Buying Advice Tractor for homestead / land maintenance

[woolyAcres]

Here is e-mail contact for Travis Templeton at everytfhingattachments.com

I suggest communicating your criticism direct to Travis.

travis@everythingattachments.com

I've taken you up on your suggestion. Email sent. Perhaps it will help the next guy down the line. I mostly just work around it now or avoid using it in the fashion or get off the tractor and throw stuff back into the grapple by hand.

 

[PEJ5]

I hope you are not suffering from information overload. The dealer will be impressed with the detailed questions you will ask!! Yes, there are other good brands to compare, but I am liking my new-to-me Kíoti and the attention to detail. Even the various drain plugs on the black engine, transmission and front drive axle are painted orange for newbies like me to easily find.

I have an older DK5010 and you are looking at an SE (bells and whistles) model. Mine has quick attach on the loader/bucket so I expect your will as well.

My R4 Industrial tires (14.9-24) are the same size as listed in the specs on the model you are looking at... if you select industrial. Mine took 49 US gallons per wheel to the valve stem at 12 O'clock. I used RV antifreeze (-50deg Celcius) and estimate the added weight to be 425 pounds per tire.

The previous owner of my tractor had the wheel centers reversed so the tractor has a wider stance. You should ask the dealer to widen yours (no matter the brand) to almost as wide as the bucket for added stability.

The truck should be okay for that short a distance as long as you have a brake controller in the truck in working order and preferably a weight distribution hitch. My cousin helped transport mine and wow, it is a load! Some trailers only have dual 3500 pound capacity axles so 7000 max minus the weight of the trailer steel may leave you with a net carrying capacity of 6000 pounds. Read/photograph the trailer label yourself so you can study the max capacity before committing to that trailer model - do not count of the salesman to consider these details. He is thinking sub 5000 pound tractor - not.

Happy shopping folks.

 

[Tractorable]

A dual axle trailer weighs in the neighborhood of 2000-2500lbs so with 3500lb axles it’d only have a payload or 4500-5000lbs.

If the OP’s property is only 10 miles away from the house they’re currently residing in then may be able to just drive the tractor there, might take 45 minutes.

 

[Binx]

I have figured out the quotes!!!

We drove an hour to the Kubota dealer today. We found a used MX5800 4WD HST with a front-end loader and bucket with 200 hours. My husband LOVED the size and stance of the tractor. The salesperson/dealer said the tractor was an Ag rental (used to haul a peach cart???) and so it still qualified for a full warranty and 0% financing. The price was $29,500 before tax. Dealer said we would save $1500 over new, which didn't seem like that great a deal. The people in the store didn't seem that friendly. No smiles, no interaction, no feeling that the dealer cared or really wanted our business. He was knowledgeable, but there was no rapport like with the Kioti dealer. BTW, Why is the fuel tank fill on top of the hood of an MX?!? That's at least 5 feet off the ground. Trying to balance a 5 gallon can of diesel and not spill it would be extremely difficult.

Since we were out, we stopped by the same Kioti dealer on our way back home and asked to see an NX to make a more realistic comparison.
The dealer quoted us:
NX5010H HST 4WD w/KL6010 Loader and 72" QA bucket and 3rd function control $33,124 out the door.
NX5510H HST 4WD with same equipment $35,053 out the door.

Dealer said he could possibly toss in the loaded tires and would give us the USB port for my hubby to use with his tunes. No grapple in this quote as we're looking at the EA now.

What's amazing is that when we asked the Kioti dealer his opinion about the difference between the NX5010 and NX5510 and he asked what tools we would be using. He said that the NX5010 would be sufficient, saving us $1800. That's pretty cool.

It looks we're getting a bush hog, grapple, box blade and loader/bucket.

Don't get caught up in the koolaid crowd.
There are other colors than orange. Blue (New Holland, LS) is good. Red (Massey, TYM, Yanmar, Branson) is good.

Hubby doesn't want JD because of price and proprietary attachments. NH, LS, Massey and Branson are about an hour away. Kioti is about 15 minutes away and we were willing to make the hour drive for Kubota.

2) TIRE BALLAST Approximately 600 to 700 pounds in two rear tires. R4/industrial tires, probably your choice, hold more liquid than R1/ag tires.

When buying a tractor: Tractor weight first. Tractor horsepower second. Rear ballast/counterbalance third. (Usually)

The Kioti dealer is open to adding the liquid ballast as part of the deal. Good idea on the donuts.

I hope you are not suffering from information overload. The dealer will be impressed with the detailed questions you will ask!! Yes, there are other good brands to compare, but I am liking my new-to-me K?ti and the attention to detail. Even the various drain plugs on the black engine, transmission and front drive axle are painted orange for newbies like me to easily find.

I have an older DK5010 and you are looking at an SE (bells and whistles) model. Mine has quick attach on the loader/bucket so I expect your will as well.

My R4 Industrial tires (14.9-24) are the same size as listed in the specs on the model you are looking at... if you select industrial. Mine took 49 US gallons per wheel to the valve stem at 12 O'clock. I used RV antifreeze (-50deg Celcius) and estimate the added weight to be 425 pounds per tire.

The previous owner of my tractor had the wheel centers reversed so the tractor has a wider stance. You should ask the dealer to widen yours (no matter the brand) to almost as wide as the bucket for added stability.

