor sizes...

Moving & lifting round bales on a FEL is Definitely not a CUT job.  Although the bale may weigh only 500 - 800 pounds the center of mass is 2 to 3 feet away from the spear plate.  If you're using a bucket, the situation is even worse.  Roll-over is scary (if you survive) and expensive.

These will work on a three point system with a lower center of gravity than when using the FEL:

http://www.agrisupply.com/three-point-bale-spear/p/65054/&sid=&eid=BR%2520GL11209/

JD 4020 ??????

I thought the OP wanted a CUT

If you are going to use a FEL, you will want a 4 wheel drive tractor. Two wheel drives cannot provide the traction and steering capabilities, that a 4 wheel drive can when the FEL is loaded. Rear wheel weights, liquid filled tires and weight boxes, will not compensate for the lack of front wheel drive. Some of the older tractors that have had FELs added, do not have power steering. It is a necessity when the FEL is loaded. Also, when a FEL is added to a tractor that originally was not designed for its usage, the weight capacity of the front axle becomes critical. There has been instances when the axles have failed after the FELs were installed.

Many 25 -30 HP 4 wheel drive CUTs, can typically move and carry in excess of 1200#. I have done it quite often over the last 35 years. Purchasing a tractor designed and equipped from the factory for using a FEL, will result in a more stable, reliable and safe usage, than trying to update an older tractor.

Gone, if you have time to go through some of the forums on this site of the various manufacturers, you will find a wealth of information about the compact utility tractors; the good, bad and other.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/