Buying Advice Help me find a tractor to manage my 40 wooded acres

[Garandman]

may take some flack for this -But
imo Any subcompact used in the woods when it gets wet out, just don't have the ground clearance, tire size, traction, power and weight needed for the size, type of property and use listed.//

We have a Kubota L3200 at our place in NH. Anything bigger could not be used on most of our trails. And I had to remove logs the forester could not get with his 50hp JD because it was too heavy. By contrast, a buddy in Michigan has a 75hp skid steer and considers it perfect.

I use pallet forks in lieu of a grapple. Grapples are great but with 1,400 max lift I didn't want to be using up the lift capacity with relatively heavy implements. The biggest problem I have is some of the rocks are too big to move.

 

[fried1765]

FYI, the 3032E has a retail $3200 discount going on until Feb 28th, which is why the price is so good right now.

There is WAY MORE bang for the buck in a quality used tractor.
Don't buy a SCUT!
You need a CUT .....( or larger?).

 

[airbiscuit]

Excluding the sub-compacts, I've narrowed it down to the following if I stay within my budget of $20K, since this gives me some room to buy implements:

John Deere 3032E (31hp) + loader for $17.5K. Dealership is 20 minutes away.
Kubota L2501HST (25hp) + loader for $19K. Dealership is 15 minutes away.
TYM T345HST (35hp) + loader for $19K. Dealership is 1 hour from my property if service is needed.

How would you rank these if you had to choose? What others should I include in this group?

Glad you ruled out the SCUts (too small). Of your list, I would rate them:

kubota L2501HST (25hp) + loader ----- Heavier - Stronger loader
John Deere 3032E (31hp) + loader ----- Decent tractor, but Deere seems to have emphasized the e in Economy
TYM T345HST (35hp) + loader for $19K ---- afraid in might be TYWho? in 5 years

Test drive them all to see how they feel to you.

You ,might also check out Kioti if there is a dealer nearby. A nice tractor for the money.
Unless you are working on the lawn, I prefer R1s. Much more traction than R4s. I've had both, and expect that this statement will start an argument.

The L2501 will be big enough for your first tractor. I did everything you want to do with a John Deere 850 (24hp). You will be happy with either the Kubota or the Deere and have a smile from ear to ear while using it. You will however catch the next tractor disease!

 

[aarolar]

Of that list go with the Bota

 

[AllenArmory]

There is WAY MORE bang for the buck in a quality used tractor.
Don't buy a SCUT!
You need a CUT .....( or larger?).

Isn't the 3032e a CUT?

 

[AllenArmory]

It looks like the Kubota is winning. I'll need to go out and test drive one to see how it compares to the JD. I expect this to be my *first* tractor. In 4-5 years, I may want something bigger, or at least something with a cab. It gets hotter than blazes in the Texas summer.

 

[aarolar]

You'll want something bigger within a year trust me I know from experience.

 

[Amvcane]

Do you have a Mahindra or Kioti dealer near you? I feel a Kioti CK2610 is probably about the size you would be looking for.
Look at and test drive as many different brands and tractors you have available. In addition, research the dealers reputation. Your relationship with him is very important.

 

[AllenArmory]

Do you have a Mahindra or Kioti dealer near you? I feel a Kioti CK2610 is probably about the size you would be looking for.
Look at and test drive as many different brands and tractors you have available. In addition, research the dealers reputation. Your relationship with him is very important.

No Kioti, but there is a Mahindra dealer pretty close by.

 

[TSO]

For $20k, you'll get WAAAAYYYY more tractor for your money with an LS machine. You can get into a large-frame CUT, 41HP. The property size, terrain, and task description suggests going as large as you can afford.

Check to see if you have an LS dealer nearby.