Buying Advice *UPDATE* Just tell me what to buy!

[ericm979]

For the drink, try a water bottle like those used for bicycling.

 

[DK35vince]

John Deere with no worries, Kubota if need more power, and that's about it, all the rest have logistical or supply issues....

I know back in 2001 I was looking to upgrade to a new tractor from my JD 850 to a Kioti DK 35.
I had several members on this site back then saying, Kioti wasn't as good, don't hold up, can't get parts, bla. bla
All of it was false.
After 21 years (2415 hours) my Kioti DK has been fantastic tractor. Built every bit as well as my JD was, every bit as reliable, and parts are easy to get.

 

[IndyJay]

I know back in 2001 I was looking to upgrade to a new tractor from my JD 850 to a Kioti DK 35.
I had several members on this site back then saying, Kioti wasn't as good, don't hold up, can't get parts, bla. bla
All of it was false.
After 21 years (2415 hours) my Kioti DK has been fantastic tractor. Built every bit as well as my JD was, every bit as reliable, and parts are easy to get.

Glad to hear that since I bought a DK4510 last year. So far has been a great tractor.

 

[paulfun9]

I know back in 2001 I was looking to upgrade to a new tractor from my JD 850 to a Kioti DK 35.
I had several members on this site back then saying, Kioti wasn't as good, don't hold up, can't get parts, bla. bla
All of it was false.
After 21 years (2415 hours) my Kioti DK has been fantastic tractor. Built every bit as well as my JD was, every bit as reliable, and parts are easy to get.

Those who drink the Koop aid will be saying it for a hundred years!

Yesterday as I wrenched on a locals JD for him, his new neighbor stopped asking about tractors and what to be looking at.
I had a good laugh when he tried taking a cheep shot at everything but his beloved Deere while I was right there fixing his. Knowing full well mine is older and has twice the hours and most likely 3 times the abuse but it ran fine and pulled his deere up and out of the field with no issues.
But in his mind it’s not a deere or kubota so it doesn’t count and next month his break down will become just normal maintenance and he will conviently forget it ever really broke, his wait for parts will shorten from the week or two that was quoted to just a few days with every person he ever talks about tractors to and if he washes and waxes that green paint while drinking his green Kool aide he might just forget that it ever broke at all as it has a strange hypnotizing effect on the average owner. Kind of like when someone wants to believe in a politician, they will find a way to believe the hog wash no matter what the facts say and try thier best to convince the rest of thier like minded kind to believe in them too!

 

[rScotty]

Land pride makes a low flow SSQA auger that is spec’d to operate off of 6-15 gpm flow. It may or may not meet his needs but there are some videos of one being operated off of a small compact tractor.

I haven't tried hydraulic but have had a 3pt PTO post hole drill for many years. They are easy to find used. A hydraulic one would be a great advantage & I would sure try togo that way if I had to have one. Post hole diggers may be great tool for dirt and lots of pasture and fence posts to put in, but here in the mountains they are less useful than I thought it would be. It hardly ever gets used. I always end up using the backhoe and a small bucket. Plus the backhoe gets a lot of work just moving heavy things around.

Bottom line: I'd skip the post hole digger and find a decent hoe. One with a subframe....
And a four post canopy is a nice compromise between open station and cab.
rScotty

 

[Bill Guenthner]

I just purchased our family a house on a modest 5 acres. It’s got some hills, some pasture, some trees etc.

The place hasn’t been maintained in a long time so I have been fixing it up on the weekends. I work for a construction company and get almost free heavy equipment on the weekends. I’ve been working for a few months using large equipment. Full size excavators, skip loaders, rollers and backhoes. I’ve cleared a lot of the property, cut in a new driveway, removed trees/stumps and demoed concrete.

I’ve got most of the heavy lifting out of the way and need a maintenance tractor for disking, mowing, grading, tilling, loader work, you know, a little of everything.

Im looking at compact tractors and everyone says they’re perfect for that and can do it all. I just have no idea what to expect as I’ve been using 100+ HP machines and they have struggled at times to move dirt, stumps and concrete.

Should I be looking at a 45-55hp or can a compact 25-35 do it all?

And what’s the consensus on cabs? I’ve used both open and cabbed backhoes, the cab was quite nice.

I figure this will be the only tractor I will have for 15+years.

Just someone tell me what to do.

PS. I’ve been looking at Kioti CK and DK models, Kubota B and L and that’s it so far.

OK, you said “Just tell me” so… After you put in a house, drive and yard around the house you have at most 4.5 acres left. What would you possible do with a 50 HP tractor on 4 acres? A 16hp Kubota BX series with a belly mower will be able mow, maintain a gravel drive and till a big garden.

 

[wisconsitom]

I know this controversy is over as far as OP is concerned, but I'll just barge in to say my 24.5 (hee hee, what happens at 25?) Bobcat with fel and forks-and hopefully soon a 3-pt winch, is perfectly sized for what I call my postage stamp-18 acres of woods and plantation. Perfect!

I do snow, small scale logging, firewood junk, haul crushed stone, demolish old buildings and decks, with mine. Admittedly, not trying to drag a large implement thru the dirt. But I've yet to find the limitations of this machine for tasks I've put to it

 

[Bill Guenthner]

6 acres is what I use for my lawn which I mow with my zero turn mower. All of my tractor needs are done with my B26 TLB. I did use my LS P7010 lots of time when I first bought my almost 12 acres, but all my heavy lifting is done, just as you have already done. So my 2010 LS has only 160 hours on it and 120 of them were put on in the first year.
I really think for 5 acres a B series Kubota will do all you need to do. Add a small tiller for garden work, a 4-5 foot bush hog for your small pasture and you should be good to go. Since I got my tiller, I have not hooked up to my tandem disk since.

Yep. I’d much rather mow with my zero turn. I have 52 acres and also mow 6 acres like you with a zero turn. A 33 hp B series has done everything I ever wanted to do including a lot of tree removal, ground work, wood chipping, bush hogging, raking, plowing, box blading, maintaining 1500 feet of gravel drive. I can’t imagine what someone would do on 4 or 5 acres with a 50hp tractor except destroy it. I sure don’t want to get the tractor out every time I mow and tear up the yard.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

I have 5 acres and 39 HP, and 20 hp tractors. Wish I had bigger, can’t unload a full ton pallet with mine. I now mow with a ZTR.

 

[Thejoj]

OK, you said “Just tell me” so… After you put in a house, drive and yard around the house you have at most 4.5 acres left. What would you possible do with a 50 HP tractor on 4 acres? A 16hp Kubota BX series with a belly mower will be able mow, maintain a gravel drive and till a big garden.

I agree. If I was just maintaining a drive and mowing, then that’s all you need. But Ive truly pushed this tractor to its limit many times. A sub-compact just wouldn’t work for much of what I do. My neighbor(40 acres) has a sub-compact Kubota and he enjoyed it for many years, until I got mine. Now, he just calls me when he needs something done.