new tractor, new board, advice?

[JoelD]

I suspect that 30 hp is all you will need, especially if you are not in a hurry. Any of the top 3 you mentioned are good tractors, I ended up with a used Kioti as it fit me for ergonomics and I couldn't beat the deal. For me, the key things to consider are... does the machine fit you, does the dealer fit you? No matter how good the machine is, having the wrong dealer can ruin the whole experiance. The dealer does not have to be local to support you well, especially if you are handy with a wrench. If you are not handy with a wrench... then local support is very important. The machine also needs to fit you, how much are you going to use it if you are uncomfortable after an hour? For me, I couldn't afford a JD, they had the best ergonomics for me, Kubota's just don't fit me, the NH dealer was a joke, Bobcat and Kioti are the same machine, different loader/backhoes.
Have fun in your search.

Sums up my experience to a T, including going with a used Kioti.

Definately a very personal decision, try them all out, see if you can get some weekend demos at your place.

Dealer support is key.

Good luck shopping, almost as much fun as owning (sometimes more).

Sincerely,
Joel

 

[flusher]

Hello all. I'm new to this board and thought I'd introduce myself before asking for advice. I'm 49, an engineer working and living in SW VA, and I enjoy working on my 5 acres and my fixer-upper house. I've worked as mechanic, scuba diver, environmental engineer, and in other various jobs over the years. I also read and contribute to Fine Homebuilding, Hearth.com, and C4 engineering boards. I doubt I'll have much to contribute to this board other than quesitons for a while.. While I've operated and maintained various pieces of heavy equipment from trenchers to large trackhoes over the years I've yet to own a tractor which is why I'm here.

I very much hope to buy a compact tractor and attachments soon and would like to get some general advice on considerations WRT make, size, HP, attachements, etc. given the following list of considerations:

- Our 5 acres is hilly, rocky, and partially wooded. I need a stable tractor with 4WD. I've rolled my riding mower and though it was sort of exciting would like to avoid that kind of thing.
- I need to mow grass, maintain my gravel driveway, bushhog, chip brush, move dirt, gravel, boulders, firewood so I"m thinking I"ll eventually need a FEL, belly mower, bush hog, PTO-powered chipper/shredder, rear blade, and maybe some forks for the front bucket (palletized firewood).
- Local dealers are Deere, Kubota, New Holland/MF, Montana, Bobcat
- I would strongly prefer not to buy a Chinese-made tractor. Order of preference is US, Japan, Korea. I know my 1st choice is unreasonable (sadly)
- Once factory maintenance is complete I plant to maintain and repair the tractor and attachments myself if practical.
- I think I'd like a quick-detach loader bucket. I've heard/read that some loaders allow connection of readily-available skid-steer attachments.
- We try to heat with wood if possible so any insights on using the tractor and attachments for firewood handling would be greatly appreciated.
- I will likely need a aux. front hydraulic connection for powered FEL attachments. I have a friend with a PowerTrac with lots of attachments.
- I'm thinking 30 HP min. for the bush hog and chipper but am not certain about this. I plan to do a lot of chipping. I'm tired of burning brush and need the chips.
- I'll need ROPS but need one that folds for work in the trees
- I'm pretty sure I'm going Hydrostatic for FEL use.
- Financing is a factor and one of the reasons I hope to buy soon.

Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer whether related to the purchase or what I plan to use the tractor/attachements for.

Thanks, Andy

I wouldn't get too bent out of shape over U.S. vs Japanese. Nearly all of JDs CUTs 35 hp and under have Yanmar engines. Kubota makes sweet machines, which explains why that company has such a large share of the CUT market. My first tractor was a 2005 Kubota B7510HST (21 hp engine, 17 hp pto), a well-built, strong little machine.

