Compact 4wd v. Larger 2wd utility tractor?

[MrChris]

Thanks. I don't really need to transport it anywhere. It will simply stay at the house. I'm gonna go take a look around soon. I was planning to go yesterday, but it was monsoon season here. I have several Deere and kubota dealers close by. I also have a mahindra dealer close. By close, I mean 10-15 miles. Kioti is 60 miles away. New holland is 60 miles. LS is 100+ miles. Between kids, work, etc. it's tough to find time for toys.

I looked at JD and Kubota but ended up going with a Mahindra. Have not been dissapointed. Saved some money and their smaller tractors are quality Japanese made as well. My 4x4, 32HP, Hst tractor has done very well handling my 10 acres. The 3616 would be the current model. They even offer it in a cab version now, which would be nice in the hot southern ga summers.

 

[MrChris]

Thanks. I don't really need to transport it anywhere. It will simply stay at the house. I'm gonna go take a look around soon. I was planning to go yesterday, but it was monsoon season here. I have several Deere and kubota dealers close by. I also have a mahindra dealer close. By close, I mean 10-15 miles. Kioti is 60 miles away. New holland is 60 miles. LS is 100+ miles. Between kids, work, etc. it's tough to find time for toys.

. Double post oops

 

[newbury]

To the OP -
It's a good thread for those thinking of their options.

But thru all your posts you keep calling it a toy. And you mention a price range around $20K.

Why not look for a well maintained used tractor?

M4700, 4WD, LA1001 loader, son



These are pics of my 1998 M4700, 1400 hrs, 51HP maintained by the Leesburg maintenance shop, $12K out the door. Looking at a new one it probably would have been about $25K after discount. Sure it's not shiny, but the left over $$ will buy the wife two dormers in our retirement house and a few implements.

There are 3 at http://www.tractorhouse.com/list/list.aspx?manu=KUBOTA&mdltxt=M4700 for similar, slightly higher prices. And they are not Tier 4.

Based on past experience with my B7610 I'll be able to use it for years with minimum maintenance. I won't be working it 1,000 hours a year (of course Leesburg only worked it about 100 hours/year), if I was I'd buy new, pay a lot more and expect it to pay me back. I admit it's a little big for my 1/2 acre lot but it's due to migrate down to Mississippi in a few months.

You should be able to easily find a used tractor. Barlows has a L3830GST 2006 with 354.6 hours and a LA723 (note all kubota loader #'s refer to ASAE lift capacity in Kilograms) Inventory | Barlow Equipment that when I asked the price in January it was about $14.5 with about $400 delivery. And I'm sure with $5K leftover you could get a bush hog, box blade, and some flowers for the wife.

 

[lantxinNETX]

Thanks. I don't really need to transport it anywhere. It will simply stay at the house. I'm gonna go take a look around soon. I was planning to go yesterday, but it was monsoon season here. I have several Deere and kubota dealers close by. I also have a mahindra dealer close. By close, I mean 10-15 miles. Kioti is 60 miles away. New holland is 60 miles. LS is 100+ miles. Between kids, work, etc. it's tough to find time for toys.

I just read this entire thread and this is the first time that I think you mentioned a Mahindra dealer close by. Since the location of the dealer seems important to you, don't miss going to the Mahindra dealer and looking at their tractors. When I started on my selection process a couple of months ago, I quickly dismissed the JD 3032E 'packages' as a low-ball come on offer. When I compared the specs to say a Kubota L3200, the Kubota was clearly the more capable machine. Then I discovered Mahinda. When it came time to try them out, I only drove the Kubotas and the Mahindras. Ended up buying a Mahindra 4035 HST.

My advise would be to determine what you want to do with your tractor and then decide how much power/lift/capability you need - then see what tractors match up to those numbers, be that a Deere, Kubota or Mahindra. And then when you think you know what you want, buy one just a little bigger. The few extra dollars will be well worth it later.

 

[sd455dan]

these new posts got me thinking about the size power question again, and after thinking about it some more, I would have to say a larger and more powerful - 3 point lift,hydraulic flow/ loader capacity its worth it and on used machines it seems like there's a premium attached to the smaller machines. 40+hp 4x4 sounds like a good way to go. Always finding new uses for the power / size. Whatever you get I'm sure you will enjoy it.

 

[murphy1244]

Dk-40 with 401 FEL= 2700lbs of lift off.

 

[agsanders]

Thanks for all the replies. I'm gonna go and check everything out. Used would be fine with me, especially if I get a more capable machine. A lot of varied opinions on the options. I know that I want HST. I don't want a cab. I'm not wanting to drive all over the SE looking at tractors. I want dealer support such that when I need service I want to pick up the phone and have the dealer come get it.

 

[Notforhire]

I admit it's a little big for my 1/2 acre lot but it's due to migrate down to Mississippi in a few months.

It's not that I don't think lot size can make a difference, but it's not the only factor. Let's just say on your 1/2 acre lot you sell one ton cement widgets. Not that I suggest you get a 100hp model, but I'm sure you find lots of times that your happy your tractor may be "a little big for the lot."

Bill

 

[aczlan]

My FIL farmed these red clay hills for nearly 50 years with 2wd tractors and never got one stuck and I have yet to get one stuck (24 years). My personal opinion is that 4wd is over rated for hobby farming. For those of you doing extensive loader work or moving snow on a regular basis it IS essential.
To say 2wd tractors for loader work are obsolete goes a little too far. Mine works fine with ballast on the 3pt hitch.

Dad had a 2wd Massey Ferguson Industrial 35 (50HP Perkins Diesel, huge bucket, 2wd), it had loaded tires, wheel weights and chains and with that, it was passable (at best) bush hogging in their woods (fairly hilly with some wet spots from springs), discing the garden (with a 8' Deere offset disc) was only possible when it was very dry. Any dampness and you had to disconnect the disc and pull it out with a chain. The tractor had plenty of power, but not enough traction to get things done. You could put a ballast barrel on the back (and Dad had one, a 55 gal drum full of rocks), but that didnt work too well when discing or bushhogging as they couldn't be on at the same time
He went from that to a Kubota L3650 (4wd with 4 loaded tires and a loader). That would go pretty much anywhere you wanted it to. It also pulled the same disc better than the Massey had.

So, 4wd is (IMO) essential around here where we have lots of hills, snow and mud.

Aaron Z

 

[DKCDKC]

My dad farmed in the days before 4WD were common, but had a good solution. He had one tractor for everyday use, and a second older model to pull it out when it got stuck in winter mud. Both were JD most of the time, although a few MF and Ford units crept in when the price was right. A second tractor and a log chain make up for some of what you lose with 2WD. My last tractor was a 1975 JD 2030 with FEL - and 2WD. I bought it with 2000 hours in 2001 to spiff of roads on my farm and build gardens, etc. It's huge bucket was ideal for moving large quantities of dirt. It pulled a 6 foot BB on my gravel road, only struggling with a steep hill. A good tractor... Solid and minimum maintenance. I downsized to a JD 3038e last year because I no longer need to move dirt, and the old tractor was so high it gave me fits getting on it... And my wife could not get on it at all. Sometimes I miss the power, but I do love the flexibility and compact size of the smaller unit in getting in the forest. My biggest complaint is stability - the narrowness makes it less stable on some of my slopes.

However, were I younger and had better knees, I doubt I'd have switched tractors, or would have gone for a used 4wd utility.