Used Construction TLB vs. smaller, newer 'farm' models (Kubota B3350, Kioti CK3010)

[feetup69]

Greetings,

I am looking for a machine next year to tackle a number of chores on (my) residential 2 acre projerty. This will include projects such as building a patio, and creating a small vegetable garden (need to be tiered into a sloping hill of around 10'), and building and maintaining a small road (wide enough to accomodate the tractor) from the back of the property to the front (about 400 feet, into the woods). I will also have a couple of 'routine' projects annually, mowing the rather small yard, about .7 acres but we let the eco grass grow TALL...like over a foot between cuttings, it folds over like hair, and is more like a pasture when ready to be cut. Mulching (about 8-12 yards a year), chipping limbs from the woods, using a landscape rake on the 3pt hitch to level and preen the chips near the edge of the woods, clearing snow from the driveway (and aforementioned road in the woods), turning the (growing) compost pile to make organic soil, and finally... dealing with a lot of rocky dirt...

I emphasize the last chore because here's the deal, I'm in New England (CT) and the soil is like super hard clay. Waaaay in the back of the property, is a large clearing, left over from a previous farm. (Now turned into woods w/ 100' + tall trees). There is a LOT of piles of soil back there, some of which I would like to use for various projects. I've dug by hand a few ATV trailer loads of this stuff, it kills my back and takes about 30-40 minutes to fill my 1500lb atv trailer each time. I need a Pick, shovel, to loosen up the soil and dig out all the field stones from these piles. (many bowling ball or smaller stones embedded in this thick clay soil. I will need to make many trips up and down this little road, bringing soil up to the front of the property to be used for a variety of different purposes. Eventually, I may do something with the back of the property once the dirt piles are cleared (i.e. maybe build a cool pole barn or something, more likely build an RC car track for my kids to play with until I get motivated to build a barn...).. Anyway..

So a close friend who has a farm, and owns various equipment, has steered me towards a used bigger machine, like a used JD110. (I've used this machine many times, so I'm quite familiar with it's capability and operation). The thinking is the larger, heavier, slightly more robust machine will be more useful in general, and it's less likely I'll get frustrated with the smaller machine's capabilities. I'm especially concerned because that dirt I talked about won't budge easily with a plain loader w/o a tooth bar. In fact, what I really intend to use is something like a 66" toothed rock bucket, to break up that soil, sift out the rocks (maybe to use for a wall for the veggie garden tiers), and then transport the soil up front for more productive use. The larger machine (like an L39, or JD110) will have a larger bucket capacity, making fewer trips with that stuff, and I can see doing just about all the other things, although mowing at that point might be a bit silly to detach the TLB, and get the PTO going. But, I have a dilema because I don't really know which 'class' of machine is better overall. I don't know if the smaller machines can handle a toothed rock bucket effectively (I know the JD110 can, I used it when building the house and doing the landscaping). I don't want to buy one of the smaller ones and be frustrated with it when dealing with the larger things, and don't really want to be renting anything more than an excavator once or twice more to move some really heavy boulders and maybe doing the heavy lifting w/ the veggie garden hardscaping. On the other hand, I don't want an old beat up machine with 2000+ hrs that might break a lot, and is generally a bit big for many of the routine chores that the smaller machines would be ideal for. As a final consideration, I do need to finance my purchase, as I don't have a lot of free cash, but I can manage a payment under $400/month for several years. I'm pretty sure I can get financing to buy something pre-owned, so I'm not too worried about that. The main concern is durability of a construction grade machine, of much larger size, but considerably older, vs. a newer, more compact machine for the tasks I have. Any thoughts from o wise TractorByNet experts would be greatly appreciated.

thanks.

 

[mike69440]

For a minute there I thought you were talking about a full size TLB!?
A small JD110 or L39 that is still in fair shape will suit what you want better, but after that work is done, sell it so to buy an even smaller machine.
My L39 has +2000 hours and is way better than new. Well maintained high hours tractor is nothing to be scared of, besides you are going to sell it to by a small shiny one.

 

[roadhunter]

I prefer construction type equipment as from my experience it is built to a different standard with higher quality components and construction due to necessity of jobsite abuse and robust hydraulic systems.

Sounds to me like loading the dirt in a dump trailer with a hoe would be best for picking the rocks out as opposed to using the FEL which limits visibility and the power to get into the pile with smaller machines.

A compromise might be a older tractor without a loader for your pulling, garden, driveway, mowing, grading, chipping, work and then buying one of those little backhoes that rental yards use for your digging and loader work. Those little hoes have a pretty good rating for loader work and that hoe would work great to bust up those piles and moving rocks around.

Both of those can be has for little $ and sold when you are finished with minimal loss. Might be nice to have 2 machines when you are chipping and I really think you will prefer not having a loader on for mowing and working the garden.

