Tractor Sizing First Time Tractor Buyer . . . need some advice!

[BrkMstr]

My CK3510HSTSE, has no issues with lifting 1000lbs, that is one of the reasons I went with Kioti rather than another Kubota. I needed / lifted a lot of crushed stone, had to lift over 5' rails on dump trailer - bucket lifted well over 1K, I believe it's rated for around 1,900 - the SE offers the seat / cup / steering / rear remotes / mirrors / linked / cruise / adjustable stabilizers, electronic PTO and more - you would need to add the inverter it does have the 12V outlet - I use the rear remotes for my snow blower tilt chute, and hydraulic center link during the summer - they are used for many other attachments as well, back hoe, post digger, stump grinder etc. I believe you would appreciate the R14's just make sure they are the heavy ones as some come with 2ply sidewall's which, to me do not work well with heavy loader use - make sure you get the 6ply - for what you've listed I would not have any issues with the 3510, with the CK's you can go up to the 40HP. If you go with the heavier bails, I've moved some over 2K, than I would go with the DK or the NX - bottom line, talk with the dealers and try them, a good dealer will let you put on the folks, brush hog etc see how they set up / comfort - it's a lot of money make sure you get what you want - I run a 72" finish mower, 60" brush hog, Pine Rake, 66" Front Blower, 48" Pallet folks, Quick-Hitch, Trailer mount - did not get a grapple but yes if you have the dealer install the kit you will get the third function controller and the quick connects up front on the loader......

 

[PILOON]

Did U specify new vs used?
If used one advice is to hire a competent tractor mechanic to check out the purchase B4 plunking down hard earned cash.
Preferably one that is familiar with the brand.
Might just be the best $$'s you'll ever spend.

 

[markfsanderson]

BrkMstr,
Thanks for speaking from direct experience with the Kioti tractors! I'll approach the dealer with this model in mind . . . thanks again!

Mark

 

[markfsanderson]

Piloon,
I'll edit my OP and put in new . . . for a new-ish tractor owner (i've owned my TO20 for 7 months now, so I'm *completely* new) I'd like to stick with new.

Thanks!

 

[coobie]

Wow fist page of posts recommend Kubota H,mm.I own both products Kubota & Kioti go drive them both and make your choice.Back in 2012 we saved over $8,000 buying kioti tractor over a comparable Kubota tractor.Both make great tractors.

 

[jjp8182]

Wow fist page of posts recommend Kubota H,mm.I own both products Kubota & Kioti go drive them both and make your choice.Back in 2012 we saved over $8,000 buying kioti tractor over a comparable Kubota tractor.Both make great tractors.

...might be due to spread/frequency of different dealerships. Personally I'm more familiar with Kubota and JD as they're what I'm more familiar with and have seen more of ....where on the other hand I'm not sure I've ever even seen a Kioti tractor in person though there's a dealership a little more than 30 miles away ...and almost every other brand has at least one dealership with a 20 mile radius -- JD actually has three(?), Kubota two (both multi-brand dealerships), and NH, Case, MF, LS, Mahindra, and even RK all have at least one (usually multi-brand) dealership as well.

So really what hasn't been said yet is that the dealer makes the difference. Personally I'm not sure I'd buy a JD in my area just because the nearest JD dealerships are part of a large chain and have (from what I've seen) the stereotypical large chain employee attitudes. Just me, but I'd much rather deal with either the smaller chains or family dealerships that put more emphasis on quality support. For me one of the Kubota dealerships is located on my drive between work and home (makes buying parts/new implements really convenient), is a customer-focused multi-generation family-owned dealership -- which just made it a simple choice since Kubota also manufactures a tractor that had the features/performance I wanted.

Sooner or later everything breaks or needs replacement parts or even just routine maintenance parts and unless it's a disposable item that dealership support or availability of parts is something worth considering. ...especially since not all tractors have the same maintenance intervals. From what I've seen buying oil or hydraulic fluid (and other parts) in the quantities needed for a tractor can also offset initial savings when the tractor is used heavily/routinely.....

No brand loyalty here (last I checked none of them had any to me) - just things I've observed and the things with which I'm most familiar from past interactions.

 

[IndyIan]

I'd get a ~4000lb tractor with 50+hp. Then you can lift bales carefully without something on the 3pt and run good size common implements. I can't really think of a time my tractor has been too big but it could use another 20hp to run my buddies old round baler. He keeps buying and fixing old farm equipment and its convenient that my tractor can run most of it at times when his tractors are tied up or in the shop.
For brands I'd limit it to your local dealers and get a sense of who will back you up if needed. Kioti happened to have the best dealer near me, and be cost competitive so it was an easy decision. I think this website is the best for researching individual tractor models for issues so do some searching here once you narrow down which dealers you want to deal with.

 

[4570Man]

I'd get a ~4000lb tractor with 50+hp. Then you can lift bales carefully without something on the 3pt.

I wouldn’t bet on that.

 

[jeff9366]

I'd get a ~4000lb tractor with 50+hp. Then you can lift bales carefully without something on the 3pt.

Neither would I.

 

[Egon]

Probably the main item is lift height to unload the F350. Once you get the proper lift height the rest of the tractor will be sized accordingly. Also note the required lift height will be considerably more than five feet.