Assistance In Choosing a CUT!

[jc21]

The local JD dealer quoted me $35000 for a 2032r with FEL and BH. Knock off about $4000 for a 2025r.

Sounds like you're in the market for a jack of all trades as I am though it will be next year at the earliest before I can do anything. To me a very big thing would be the ease of attaching and removing implements ... sounds as though you may have do a fair amount of it. I'd think the 2 series JD would be a good choice (though not the only one) in that regard and for other reasons. The 2 Series while still compact are more capable tractors with higher loader and 3 point capacities and I think would prove to be more rugged with an oil cooler for the hydro instead of an exposed fan the 1 series and BX Kubota's use. I'd make sure the H130 loader has the quick change bucket ... easier to change over to pallet forks which should prove to be more than a little useful while building your home. The H130 will lift higher than the 1 series/BX which should make your pallet forks more useful. Artillian has an adapter for their pallet fork setup where you can mount a blade. An iMatch on the 3 point should make changing out implements easier in the rear. I'd lean towards the 2025R for two reasons- 1. the price difference and 2. the 270A backhoe which should prove easier to remove and hookup than the 46 used on the 2032R; you don't have to remove the 3 point arms. The 46 isn't compatible with mid mount mower decks- you iirc, have to pull the subframe should you ever decide to mow (mid mount mower) with your tractor. The new Kubota B ..01 series also rates a good look imho.

Fun spending all your money Seriously though, all the best in whatever you decide ... that's quite an undertaking you're about to jump into. A good tractor/ implements should make it easier. From all my tire kicking I've come to the conclusion there is no perfect tractor. Sounds like you've put a lot of thought into this already and have no doubt you'll get something that should suit your needs just fine.

 

[RalphVa]

I recently did a comparison between the Kubota B2301 and JD 2025R. The B2301 won handily in the comparison. I went with the 2025 simply because it was going to be too much hassle to go with the Kubota (farther away, etc.). I had an earlier version of the 2025, a JD 4010 which in today's nomenclature was a 2019F. It and the 2025 are essentially the same tractor in many ways, but the 2025 is the best digging tractor with the FEL. The 4010 was a snow handling beast and was very good working a 50x75 garden that I had. For garden work and snow work, you really need 2 side brakes. You don't get these in the JD 1 series nor the Kubota BX series. I had a JD 1025 between the 4010 and 2025 for 2 years. It was a pure lemon and a very rough running tractor.

Ralph

 

[EJP1234]

Sounds like your trying to do a lot on a small lot... Don't take that as an insult, but seriously your not doing much on that size of a property.... And with that said, sounds to me like your trying to buy a 1ton diesel dually truck to tow an 4'x8' utility trailer for a lil firewood if that makes sense... Buy the SCUT of your choice and be happy you saved some money...

I have a lot more property, I have a CK30 with all the goodies you mentioned and then some. I do a lot of things on my property... I cleared an acre of hardwoods with barely getting off the machine except to use the chainsaw and change implements/backhoe...

Trust me when I say your trying to buy a machine you won't really need.

 

[DGrenke]

A Bucket Spade is very fine for planting trees. How many trees will you plant on ONE acre? You need full sun on the garden or you will not harvest enough produce to sell.

For irrigation lines a Potato Plow or a Subsoiler will do fine, with just a little hand shovel work. How many meters of irrigation line will you install on ONE acre?

For your slab(s) a heavy-for-your-tractor Box Blade is what most would use, in preference to a Backhoe. Maybe a Ratchet Rake and possibly a Tooth Bar digging attachment for your FEL bucket as supplements. In some circumstances, some would use the roto-tiller to loosen slab soil. ('Piranha' brand tooth bars receive rave reviews here.)

PIRANHA TOOTH BAR ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=piranha+tooth+bar

Footings for a fence and gate you can be done handily with an FEL bucket with a Tooth Bar attachment. How many gate footings will you install on ONE acre?