This recent TBN thread is helpful

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/buying-pricing-comparisons/132257-american-made-tractors-2.html

If you managed to roll your riding mower on your hilly property, you probably need to give serious thought to axle height and track width specs on the CUTs you're considering. For example, the track width on my Mahindra 5525 (54 hp engine, 45 hp pto) can be adjusted from 58" to 70" by assembling the rims in different positions. In this photo, the track (measured to tire outer walls) is 70" and the centerline of the axle is 24" above grade.

My 1964 MF-135 diesel is set up in a squat configuration for orchard work. The track is 83" wide and the axle centerline is 20" above grade.

The 135 has short front spindles and the rears are 18.4" wide on a 16" dia rim and stand 40" tall overall. You'd have to do something pretty extreme to roll this one.

Talk to the dealers about options they might suggest to stabilize their tractor against rollover.

 

[IslandTractor]

First, welcome to TBN. Lots of advice here and most of it good.

One thing stuck out in your introduction that seems quite important. You have rolled a riding lawn mower on your property. It is generally easier to roll a tractor than a lawnmower so stability will be a major issue. I also noted that you live in SW Virginia. It so happens that there is a small company called PowerTrac in SW Virginia that makes articulated tractors all of which are more stable than typical compact utility tractors and some of which are rated to mow on 30 degree slopes (or more). There is a PowerTrac section here on TBN and if one of those guys doesn't read your posting I would suggest you visit there and post again.

The PowerTrac machines are very versatile and US made. The guys who own them love them so they are definitely worth a look for someone in hilly terrain.

 

[Semipro]

This is a great board. Thanks for all the great advice. Individual responses to your posts are below.

JJZ, those online dealers sites were a great source of info. I'm leaning towards buying local if I can but you never know.

steamin, good thought on the separate splitter. I have one already so that shouldn't be an issue for me. I probably wouldn't have thought of that though.

LarryD, why might 2 hydraulic connects be needed on the back? I'm not sure how they'd be used. A box blade doesn't need one right? 5 ft. sounds right on the Bush Hog. I need to maneuver through trees.

Runner, I have to admit I'm somewhat smitten by JD but you pay a premium and their financing is not as good right now. I do like the way they're built though.

6sunset6, I do want to stay with the smaller frame size if I can while getting at least 30 HP. Seems like I'll need at least 30 HP at the PTO if I want to chip good sized branches. Good suggestion on the firewood too, the weight of wet versus dry and loading the pallets in place. That's just the kind of info that only experience can provide (and I hadn't thought of).

dgl24087, You're right about the Kioti dealer. However, I drove by there they didn't look like much of a going concern so I've not considered them too seriously.

Samandothers, I've driven a Kubota at Rocky Mount (and liked it). I'm glad to hear that they have worked well with you. If I go Kubota that's probably where I'd buy it.

MrPoppy, I haven't seriously considered Mahindra as I'd read they were made in India and I haven't been too impressed with the metal goods from there. Do you know differently?

IXLR8, I hadn't really thought about fit. That's good advice. I suspected that Bobcat and Kioti were the same but wasn't sure. There is a Bobcat dealer in nearby Roanoke. I wonder if skid-steer attachments fit their tractors?

JoelD, I have to admint I'm tired of shopping. I'm ready to get to work. I've wanted a tractor for 10 years.. I'm getting real tired of my shovel and wheel barrow and seem to fall more behind every day.

flusher, point well taken on the stability. I was hoping someone would have something to say about that. I did learn a lesson when I rolled my mower though. I had to spend some time with a welder fixing it for one thing, tore up my clothes too. What can a dealer do to help stabilze? I like Japanese quality but I would prefer to patronize US business. That's getting harder everyday. That's a sweet old MF there! Looks like even I would have a hard time rolling a tractor in country like yours.

IslandTractor, I'm aware of PowerTrac and have even used one. A friend has one with many attachments. They are just a bit too funky for me. I'm not sure they meet my needs. Too bad because they are US built.

Any advice on how to find out about nearby dealers' reputations?

