Another SCUT w/ Backhoe Thread

[kelchm]

Purchased a home in central PA earlier this year with about 4.5 acres. The lot is mostly wooded, with maybe 1.5-2 acres currently cleared around the house. I also have a 1/4 mile driveway with a pretty steep grade that I'm expecting to be a bit of nightmare this winter.

So far I have been making it by with a very tired hand-me-down JD LX288 with a 54" deck, but it's just not doing everything I need it to do.

Things I want to be able to do:

- Mow without getting stuck if I'm going uphill
- Clear my driveway over the winter
- Move downed trees and limbs to where they need to go
- Move mulch, stone and sand around the property without breaking my back
- Keep after the leaves in the fall
- Dig trenches to add/replace underground downspouts
- Dig up bushes and small tree stumps
- Do some minor dirt moving to level out low spots and prep for building a pole building next year

Based on my local dealers and the research I've done so far, I'm trying to decide between a Kubota BX23s and a Kioti CS2210/CS2510. Oddly enough I've had a really hard time finding any direct comparisons between these two.

In general the pricing comes out very similar based on the local dealers I've talked to. It is worth noting that Kioti is offering a better financing option right now on the CS (84 months @ 0%). Anyone have any thoughts or experience they would like to share?

 

[Diggin It]

Based on my local dealers and the research I've done so far, ...

Dig deeper. Orange may not be the best color. Look at TYM (or the RK version), Massey Ferguson, LS, New Holland and Yanmar at the very least.

 

[Blue14]

Purchased a home in central PA earlier this year with about 4.5 acres. The lot is mostly wooded, with maybe 1.5-2 acres currently cleared around the house. I also have a 1/4 mile driveway with a pretty steep grade that I'm expecting to be a bit of nightmare this winter.

So far I have been making it by with a very tired hand-me-down JD LX288 with a 54" deck, but it's just not doing everything I need it to do.

Things I want to be able to do:

- Mow without getting stuck if I'm going uphill
- Clear my driveway over the winter
- Move downed trees and limbs to where they need to go
- Move mulch, stone and sand around the property without breaking my back
- Keep after the leaves in the fall
- Dig trenches to add/replace underground downspouts
- Dig up bushes and small tree stumps
- Do some minor dirt moving to level out low spots and prep for building a pole building next year

Based on my local dealers and the research I've done so far, I'm trying to decide between a Kubota BX23s and a Kioti CS2210/CS2510. Oddly enough I've had a really hard time finding any direct comparisons between these two.

In general the pricing comes out very similar based on the local dealers I've talked to. It is worth noting that Kioti is offering a better financing option right now on the CS (84 months @ 0%). Anyone have any thoughts or experience they would like to share?

Check out Smiths Farm Equipment in Newport. They are a Yanmar dealer with a good selection of tractors.

 

[jeff9366]

You have settled on tractor size/weight, I think correctly.

Go sit on the tractors you are considering, including Yanmar, for fit to your body. You will be spending many hours in the seat and the seats vary as does spaciousness of the operating station.

Your next complicated decision will be tires.

Will you mow turf with a Finish Mower (mid-mount or Three Point Hitch mounted) or woodland with a Rotary Cutter?

 

[rngrrymd]

Dig deeper. Orange may not be the best color. Look at TYM (or the RK version), Massey Ferguson, LS, New Holland and Yanmar at the very least.

Not much Massey dealers, small LS guy down near MD, No RK nearby yet.

1. Smith's Farm service in Newport is a TYM and Yanmar dealer. They have T234, T254 in TYM in stock and SA324 Yanmar in stock as well. The TYM T234 is Mitsibushi and is a little heavier duty than the T254 which uses Yanmar motor. Have you checked them out?
2. Hilly Ridge Sales in Mt Pleasant Mills PA looks like a good sized Mahindra dealer. I believe the E-max line is largely made by Mitsubishi for Mahindra. (Girlwantstractor can verify)
3. Also, have you considered the Deere 1025R? You have Smith's Implements and Valley Ag close by.

OP, you do have some options. Best way to narrow down is go check them out and sit on them, check out the dealer. If you consider all your options you won't 2nd guess yourself later after you buy the tractor.

