Buying Advice Kubota, Kioti, John Deere, Bobcat, Mahindra or Massey Ferguson Which one is best??

   / Kubota, Kioti, John Deere, Bobcat, Mahindra or Massey Ferguson Which one is best?? #1  

tvc221

New member
Joined
Nov 29, 2011
Messages
11
Tractor
Kubota G1800
This is my first time posting to the forums so I'm still a n00b at it.

I'm in the market for a new tractor around 30hp. I'm not sure for my needs if I need more or less power for my needs which I will list now if you care!

I have 10 acres of land with 3 of those acres being my yard for a finished cut. I have lots of fruit trees as well so having a tractor with a tight turning radius is very important. (I would like to use a mid mount mower for cutting my grass) Also on my property I have a 1/2 mile gravel driveway with lots of hills and a creek that runs through it. The creek always floods and stone is always washed off so I end up grading my drive way every weekend. I have 5 little gardens that I grow as a hobby. I use a 2 bottom plow right now with a Struck Magnatrack and it struggles a bit but gets the job done. I would like to be able to use this plow with my tractor instead of having to buy a new one. Also at my home I have a 30x80ft. concrete slab in front of my garage so come winter I will need a tractor for plowing snow. That brings me to this...

At my work I have a 12 place parking lot so I will be plowing snow there as well. But this means I will have to buy a trailer if I get too heavy a tractor because my friends trailer (he is letting me borrow it :thumbsup:) is only 1 ton.

In summary I need a tractor to:
clear snow
grade a driveway (as well as dig the stone back onto the road)
pull a 2 bottom plow
cut grass around trees with a mid mount mower
dig stone out of the creek
be easily transported and maintained
haul firewood
and not be so expensive that I have to eat grass for the rest of my life to pay the bills!

I already know I need the mid mount mower and the loader but I am still undecided on getting a backhoe because I am not sure how easy it would be to remove and put back on with a 3 point hitch in the back. Or whether I should remove the 3 point hitch first.

I know this is long winded and thank you for reading, replies on what you have or like would be helpful!
 
   / Kubota, Kioti, John Deere, Bobcat, Mahindra or Massey Ferguson Which one is best?? #2  
As everyone on here will recommend. The first place to stop is the dealers to sit, drive, smell, feel, look and listen to all the options available. That will narrow your search real quickly. Get an idea of what the "experts" recommend. Look for ease of service, a reputable dealer, parts availability and which dealers are good to work with. With tractors that will always be important for going down the road.

Let the dealers offer suggestions for what they would recommend. What works on TBN for tractors may or may not work in your area depending on your dealer support.

Then come back to us and we'll help you digest what they told you. There is an immense knowledge base on here. But in my opinion, you are looking at the right size of tractor...somewhere in the 25-35 horse range. Speaking of range....don't forget to look at long range uses of that tractor.

Happy hunting!
 
   / Kubota, Kioti, John Deere, Bobcat, Mahindra or Massey Ferguson Which one is best?? #3  
I agree, stop in and test SIT them, and if you can drive them as well.

I started out wanting a B3200, then I noticed some things that did not sit well with me so I started shopping around one day after I saw the new Bobcat commercials on TV

Notice as much about the feel of everything as you can, and take notes.
Look over specs, take into account dealer knowledge and cooperation.

I did that and I bought my Bobcat.

There was a couple of brands that gave some competition, but the most bang for the buck for me was Bobcat
 
   / Kubota, Kioti, John Deere, Bobcat, Mahindra or Massey Ferguson Which one is best?? #4  
Your uses and needs are close to mine. 20 acres of NH granite & glacial till, well watered and covered with trees. Long dirt driveway to grade and plow. Firewood. Rock moving. Garden. Orchard, etc.

I looked at the Chinese Jinma 35 hp tractor (cheap, but also cheaply made and too maintenance intensive IMHO),
Kubota B3200 (too light, too much $$$ and not willing to move on prices),
John Deere 2000 series (too small) and the 3000 series (too light, too much $$$ and not willing to move on prices),
Massey Ferguson (too agricultural and just didn't fix with my needs),
Cub Cadet (not sturdy enough),
New Holland (similar to the MF reasons),
Kioti (CK25,30,35) & Bobcat (CT225,230,235,335).

Narrowed it down to Kioti/Bobcat as the Daedong tractors are about the heaviest in their hp ranges, extremely sturdy, and the best prices I could find.

Kioti dealer (Bachelder's in Sanford, Me.) Good selection, willing to talk, knows tractors inside and out, good maintenance folks, decent pricing. 20 minute drive.