 

[feetup69]

I appreciate the feedback from you both, thank you. I think it would exceed my budget to have two machines unfortunately, I do understand the logic and benefits of having separate machines that are better suited between heavier duty chores, vs. light, but for now I will have to find the one machine that is the best compromise between the lighter duty chores vs working that dirt pile in the back. I do agree, a hoe will be useful to break up those hundred year old soil piles, some of which have small trees on top 3" thick, but I will need a rock bucket to more easily separate the rocks & debris from the soil so I can scoop large quantities of the dirt for use in garden areas & the lawn. When I say large quantities of dirt, there are probably 20-30 dump truck load size piles back there, that I intend to do stuff with over the years in stages, and I have to transport it from the back of the property up to the front. Even if it was loose loam, with any of the machine's I'm talking about, i would take what seems like a few hundred trips, so it's going to be a long slow process of digging, screening, bringing it up for various select landscaping and or gardening projects.

I could always consider renting a hoe (excavator) for occasional digging chores, those are really easy and relatively cheap to rent from Home Depot if just for a few special projects a year, and But I can't seem to get away from the issue of construction grade equipment vs. lighter duty equipment If I didn't have to figure out how to manage all that earth, or, I was going to do something with it in a one-time weekend, I could easily rent something for just that, but this is not going to be a weekend project, I need a machine that I can do stuff with a few hours here and there over various free weekends.

I keep coming back to the Kubota L39, as a potential best fit. It's still smaller (a bit) than the JD 110, and probably not way over-sized for the yard and or projects I want to do. And it does have a decent hoe that is integrated (I am not fond of the wonky looking ones that stick out an extra 2-3 feet on all the other B, M, etc. models), and I suppose it probably isn't too difficult to remove the hoe to use various 3pt attachments that I will need more often. While I'd prefer a shiny newer model (maybe even a cab) that could work for the majority of what I need, w/o a hoe, I can't seem to get away from the worry that dealing with the heavy thick clay soil embedded with rocks may be a bit too much for those smaller 30-35hm machines FEL's that don't quite have the durability or the weight of the L39 or JD110. I just don't know how the former machines would hold up over time, or how they would handle a toothed 66" or so rock bucket weighing 450lbs at a minimum, even if I rented a machine to loosen up all that soil to make it a bit easier to get a nice full bucket.

So it seems that the older L39, just might be the best fit, I just have to try to find one that's in good shape, and a good price, and get some financing in place.

 

[RNeumann]

Unless the snow removal is with a blower that needs a lot of HP I'm wondering why the L25 wouldn't be just fine. Ditto for the Kioti CK.
The B series Kubota has mid PTO if you wanted to mow with a belly mower or wanted a front snow blower. I'm not sure what Kioti models have mid PTO.

As far as size is concerned I don't know if bigger is going to gain much. As an example- the bigger tractor may take a 6' mower vs the smaller machine taking a 5' mower. On 0.7 acres of mowing that is probably less than 5' difference. Maybe 30' difference moving the dirt for gardens etc. However the larger machine may be harder on the area you mow if you are worried about the tire tracks and soil compaction.

Either size machine can handle a toothed bucket.

 

[jenkinsph]

Greetings,

I am looking for a machine next year to tackle a number of chores on (my) residential 2 acre projerty. This will include projects such as building a patio, and creating a small vegetable garden (need to be tiered into a sloping hill of around 10'), and building and maintaining a small road (wide enough to accomodate the tractor) from the back of the property to the front (about 400 feet, into the woods). I will also have a couple of 'routine' projects annually, mowing the rather small yard, about .7 acres but we let the eco grass grow TALL...like over a foot between cuttings, it folds over like hair, and is more like a pasture when ready to be cut. Mulching (about 8-12 yards a year), chipping limbs from the woods, using a landscape rake on the 3pt hitch to level and preen the chips near the edge of the woods, clearing snow from the driveway (and aforementioned road in the woods), turning the (growing) compost pile to make organic soil, and finally... dealing with a lot of rocky dirt...

I emphasize the last chore because here's the deal, I'm in New England (CT) and the soil is like super hard clay. Waaaay in the back of the property, is a large clearing, left over from a previous farm. (Now turned into woods w/ 100' + tall trees). There is a LOT of piles of soil back there, some of which I would like to use for various projects. I've dug by hand a few ATV trailer loads of this stuff, it kills my back and takes about 30-40 minutes to fill my 1500lb atv trailer each time. I need a Pick, shovel, to loosen up the soil and dig out all the field stones from these piles. (many bowling ball or smaller stones embedded in this thick clay soil. I will need to make many trips up and down this little road, bringing soil up to the front of the property to be used for a variety of different purposes. Eventually, I may do something with the back of the property once the dirt piles are cleared (i.e. maybe build a cool pole barn or something, more likely build an RC car track for my kids to play with until I get motivated to build a barn...).. Anyway..

