Help on 1st Tractor Purchase

[Foozle]

Hi everyone. I'll start off by saying this is my first posting to the forum and also would be my first tractor purchase, so I'm very green on these matters. As such, I'm looking for some advice from all the veterans out there. I have 35 acres of land, with roughly 1/2 pasture/lawn and 1/2 woods. Of the pasture/lawn, probably about 2 acres of lawn and the rest pasture. The lawn is fairly rough, so tractor damage, unless really severe, wouldn't be a concern of mine. Of the pasture land, about 2/3 is fenced off for livestock (goats currently) and 1/3 is hay field. Near the house, I have a couple 1/2 acre gardens as well. I'm attaching a satellite picture of the property, courtesy of Google Earth. If you haven't checked out Google Earth, it is pretty amazing and I'd suggest it, especially since it is free!

With that as background, I'm looking for a tractor that I can use to: 1) cut the lawn (I also have a riding lawn mower I can use around tight spots, so can use the tractor for the open areas); 2) roto-till my two gardens; 3) "bush-hog" the hay fields and pastures for when I can't find someone to make hay and for when the livestock can't keep up with the grass growth; 4) move dirt/much/whatever around the property; 5) potentially bale small square hay bales, if possible; 6) dig a small pond (probably a stretch, but I thought I'd throw in there); and finally 7) chase my wife around the property when I'm feeling feisty.

For further clarification on wants/needs, I have allergies to hay/dust/pollen/sunscreen, so a cab would seem to make sense to help in that department. The pond building, I'm assuming, is unrealistic for this sort of tractor unless I would get a back hoe and even then, it would probably take months to move enough dirt, but I'm curious if anyone has tried with the FEL or backhoe. Also, I'm told that if you get the cab you can't have the Kubota backhoe on the back --- seems odd they wouldn稚 make a compatible backhoe for the cabbed versions (John Deere does, I believe).

Regarding the hay making, I don't really want to spend a huge amount for such a small amount of hay fields, but if I could find a used small square bale setup, it might be worth it. Is this realistic for the B series and if not for the L40 Grand series in terms of power?

I've visited both my local Kubota and John Deere dealers and looked at the B3030 and L40 Grand series, and for John Deere the 3320. The 3320 seemed quieter and less "bumpy" than the Kubotas, but in comparing prices, it seems you get a lot more tractor for your money from a Kubota. For example, I was quoted $22,000 for the JD 3320 (cab), which is 32.5 hp and weighs 2200 lbs, compared to the L40 Grand 3540 (cab), which was also $22,000, but was 37 hp and weighs 3748 lbs. Am I missing something or do you get more tractor for the $ from Kubota? Also weighing against JD was the quality of the people at the dealership. They seemed too busy to help me much and in fact, I had to wait 3 days just to get a quote on the equipment, compared to getting a quote on the spot from the Kubota salesman.

Sticking to Kubota for now, my initial reaction was that the B3030 was nice and probably sufficient for most of my needs (unless I wanted to try the hay baling stuff), but the L40 3540 felt like a lot more tractor for only about $4,000 more. The B3030 also accommodates a belly mower pretty easily, which seemed appealing for cutting the lawn, but I could get a finishing mower for the L40 and do the same thing I suppose. Any thoughts on comparison of a belly mower with a finishing mower? The attachments for the L40 run a bit more than the B3030, but you get a bit more for the money, like an extra 1 foot on the bush hog, more lifting power on the FEL, etc.

Other random thoughts/questions. What is ideal HP for the L40 Series? It comes in 3-cylinder (34-37 hp) or 4-cylinder (40.5-59 hp). The weight for all the models is roughly the same (in the 3748-4200 lb range). Seems like a really wide range of HP for one line of tractor. Is the 3 or 4 cylinder more appealing? Is the tractor underpowered at the lower end? Is the extra HP worth the extra $, even if you might not need currently but may need in the future? I got the following quotes for the tractor/cab only: L3540 - $22k, L3940 - $24k, L5240 - $28k, and L5740 - $30k. My initial reaction is that the extra $2k might be worth getting the 4 cylinder L3940, but jumping up to the L5240 for another $4k might not be worth it unless I had a compelling need for the extra HP.

