Buying Advice First Tractor - Which way to go?

[vtsnowedin]

I don't know where you got the idea that LS makes tractors that are light weight....that is simply untrue. For comparison look at 40-45hp models from LS and Kiot. Take an LS XR4040H and the Kioti DS 4510 you mentioned (they don't make a 40hp version) and then throw in a Kioti NX 4510 which has all the extra bells and whistles that should add weight.

The LS weighs 3,870lbs. The DS4510 weighs 3,527lbs. The NX4510 weighs 4,057lbs.

If you were to look at some similar sized machines from other brands they would be even lighter (Kubota, for certain).

My JD 5045E weighs 5040 lbs without the loader or the loaded tires. 7520 as she sits in the yard.
One thing about tractor data.com. John Deere has reused some model numbers over the years so you can look up a new tractor and get data for a large 2WD unit built back in the 60s. I think that is where a lot of the confusion lies.

 

[TJP89]

I don't know where you got the idea that LS makes tractors that are light weight....that is simply untrue. For comparison look at 40-45hp models from LS and Kiot. Take an LS XR4040H and the Kioti DS 4510 you mentioned (they don't make a 40hp version) and then throw in a Kioti NX 4510 which has all the extra bells and whistles that should add weight.

The LS weighs 3,870lbs. The DS4510 weighs 3,527lbs. The NX4510 weighs 4,057lbs.

If you were to look at some similar sized machines from other brands they would be even lighter (Kubota, for certain).

I got the that idea when I compared the CK35 and the R3039, and the XR3037, CK @ 3114#, R @2780#, XR @ 3567. The 35HP Kioti outweighs the 39HP LS. The XR was heavier, but if was going to pay 31K for a tractor (that's an actual dealer quote for the LS XR) I would have gotten the Kubota GL3560 @ 3880# and HST+ for the same price. In the next size down it is the same story. In my comparisons, I found the LS to be significantly lighter than the comparable Kioti. You compare the XR to the DS, which is apples to oranges. The XR is a optioned up deluxe tractor, and the DS is a economy baseline tractor. If you look at the Kioti DK40, vastly more comparable, it outweighs the LS @ 3924#.

I do admit though, that in the next size up LS does get some weight, The R, U, and K series all have tractors comparable to the DS, and they all do outweigh it by at least 200#. But for 40 HP down, they are no heavier than the competition JD and Kubotas.

 

[GManBart]

I got the that idea when I compared the CK35 and the R3039, and the XR3037, CK @ 3114#, R @2780#, XR @ 3567. The 35HP Kioti outweighs the 39HP LS. The XR was heavier, but if was going to pay 31K for a tractor (that's an actual dealer quote for the LS XR) I would have gotten the Kubota GL3560 @ 3880# and HST+ for the same price. In the next size down it is the same story. In my comparisons, I found the LS to be significantly lighter than the comparable Kioti. You compare the XR to the DS, which is apples to oranges. The XR is a optioned up deluxe tractor, and the DS is a economy baseline tractor. If you look at the Kioti DK40, vastly more comparable, it outweighs the LS @ 3924#.

I do admit though, that in the next size up LS does get some weight, The R, U, and K series all have tractors comparable to the DS, and they all do outweigh it by at least 200#. But for 40 HP down, they are no heavier than the competition JD and Kubotas.

This still makes no sense at all.

Price tag doesn't influenced how heavy machines are by a particular company, but you point that out when mentioning the heavier XR3037? That's like saying "LS makes light tractors, except for the XR series which weighs a lot more, but that shouldn't count because it was more expensive." BTW, the weight you got for the XR was with a Cab, not ROPS.

I only mentioned the DS because you brought it up as a good machine, after making a blanket statement that LS makes light tractors. The DS is quite a bit lighter than comparable models from LS, so if you think a light tractor is bad, why would you suggest one?

You made a blanket statement that LS makes light weight tractors. That simply isn't true. Compare similar machines and they're in the same ballpark as most other brands. Mahindra makes tractors on the heavy side, and Kubota makes tractors on the light side. Most others are somewhere in between. The Kioti CK is a bit heavy for it's size compared to many similar machines, but not by a huge amount.

All with ROPS:

Kioti CK35 = 3,100lbs
LS R3039 = 2,780lbs
LS XR3037 = 3,220lbs
Kubota L3800 = 2,668lbs
Kubota L3901 = 2,778lbs
Deere 3039R = 2,900lbs
Mahindra 1538 - 3,175lbs
TYM 353 = 3,065lbs

I'm just not seeing any huge difference from any of the brands....a couple of hundred pounds here and there aren't going to make all the difference in the world. Even the lightest of the machines listed has a very good reputation and worst case scenario would be to add some ballast to the tires.