I should have placed this LINK in Post #3:

RATCHET RAKE ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Ratchet+Rake

I hadn't thought of a bucket blade. Thats a good suggestion to consider. Regarding the garden area, it gets full sun all day. The lot is 101'W x 414'L with nothing on it except 4' tall grass at this point. It's a blank canvas so to speak. I'll definitely purchase a box blade. It has so many uses in what I'll be doing, grading for the slab one of them. The BH will be of use to dig the footings for my garage slab. The fence I plan on building will be quite substantial. Mainly concrete, with metal fabricated 'fencing' (sorry if I'm using improper nomenclature). That Piranha tooth bar looks like a fantastic tool. Thanks for showing that to me :thumbsup:.

 

[DGrenke]

Welcome to TBN, DGrenke!

How deep is your frost in BC? Just wondering about the footing depths & and plumbing/irrigation lines you will be running. The B-Series (or something of similar capability/capacity in another color) sounds about right to me for the tasks that you have described.

I ended up finally getting a backhoe, which I had planned on having from day 1, after putting off a lot of jobs for 7 years. Around here, hiring them out is very expensive, and renting equipment requires that your crystal ball can tell you what the weather will be and that there won't be any "baby melt downs", or other, unintended surprises to prolong the job, past your rental agreement. Besides, I'd rather do it myself.

As you have discovered, to get the additional capabilities that bigger & heavier tractors offer, you trade off agility and maneuverability. On a one acre property, this means not whacking trees, buildings, fence posts, etc. with your FEL as you try to navigate in close quarters. While we're on the subject, plan your garden layout carefully, leaving room to turn around (head rows) at the ends. Plot size & planned use also suggests that you want to avoid soil compaction as much as possible, so another vote for as light a machine as possible.

Any chance you will be buying additional property in the near future? That could have a definite influence on your selection.

Good luck & let us know how it goes!

-Jim

The frost in my area is not very deep at all. Maybe 6"-8" at the most, only at the end of January. I live about 75min north from Oroville, WA, if that helps any of you.

I too prefer to do a lot of my own work. It will save me quite a lot of money in the long run. I'm trying to calculate everything as best as possible looking down the road. Wish I had a crystal ball . I also plan on doing an entire site plan of my property to make sure everything is spaced out appropriately, while still being aesthetically pleasing. I know it's only ONE acre. I do plan on upgrade to a 5-10acre property in the future. But real estate prices are quite high in my area, so I have to start small.

 

[DGrenke]

Sounds like you're in the market for a jack of all trades as I am though it will be next year at the earliest before I can do anything. To me a very big thing would be the ease of attaching and removing implements ... sounds as though you may have do a fair amount of it. I'd think the 2 series JD would be a good choice (though not the only one) in that regard and for other reasons. The 2 Series while still compact are more capable tractors with higher loader and 3 point capacities and I think would prove to be more rugged with an oil cooler for the hydro instead of an exposed fan the 1 series and BX Kubota's use. I'd make sure the H130 loader has the quick change bucket ... easier to change over to pallet forks which should prove to be more than a little useful while building your home. The H130 will lift higher than the 1 series/BX which should make your pallet forks more useful. Artillian has an adapter for their pallet fork setup where you can mount a blade. An iMatch on the 3 point should make changing out implements easier in the rear. I'd lean towards the 2025R for two reasons- 1. the price difference and 2. the 270A backhoe which should prove easier to remove and hookup than the 46 used on the 2032R; you don't have to remove the 3 point arms. The 46 isn't compatible with mid mount mower decks- you iirc, have to pull the subframe should you ever decide to mow (mid mount mower) with your tractor. The new Kubota B ..01 series also rates a good look imho.

I am looking for a jack-of-all-trades type tractor. True there is no such thing as the perfect tractor, only the perfect one for you. Thats great info regarding the 270A vs 46 BH. Very good to know seeing as I would be changing implements often. And I find all the quick attach features that JD offers makes them very attractive, even though they are the most expensive in a big way. All that engineering doesn't come cheap. I won't ever mow with my CUT. I have a dedicated Toro Z-Master for that.

