Buying Advice sub compact or compact tractor?

   / sub compact or compact tractor? #1  

warky715

New member
Joined
Feb 22, 2014
Messages
9
Location
kingsville, ontario
Tractor
x500 lawn tractor
Hi everybody,

I am researching buying my first tractor (probably still at least a year away), and just get confused over what I need or don't need depending on who I talk to or what I read.

First I guess I'll start by saying I have just over 3 acres that's all grass but 2.5 acres is a field that isn't very smooth. The rest is my residential lot with trees and fenced area. I currently have a John Deere x540 that gets the job done but takes awhile to get the grass cut and is hard on the back and kidneys out in the field.

My future plans are to dig a small pond, mini bike track, post hole dig for a new fence and pole barn, add a separate driveway, dig out for patio, dig around house and redo storm drains along with the typical gardening stuff and whatever else I can think of over the next several years.

So now the actual question is what size tractor do I really need? speed isn't as much of a factor as is just the tractor being able to do the job without breaking. I am leaning towards the sub compact just because it would be more nimble for grass cutting (could sell my rider to offset some cost) and easier to trailer.

I have looked at the kioti cs2410 and their ck line up. Also the Massey 1710 tab and there is always the Kubota's and John Deere's. The closest dealer to me is a kioti dealer and they seam real friendly and have a good reputation. The Massey dealer I got the same vibe from. I was honest with them and said I wasn't looking to buy anytime soon but was getting a fell for what I liked etc., they both offered to let me drive them around and the Massey offered to even drop one off at my house to try it out.

Both dealers said I would be good with a sub but most people are telling me more power is better and subs aren't real tractors. I don't have any real experience with tractors myself and don't know anybody that owns a sub compact to get a trusted opinion from without a sale motivating them.

Anyway sorry for the long post just trying to give as much info as possible. Would love feed back from people who actually have a kioti or Massey sub compact and can comment on the durability of them.

Thanks.
 
   / sub compact or compact tractor? #2  
The Massey dealer offered to drop one off at your house? I've never heard of that but it sounds like a decent offer. As far as the comments you may have heard about SCUTs not being real tractors, I'll bet more than a few guys on this site will disagree. They seem to get an awful lot done around their properties with those machines and my bet is you would too. You might give it a run for its money with your list of things to do but if it's outfitted right you might be able to make it work. I use a 2720 so I'll leave this one to the SCUT owners.
 
   / sub compact or compact tractor? #3  
A sub will do a lot work, just might take a little longer. I was debating the same thing, but went to the CUT mainly for the loader carrying capacity. I do mostly loader work with mine and need the extra capacity.
One other point to consider is availability of attachments. Although most SCUTS are Cat 1 3pt., quite a few of the conventional cat 1 implements don't work all that well on the SCUT.
 
   / sub compact or compact tractor? #4  
Buy the most tractor that'll fit where you need it to. The price difference is pretty small between different size/weight tractors with similar HP. That weight and tire size means a lot more power to the ground. Also fel and 3pt lift capacity goes up when you get into the cuts, which is nice. If I was gonna spend that kinda money, I would sure get the bigger machine.
 
   / sub compact or compact tractor? #5  
:welcome:

I would accept the offer from Massey and after trying it out for a week, pitch the same offer to Kioti , Kubota and JD. Myself, I have a CK27 Kioti so I will let the guys with the little ones answer the rest of your questions.
 
   / sub compact or compact tractor? #6  
I guess I am one of the "guys with the little ones" and "not a real tractor" as we have a BX2200, BX2660 and John Deere 2305. I consider a SCUT a "real" tractor just as I do our L5740, M8540 or any of the several others we own, just designed for different tasks.

We have found our SCUT's to be really handy for mowing our yard and other activities with a FEL, box scraper, rotary cutter, tiller etc., but I can't recommend one for the OP. Yes, you can do it with a SCUT, but I sure wouldn't want to.

Personally I would just keep the mower for mowing and buy a good sized CUT for everything else.
 
   / sub compact or compact tractor? #7  
I guess I am one of the "guys with the little ones" and "not a real tractor" as we have a BX2200, BX2660 and John Deere 2305. I consider a SCUT a "real" tractor just as I do our L5740, M8540 or any of the several others we own, just designed for different tasks.

We have found our SCUT's to be really handy for mowing our yard and other activities with a FEL, box scraper, rotary cutter, tiller etc., but I can't recommend one for the OP. Yes, you can do it with a SCUT, but I sure wouldn't want to.

Personally I would just keep the mower for mowing and buy a good sized CUT for everything else.

x2 Totally agree with 3R on this as a Scut will be to small for all that digging.
 
   / sub compact or compact tractor? #8  
I have right at 4 acres. About 1/4 acre of that is lawn, the rest is sheep pasture.

I have an '88 John Deere 750 that I bought new. I'm guessing that qualifies as a CUT. I have cleared 2+ acres of brush, built hundreds of feet of fence, dug up humungous rocks, dug footings for buildings, kept that acreage mowed with a finish mower, bushhogged alders, plowed snow, tilled gardens, manufactured firewood, hauled logs and moved more dirt than I could even estimate.

I have never wished for a smaller tractor. By the same token, I have never seriously lusted after a bigger one. Oh, power steering and a full synchro transmission would be nice, but that little booger has done everything I've ever asked of it, and some things I had no right to ask of it.

In other words, like other posters have said: Keep the rider and go with a CUT.
 
   / sub compact or compact tractor? #9  
I'd keep the 540 and get a CUT, like a CK. The CK's are too heavy to mow with though.

If you can only have one, then I'd probably go SCUT. And I am in the camp that they are not "real" tractors. Have you checked out the Mahindra Max lineup? Kind of the best of both worlds. Maybe a little bigger than a SCUT. I really like the lift capacity vs. their size. Pretty nice tractors. The JD 1-series are really well designed for mowing with the auto connect mower and easy park loaders. The TYM T2xx series is nice too; short wheelbase; good specs. LS seems to be an up and comer, and I think they have a model very similar to the CS2410.

I doubt you will find that a SCUT gets your grass cut any faster.
 
   / sub compact or compact tractor? #10  
I'd keep the 540 for mowing around the house, and get a CK or DK series Kioti for the rest of your chores, I would go DK myself.(I did and am happy:))
You might also consider figuring out how to make your puchase NOW, while their are still some tier 3 machines available, You will save yourself 3 or 4 grand up front, and maintenance expenses down the road. Very shortly all that will be available is tier 4 machines.
 
 
Top