Bobcat of NH in Chichester, NH. Moderate selection, willing to talk, knows equipment inside and out, outstanding maintenance facility, decent pricing. 30 minute drive. Sales guy is next door neighbor, maintenance guy lives other side of town.

Went with Bobcat. CT230, FEL, back blade. Bought new. Paid cash, but didn't get much below list price. Pricing was insignificantly different from Kioti dealer. Only 14 hours on the meter and haven't regretted it.

Pricing in New England is significantly higher than the South, or the Midwest. If you have your own trailer and truck, it might actually be cost effective to buy out there and transport it back yourself.

p.s.
I'd have gotten the 235 if I had an extra $2000.
I'll be getting the backhoe whenever I can scrape $8000 together.

p.p.s.
I got the quick attach setup on the FEL. One thing Bobcat knows is quickly interchangeable attachments. I can remove and replace the bucket with fork tines, bale spear, etc as quickly as I can move the tractor to where the implement is setting.
 
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   / Kubota, Kioti, John Deere, Bobcat, Mahindra or Massey Ferguson Which one is best??
  • Thread Starter
#5  
Thanks! I have already looked around at some of the tractors. I've seen the Bobcats (CT230), the Kubota B3200 and I liked the Kubota very much its just so light I'm not sure it will be very good for plowing snow. I am planning on stopping by the Mahindra, Kioti, and John Deere dealers this weekend to test those tractors. I will likely stop by Kubota dealer again if I have time. I'm just looking for suggestions right now.
 
   / Kubota, Kioti, John Deere, Bobcat, Mahindra or Massey Ferguson Which one is best?? #6  
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   / Kubota, Kioti, John Deere, Bobcat, Mahindra or Massey Ferguson Which one is best?? #7  
You listed in your personal profile that you have a Kubota G1800 lawn tractor. Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the Kubota brand? Perhaps by answering this question yourself, you might gain some insight in regards to your decision.
 
   / Kubota, Kioti, John Deere, Bobcat, Mahindra or Massey Ferguson Which one is best?? #8  
I went through the same ordeal a year ago . Everybody has pretty well covered the bases in purchasing a tractor . I looked at the B3200 pretty hard . I also thought it was a little light , and a lot of posts mentioned engine vibration issues ... I looked at NH , JD , C-IH , and MF last . I am glad I did look at the MF . Don't make it a job shopping , have fun and I'm sure you will make the right choice for YOU .:thumbsup:
 
   / Kubota, Kioti, John Deere, Bobcat, Mahindra or Massey Ferguson Which one is best?? #9  
Good advice so far. A few thoughts to add. First, the backhoe... probably the most costly implement you can add to a tractor because of its complexity. We have found it to be an extremely useful tool, but a good backhoe for a 25-35 hp compact tractor will run something like $7k or more. Considering your "not be so expensive" comment, are you up for that? If you really need it, it's worth the money, but many find renting one as needed is more practical.

Second, even the "light" tractors you mention will weigh 3,000 lbs or more when you get them all ready to work with a loader, weighted tires and an implement on the 3 point, so your friend's 1 ton trailer - and maybe whatever you're towing it with - is way out of its league.

Have you considered changing from a plow to a rotary tiller? Particularly for gardening and food plots, many owners find they are a better tool for tillage with modern compact tractors.

Finally, it might be more convenient if your mowing needs were handled by a separate riding mower. You can buy one for about what the mmm deck would cost on one of these tractors, so the cost is about even and you save having to change the tractor over from mowing to whatever and back.

Just some thoughts. Best of luck with your planning. You are on the right track.
 
   / Kubota, Kioti, John Deere, Bobcat, Mahindra or Massey Ferguson Which one is best?? #10  
Well you have asked a 'loaded' question as to which tractor make is best. Everyone will have an opinion and of course it will be the one they purchased. I think you need to go to your local dealers and sit and drive on a few as that is when you will notice the little things that may be missing on one make vs another or one make is more comfortable than the other. It will surprise you some of the things you notice when you do this.

Here is my recent experience. I have had a used Kubota for 15 years and it served me very very well. I was shopping around for a new tractor for the past 10 months and the only close dealers are Kubota, Kioti and NH. There are some other dealers further away such as Deere however I felt they were too far away. NH I feel isn't really in the market for CUT's (IMHO) so that left me Kubota and Kioti - I sat on both and drove both a few times. What made the decision for me? I liked the ride of the Kubota and I had a personal bias that my previous Kubota worked great for me. So that left me with a tractor I liked (MX5100), confidence with the quality or change to another manufacturer who's tractors were nice but I had no history with them. So I chose Kubota...but that is ME, not you.
 
 
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