Any particulars on the FEL I'd need if I wanted to use skid-steer attachements or if I want to attach pallet forks.

Again, sincere thanks to all for taking the time to respond.

Andy

 

[JJZ 109]

This is a great board. Thanks for all the great advice. Individual responses to your posts are below.
JJZ, those online dealers sites were a great source of info. I'm leaning towards buying local if I can but you never know.
Again, sincere thanks to all for taking the time to respond.

Andy

You're very welcome. Although I've never dealt with them personally, Barlow and Messick have stellar reputations here and Neil from Messick posts here and helps folks out regularly.
I was lucky enough to receive a fair deal from my local Kubota guys. JOHNTHOMAS, a regular poster on these pages has purchased several tractors from Barlow and seems to be extremely pleased with the transactions. He has noted that Barlow delivers all over the nation and if there is more than one tractor heading in your direction that the delivery costs can be trimmed.

 

[Samandothers]

As you get a chance sit in a bunch of seats and see what feels good. I sent you a personal message about Rocky Mountain Tractor. Have fun shopping.

 

[dgl24087]

You also have Case/Kubota and Mahindra dealers in Wytheville. Blue Ridge Farm Center in Buchanon is probably your best option as far as JD is concerned. Wimmer has been around for a long time, but I always felt they were pricier than other Deere dealers. I've spoken to the owner of the Affordable Tractor in Dublin (Montana), and believe they deserve serious consideration. The Kioti dealer usually doesn't stock much till late April, seems to move a fair number of tractors. There's also a Kubota dealer on Rt. 24 east of Vinton, have a friend who bought a BX from them around 5 years ago, said they offered the best deal of anyone then.

 

[whistlepig]

Welcome to TBN. I agree with you and the others that 30HP would be the right size. I have a 30 HP B7800 and have a 5' brush hog and 6' RFM. It has enough horsepower to work these implements. If your place has very steep hills you may want to take in to consideration the weight of the implement on the three point. Sometimes bigger implements may not be better. My land is flat and I would be hesitant to raise my brush hog or RFM with this tractor on a steep side hill due to their weight. The place we lived before was hilly and gravity is a very unforgiving teacher.

 

[flusher]

did [/U]learn a lesson when I rolled my mower though. I had to spend some time with a welder fixing it for one thing, tore up my clothes too. What can a dealer do to help stabilze? I like Japanese quality but I would prefer to patronize US business. That's getting harder everyday. That's a sweet old MF there! Looks like even I would have a hard time rolling a tractor in country like yours.




Andy

Tell the dealer that rollover stability is one of your major concerns and ask if he has any way to lower the tractor's CG and/or increase the track width. You can get a good idea from my 135 of some of the things you can do (short front spindles; wide, high flotation tires; adjustable-width front axles). The dealer may have spin-out rims that will allow easy and fast reconfiguation from narrow to wide track stance.

As a last resort, you possibly could use dualies on the rear to increase stability on your hills as is done in larger ag tractors to increase traction. That's what this guy did to his neat old Oliver 88

 

[whistlepig]

Tell the dealer that rollover stability is one of your major concerns and ask if he has any way to lower the tractor's CG and/or increase the track width. You can get a good idea from my 135 of some of the things you can do (short front spindles; wide, high flotation tires; adjustable-width front axles). The dealer may have spin-out rims that will allow easy and fast reconfiguation from narrow to wide track stance.

As a last resort, you possibly could use dualies on the rear to increase stability on your hills as is done in larger ag tractors to increase traction. That's what this guy did to his neat old Oliver 88

I have seen the state tractors equipped with duels on the rear mow some pretty scary river banks. I had a 1964 Massey 135 for 25 years before I sold it and bought my Kubota. It would stick on a hill like glue. I have mowed places so steep that I would start mowing at the top and slide to the bottom. If a person wants to die of old age sliding a tractor down a hill with a running brush hog on the rear will greatly reduce their chances.