Buying Advice Compact tractor

[Sunqu]

Any advice for first time buyer of a compact tractor for digging post holes, drainage, removing stumps, moving dirt and manure. We have around 10 acres. Better to buy new or used? Any help is welcomed!

 

[AKfish]

Any advice for first time buyer of a compact tractor for digging post holes, drainage, removing stumps, moving dirt and manure. We have around 10 acres. Better to buy new or used? Any help is welcomed!

Welcome to TBN, Sunqu. Your list of projects on 10 acres was pretty reasonable until you got to the part with stumps...

They're hard work and hard on tractors, too!

Ten acres and the work you've outlined would fall into the 30hp range with a loader, post hole auger, and manure spreader laughing: OK, the loader would do that, too).

Stumps are best tackled with a backhoe. Depending upon the general size and how many you're planning to remove - you might consider a bit bigger tractor; say, 40-45hp range with backhoe or rent an excavator or hire it done. Much depends upon your budget; how much you'd like to do yourself and if you've got other projects that would be best served with a backhoe. Need to work through that equation and decide which option makes the most $ense.

If you decide that renting or hiring the work done - 30hp tractor would likely handle most all of what you have in mind.

New or used... Have bought each in my time. Tend to be conservative and like to know a little about the prior owner(s) and have a good opportunity to work the tractor and thorough inspection. If you're comfortable with knowing what to look for in used - either way is OK.

AKfish

 

[Gary Fowler]

When it comes to stumps, depending on the size of the stump, you may not pull them out with biggest CUT or Utility tractor made. I have a rather small cedar stump by one of my fence lines that my 70 HP tractor wont budge. I have decided to leave it or try to burn it out. Unless the stumps you have are pulpwood size (6-8") in diameter, your best bet is to disregard their destruction in your tractor size determination. When dealing with a stump, you need a root cutter to go around all sides of the stump to cut the larger roots prior to trying to pull it our push it. FELs dont dig stumps up very well so I would avoid that as you would most likely just damage the FEL if you try. You can ask me how I know that. Several folks have built a subsoiler type of attachment to use for root cutting but again this is still only useful for smaller stumps. You would likely be much better off and cheaper to hire a dozer or stump grinder to come in and deal with the stumps and downsize the tractor to what you need. If you arent looking to haul large quantities of manure at a time and are operating on fairly flat ground, a 20-25 HP tractor is all you need. On flat terrain, a small tractor can pull a rather large load as long as it isnt required to hold that load going downhill or pull it uphill. Heck you can pull rather large loads with a lawn tractor as long as the tongue weight is not excessive.
After saying the above, I have to say that I love my 70 HP tractor and the amount of stuff it can lift and haul, but do I need that, heck no. Can I do everything I want with the70HP, no. Some things it is too big to do and I have to get out my smaller tractor. I could do any task I have put it on with a BX Kubota given time, as a matter of fact I would love to have a BX 25 TLB for small stuff but cant justify the cost of a back hoe for occasional use. When talking tractors and capabilities, think shovel and bucket vs shovel and wheelbarrow, versus backhoe and loader. Any of these will get the job done regardless of work scope, its just a matter of time and laborer quantities, re. Egyptian pyramids, Mayan Temples etc.

 

[Gittyup]

HP is just one consideration. You could make most tractors in the 20 - 70 HP range work. However, some tractors are better suited to certain tasks. Lighter tractors, like Kubotas and others, are great for minimal ground disturbance. But, they aren't ideal for serious digging. Weight and hydraulics are paramount where digging is concerned. Here, some of the heavier makes, like Kioti, Bobcat, Branson, and Mahindra, are well suited. Of course you can add weight to just about any tractor.

What I'm saying is the best choice will be dictated by tasks. HP is just one consideration. Hydraulic flow and lift capacities can be just as important.

My needs, for example, are for a digger. No plans to mow or run power hungry PTO attachments of significance. So, I went heavy with good hydraulics in ony 25 HP. This led me to Kioti. There were other makes that also fit my needs, like a Kubota B21. But, Kioti at that time, was by far the best bang for the buck, and was actually the nicest tractor in and around it's class/size.

As for new or used, depends on your situation. If you've got the cash you can do better used. But, this takes patience and a lot of bush-beating to find the right tractor at the right price. If absolutely set on a "late model", sometimes you can actually do just as well buying new. If financing, new might be the way to go.

 

[Hollow]

If your going to remove stumps with a tractor you'll need a backhoe attachment and I would recommend something in the 35 to 50 range at least. The bigger the better, especially if your going to be ditching with a rear blade, 4x4 would be great help with the ditching but not necessary if you went with a larger tractor. I'm not advocating exclusively for blue but you can buy a New Holland 40 to 50hp 4x4, TT or Workmaster series tractor with a loader in the $20 to $30 range. Just one of many options, there are great red green and orange tractors as well.

