Buying Advice First CUT: Sizing and Used Options

[varmint]

I thought your first post was great! And I thought you were right on about the pallet forks, SSQA, 30-35HP and HST. Not so sure about the snow blower. Messy, bad with gravel, and for a foot of snow, un-needed. A rear blade will work, but a front blade, with SSQA and hydraulic angling (from that rear power beyond) is just ideal, you can see what you're doing, and don't get covered with blown snow. That works so much nicer than a rear blade, and is fine for a stone drive.

I also think a stand alone splitter is the way to go. CUT's just don't have the flow to operate a splitter, and tying up the tractor is a waste. Dirty Hands makes some fine splitters for the money, and not having to lift a log is good. I split around 4 cords a year, using an old tow-behind generic 35 ton gas powered splitter that a neighbor loans me, and it is hard to beat. Something with a conveyor belt and power this and that would be nice, but...

The comments about a tooth bar and filled R-4's are good ones.

I am not an ace mechanic, but having purchased three used Kubotas, using them, and NEVER having had any issues that I couldn't readily take care of on my own leads me to suggest shopping for used, at the same time you cruise the dealerships. Your observation about your Deere dealer matches my experience... which is why I have Echo chainsaws, and a Husquvarna trimmer, and not Stihl. And a Kubota.

 

[KennyG]

Your observation about your Deere dealer matches my experience... which is why I have Echo chainsaws, and a Husquvarna trimmer, and not Stihl. And a Kubota.

Based on the comments we have seen there appear to be two distinct types of JD dealers. Virtually all Deere dealers have a core "big tractor business" and some don't seem interested in the CUT/Lawn equipment segment. I'm lucky. My dealer is part of a big multi-dealership company and sells a lot of the 6 figure plus machines. However, when I do call them or drop in for something, they fall all over themselves helping me. When I was buying, the salesman spent time with me and went through all the details just like I was buying a 200 HP tractor. There are different ways to run a business and individual dealers decide how to do it. By the way, this Deere dealer is a Stihl dealer also. :confused3:

 

[motownbrowne]

Welcome aboard!! As others have said, great intro and first post. It is interesting to me, however that several responses seem not to have read all of it. Guys, he listed HST as a need. He wants to put his wife and kids on it. I think HST in this application is a GREAT choice. Don't let anyone talk you out of it.

When I was shopping for my Kubota, I looked for about 6 months on the used market and didn't find anything that struck me as a good deal for me. I wanted HST our hydraulic shuttle (that's before I knew how important HST is), I needed ag tires, and I wanted a 4wd tractor with a loader. Now in my case, the tire requirement killed a lot of possible deals, but what i noticed while shopping was that for HST tractors with loaders less than 20 years, the price just wasn't much less than new machines.

I think you're spot on in your search requirements. I didn't see your budget listed, but maybe I skimmed that part. What I know from researching tractors for a friend of mine recently is that in the Kubota lineup, the l2501 looks very appealing right now. It's a mid sized CUT with a low HP rating to avoid emissions equipment. It makes PTO HP at about 600-800 less rpm than most other tractors. People are bringing these home with a couple of implements and a loader for around $20k. Yes, it's got less HP than might be ideal, but you don't list anything that's real HP intensive in your task list except a snow blower, but you can still run a blower just fine but a little slower than with more HP. I'd look hard at the 2501. If it feels too small or light, the next one to look at is the MX4800. Twice the HP, twice the loader lift, less than twice the price.

If you look at the 2501, check out the Kioti ck2610 also. It's a direct competitor and quite a bit cheaper. Kubota is offering much better financing right now, though, so if you want to finance, the Kubota will probably be cheaper overall. That financing is 0% for 84 months, by the way. That too makes used machines quite a bit less appealing. I know it's all smoke and mirrors, but when I called my local dealer for a quote on the 2501, he said the cash price was only a few hundred less than the 0% finance price...

Good luck shopping, and let us know what you end up with!!

 

[FreedomFamilyFarms]

jeff9366- Thanks for the sweet eBay search. I’ve been eyeballing Craigslist awhile (searching for HST is handy as the string is rather unique to tractors) but I didn’t realize how many tractors are available on eBay.

