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

[4570Man]

Depending on the intended us for R1 or R4. If you are doing mostly field work then get the R1s. If just doing general property maintenance then IMO R4s are better. R4s are more puncture resistant, are way easier on grass, are stiffer for loader work, and are less likely to cause ruts on soft ground. R1s have better traction, but are worse at pretty much everything else. My tractor with R4s will go in mud WAY better than my 4x4 truck.

 

[Citydude]

It's time to go and kick the tires on the models you have listed. Take your time and ask questions. Check for seat comfort and how the loaders respond when you operate them.

It's not a race to find what you need. Take your time and enjoy the journey!

 

[Luke'sScreenName]

I'd ask arround town about tires. In Atascosa Co I know of several people who have mostly red sand and prefer R4s. Their experience is that they 'float' better in loose conditions and are less likely to get buried to the axles.

Also, beware of posters here who make catagorical statement. Essentially everything is an opinion.

 

[AllenArmory]

It's time to go and kick the tires on the models you have listed. Take your time and ask questions. Check for seat comfort and how the loaders respond when you operate them.

It's not a race to find what you need. Take your time and enjoy the journey!

Yep. I was going to take off work tomorrow and go to the Kubota and TYM dealers, but it's supposed to rain all day. I guess I'll have to wait until Wednesday.

 

[AllenArmory]

I'd ask arround town about tires. In Atascosa Co I know of several people who have mostly red sand and prefer R4s. Their experience is that they 'float' better in loose conditions and are less likely to get buried to the axles.

That's a really good idea. When I visit the dealers in the town near my property, they may have some better suggestions for what works in that area.

 

[AllenArmory]

It's not that the 3e is a "bad tractor", it's just that when you start sitting on other models of other brands you'll begin to see the differences. They're good tractors for what they are, no doubt, but I wouldn't consider them the most bang for the buck in this class. I farm with Deere tractors, have all my life. I have Deere zero turns and bleed green like nobody's business. When I bought my recent tractor in this same size I looked at the 3e and Kubota. Kubota won hands down. You're lucky in that you have more brands near you to look at, I didn't.

Btw, when I bought my Kubota they had some rebate going on too and 0% and you could combine them. Not sure if they still have that but you can ask. The price might be comparable to the 3e in the end. I know I didn't know about the rebate until my dealer told me, it's not on Kubotas website.

I guess I'm bummed because I really liked the 3032e when I drove it. It really felt like a quality piece of machinery. It has higher hp than the L2501, higher PTO hp, and is cheaper. Maybe when I test drive the Kubota I'll see what you guys are talking about.

Right now, there's a $800 rebate for the L2501. Compare that to the $3200 offer on the JD (expires at the end of this month).

 

[gladehound]

.. My tractor with R4s will go in mud WAY better than my 4x4 truck.

I was thinking the same thing. I once sunk my F250 to the axles in my woods. Pulled it out with my 20 hp Kioti LB1914 with R-4 tires. That was after driving a few circles around it. Absolutely no comparison between a 4x4 truck and a tractor with R-4 tires. The R-1 tires are certainly better in mud, but my R-4's will walk through mud that can suck your boot off in 2WD so they're not horrible by any means.

 

[s219]

So why not much love for the 3032e? I've read reviews from owners and they're very happy with their purchase. More hp than the Kubota for less price (at least while the retail discount is going on).

The JD does weigh less, but for the same price as the Kubota I can add a box blade for ballast.

Yes, it's the "economy" version, but I'm not looking for a loaded model. Am I missing something?

It's an economy Deere model based on a decades old tractor design that is now built by Yanmar. Basically Deere is taking an ancient design (it even looks ancient) and using it to compete at a lower price point. But it's only lower priced compared to their premium tractors. Compared to competing tractors, it's not a good value. You're getting an economy Deere for about the same price (perhaps more!) than better equipped tractors from the other brands.

I have nothing against the E models -- my wife's Uncle has one and it has served the family well. But it's very clear to me that the main appeal is price. If you compare the specs, the weight, the construction, and the usability features, it will lose on all counts. I don't think anyone buys an E because it's a better tractor -- they buy it because it's a lower priced Deere. That's the wrong way to go into a tractor purchase in my opinion.

 

[gladehound]

I think you should revisit looking at used machines because you can get to more useful sized tractors on your budget. Do you need to finance through the dealer? Why not get a bank or credit union loan and buy used. The interest rate may be a little higher but you'll do so much better on the price that you'll be ahead in the end. Do you have a home? Could you use home equity?

You could also look for left overs at dealers. These may be a year or two years old but were never sold from the dealer so they are technically new and qualify for all the rebates, financing, have full warrantee too but are sold at a lower price. This is the route I went and I got a 1 year old 45hp Kioti DS4510HS with FEL with 47 hrs for $19.5K. Got 4 year warrantee. They threw in the 50 hr service and delivered it for no additional charge. Knowing this, it makes me cringe to think you'll spend as much on a L2501 or 3032e.

Another advantage with leftovers is you can get larger tractors that are pre-tier 4 emissions (less price & less troubles) if you can still find any.

I think you should look around a bit more and see what deals you can find.

Another option is use the $10K you have to buy a used tractor of the same size that you are looking at. You can get a nice 25hp tractor with FEL for $10K used. In a few years you can sell is for near what you paid and use the money you would have put to payments and buy a $25K tractor used (which at that point will be a barely used utility tractor). Using your plan, 3 yrs from now you have a 3 yr old 25hp tractor. Using mine, 3 yrs from now you have a 3 yr old 50hp tractor. It's your money.

 

[4570Man]

I was thinking the same thing. I once sunk my F250 to the axles in my woods. Pulled it out with my 20 hp Kioti LB1914 with R-4 tires. That was after driving a few circles around it. Absolutely no comparison between a 4x4 truck and a tractor with R-4 tires. The R-1 tires are certainly better in mud, but my R-4's will walk through mud that can suck your boot off in 2WD so they're not horrible by any means.

A tractor with R1s can probably pull harder in mud. I think if the contest was to drive across a mud hole both or neither tractors would make it.