You guys are giving us quite a bit of information, but every bit of it is helpful. We're now getting the loaded tires when we didn't think it was needed. We did ask about flipping the tires around, so I think the dealer was impressed with that...at least I'd like to think so. :laughing:

 

[jeff9366]

Why is the fuel tank fill on top of the hood of an MX?!? That's at least 5 feet off the ground. Trying to balance a 5 gallon can of diesel and not spill it would be extremely difficult.

Top fill dates from about 1939. With traditional top fill an MX will fit into a residential garage with an 87" header if the ROPS is folded.

(MX series same weight as Grand L series.)

The Kubota Grand Ls, with side fill, allow the fuel dispensing person to have both feet on the ground. One reason, at age 69, I bought a Grand L3560. However, having the fuel tank low increases the height of the tractor and ROPS.

None of the Grand Ls will fit into a residential garage with an unaltered ROPS folded. I had the local quality welding shop section 4" out of the ROPS immediately after delivery, so L3560 will fit in my garage with an 87" header. January 2013 cost: $200.

Tractor ROPS keep getting taller to accommodate aftermarket Backhoes. As Backhoes are rarely purchased in Asia, where much ag land has been farmed for 700 years, I speculate Grand L ROPS are lower there.

 

[YLee Kioti]

When looking at the NX5010 consider the PTO HP and what you may be using in the future.
Sounds like you got a handle on it though.

I found this for you in case you have not had time to get to it.
This is the link to the S.C. Ag Exempt form. https://www.southeastag.com/PDF/South_Carolina.pdf

When you get the approved form, I cut mine out and had it laminated so when ever I go to a CoOp they make a copy of it and bam done deal.
You will save a LOT on sales taxes, enough to buy one implement!, I did....lol...
Please consider all implements you will need and look at Craig List, and Farm auction sites instead of buying 'new' for all you needs. This will save you quite a bit in the long run.
You will enjoy two key features of the NX.
The linked pedal so when activated it drives like a car step on it and go. This will ave fuel when traveling back and forth from home to work area.
The other is the no stall feature. I set rpm to 1500 for the hydraulic pump and engage a pile of dirt and load up bucket and engine never even grunts and just loads up.
The cruise control is nice if you'll be cutting many acres of open pasture in the future. Set it and enjoy.

Good luck you've got lots of excellent advice, best I ever seen to date.
And nice job of helping you hubby with all the upfront leg work, it's quite the leap you all are taking.
Wishing yah'll the best!

 

[Tractorable]

If you like the MX5800 check out a Grand L4060/4760....same chassis except the HST+ transmission is so much nicer.

Plus, on the Grand L fuel is filled down low.

 

[finn1]

Loaded tires will certainly add weight to the tractor, but I find that my ck4010se rides pretty bad when running down the county road between my house and shop.

Not sure if there is a satisfactory solution, but I do know that liquid aren’t compressible, so they sort of defeat the purpose of rubber tires on a tractor with no suspension, other than the seat.

Hopefully the NX has a better seat suspension than the CK cab tractor has.

 

[jeff9366]

In late 2012 when I last considered a new tractor, settling on a Kubota L3560, I considered a cab. My Kubota dealer here in flat Florida discouraged combination of a cab and "loaded" rear tires for the modestly powered L3560. He felt the weight of the cab, about 600 pounds, applied about as much weight to the rear tires as "loading" the rear tires and it should be cab or "loaded" rear tires, not both.

I am not sure dealer would have made this recommendation if the L3560 had 50-horsepower or 60-horsepower, rather than 37-horsepower. In the end decided to go open station, rather than cab, as my two previous tractors and air inflated tires. I always carry Three Point Hitch counterbalance, usually around 600 pounds, except when working on residential lawns, which would involve tree trimming.

It it is too hot, too humid or raining, I simply leave the tractor in the garage. I am retired. There is always tomorrow.

Loaded tires can be 50% to 75% full, leaving air for compressibility. There have been reports from operators that drive tractors on public roads, presumably over 15-mph, the the drop of fluid from decreasing centrifical force when slowing from speed can be unsettling the first few times it occurs.

Iron wheel weights, in lieu of liquid, are another option. No slosh with iron wheel weights.

 

[Diggin It]

BTW, Why is the fuel tank fill on top of the hood of an MX?!? That's at least 5 feet off the ground. Trying to balance a 5 gallon can of diesel and not spill it would be extremely difficult.

People with that size machine around here have 300+ gallons of fuel delivered to on site tanks with electric pumps and hoses to fill their machines. Other people buy trailer or truck mounted tanks with pumps and hoses. They don't generally use 5 gallon cans.

Since we were out, we stopped by the same Kioti dealer on our way back home and asked to see an NX to make a more realistic comparison.
The dealer quoted us:
NX5010H HST 4WD w/KL6010 Loader and 72" QA bucket and 3rd function control $33,124 out the door.
NX5510H HST 4WD with same equipment $35,053 out the door.

Hubby doesn't want JD because of price and proprietary attachments. NH, LS, Massey and Branson are about an hour away. Kioti is about 15 minutes away and we were willing to make the hour drive for Kubota.

Driving distance is a matter of perspective. For many of us, groceries are an hour away. We WISH our dealer was 'only' an hour away. But again, why does the dealer need to be close? In most cases, once you take delivery, your machines should never have to see the dealer again.

On pricing, I'm seeing the LS XR4150 with 72" FEL listed for under $30K and the specs appear to be comparable to or in some cases, better than the NX5010.

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