Need a tractor

[member12]

I know nothing about tractors at all.

I am new to the construction industry, and I could safe a lot of money by buying a tractor in the $10k-$15K range used primarily for grading and clearing vacant lots for single family home building. I would also like a front loader that can lift things into a dumpster (around 85" high).
I would need to scrape topsoil to about 3", and clear small diameter (up to 2.5") trees and brush. The climate is southern Louisiana- hot and sticky summers around 85 degrees.
I have a 1999 Chevrolet Suburban diesel rated to tow up to 10000 pounds- so the tractor has to fit on that via 18' dual axle trailer also rated at 10000 pounds with a ramp included.
My price range is up to $14000. I am looking for a safe product, but I am trying to save money, so I need lowest cost to own.

One less person to hire to clear land prior to building would save me on average $2500 a year. The tractor would have to last about 6 years to cover its cost. I'd probably use it for 3-6 hours a week. I would be the primary user. No one touches equipment this expensive but me. I would also use it for light residential mowing- but its primary and most important purpose is grading and loading.

Like I said before, I havent' used tractors before, but I need one now to cut a little more off the bottom line for me.

My former employer used a bobcat- but I don't plan to build on the scope of what he did, and need something a little more multipurpose than that, with better parts availability.

I have checked out Kubota and John Deere's websites and came up royaly confused. Diesel or gas? I have no idea what brand or size would be best. I just wanted to get a little info before I just buy what seems right. I have no brand preference but one that has cheap, widely available parts.
Thank you. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[flusher]

Last May I bought a new Kubota B7510HST with LA302 FEL for $12,600 + tax (10% down, 0% APR, 36 months). I use this 21HP tractor (16HP at the PTO, 3 cyl diesel) for the kind of jobs you describe on my 10 acre parcel (flat, weeds, 28 almond trees left from a previous orchard). The tractor weight is about 2000 lb with the FEL so it should fit on your trailer with ease.

The hydrostatic transmission (HST) makes the tractor very easy to operate, especially when using the FEL. Like all new U.S. tractors, it has a roll-over protection system (ROPS, a big roll bar) and a seat belt. The ROPS is hinged so you can lower the upper part to get around tight places, like an orchard.

The FEL reach may be a little short for your needs. If I read the Kubota specs correctly, it can only lift about 67". You may have to build a dirt ramp to empty the bucket into your dumpster. Easy to do.

I added a King Kutter box blade (48" wide) for $375 at Tractor Supply Co (TSC) and then a KK rotary cutter (brush hog) for $675 also from TSC.

The box blade is useful for grading work, but takes a while to learn to use effectively.

Be sure to have the dealer weld chain hooks onto the top of the FEL bucket (see attachment). It makes the FEL a lot more useful

Also consider getting a tooth bar for the FEL bucket. It's a real help for digging up brush and small trees, as well as for general excavating. Markham Welding sells a nice tooth bar for $175 plus shipping. It attaches to the bucket with a pair of 1/2" dia bolts.

 

[member12]

So you think that is about the right size? I have to check on the lifting capabilities. The dumpsters are required now at construction sites. I have to move my tractor to different sites. I really need one that can lift. I might be able to get away with a 6' lift capability.

Is Kubota a good brand? I know some of them are made in Japan. Are they hard to get parts for? I have heard good things about them and John Deere. I am willing to shop other brands, though. I really don't know the first thing about tractors, and I just want to make the right decision. I will have to buy one by May of 2006. I like the idea about the chain hooks on the bucket.

Thats less than what I was expecting to spend.

Why are all of them 4wd? Can I get a 2wd one?

Are tractors of that size good on maintinence?

 

[flusher]

Kubota has about 60% of the compact utility tractor (CUT) market, a lot more market share that it's two nearest competitors, John Deere and New Holland. It's, arguably, the de facto standard to which other brands of CUTs are compared.

My 7510HST has 4WD, power steering.

Sounds like you need a larger tractor, in the 30HP range, to meet your FEL lifting requirements. Bought new with FEL, these push $20K in price. To meet your $14K requirement, you may have to look at pre-owned tractors big enough to handle your chores.

 

[IslandTractor]

Going from 20hp to 30hp tractors actually only gains you a few inches in lift/clearance height for dumping. I'd say you should talk to people who use their tractors to load dumpsters. Or, measure exactly what you'd need. You should also consider that there are various clearance heights quoted. For example the Kioti CK20 with F120 loader can clear 80 inches with bucket level but only 69 with bucket dumped. I would imagine you would not approach the dumpter with the bucket "dumped" so 80 inches is the real figure. Still that may be shy of what you need. I haven't tried to load a dumpter with mine.

I do think that for the type of work you are doing you don't really need more than 20hp. Either the CK20 which can lift over 1000lbs or the Kubota 7510 which lifts a bit less are unlikely to be strained by the sort of work you are planning.

Kubota has a huge network of dealers. I doubt you'd have any trouble finding one within 10-20 miles of your area unless you are in a really rural area. Kioti has fewer dealers but you can check on their website (www.kioti.com) for the dealer nearest you. Obviously JD is also a big player and has many dealers.

Virtually all the tractors in the CUT (compact utility tractor) category are now manufactured outside the USA. Kubota and JD are built in Japan. Kioti in Korea. etc etc. As a class, the CUTs are desiel powered, extremely reliable and well made compared to lawn mowers etc so while people on this forum have their favorites, quality and reliability are pretty much equal across the board and high.

Good luck with your search.

 

[ronjhall]

<font color="blue"> I would also like a front loader that can lift things into a dumpster (around 85" high). </font>
I have used my B2910 to load 20 yd dumpsters. They have 72" sides. This is the maximum that can be loaded with a B <font color="orange"> Kubota </font> tractor.
You may want to look at a L2800 or L3400 which have about 10" more lift height.
A new tractor from the big 3 with lift height that you need may be hard to find at $14000.

 

[member12]

Okay, I have been looking around. I am going to check out an L3130 Kubota tommorow and whatever the direct John Deere competitor is. the L3130 has a clearance of 78.5" dumped. That probably works. I'll have to check that out, but the clearance is probably slightly higher with the loader up. I found a picture of an L3130 loading a 20 yard dumpster just like the kind I have to use. It barely reached, but it did make it. It weighs in at around 1 ton, so I can get away with a 1/2 pickup next time if I get this tractor. Sounds like a ok from the reviews on this website. Looks like I am going to pay around 16-18 thousand with the loader. It kind of depends now how many hours I can get out of it. I am going to find some books tommorow and read up before I write the check. I wonder if there is a buying (cars have "car and driver") guide...like "tractor and operator" or "loader trend". I'll find one. thanks for your help.

 

[Soundguy]

Check Kioti, Agco, and used big 3 models.

Soundguy

 

[Farmwithjunk]

Scroll down to "Other Forums". You will see a section discussing a book about compact tractor buying/use. It's the brain-child of the webmaster here at TBN. Might just be the ticket for you.

 

[Jarrett]

What area of South Louisiana are you in? I may be able to point you to a good dealer. I used to work around new home construction and from my experience a 4wd tractor would be the way to go if you'll be doing cleanup around houses that are under construction.