 

[atsah]

1025R gets my vote..

 

[ZTMAN]

I just went through the same thing. Visited just about every dealer within a 50 mi radius of Harrisburg. As Blue suggested, Smith's is a great place if you want a Yanmar.
After driving and researching Mahindra, Kioti, Kubota, Yanmar and JD, we went with the Kubota BX 2380, to be delivered in about a week.
Kubota financing was actually better then Kioti. Kubota is one of the few that don't jack up their prices for financing.

The one thing I did learn from research, dealer service is just as important as the tractor. One Kubota dealer I spoke to said they would pick up and deliver your machine if it needed warranty service, but they would charge by the hour to do so. Another Kubota dealer said they would pick up for free.

Our big decision was physical size of machine. Don't want too big, but big enough to do the job. I was leaning towards the Kubota B series, but the BX will suit our needs.

If you are looking at Mahindra, Hilly Ridge above Liverpool is a service oriented dealer. For Yanmar, cannot beat Smiths. (The CS 221 seems to have very low pto hp)

Good luck, you will have a lot of sleepless nights running comparisons in your head.

Knowing Perry County terrain, take a hard look at the Yanmar 324 and 424. For stability, I really like the specs on the 424, but the 324 would seem to do the job. Smith's has a 324 in stock

 

[Diggin It]

I was looking at Yanmar and will go to see one, but they seem to be higher priced than others, up closer to JD. They also priced the BH without any bucket with those being extra.

 

[kelchm]

Check out Smiths Farm Equipment in Newport. They are a Yanmar dealer with a good selection of tractors.

Thanks for the suggestion. I was able to stop in before they closed today. Got quotes on both a SA 221 and SA 324. Unfortunately both are going to end up outside my budget I think. I'd like to stay as close to $20k as possible with loader, backhoe and mid mount mower.

Your next complicated decision will be tires.

Will you mow turf with a Finish Mower (mid-mount or Three Point Hitch mounted) or woodland with a Rotary Cutter?

I think I'll almost certainly go with industrial tires and a mid mount mower.

Not much Massey dealers, small LS guy down near MD, No RK nearby yet.

1. Smith's Farm service in Newport is a TYM and Yanmar dealer. They have T234, T254 in TYM in stock and SA324 Yanmar in stock as well. The TYM T234 is Mitsibushi and is a little heavier duty than the T254 which uses Yanmar motor. Have you checked them out?
2. Hilly Ridge Sales in Mt Pleasant Mills PA looks like a good sized Mahindra dealer. I believe the E-max line is largely made by Mitsubishi for Mahindra. (Girlwantstractor can verify)
3. Also, have you considered the Deere 1025R? You have Smith's Implements and Valley Ag close by.

Just checked out the SA324 at Smith's today. TYM was not mentioned while I was there. I honestly wasn't familiar with Yanmar at all until today.

I hadn't really considered the 1025R because I'm not a big fan of their business practices and I kind of assumed that the pricing would be high for what you get.

Knowing Perry County terrain, take a hard look at the Yanmar 324 and 424. For stability, I really like the specs on the 424, but the 324 would seem to do the job. Smith's has a 324 in stock

Charlie at Smiths basically said the same thing and recommended the 324 over the 221 given the terrain and trees on the property. I could be wrong, but I think the 424 and 324 are the same except for the tires.

I was looking at Yanmar and will go to see one, but they seem to be higher priced than others, up closer to JD. They also priced the BH without any bucket with those being extra.

You're on the money there. The Yanmar 221 and 324 ended up being substantially more expensive ($2000-$4500 more) than the Kioti CS or Kubota BX with all being configured as similarly as possible. It does seem like the Yanmar 324 is a substantially more capable tractor, though.

 

[ZTMAN]

Well, then based on your budget, and your desire for a backhoe,what did you think of the Kubota BX23S

May want to consider how much you are going to use a backhoe. Lot of fellows for hire in Perry County. Could get a nice tractor with all of your other attachments and hire out the back hoe work and probably come out ahead.

If you look at Kubota, I think you will find the pricing of the other dealer in Perry County will be more favorable then the "M" dealership.