Hey everyone.
Here's the deal. Ideally we are looking for 1 to 3 acres of oceanfront property in PEI to build on and retire, but up to 10 acres is not out of the question.
Here's the problem. I know VERY little about tractors and do not know which size to buy or how much HP is needed. I realize that the actual land will determine my needs, but working with the above information, what do you suggest. I do not want to over or under work the tractor. I'm looking for some guidance here because I'm just too new to tractors.
Should I be looking at a BX series sub-compact or a B series compact, and how much HP do I need?
Cheers!
-- Bill --
Hello Bill. We live in the mountains of Colorado and get a bit of snow.
You asked for thought, and this may be heresy - but I wouldn't restrict the search to the Kubota B series machines - or even to just Kubota. In spite of the fact that I think our own Kubota is one of the best built, the truth is that all of the main tractor manufacturers make darn good machines. After all, being a reliable smooth working tool is what tractors are all about.
Some more thoughts then..... Of course it will be 4x4. Absolutely no reason not to do that. As for size and hp, it depends on whether you are going to mow a lawn with the tractor. If you do that, you need to compromise towards less ground loading and weight. But if you don't have that restriction, then going larger up towards 50 hp will give you a much smoother ride, more comfort, and more stability. Don't be afraid of a used machine; tractors are made to last a lifetime. It isn't unusual for one to go decades before needing any service. I wouldn't worry about overworking or underworking the tractor. As long as the tractor is large enough - say 25/30 hp or even more up to twice that - it won't make a bit of difference to the tractor, only to your comfort.
I've had compacts since the early 1980s and not worn one out yet. Not even close. BTW, the main things that differ on today's tractors versus the ones from 30 years ago are more electronics and the availability of hydrostatic drive and shuttle shift on smaller machines. Otherwise they are much the same. There haven't been a lot of advancements as those came along in the 70s and early 80s. The biggy is the transmission. Thirty years ago tractors tended to have a traditional manual gearbox; today there are more options.
Say, if you have a lot of snow..... does it stay or does it melt off between snowfalls? That's important info because if the snow stays on the ground for months you need to consider blowing it off the road rather than blading it. Just pushing the snow to the side can build up a solid embankment giving no place to put the next snowfall.
Blade or blower, it is much nicer for us older operators if the implement is mounted up front with us inside of a cab. Moving snow with the front of a tractor makes for a localized snowstorm on the operator. The downside to front mounting anything is that it is always more expensive. Hmmm....I was just looking at the picture on reply #4 from vtsnowedin and admiring his front-mounted blade. Now that is a very clever setup. But it requires a FEL as a platform. Of course everyone has already told you that you want a FEL so I'll add my vote. Nobody really appreciates FELs until they have one. Then it becomes a necessity. We have one on every tractor.
Some of the Kubotas (and other brands) have FELs that feature quick attach FEL buckets. Our M59 is that way, and its another thing I didn't realize until I had it how handy it was. Most QA loaders also have accessory hydraulic outlets pre-installed on the loader arms - a necessity for driving a blower. On FEL like that, dropping the dirt/snow bucket and replacing it with a different front implement like a blower or blade takes only a few minutes of time. The downside is that those implements tend to be as expensive as they are convenient. The quantity of hydraulic fluid required to drive a blower is also a factor. Be sure to check that. Most mfg specs are optimistic.
The upside to front implements is how good your back feels after NOT looking over your shoulder at a 3 pt hitch mounted implement while you work. At a younger age I sure looked over my shoulder a lot easier than today.
Well, that's enough for now. Hope I've given you a few things to think on.
Luck, rScotty