KennyG- I’d say 2 of every 3 CUTs I see around here are green. There is another dealer a couple counties south (Troxel) I’ve heard good things about. I’ll give them a chance to sell me a green one.

nybirdman- I’ve seen a few other threads mentioning the L2501 and other colors with similar setups (just shy of EPA regs) that seem underrated. Will definitely keep those in mind.

gladehound- The blower can definitely be downgraded to a “nice to have”. The driveway is mostly east/west with about 150 feet running north/south. The north/south section is the last stop across an open field to the west (prevailing wind in this area). That’s the place that concerns me enough for a blower. But, I can pile it with the loader if we drift...

DieselBound- The maneuverability is exactly why I want the HST. I have a little Simplicity with a blade on the front of it now and my right shoulder hurts after I run it for an hour from shifting back and fourth from forward to reverse. The trails I’ll be working on are already cut, they just need some attention after a few years of neglect. Tooth bar and ballast seem very useful, adding to the list.

newbury- terrain is mostly flat with some rolling hills. Trees are roughly 50 years old, lots of hickory, oak. Most are less than 24” DBH right now. I’m pretty handy but don’t really want a tractor that needs more than basic maintenance. I want a tool that dependably saves me time. If I get in a pinch I can manage most tasks and have the tools to do so.

varmint- I’m intrigued by the hydraulic angling blade on the SSQA. What would a setup like that run? I also have neighbors with splitters and have considered just piling the nasty logs and borrowing a splitter once or twice a year to bust em’.

motownbrowne- Budget is a moving target. Building one house (2 months left) and selling another means there are a lot of hungry mouths all wanting a bite of my tractor budget. I’m hoping to have ~$18,000 to spend for the tractor and all implements, hence the plan to shop used. No way I can pull off a new tractor plus the implements I’m hoping for on that budget. I took a look at Kioti’s site and there is a dealer about 2 hours from here. I’ll have to give them a look if the savings is significant. Their CK3510HST looks excellent.

Clearly I have some shopping to do. As the budget gets firmer, I’ll post back with some options. Thanks for the advice TBN!

 

[MrFoPow]

Something along the lines of a "L" series Kubota,30+or - HP,3,000lbs,4WD.The L2501 has been popular because of no DEF.Sounds like it is down rated but has a lot of HP for the size.
With only a chance of one foot or less of snow a rear blade would suffice and could be used for other projects.
Lots of completion in this segment of tractors;I would purchase from what dealer you are comfortable.

All the other L series tractors do not have DEF either.

I'd guess any L series Kubota would meet your needs.
Only reason I had to go with the L4701 was for the extra FEL lift capacity.

 

[varmint]

V-head... as for the front plow, if I remember right, I bought a HLA (Horst Welding, operating in Ontario) 78" plow with hydraulics for around $2000. I didn't shop, simply went with the dealer's recommendations when I bought the used L3130. They installed disconnect couplings on one circuit of the loader's lines, which worked for angling, but I lost the tilt function.

On the current L3400, I spent another $100 or so for fittings and hoses to run to the forward left loader arm. I can easily unplug the plow, and should I get a grapple, I am good to go, or I can unplug the hoses at the rear, and plug in whatever at the rear remotes. Unlike blowers, plows don't require maintenance beyond touch up paint, and should hold their value. One good feature is the ability to push snow up and over, using the loader/plow, so piles can be 6-7' high as needed. I found that the regular loader, with a normal bucket, just didn't move enough snow to be useful.
I did try a 3-point splitter once, and it just bugged me to have a 30hp tractor cranking to split, and not that fast, either. I do use the tractor, to pull a trailer loaded with spit wood to where I will be stacking it. Not a place where I would want to drive a truck.

 

[jeff9366]

I also have neighbors with splitters and have considered just piling the nasty logs and borrowing a splitter once or twice a year to bust em.

Home Depot and Lowe's sell 110 V electric log splitters beginning at $300.

Faster, 220 V electric log splitters cost more.