 

[Dr_Zinj]

My Dad started me on a Matchbox. Then when I was about 5 or so I got a John Deere. Then graduated to a riding lawn mower. It just kept progressing after than. If you don't catch those addictions early, you'll never really recover from them. )

 

[TJP89]

This still makes no sense at all.

Price tag doesn't influenced how heavy machines are by a particular company, but you point that out when mentioning the heavier XR3037? That's like saying "LS makes light tractors, except for the XR series which weighs a lot more, but that shouldn't count because it was more expensive." BTW, the weight you got for the XR was with a Cab, not ROPS.

I only mentioned the DS because you brought it up as a good machine, after making a blanket statement that LS makes light tractors. The DS is quite a bit lighter than comparable models from LS, so if you think a light tractor is bad, why would you suggest one?

You made a blanket statement that LS makes light weight tractors. That simply isn't true. Compare similar machines and they're in the same ballpark as most other brands. Mahindra makes tractors on the heavy side, and Kubota makes tractors on the light side. Most others are somewhere in between. The Kioti CK is a bit heavy for it's size compared to many similar machines, but not by a huge amount.

All with ROPS:

Kioti CK35 = 3,100lbs
LS R3039 = 2,780lbs
LS XR3037 = 3,220lbs
Kubota L3800 = 2,668lbs
Kubota L3901 = 2,778lbs
Deere 3039R = 2,900lbs
Mahindra 1538 - 3,175lbs
TYM 353 = 3,065lbs

I'm just not seeing any huge difference from any of the brands....a couple of hundred pounds here and there aren't going to make all the difference in the world. Even the lightest of the machines listed has a very good reputation and worst case scenario would be to add some ballast to the tires.

OK, in the 40HP down, LS is comparable to the major brands in weight, and Kioti tends to weigh a little more. The whole range is about 500lbs, so we're probably both getting a little too worked up here. Once you clear 40HP LS jumps way up in weight. If I read the LS site right, the R series is 2700lbs @ 39HP, but 3900lbs @ 43HP, a 1200lb jump! That's a difference.

On another note, my LS data came from a phone conversation with the dealer, maybe he thought I wanted a Cab model, and gave that info and price, which would explain the high price I got. Decent deal if that's a Cab tractor.

 

[GManBart]

OK, in the 40HP down, LS is comparable to the major brands in weight, and Kioti tends to weigh a little more. The whole range is about 500lbs, so we're probably both getting a little too worked up here. Once you clear 40HP LS jumps way up in weight. If I read the LS site right, the R series is 2700lbs @ 39HP, but 3900lbs @ 43HP, a 1200lb jump! That's a difference.

On another note, my LS data came from a phone conversation with the dealer, maybe he thought I wanted a Cab model, and gave that info and price, which would explain the high price I got. Decent deal if that's a Cab tractor.

That's fair

 

[vtsnowedin]

It is useful to look at the power to weight ratio. looking at some of these using engine Hp ( I couldn't find PTO hp on one of them) you get
Kubota L3800 2668 lbs 37.4HP=71.3 lbs/hp
jd 3039r 2900lbs,39.0 HP =74 lbs/hp
LS 3039 2780 lbs, 38.5HP = 72 lbs/hp
Kioti CK 35 3100lbs, 34.0 HP =91lbs/hp
and JD5045E 5070lbs. 45.0HP =113lbs./hp
Of course you can add loaders , cabs and weights to all of them but I doubt the pecking order would change much.

 

[GManBart]

It is useful to look at the power to weight ratio. looking at some of these using engine Hp ( I couldn't find PTO hp on one of them) you get
Kubota L3800 2668 lbs 37.4HP=71.3 lbs/hp
jd 3039r 2900lbs,39.0 HP =74 lbs/hp
LS 3039 2780 lbs, 38.5HP = 72 lbs/hp
Kioti CK 35 3100lbs, 34.0 HP =91lbs/hp
and JD5045E 5070lbs. 45.0HP =113lbs./hp
Of course you can add loaders , cabs and weights to all of them but I doubt the pecking order would change much.

I don't know why you would compare small CUTs to a utility machine, but even if you stick with that theory, the Deere is available with 75hp in the same chassis, which would drop the power to weight to 67.6lbs/hp....putting it at the bottom of the list.

Obviously a 5075E would far outperform any of the other machines, so power to weight has limited value as a comparison figure....maybe if you're drag racing ;-)

 

[jeff9366]

I'm of GMB's view.

 

[cruz54982]

I farmed 700 acres for 29 years and had about the same results from new or used equipment. Our money lender did a study during a long span of those years using dependable farmers for input and came up with after 7 years the new or the used equaled out to the same cost per acre with the new being high at start and the used catching up due to repairs . my only reservation with used is making sure wherever you purchase make sure its a trustworthy party. buy as large as you can for your wallet and you will be happy - good luck !