Another question: For my first tractor, am I biting off more than I should with the L40 series if I go that way?

Regarding trailers - I probably don't need to haul around much, but may need to take the tractor in for service occasionally. Recommendations on types/sizes of trailers to look at?

Maybe a question I should post on the JD forum, but am I missing something in regard to the John Deeres?

Thanks in advance for the advice and I apologize for all the novice questions.

Dave

 

[JRobyn]

Hiya Dave,

Welcome to the forum! You've got quite a list of questions there (just like I had when I joined this forum!). I can recommend spending a little time doing searches for some of the various topics you've mentioned. They are all good questions, and most have been discussed a BUNCH on here over the last year or two.

I had a similar list of needs and went with a Kubota L4330 HST and LA 853 loader and have been very pleased. I went a little higher in HP with this model than I was initially looking at mainly because it would support the excellent loader and a 6' HD bushhog. I've got a Markham Welding toothbar on the loader bucket, and I'm sure I'd have no trouble with digging a pond (except for the solid rock here in TN!) I heartily recommend the HST tranny, particularly for loader work, if you have any steep grades, or plan to do any "precision manuevering".

I think that the 4330 could handle modest size hay mowers/balers, but like you, I don't have much hay pasture, all the needed implements are a bit costly, and if I do want to cut/bale it, I'll have friends/neighbors do it for a share.

The HST is so easy and smooth to operate that my wife is often the main operator (she LOVES to bushhog), so particularly if you go with a cab, SHE may be doing the chasing!

Good luck!

- Jay

 

[texasjohn]

Welcome to TBN and one of the best first posts I've ever seen... very complete I'd suggest taking some of the key information and including it in your personal TBN information so in the future people can see the interests you have, etc.

You have obviously done a great deal of thinking about what you want to do with the tractor and done excellent research regarding it as well. Keep reading here on TBN... old threads as well and current ones and you will get lots of info and be able to add that to answers to this thread.

You can see from my signature what I have... and, I'm extremely pleased with how all this works for me, thus am likely biased. I'm in love with the L series and would recommend it to you, highly. The bigger, the better. A tractor is kinda like getting a new baby home.... lots to learn and lots of attachments needed to keep it fed and happy

Point is, I suggest you start a list of EVERY attachment and feature that you believe you MIGHT be interested in and learn about each... then in the end you can make an informed judgement about which ones you will go with.

A tractor is just an engine.... so, in reality, it is only the features and attachments that make it useful. I have had several tractors and the first ones were driven by $ considerations, thus were underpowered for what I was trying to do and had too few attachments. The result was that my body got beat up trying to force things to happen when a stronger tractor or different/better attachment was what I really needed. I learned that it is not the typical or average work you do with a tractor that should drive the purchase decision, but rather the maximum or peak demand that you are anticipating on putting on the tractor that should be the driving force... always tempered by $$ considerations. But, in some cases you can realistically spend more now for tractor and attachments because you will be able to avoid future expenses. Things like hiring something done... or avoiding injury to your self or others.

Let me address some of your questions as follows:

My thoughts about what you should seriously consider:
Front End Loader, heavy duty, with chain grab hooks with quick attach
toothbar
4 cylinder diesel, 40 hp would work, I know 50 hp would be totally sufficient
hydrostatic transmission
4 wheel drive
cab, for sure, MUCH less dust, debris, AC/Heater are wonderful, quieter
dual rear remotes
R4 tires (not the turf or field kind)
bush hog shreader
If you have FEL, then need extra weight.. liquid in tires, weights on 3PH
rear 3PH links MUST be extendable for ease of attachment to equipment.
300 gallon herbicide sprayer.
3 steering wheel spinners.. best bang for buck ever!
front and rear auxilary work lights
hydraulic top link if you use a box blade, or have several 3PH implements


As tempting as hay equipment is, for a small place it is clearly much more cost effective to have someone else cut and bale it. You can use your own tractor to move and stack it.

