Branson 5520CH vs Kioti vs Kubota for new tractor owner

[MadGunner]

The goal is to buy a tractor that will survive 20+ years, mow and shred, collect logs and debris, clear fields for food plots and native grass planting, build and maintain gravel roads, and comfortably fit my 6'2" 265-lbs medium-build frame, with sufficient leg room to enjoy spending many hours on the tractor.

I'm into year four on a 50 acre property in central Texas near Lockhart (BBQ capital of Texas!) that is being transformed to support wildlife, hobby farm, and recreation activities (e.g. hunting, shooting, telling stories around the campfire). ~30 acres are pasture, meadows and lowlands, mostly flat, with some slopes; ~20 acres are trees, thickets, mesquite, berms, creek and ponds.

Tractor purchase budget is $30~40K.

Day one must-have-requirements for the tractor are a cab, HST, cruise control, FEL, third function for grapple, two rear remotes, and the ability to easily pull a rotary cutter that can cut 2" saplings. Future work involves rear implements that are six feet or wider, to include tiller, discs, and a potential future upgrade to a larger cutter (maybe 12' Bush-Whacker MW-144).

I'm looking at the Branson 5520CH tractor, which is new this year, replacing the 5220CH model. I've received quotes from four dealers, and the tractor with loader price is showing ~$33K, but none are in stock. The nearest dealer says Sept 7 ~ 14, so I'm waiting. Meanwhile, I'm reading TBN forums and seeing posts from many happy Kioti and Kubota owners.

Should I be chasing the Kioti NX5510 or Kubota MX5400 instead of the Branson 5520CH?

Which tractor in this class around 55hp has the most comfortable cab? Easy to get in and out?

I'm new to tractor ownership and not a mechanic (but I'm cool with fluid and filter changes, greasing, etc.), so I'd prefer a dealer or good mechanic within an hour or less driving distance from Lockhart, TX (e.g. Austin to San Antonio). I'm willing to drive anywhere in Texas to buy the tractor, but also want the peace of mind that warranty support is available nearby. I see a lot of John Deere and Kubota tractors in the area, but Google tells me Branson is one of best *price* options, and a neighbor has a Branson with no complaints.

Thoughts?

 

[jeff9366]

Kubota has around 50% market share in the USA for compact tractors.

Deere has around 20% market share in the USA for compact tractors.

Kubota and Deere are the two highest priced options in compact tractors but also maintain the best resales.

I will make a guess that Branson has 1% market share in the USA for compact tractors.

Branson is doing well in some markets, especially in the west. Zero dealers in many states. Effectively a regional brand.

Branson tractors are well reviewed here, especially in terms of cost per pound.

Compact tractors are in relatively short supply at present due to Covid-19 factory and transportation impediments. All brands. Kubota's USA plants are mostly in Georgia and have been hit hard. Kubota also has important installations in Kansas, especially parts distribution.

Non one can accurately forecast tractor supply and related parts supply in the next year.

You have to sit in cab tractor models to determine which will be most comfortable operating.

Kioti NX5510, Kubota MX5400, Branson 5520CH would all be good size/weight choices.

The goal is to buy a tractor that will survive 20+ years,

Kubota and Kioti make almost all components in their own plants. (Wheels/tires are an exception.)
Others buy 15% to 50% components by value from third party suppliers which can complicate parts supplies. (Deere, buying whole engines from excellent Yanmar for Deere compact tractors, may be near or over 50%.)

Tractor reliability is primarily related to prudence of the operator. Prudence in operation. Prudence in maintenance. A prudently owner-operated, well maintained Branson will last longer than an employee-operated, poorly maintained Kubota.

 

[K5lwq]

Here is a thread about the new Branson 5520C. I was able to check one out at my local dealer and it is a nice tractor.

https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/century-branson/429115-new-branson-5520c.html

Kioti also makes a very good tractor. I have had good luck with my LK2554. My understanding is Kioti has been a little slow in response for some customers with issues. Hard to say how much of that is dealer issues or things that shouldn't be covered anyway.

You certainly would not go wrong with Kubota. They make an excellent machine and have a proven track record.

I went with Branson because of the simple design. No computer controls to give problems. Most problems with new tier 4 tractors have centered around the emissions or ECM's having issues. With Branson there is much less to go wrong. I will also say Branson is very liberal with their warranty coverage. They listen to their customers and try to do what is right.

Best of luck in your search and welcome to TBN!

 

[rademamj1]

Overall, I think you have done a great job at identifying your tractor needs. After just making my first time tractor purchase 3 years ago, I found most of the tractor brands were highly capable and reliable. Branson, Kubota, JD, Kioti, New Holland, LS and many others will give you many years of service.

A cab tractor for Central Texas is the only way to do work during the summer heat. You will need to trim your trees to insure no damage to your tractor cab. My first month of my cab tractor ownership, I was constantly cutting and trimming trees, to eliminate potential damage. I found a lightweight cordless chainsaw was just perfect for this task.

Give as much thought to your implement needs as you have done for your tractor. I found my post hole auger was far less useful than expected, and my PTO chipper and PTO stump grinder was used about 40% of the time on my tractor, mainly for the land cleaning phase of my ranch. Just make sure your tractor has dual rear remotes, because you will need them from time to time.

I found the rotary cutter nearly indispensable in clearing thick brush....but a flail mower I rented for a week was nearly just as useful and gave a very good cut.