So a close friend who has a farm, and owns various equipment, has steered me towards a used bigger machine, like a used JD110. (I've used this machine many times, so I'm quite familiar with it's capability and operation). The thinking is the larger, heavier, slightly more robust machine will be more useful in general, and it's less likely I'll get frustrated with the smaller machine's capabilities. I'm especially concerned because that dirt I talked about won't budge easily with a plain loader w/o a tooth bar. In fact, what I really intend to use is something like a 66" toothed rock bucket, to break up that soil, sift out the rocks (maybe to use for a wall for the veggie garden tiers), and then transport the soil up front for more productive use. The larger machine (like an L39, or JD110) will have a larger bucket capacity, making fewer trips with that stuff, and I can see doing just about all the other things, although mowing at that point might be a bit silly to detach the TLB, and get the PTO going. But, I have a dilema because I don't really know which 'class' of machine is better overall. I don't know if the smaller machines can handle a toothed rock bucket effectively (I know the JD110 can, I used it when building the house and doing the landscaping). I don't want to buy one of the smaller ones and be frustrated with it when dealing with the larger things, and don't really want to be renting anything more than an excavator once or twice more to move some really heavy boulders and maybe doing the heavy lifting w/ the veggie garden hardscaping. On the other hand, I don't want an old beat up machine with 2000+ hrs that might break a lot, and is generally a bit big for many of the routine chores that the smaller machines would be ideal for. As a final consideration, I do need to finance my purchase, as I don't have a lot of free cash, but I can manage a payment under $400/month for several years. I'm pretty sure I can get financing to buy something pre-owned, so I'm not too worried about that. The main concern is durability of a construction grade machine, of much larger size, but considerably older, vs. a newer, more compact machine for the tasks I have. Any thoughts from o wise TractorByNet experts would be greatly appreciated.

thanks.

Reading through your list of projects I suspect a garden tractor or sub compact will handle most of the routine seasonal jobs on your list. I use my x749 garden tractor for mowing, small 3pt chipper, snow removal, mulching and collection, and other small maintenance jobs that do not require a fel. I do have a cat 1 limited hitch and rear 540 pto on it, so using with a variety of 3ph implements works well. Moving to a sub compact or small compact adds the capability of a front loader and is a very popular choice today.

Moving the dirt from rear of the property to the front would be more involved if you are having to separate out the rocks and dirt. I would have to see it to determine whether it is a practical endeavor or not. I have a 66" rock bucket for my 110 and it works okay for separating out the larger rocks but you would still have the smaller rock below 3 inches to deal with. Renting a screen box might be worthwhile and more effective to help process the piles.

Transporting this clean processed dirt to other areas on the property is a simple task and amounts to a weekend's work for an L39, 110 or skid steer. A subcut could move the dirt too with more time. For actual digging and landscape forming there is a huge difference in the capabilities of an L39 or 110 compared to a subcut or small compact tlb model. Whether you need to buy a larger model or rent/contract the use of one is something you need to really think about. I don't see where you have much work for the larger model to need it long term.

My experience has been that a 4x4ws garden tractor with assorted implements will handle a lot of the ongoing tasks. The 110 does a great job for forming and shaping the initial landscape. The fel on a 110 is strong enough to get work done and is a huge improvement over a subcut or small compact. That said a subcut or small compact with the right equipment/attachments might be a good long term choice for you.

 

[CurlyDave]

Back when I brought my 110 TLB, I also looked at the L39.

There is a major difference. The 110 TLB has a hydrostatic transmission, it was not even an available option on the L39.

I didn't appreciate all of the advantages at the time, but I sure do now.

I would accept more hours, and a lot more wear to fit a 110 TLB into my budget.

 

[jenkinsph]

Back when I brought my 110 TLB, I also looked at the L39.

There is a major difference. The 110 TLB has a hydrostatic transmission, it was not even an available option on the L39.

I didn't appreciate all of the advantages at the time, but I sure do now.

I would accept more hours, and a lot more wear to fit a 110 TLB into my budget.

Good point about the hydro transmission I would definitely agree with you on that.

 

[Grandad4]

If your whole place is 2 acres, how much of it has those dirt/rock mounds? Why not just get an excavator and/or skidsteer in for 1 or 2 days to open up everything all at once? Then you can find a suitable compact tractor to do your other work and do the screening and moving of the material on your own schedule.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I cant see any purpose in getting a machine larger than a B26 for your uses. I got mine used for a good price and it has really proved to be a very capable machine. It cant use a belly mower like one of the compacts with mid-PTO but a rear finish mower works for them if you want to use it to mow. You sound like maybe a bushhog would work for you in the once or twice a year mowing.
The B26 is much heavier than something like a B 3350 and the 3 speed hydro transmission makes for some impressive pulling and pushing capabilities.
I would vote for either a used B26 or if you can find one, a used JD110 and they will do everything that you need done without having to rent any other equipment. Look for one with a hydraulic thumb as that makes them much more useful, especially for sorting out the big rocks. You can just pick them up with the hoe and place them where you need them.