A flatbed trailer to haul the tractor, including electric brakes, is extremely useful. I recommend an 18 foot trailer.. hauls tractor with equipment attached, not hanging out the back, and allows positioning for good balance. Too short a trailer gives problems. 16 feet is too short for me. Make sure it is wide enough to carry tractor.

You will find that there are many who have struggled with the issue of BRAND... and that there are many supporters of each brand. Certainly, JD and Kubota are well respected. Dealer and proximity are deal makers for many. I myself looked at green and orange and selected orange for better price, features and dealership in the area. I have not been disappointed. On the other hand, I've only had the tractor to the dealer once in 500 hrs and that was for a very minor $35 adjustment.

You are into gardening heavily... thus a 3 point hitch disk will be handy, I like notch blades. I've never owned a rotary tiller driven by PTO... the 3PH disk should be all you need, but perhaps someone with rotary tiller experience can speak to its benefits.. I know it is rather costly.

If you are going to be tearing up virgin ground, I'd recommend a chisel plow... for initial tearing up of the ground and existing plant material.

A 3PH carryall will be something you can't ever do without if you ever have one.

Much as I'd like to, I can't offer any advise about chasing your wife around the place

There have been times when I would have liked a back hoe, but much prefer the cab, which is exclusive of the backhoe on Kubota. Also, I've found other ways to get things done without a back hoe.. for me, a back hoe is not cost effective. I can hire it done when needed.

Never fear, JD folks will see your post and respond here... no need to repost.

Such fun trying to decide what to get.. then learning all about it after you get it... you will find many, many TBN folks, myself included, who will advise you to get more tractor and equipment features than you think you will be needing... and you will be extremely pleased to discover later that it is EXACTLY what you need!

 

[Soundguy]

Because of the want to make small squares.. I can't see you going lower than mid 30's hp. and I think that would probably be less than adequate depending on conditions.

What may be better is to get a 24-30 hp tractor with a laoder.. plus an older ag tractor.. like a ford 4000 / 5000 use it to do the hay and big tasks. older larger tractors are usually cheap.. like 4000-7000$

soundguy

Hi everyone. I'll start off by saying this is my first posting to the forum and also would be my first tractor purchase, so I'm very green on these matters. As such, I'm looking for some advice from all the veterans out there. I have 35 acres of land, with roughly 1/2 pasture/lawn and 1/2 woods. Of the pasture/lawn, probably about 2 acres of lawn and the rest pasture. The lawn is fairly rough, so tractor damage, unless really severe, wouldn't be a concern of mine. Of the pasture land, about 2/3 is fenced off for livestock (goats currently) and 1/3 is hay field. Near the house, I have a couple 1/2 acre gardens as well. I'm attaching a satellite picture of the property, courtesy of Google Earth. If you haven't checked out Google Earth, it is pretty amazing and I'd suggest it, especially since it is free!

With that as background, I'm looking for a tractor that I can use to: 1) cut the lawn (I also have a riding lawn mower I can use around tight spots, so can use the tractor for the open areas); 2) roto-till my two gardens; 3) "bush-hog" the hay fields and pastures for when I can't find someone to make hay and for when the livestock can't keep up with the grass growth; 4) move dirt/much/whatever around the property; 5) potentially bale small square hay bales, if possible; 6) dig a small pond (probably a stretch, but I thought I'd throw in there); and finally 7) chase my wife around the property when I'm feeling feisty.