 

[mred2]

Check where the nearest LS dealer is. They make some of the tractors for New Holland. Most people buy LS or Branson based on price, options and weight. Try to sat on as many as you can. There are a lot different with a cab and some have a lot of room or no room. Depends on you. Check where the controls are and how they feel for you. Make sure it is priced with at least 2 remotes or more. My top choices were Branson and LS. LS had the better options for the money and at that time a closer dealer. If you are going to be on the tractor, you need to make sure it fits you and it feels right. And weight, hp, cost, warranty, support, the dealer does make a difference.

 

[MadGunner]

No thanks to COVID, buying a new tractor resulted in months of delay. The 50~60 HP class of tractors with HST and cab were largely out-of-stock across many dealers in the area (e.g. 3+hour drive in any direction throughput central Texas). I was able to compare paper specs and prices across brands, and sat in similar models to get the feel of each cab. The more visits to dealers performed, the more I found myself leaning toward Branson, primarily due to price, weight, lift, and reliance on mechanical technologies. Although Branson may not have the market share nationally of the orange and green brands, the lower price point for an arguably equivalent tractor in regions where Branson has dealerships really levels the playing field.

Note - all the brands I checked in this class of tractor have "nice" cabs, but they're all a bit tight and it's awkward for my entry and exit. I did sit in a cab of two larger (80~100+ HP) tractors, and found those cabs to be the perfect size, but no HST and outside my budget. I would rate the cabs of the 50~60 HP tractors the same as getting into a car, versus my preference for an F150 or F250 truck is akin to larger utility tractors. Getting in and out of the car and CUT tractor cabs is awkward, too tight, bang knees, but still do'able. An open station may work better for ergonomics, but the cab provides air conditioning for Texas summers.

I visited LS, Kioti, Kubota and Massey dealers, and each was asking a higher price compared to an equivalent Branson 5520CH. If the LS or Kioti dealers had a tractor in-stock, I would've weighed the higher price against immediate delivery (especially for a Kioti NX or Kubota Grand L60), but COVID has slowed down all the supply chains. The Kubota and Massey prices were outside my budget.

The buying process started with formal quotes on August 7 from multiple dealers and closed on October 18, resulting in ~10 weeks from inquiry to delivery.

In the end, I picked up a new Branson 5520CH with BL200SL Self-Leveling Loader on Saturday, October 18, 2020, from Epperson Tractor in Lorena, Texas (near Waco).

Dealer welded three hooks on the loader bucket and installed third-function valve to drive grapple, auger, and other hydraulic front-end attachments.

Dealer filled the tires with products I ordered online, and filled the rears to 75% with water on top of the mix:
+ 20 gallons of Propylene Glycol Boiler Antifreeze from Chemworks, and 1-gallon of corrosion inhibitor (10-gallons plus 1/2-gallon for each rear tire)
+ 10 gallons of Multiseal Hydro 1500 sealant that mixes with ballast (5-gallons for each rear tire)
+ 2 gallons of Multiseal Pro HD 2500 sealant (1-gallon for each front tire)

Implements purchased with the tractor include:
+ Armstrong Ag BGR Mini 60" Grapple
+ Titan 4000# Pallet Forks
+ Ag-Meier Bronco 72R Rotary Cutter with slip clutch and guard chains
+ Ansung ER074 Rotary Tiller with slip clutch
+ Armstrong Ag 6' Standard Box Blade
+ Premier MD09PHD Hydraulic Auger Drive with 2" hex coupler and 9" auger
+ and Falcon Super Duty II 83x20 10K-lb Trailer to carry it all

Out the door, base tractor with standard loader was $34K; adding the third function valve and upgrading to self-leveling loader brings the tractor total near $36K, and then add $12K for implements and trailer resulting in a total of $48K. Add ballast and sealant plus several round-trip ~4+ hour drives to visit dealers and we're near $50K all-in. Christmas comes early in Texas! A lot of hard work saving over time for this purchase. Now we start again and work toward a shed for the tractor.


Misc items / future thoughts:

I ordered a ballast box online a few minutes ago that should arrive next week; will fill that with sand and cement for +900-lbs rear ballast.

Previously purchased a Field Tuff 72" Cultipacker with 3-point adapter that works with UTV and will now work with tractor; for use after broadcast seeding with Tarter 5-Bushel Pull-Behind Spreader.

Still mulling over future selections for:
+ Bolt-on cutting edge for loader bucket to reinforce the standard edge
+ Top & Tilt kit - rear hydraulic cylinders to perform 3-point attachment adjustments (for use with box blade)
+ 7' landscape rake (considering Homestead Pinnacle 84" Landscape Rake)
+ Tooth bucket for digging dirt and gravel (considering KMK Welding 72″ Severe Duty Low Profile Dirt Bucket with w/ Teeth and Universal Quick Attach)
+ Disc harrow

More to follow in future posts... I'm hoping to add some simple mods, such as cameras and monitor, LED lights, window tint, toolbox, etc.

Big thanks to TBN and YouTube for all the helpful tips and learning-from-others!!!

 

[K5lwq]

Very Nice rig MadGunner! Congratulations!

 

[ptsg]

That's a nice rig! Congrats on your new tractor!

You did an awesome job describing the entire process, reasons behind your choice, prices and so on.

Also, that hydrostatic transmission hooked to a 4 speed synchronized range gear must be really nice.

 

[dodge man]

Nice setup, congrats. Thanks for sharing pictures.

 

[LouNY]

Nice looking setup.
If you have any thoughts about adding the bolt on cutting edge I would recommend doing so immediately,
as soon as you do much with the bucket and get a few dimples in the bucket edge it will not fit well.