New acerage need tractor

[Wagtail]

G'day Mate and welcome to TBN from Downunder.

You're looking at the right tractors for the long term and for what you want to do. R4 tyres are an 'all round' type but it depends on the soil consistency in you location of Sask. A cab would be very nice for your extreme cold & windy winters, unless you're willing to bundle up.

Speaking of 'bundles', you may want to bundle your tractor with a small Lawn Tractor IOT get at the close-in portions/areas of your property.

(personally) Good to hear that your JD dealership has let you 'play' with their rig. A great dealership, that supports you after the purchase, is an important part of buying. It's half the reason that I went 'Green' when I bought... my dealerships reputation for support is known throughout my State and they're careful to maintain that rep = they've never let me down, even though I've got a "little" tractor.

Enjoy the site.

 

[kcott1973]

I have been looking for a tractor also for a small acreage and have done a LOT of research and test drove most every one in this same size range. If I was ready to buy today, I would order a Kubota B2601 for a few reasons. 1) Front End Loader uses a series type valve which makes the simultaneous lift and dump a smooth fluid motion rather than lift a little, dump a little, lift a little, then dump a little. 2) 3 range HST which may be a personal preference, but it gives you more options. The Hi range is "Road Gear" which gives you a higher top speed, so it would not be great for rough yards, but I plan to drive to the local filling station for diesel and like that feature. 3) I want 2 rear remote hydraulics for future use and the ports are integrated in the rear area rather than mounted to ROPS and the remote control levers are integrated into the fender just outside the right armrest. 4) Kubota has a GREAT reputation!

I very seriously looked at the Mahindra Max 26XL and seems to be a great tractor, but a few things turned me off. Mid PTO and mower isn't as good as the Kubota (Mid PTO is optional on the Mahindra and mower deck height is controlled from a knob under the front of the seat with the Kubota), only 1 factory rear remote is available, 2 range hydro, clutch driven PTO vs hydraulic, Dual Brake pedals are on the same side as the hydro pedals, which seems a bit strange (I think Kubota "B" series may be the only one with them on the left).

That is what I have learned from my extensive research. I hope it helps.

 

[Rcsask]

Thanks everyone for the info. The bucket series is defiantly up on my list I did not like the jd not having a series valve I think it would slow moving whatever with the fel. I really like the the sxs pedals for forward and reverse on the deere. Also I like the deere dealership with them having 2 mechanics just for utility tractors (it's a huge dealership so that's a nice touch) warranty and price is maybe a few 100 bucks apart. When I get home I'm gonna phone kubota and see if I can really test the b2601 with the loader and moving some material around.

 

[4570Man]

What does a MMM cost for these machines? I'm guessing about $2500. I'd take that money and ideally add about $1000 and buy a used commercial grade ZTR for mowing. I'd way rather mow on my ZTR or Kubota F-2560 as a tractor. Your mowing time will be faster to a lot faster depending how many obstacles there are. Another plus is you're not racking up hours on a more expensive machine. The hours don't bother me a bit, but they hurt the resale value.

 

[kcott1973]

What does a MMM cost for these machines? I'm guessing about $2500. I'd take that money and ideally add about $1000 and buy a used commercial grade ZTR for mowing. I'd way rather mow on my ZTR or Kubota F-2560 as a tractor. Your mowing time will be faster to a lot faster depending how many obstacles there are. Another plus is you're not racking up hours on a more expensive machine. The hours don't bother me a bit, but they hurt the resale value.

Yes, a mower is around $2500 for the B2601. And I agree with your idea of mowing with a less expensive machine, but in my particular case, although less convenient, I just want to have an all-in-one machine.

 

[Rcsask]

The mmm at jd was 4000 so alot of cash. I grew up running a 3pt finishing mower so I'm pretty good on it. But in the future once I get the yard how I want it I will be buying a zero turn mower. Until now the extra money goes into something else I guess (wife said we need new furniture)

 

[4570Man]

I like individual machines. An all in one machine does nothing as good as individual machines. Another thought. What about down time. If I had only one machine I'd be hurting right now. Since I don't I can keep on cutting grass.

 

[Rcsask]

I like individual machines. An all in one machine does nothing as good as individual machines. Another thought. What about down time. If I had only one machine I'd be hurting right now. Since I don't I can keep on cutting grass.

This is a very good point I do have some sciatica nerve problems but I do have a 16 yr old cousin who would love to run a tractor to cut grass. Plus I would give him a little cash for his car fund.

 

[2addy]

I like individual machines. An all in one machine does nothing as good as individual machines. Another thought. What about down time. If I had only one machine I'd be hurting right now. Since I don't I can keep on cutting grass.

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I agree with this thought. I am mowing 12-14 acres right now and I was forced to do it for a while with my JD compact (just traded in) and a 6' finish mower. I couldn't ever get going and turns were a hassle. Top achievable speed was 6mph. I had R4 tires and they were never an issue on the turf. By contrast, my ZTR (JD997) with a 5' deck will out mow the compact by two to one. Granted, this is a diesel ZTR so it's not a real fair comparison but there is a big difference. And having two mower options gave me the ability of having my wife mow on the compact while I did the difficult stuff on the ZTR. I just couldn't do the steep slopes on the compact. And when the ZTR had a flat (I have locust trees) and couldn't get it repaired for a week, the compact and finish mower saved me. When ten acres of grass gets too long, a pleasant task can turn into a real chore.

 

[jenkinsph]

Thanks for the advice I'm concerned that the heavier and larger L2501 would leave ruts in the grass and be more difficult to mow around obstacles.

Everyone think the smaller tractors would be too small for what I will be needing? Every dealer recommended what I looked at so far. Is there any other brands and models I should take a seat on? I have all the dealers around the city so I can test them all.

I would look at the new 2032R and 2038R tractors that were introduced last month. A 30 to 40 hp hydro with good hydraulics is the minimum I would consider. I would want two or three remotes on the rear plus the mid remotes for the fel. Not sure which brands offer enough remotes but that would be an important consideration.

I would want a separate mower lightweight and maneuverable. A tractor with enough weight and horsepower to do real work as a separate machine. Combining the two never seems to work well imo.