For further clarification on wants/needs, I have allergies to hay/dust/pollen/sunscreen, so a cab would seem to make sense to help in that department. The pond building, I'm assuming, is unrealistic for this sort of tractor unless I would get a back hoe and even then, it would probably take months to move enough dirt, but I'm curious if anyone has tried with the FEL or backhoe. Also, I'm told that if you get the cab you can't have the Kubota backhoe on the back --- seems odd they wouldn稚 make a compatible backhoe for the cabbed versions (John Deere does, I believe).

Regarding the hay making, I don't really want to spend a huge amount for such a small amount of hay fields, but if I could find a used small square bale setup, it might be worth it. Is this realistic for the B series and if not for the L40 Grand series in terms of power?

I've visited both my local Kubota and John Deere dealers and looked at the B3030 and L40 Grand series, and for John Deere the 3320. The 3320 seemed quieter and less "bumpy" than the Kubotas, but in comparing prices, it seems you get a lot more tractor for your money from a Kubota. For example, I was quoted $22,000 for the JD 3320 (cab), which is 32.5 hp and weighs 2200 lbs, compared to the L40 Grand 3540 (cab), which was also $22,000, but was 37 hp and weighs 3748 lbs. Am I missing something or do you get more tractor for the $ from Kubota? Also weighing against JD was the quality of the people at the dealership. They seemed too busy to help me much and in fact, I had to wait 3 days just to get a quote on the equipment, compared to getting a quote on the spot from the Kubota salesman.

Sticking to Kubota for now, my initial reaction was that the B3030 was nice and probably sufficient for most of my needs (unless I wanted to try the hay baling stuff), but the L40 3540 felt like a lot more tractor for only about $4,000 more. The B3030 also accommodates a belly mower pretty easily, which seemed appealing for cutting the lawn, but I could get a finishing mower for the L40 and do the same thing I suppose. Any thoughts on comparison of a belly mower with a finishing mower? The attachments for the L40 run a bit more than the B3030, but you get a bit more for the money, like an extra 1 foot on the bush hog, more lifting power on the FEL, etc.

Other random thoughts/questions. What is ideal HP for the L40 Series? It comes in 3-cylinder (34-37 hp) or 4-cylinder (40.5-59 hp). The weight for all the models is roughly the same (in the 3748-4200 lb range). Seems like a really wide range of HP for one line of tractor. Is the 3 or 4 cylinder more appealing? Is the tractor underpowered at the lower end? Is the extra HP worth the extra $, even if you might not need currently but may need in the future? I got the following quotes for the tractor/cab only: L3540 - $22k, L3940 - $24k, L5240 - $28k, and L5740 - $30k. My initial reaction is that the extra $2k might be worth getting the 4 cylinder L3940, but jumping up to the L5240 for another $4k might not be worth it unless I had a compelling need for the extra HP.

Another question: For my first tractor, am I biting off more than I should with the L40 series if I go that way?

Regarding trailers - I probably don't need to haul around much, but may need to take the tractor in for service occasionally. Recommendations on types/sizes of trailers to look at?

Maybe a question I should post on the JD forum, but am I missing something in regard to the John Deeres?

Thanks in advance for the advice and I apologize for all the novice questions.

Dave

 

[Chuck K.]

Excellent advice here, but I'll thow in my 2 cents anyhow, I bought my first tractor without doing my homework and before I discovered this forum, my mistake.

The L3400dt was a very nice tractor but I soon found out I was not happy with the FEL lifting ability. I thought I could deal with it and even purchased the BH75 for it. Knowing the size of one of the upcoming projects I had to tackle I realized I would have to rent or upgrade. I listed my L3400 on Craigs list and it sold quicker than I expected. I looked hard at the L39, I was really impressive FEL an BH but was not impressed with the ~32 PTO hp. After a lot of reading on the forum and talking with Brady at Barlow equipment he made me a realy good deal on my L5240.. Do I regularly need 52 HP for 2 acres of course not but I hope to retire away from the coast with more property and dont want to purchase a 3rd tractor..