110 volt log splitter | eBay

 

[jeff9366]

nybirdman- I致e seen a few other threads mentioning the L2501 and other colors with similar setups (just shy of EPA regs) that seem underrated. Will definitely keep those in mind.

Budget is a moving target. I’m hoping to have ~$18,000 to spend for the tractor and all implements, hence the plan to shop used.

L2501 is a fine, light tractor. Real world price with HST is $18-19,000, without the options you listed.

You would probably be happier with this one if you made an offer for $19,000 which was accepted:
Kubota M5040 Tractor 4WD LA1153 Front Loader Skid Steer Mount 475 Hours Nice | eBay

For sale is a very nice Kubota M5040 Tractor equipped with, 4WD, Kubota LA1153 Quick attach front loader with skid steer mount bucket, 50HP Kubota diesel engine, Shuttle Shift transmission, 3rd valve on front end loader (auxiliary hydraulics), 1 rear remote, 3PT, PTO and only 475 hours.

FURTHER ~ T-B-N ARCHIVE: M5040 site:tractorbynet.com - Google Search

This one is optioned the way you want it and has low hours. This is a pre-Tier IV tractor without the stringent/complex emission controls.

Not far from you. Go kick the tires.

 

[motownbrowne]

L2501 is a fine, light tractor. Real world price with HST is $18-19,000, without the options you listed.

You would probably be happier with this one if you made an offer for $19,000 which was accepted:
Kubota M5040 Tractor 4WD LA1153 Front Loader Skid Steer Mount 475 Hours Nice | eBay

For sale is a very nice Kubota M5040 Tractor equipped with, 4WD, Kubota LA1153 Quick attach front loader with skid steer mount bucket, 50HP Kubota diesel engine, Shuttle Shift transmission, 3rd valve on front end loader (auxiliary hydraulics), 1 rear remote, 3PT, PTO and only 475 hours.

FURTHER ~ T-B-N ARCHIVE: M5040 site:tractorbynet.com - Google Search

This one is optioned the way you want it and has low hours. This is a pre-Tier IV tractor without the stringent/complex emission controls.

Not far from you. Go kick the tires.

Jeff, it's way out of budget and doesn't have any implements except a loader. It's also NOT hydrostatic. I don't know how you can say it's optioned the way he wants it.

The 2501 is lighter, yes. It's still a very heavy 25 HP tractor. It too is not subject to emissions controls (other than maybe an EGR valve.

A little exercise of the search function should pull up some recent threads with OPs bringing home a hydrostatic 2501 with a loader, and two other implements for right around 20k. It's less tractor than a 5040, but it's new, has a warranty, comes with implements and financing for less than a used gear shift 5040.

Kick the tires, for sure, but take another look at why you want a tractor before you bring home a Utility Tractor, which is what an M5040 is.

 

[FreedomFamilyFarms]

Thanks for all the thoughts on the splitter. Let me clarify and see it this changes your opinion. I'm the fastest splitter for most wood. I can cut a round in less than a minute with a Fiskars X27 or my Council Tool maul and a spare tire splitting rig. Its the mean, knotty, nasty pieces I'd use the splitter for. I've had pretty good luck so far moving the wood in rounds (a loader would do a fine job at this since I can scoot rounds into the bucket at ground level) then splitting next to the woodshed so I'm not handling individual pieces more than a couple times. The splitter would only come out when I have an hour or more of the nasties to work through and speed isn't as important as raw power for this application. Would a ~30 HP CUT give me the hydraulic pressure I need for the splitter to break these up? All the specs on the splitter rely on the tractor itself.

Another question about dealer location. Based on some of the comments above, I checked into Kioti dealers. There is one about 90 minutes from my place. I called this weekend just for fun (thinking I'd rule them out) and priced a CK3510HST with R4s, loader, and 2 rear remotes over the phone. 34.9 HP (28 at PTO), HST, 11.7 gpm hydraulics, weighs in at 2,734 pounds without the loader. I was quoted $18,675 plus tax for the whole shebang new with warranty. I'm thinking I couldn't touch a Kubota, Deere, or Mahindra with those specs for anything near that price. Can anyone with recent Kioti experience chime in?