 

[Sunqu]

Thank you both! You gave me a lot of invaluable information to work with. Greatly appreciated!

 

[Grandad4]

Lighter tractors, like Kubotas and others, are great for minimal ground disturbance. But, they aren't ideal for serious digging.

Speaking as the owner of a Kubota that weighs out close to 8,000 lbs. with the backhoe and FEL, I guarantee you it has disturbed a lot of ground and done plenty of serious digging for the last 10 years without problems or repairs.

Regarding the OP's stated needs: "digging post holes, drainage, removing stumps, moving dirt and manure", essentially all of the major brands make equipment that can do those tasks effectively.

Everyone is entitled to an opinion, of course. Mine is that it is wise to look at all available brands when shopping, regardless of what someone says on the internet.

 

[Gittyup]

Speaking as the owner of a Kubota that weighs out close to 8,000 lbs. with the backhoe and FEL, I guarantee you it has disturbed a lot of ground and done plenty of serious digging for the last 10 years without problems or repairs.

Regarding the OP's stated needs: "digging post holes, drainage, removing stumps, moving dirt and manure", essentially all of the major brands make equipment that can do those tasks effectively.

Everyone is entitled to an opinion, of course. Mine is that it is wise to look at all available brands when shopping, regardless of what someone says on the internet.

Kubota makes a lot of different tractors. Some are heavy weights (L59 for example). But, Kubota is known for making light machines. Just compare like size/hp tractors across all the sizes and brands, and it's clear many Kubotas are very light. And that's not always a bad thing. However, if, for example, I wanted a digger in say 30 hp or so a Kioti CK30 is better suited to those kinds of tasks than say a B3030 (similar size/price) because the Kioti weights significantly more (like 50% more) and delivers much higher hydraulic flow. My tractor is the CK25 TLB, and that little bitty tractor weighs more than 6000 lbs. Don't think one could equip a B3030 to come close to that kind of weight. This is just an example. Other makes fall all across the weight-to-HP spectrum. Not disparaging Kubotas, or any other brand. I like them all. If I wanted to mow and run around on my lawn all the time, the B3030 would be better suited, and is an excellent general purpose machine from what I can tell. I'm just trying to point out the weight/hydraulic flow consideration to the OP. And, the OP should absolutely drive as many as he can. The nice thing is there are many quality choices, yet no perfect tractor that is all things to all people.

 

[Grandad4]

Don't want to get into a silly brand debate. Just pointing out that overgeneralized comments are usually not very accurate. Sort of like saying, "My neighbor's Ranger isn't half the truck my Chevy 3500 is. All those Fords are too light." The first comment is correct, but the overgeneralized conclusion would only be true if you pretend there wasn't an F350.

Kioti has one model of 30 hp tractor; Kubota offers several. Comparing the small Kubota to the only Kioti is obviously tilted. The more appropriate comparison would be CK30 vs. GL3240, where the specs, performance and weights are very comparable.

Fair is fair. If you want to say some, or even many Kubotas are so light they aren't ideal for heavy work, that's true. But don't get carried away; you know they are not all like that by any stretch. Peace.

 

[Gittyup]

Don't want to get into a silly brand debate. Just pointing out that overgeneralized comments are usually not very accurate. Sort of like saying, "My neighbor's Ranger isn't half the truck my Chevy 3500 is. All those Fords are too light." The first comment is correct, but the overgeneralized conclusion would only be true if you pretend there wasn't an F350.

Kioti has one model of 30 hp tractor; Kubota offers several. Comparing the small Kubota to the only Kioti is obviously tilted. The more appropriate comparison would be CK30 vs. GL3240, where the specs, performance and weights are very comparable.

Fair is fair. If you want to say some, or even many Kubotas are so light they aren't ideal for heavy work, that's true. But don't get carried away; you know they are not all like that by any stretch. Peace.

OK. Fair is fair. What's that GL3240 TLB going to cost? I was comparing like sized and priced, where the 3030 is closer in cost. Why not even talk about B21 or an L39? Or a 7610, or L3400? At least the L3400 is in the same ball park price wise. Clearly there are botas in the same weight range. Never disputed that. I think you just want to cloud the point: weight and hydraulics are king for digging. This isn't about what kubota is or is not, I just used them as an example that there are variations in weight and many are relatively light: all the BXs, all the Bs, L2800/L3400/L4400, their predecessors, etc.... Hmmm this is a pretty good piece of the Kubota line. I stand by my statement.