I recently did a comparison between the Kubota B2301 and JD 2025R. The B2301 won handily in the comparison. I went with the 2025 simply because it was going to be too much hassle to go with the Kubota (farther away, etc.). I had an earlier version of the 2025, a JD 4010 which in today's nomenclature was a 2019F. It and the 2025 are essentially the same tractor in many ways, but the 2025 is the best digging tractor with the FEL. The 4010 was a snow handling beast and was very good working a 50x75 garden that I had. For garden work and snow work, you really need 2 side brakes. You don't get these in the JD 1 series nor the Kubota BX series. I had a JD 1025 between the 4010 and 2025 for 2 years. It was a pure lemon and a very rough running tractor.

Ralph

Kubota makes a beautiful machine, no doubt. I'm going to be doing my own comparison in the coming months, and try to come to the best conclusion. And your experience with the 1025r is one I'm finding more and more, the more reading I do and videos I watch. It's a good machine I'm sure, but I want a tractor that will stay with me for a long time, and on to other, larger properties in the future. For those reasons is why I've pretty muted ruled out the 1/BX machines. The Mahindra MAX 28xl is the only SCUT that is still in the mix, due to its loader and 3ph lift capacities. Unfortunately the closest Mahindra dealer is an hour away.

Sorry for the triple reply post. I just figured out how to do the multi-quote reply. I hope I answered everyones posts. Everyone has great insight and information and it will prove to be very valuable in my coming purchase.

Daniel

 

[Popb1949]

Take a good look at the Kubota B series of tractors for your size projects!
Any thing under 26 hp new would be great all new models over 26 hp have Tier 4 DPF emissions
Which in my opinion hurt the power, performance, increase fuel use and harder to maintain, with a high down the road repair requirements
You can get a low hours used tractor with no DPF for almost half of what a new one cost.
My favorite is the Kubota B3030HSTF 30 hp no DPF or B3200HST
Not much difference in price from a 24 hp to a 32 hp tractor in the used market! Pre DPF models are worth looking at!

 

[4570Man]

I am extremely pleased with my Kubota L3240. It would be way too much tractor for one acer, but would be enough tractor to maintain 10 acres in the future. I have a BH 90 backhoe. I have probably gotten my money worth out of it, but even if I haven't it is extremely handy. I am working on a drainage ditch in the back yard. I have probably dug out 5 yards of dirt. This isn't hardly enough to justify renting a machine, but it is A LOT of shovel work. Having a tractor backhoe even if it isn't very strong and doesn't dig in as tight a spot as a mini excavator is perfect for such a project. Just like you plan to do, we build most of our house ourselves, and the tractor paid for its self.

 

[DGrenke]

Take a good look at the Kubota B series of tractors for your size projects!
Any thing under 26 hp new would be great all new models over 26 hp have Tier 4 DPF emissions
Which in my opinion hurt the power, performance, increase fuel use and harder to maintain, with a high down the road repair requirements
You can get a low hours used tractor with no DPF for almost half of what a new one cost.
My favorite is the Kubota B3030HSTF 30 hp no DPF or B3200HST
Not much difference in price from a 24 hp to a 32 hp tractor in the used market! Pre DPF models are worth looking at!

I would definitely consider a used model for the right price. I too am not a fan of the new emissions regulations. It's an added unnecessary cost imho. The B3030 or B3200 look like great machines. I hope I can find one in my area to see in person. The attractive part of buying new is having the warranty. Especially that I'll be using it pretty heavily in the first two years.

 

[Popb1949]

A low hours used tractor that has been maintained is as good as a new one!
Most have deprecated more in price than in actual use!
There are some on Tractorbynet for half what they sold for new
I just purchased one that was loaded with a FEL, a 72 in MMM,
R4 tires, rear hydralic outlets and weights and only 300 hours on it
It sold for 26,500.00 new I gave $15,600.00 for it tax and all.