My advice is to take your time, ask plenty of questions, demo a few machines you think may fit your needs and I am sure you will be happy with you decision..



Chuck.

 

[texasjohn]

There you have it, Foozle, chuck_K and I with from 2 to 200+ acres are totally happy with their Kubota L 50ish HP tractors. All else being equal, that would be a selection you would be able to live with for a long, long time, IMHO

 

[Racer71]

Texas John has it right. Study your attachments then pick a tractor. I have a L3400 on 20 acres. It could be too small for what you have. Don't worry about the back hoe. Get big attachments. You will have plenty of tractor.

 

[texasjohn]

Foozle, if you haven't seen this thread, you might find it interesting... testamony for orange... there are other threads, I'm sure, that testify for other colors...

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/showthread.php?t=118893

 

[Foozle]

Thanks for all the advice so far -- I appreciate it.

One correction on my original post before I continue -- The weight differential on the JD 3320 versus the L3540 isn't as large as I originally thought as I was looking at the lift capacity mistakenly. The JD 3320 is 2900 lbs versus the L3540 at 3748 lbs (I originally said the JD was only 2200 lbs). Is there a way to edit previous posts?

I've done more reading of the forum and more thinking, and a couple more things I may want to do in the future would be: 1) plant a vineyard, which would entail breaking a fair amount of new ground (so maybe the chisel plow texasjohn suggested) and 2) potentially converting more of the land into garden.

Also, my budget would allow me to go as high as the L5740, so maybe I'm looking at this from the wrong perspective. Instead of asking whether there is something the larger tractors can do that the smaller ones can't, I'm wondering whether the smaller tractors can do things the larger ones can't. In reading the forums, it seems that the smaller B3030 would be a better lawn mower for lawns that might get torn up by the larger L40 Grand series. My lawn is pretty much hard pan, so I'm assuming the larger L40 Grand wouldn't be an issue and I can use a finishing mower along with my riding lawn mower to take care of that duty. Are there other things that the B3030 can do better than the L40 Grand that I may not be thinking about? If not, it seems my choice is pretty easy in that I should go with the larger L40 Grand, and just decide which flavor to get. Still wouldn't be an easy choice as the HP ranges from 32 to 57, but at least it might narrow the field a bit for me.

Thoughts on my new line of thinking? Perhaps I'm just trying to justify a more powerful tractor! I'll keep searching the forums - thanks again in advance.

Dave

p.s. thanks for the 'testamony for orange' thread texasjohn - good reading.

 

[texasjohn]

I'd look at width of the tractor.. note that front and rear wheel width can be adjusted somewhat. This may be of value to you.. maybe wider when you start out doing heavy work.. maybe narrower later so you can get between rows of grape vines.

I would not put any particular decision making value on the initial tractor weight. You WILL need to add weight to anything you get, at least for some operations. I prefer to have several individual weights that I can add or remove... to front, or rear, or to an implement... also, I have liquid in rear tires.

If you discover an error in a post immediately after you post it, you can edit it if you get to it before someone replies.. however, if someone has replied, I haven't found a way to edit other than to include correction in a subsequent post, which you have done.

Be aware that once you own a chisel plow, you can put numerous kinds of points on it... chisels to just cut down into the ground, small sweeps, large sweeps, the width of the shanks can be adjusted to your needs, shanks can be removed if needed. It can be a very versatile tool... but no tool does everything. I drag an old gate behind my chisel to assist in breaking up clods and smoothing out the ground.

Regarding the high end of the Grand L tractors... check the specs of the cabs. On my 5030 cab, it is adequate, but a little tight. I'm 5 foot, 10 inches, 230 lbs... if there is a cab size difference between the two high end L 40 series, this might be a deciding factor. Of course, if you are a wirey 5 ft 6 inches and 160 lbs, then this isn't a consideration for you. Net.. sit in each cab if you can and experience it for yourself.