Need help: Should I go for a Compact or SubCompact

   / Need help: Should I go for a Compact or SubCompact #1  

TurboSonic

Member
Joined
Apr 6, 2003
Messages
37
Location
Canada
Tractor
JD 4110 / Ford LGT145
Hello everyone,

I need some help to decide if I would be better off buying a Compact or SubCompact tractor. I have been reading many of your posts on this board (great info!) and I still can't decide... Our property is roughly 260ft by 330ft. (How many acres would that be? How do you calculate this?).
Here's what I will use this tractor for:
1) Finishing Mowing (most of our property is grass but has a lots of trees)
2) Snow removal (30' x 160'). I live in estern Canada so we get a fair amount of snow.
3) Landscaping (Moving dirt arround, removing trees, etc.)
4) Gardening (30' x 100')
5) And of course riding! (Just kidding!)

This is going to replace a 30ish Ford LGT 145. I think this tractor has around 14 HP gasoline engine. I find that it is bit small. We don't have any steep hills but when I'm cutting the grass going uphill it does tend to run out of oumf! (I have to slow down) It does have an Hydrostatic transmission and my new tractor NEEDs to have this! Hydro trans is a blast!
Now keep in mind that buying this tractor is finally a dream comming true for me! I have been wanting a tractor with "big tractor" features for so long that I'm not really going to be picky on the price as long as it's under 30K Canadian! Of course I need the following implements with it: SnowBlower, Tiller, Mid Mount Mower, Front Loader, Front Blade, Ballast box.
I have started to check web sites for info so I looked at pretty much what the most common offering are. Dealers are not a problem around here. I can get JD, Kubota, MF in my local town and CaseIH, NH, AGCO all whitin 1 hour from here!
I have started to read Muhammad's book but I though I could also post a message here to see what you guys think!
Any help would be appreciated!
Thanks,
Sylvain
 
   / Need help: Should I go for a Compact or SubCompact #2  
Turbosonic,

1 acre is the same as about 43,560 square feet. You have 85,800 based on the measurements you posted. So you have close to 2 acres. The larger subcompact would work fine especially if you have flat land. The smaller of the compacts like or equivalent to the New Holland TC18 or 21 would also work fine for you. If you have a budget and would like to give us that we can help you more.

murph
 
   / Need help: Should I go for a Compact or SubCompact #3  
Re: Need help: Should I go for a Compact or SubCom

An acre is 43,560 sq feet. You have 85,800 sq feet, so if you divide your sq footage by the sq footage in an acre you get 1.97 acres (about 2). as far as tractor size, I think a subcompact or smaller compact would be fine. Moving the snow and the soil would probably be where the larger size would be of help.

Andy
 
   / Need help: Should I go for a Compact or SubCompact #4  
Re: Need help: Should I go for a Compact or SubCom

Sorry Murph, didn't realize you were answering at the same time. Hey at least we said the same thing. BTW, I was also thinking of the TC 18 and TC21 being a Ford/ New Holland type of guy.

Andy
 
   / Need help: Should I go for a Compact or SubCompact
  • Thread Starter
#5  
Re: Need help: Should I go for a Compact or SubCom

Hello,

Thanks for the replys...
For the buget I'm thinking about putting 15K-20K on the tractor and 5K-10K on the implements. The Ford tractor was bought by my father 30 years ago. I think the local Ford dealer (cars) sold them at that time. Right now I don't really have any "color" preferences except maybe the proximity of certain dealers.

I guess what seems to be the hardest for me to grasp for example is that NH makes a Compact tractor, the TC21 which has 21.0HP and Kubota makes a SubCompact tractor, the BX2200 that has 22 HP. So even if the Compact tractor is bigger in size dosen't mean it has better performance right?

Thanks guys for the info on how to calculate the acres!
Sylvain
 
   / Need help: Should I go for a Compact or SubCompact #6  
Re: Need help: Should I go for a Compact or SubCom

I have a similar size property and went with the BX-1500 from a 20 hp Yardman hydro. The diesels have more torque per hp so I feel it should be plenty for me. I can rent bigger when I need it and have the bx for mowing which will be most of the hours put on it.
 
   / Need help: Should I go for a Compact or SubCompact #7  
Re: Need help: Should I go for a Compact or SubCom

Turbo,

The Kubota BX is a subcompact and yes it can have a higher HP depending on the model. New Holland really doesn't make a sub-compact that I am awair of. What you will get with the New Holland is a heavier and larger frame tractor. This will come in handy if you have any hills and will also give you more traction. The FEL's will allow you to lift things higher I believe also. If most of your work will be mowing then the sub-compact will give you the best results. If you are going to do a lot of FEL work and tilling/brush hoggin I think you would be happier with the smaller compact. The New Holland TC18/21/24 have the same frame pretty much just different size motors and HP. My original tractor was a TC21D and I bought it with the FEL, 60" MMM for less than 14,000. So your allowance is plenty good for a compact. But you don't just have to look at New Holland. John Deere and Kubota make nice compacts also. I usually like to tell people to get comfortable with their dealer. The 3 brands I mentioned not one of them is really mechanically any better than the other. If there is problems you will be a lot better off with a good dealer.

Have fun in deciding, get all three of them under your seat and try them out. There is other brands out there that you may want to check out that will be less up front but won't have the resale if so desired. Century, Branson, Kioti and so on.

murph
 
   / Need help: Should I go for a Compact or SubCompact #8  
An acre is just under 208' x 208'.

Well seeing how you are in the Great White North,the Korean offerings are limited to basically Kioti and Branson. Unfortunately we do not get Mahindra or Long up here yet. I've only seen one TYM dealer,and he is in Perth, Ontario.

Since you want to be able to do things with your tractor,I'd say go with the CUT,not the S-CUT.
 
   / Need help: Should I go for a Compact or SubCompact #9  
WHAT?????
Woodbeef: do yourself a favor and take a subcut out before you make that assumption. The Kubota bx series is a very capable tractor and I can assure you would work well in this situation.
DaveL
 
   / Need help: Should I go for a Compact or SubCompact #10  
Re: Need help: Should I go for a Compact or SubCom

TURBO: FIRST OF ALL WELCOME TO THE FORUM. also remeber that performace is not only limited to HP. the size and mass and thus traction also equates to performance. all the machines you mentioned will do fine HP wise. some have larger frames, larger wheels etc. you really need to look at them all up close and personal. i keep forgetting that your price rage is in canadian $$$ but even so, you should have noe problem getting all u want. for that amt.
 
 
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