New Guy Window Shopping for a Compact

[polarred21]

Hello, new to the forum and looking for a compact 4wd leaning towards Kubota right now. Ignorant to all of them and will be a big step up from my 20 year old Statesman! Combing CL and looking and what things cost. Looking for 20-30 hp range with mid mower and loader in either Kubota, JD, or NH for home use.

I am 60 minutes north of Raleigh so any advice preference on dealers is also welcome.

Many thanks, and heading to Kubota forum.

 

[murphy1244]

Hello, new to the forum and looking for a compact 4wd leaning towards Kubota right now. Ignorant to all of them and will be a big step up from my 20 year old Statesman! Combing CL and looking and what things cost. Looking for 20-30 hp range with mid mower and loader in either Kubota, JD, or NH for home use.

I am 60 minutes north of Raleigh so any advice preference on dealers is also welcome.

Many thanks, and heading to Kubota forum.

1st What dealers are within a 50 mile radius? What are your needs? What do you need to do with it? Don't worry about Brand names yet. And Welcome to TBN

 

[polarred21]

I appreciate the good advice. Not new to tractors, grew up with a Ford 8N helping dad in the garden 40 years ago. Later bought a 52 Ferguson 20 much similar to the 8N platform and I still have some of dad's old equipment including 6' blade, forks, cultivator, etc. Not looking to garden, but want something for mowing and for needed landscape work at home and on a hilly 1-1/2 acre lake property we just inherited, mostly wooded and in need of upgrades. My mowing will be tight so must be a belly mower. Want loader and would like a backhoe attachment if budget allows including used ones.

Brand is an issue for me. Have a local JD dealer but no experience with then and kind of anti- JD since I have never believed in a $5k mower just to mow a small yard. Really looking hard at Kubota, BX or B series or something like this in an older model.

I have Kubota, NH, and JD dealers within a 50 mile radius.

 

[TripleR]

If you are looking at the B and BX, look up some threads by JOHNTHOMAS and bp fick as they have owned/own both and have some good insight. The biggest problem I have with the BX and many of the low end B Series is the lack of a position control 3PH; many don't have a problem with them though. I really like the B2630/3030 etc. with a big heavier, longer frame and the position control, independent PTO etc.

We have a BX2200 and BX2660 which are very handy, but we also have bigger tractors if needed. The B vs BX is often a really hard choice to make.

 

[bp fick]

I would also put the J series from LS on that shopping list. It is a Mahindra Max sized compact. Slightly larger than the BX from Kubota and roughly the same money. There is a substantial difference in the BX and B. The subtlety can not be appreciated just by staring at two machines sitting in a dealer lot with horsepower stickers that appear to be the same.

HP ratings can be achieved by different means, such as revving the engine. Take note of actual cubic inches and torque.

LS just released a new model J series unit with side by side pedals. Worth a look see. Kubota is also going to side by side pedals on many models so that features alone shouldn't blur the comparative glasses so much.

 

[bp fick]

Brand loyalty/prejudice DOES color ones decision making process, but only after some years of experience, good or bad.
I confess to some Orange blindness, but that comes from years of complete, rock solid reliability, familiarity and dealers in this area I have found completely trustworthy. Brand loyalty has been earned, in my case. YMMV. Good to look them all over.

 

[/pine]

Not the best time of year but if you leave your name with the local dealers they will call you when they have trade-ins...that meet your requirements...
...with trade-ins you usually don't get much in the way of attachments but in many cases the same dealer sold the trade-in and serviced it and know it's history...

good Luck...

 

[DonaldMorgan]

I am also new to the forum. just purchased a JD 3032. owned a kioti ck20h 3-4 yrs ago. if buying a hst model, i found that the rocker style pedal on my kioti bothered my knee when doing an hour or more of forward - back. for this reason i did not even look at tractors with rockers this time.

 

[TripleR]

I would also put the J series from LS on that shopping list. It is a Mahindra Max sized compact. Slightly larger than the BX from Kubota and roughly the same money. There is a substantial difference in the BX and B. The subtlety can not be appreciated just by staring at two machines sitting in a dealer lot with horsepower stickers that appear to be the same.

HP ratings can be achieved by different means, such as revving the engine. Take note of actual cubic inches and torque.

LS just released a new model J series unit with side by side pedals. Worth a look see. Kubota is also going to side by side pedals on many models so that features alone shouldn't blur the comparative glasses so much.

Do you know which models, we have both and I don't have a strong preference, but my wife hates the side by side pedals so much we have trailered a Kubota to another farm so she won't have to use the John Deere.

 

[bp fick]

Kubota is migrating to the the side by side pedals. At the dealership last week, all the new 70 BXs had them, as far as I could tell. If I had purchased a 70, I'd adjust, I think. I ended up with the 23 hours 60 series BX, so no adjusting required on my part.

I don't mind Kubota's front pedal/ back pedal system. (The rocker mechanism is split and is actually below the floor). I find it quite comfortable. I would NOT like the full blown rocker treadle, sitting atop the floor board, however. I have used those on many other makes of tractors and do not ever get comfortable on those.