Opinion needed on New Compact Tractors.

[fried1765]

There are plenty of reasons to go cab less and plenty of reasons to want a cab, living in Texas having a cab with air might be very appreciated.
I recommend finding a decent dealer reasonably close to where the tractor will be used so if you need simple parts or service it’s fairly easy.
I happen to be another very happy LS owner but almost any brand should be nice if you are lucky enough to have a decent dealer.

I have never needed a "decent (local) dealer" for ANYTHING!
But......I have never bought a new tractor!
Messick's will put whatever I might need in a box, and the nice man in the big brown truck will drive all 450 miles, and leave that box on my doorstep, in two days!
Have I said it before?
Messick's is THE BEST....wherever you live on this planet!

 

[duffer]

One consideration you, nor anyone else has mentioned yet (or I missed it) is the weight of the tractor. With a front end loader, and the eventual need to pull, or haul rocks (yes, I've been to TX. You have rocks like I have pine trees) you'll appreciate the ability to tow, haul, and lift more with a heavier tractor.

I would suggest you add that "stat" to your comparison list.

Good luck.

 

[3gunr]

I believe any of the brands you have mentioned including Ls would be a good choice. But i agree with others that something in the 40 hp range would be better.

 

[rademamj1]

I live not far from Buffalo and have lived in Centerville for quite some time. So quite familiar with your area. I went through the same process your going through now on comparative shopping. For the most part, I found subcompacts are similar in capabilities and reliability, but costs can vary alot. Even though some of your property is leased and well cared for, I would consider something like the Kioti CK2610 or CK3510, Kubota L3301 or the LS G3033H or the Branson 2120R. Branson uses the Kukje diesel engines from TYM.

I purchased a Kioti CK4010SEHC and its not been to a Kioti dealer for any repairs in the 600hrs I have owned the tractor. I would recommend you consider dealer installed rear remotes, because it opens a world of opportunity to you by certain implements. Grapples, stump grinders, backhoes and many others use rear hydraulics. And resale value is excellent on tractors with rear hydraulics.

Regarding cab tractors, that's what I have now and really love it. Be advised, its AC is useful in the Texas heat up to about 95F, and after that, the thermal heat transfer through the glass overwhelms the AC and it becomes ineffective. Good luck with your purchase.

 

[ericm979]

Branson uses the Kukje diesel engines from TYM.

Branson is made by Kukje. It's their tractor brand name. Kukje was bought by TYM about 4 years ago. Kukje has had a relationship with Cummins since 2002 to make the Cummins A series. That's the engine that is used in smaller and mid size Bransons and recently, some TYMs. Branson and TYM have separate model lines except for a 19hp SCUT which has a Yanmar engine (Branson does not make engines that small). Branson has been updating their models with new features and adding models. By buying Kukje, TYM got an engine manufacturer which they lacked.

There's a number of Branson dealers in Texas. And yea, the Branson web site could better.

 

[Beeenvenue]

I知 east of Ennis. Bought the 3510hse and love it. Cab would be nice but not for another 4-5k. You live in Buffalo, you can take the heat. Se has the rear remotes plus telescoping 3 pt so you don稚 even need a quick hitch. If you go r4 you致e 63.5 rear wheel width for good stability. Im a hydro proponent, just too many starts/stops and speed changes (I don稚 plow 500 in a straight line to use a shuttle). I also use pto quite a bit so I went 3510 instead of 2610 to have lots more pto hp

 

[rademamj1]

I also think the CK3510SE HST open station tractor is just fine too. If you get the CK2610 tractor, I do recommend the Frontier 2048 or the LandPride RCR1548 rotary cutter.

If you choose the CK3510 SE, recommend any light duty 5' rotary cutter. Purchasing a rotary cutter too big for your tractor, will often result in overheating on hot days.

 

[jjp8182]

Lot of good advice so the only things I'll add are:

Consider the tasks you need/want to do and consider the time you'll have to do them (if you already haven't). There's a lot of tractor sizing advice out there, but so much of it focuses on the tractor rather than the user needs/tasks and the timeliness of completing said tasks. .....and as much focus is put on tractors they're really just tools (or more appropriately tool carriers) and they shouldn't drive the purchasing/sizing decisions themselves. It's that identifying of tasks and time allowable, along with any max/min constraints (e.g. loader lift capacity) that tends to be much more helpful in determining the size of the implements/attachments you'll want/need to purchase which in turn drives the size & power of the tractor along with any additional options that would be helpful to add to the tractor upfront (e.g. rear remotes, top & tilt kits, 3rd function valves on the loader).

Something else that may be worth considering is how much driving around the property you'll be doing with this tractor; from what I've seen it's usually the case that the smaller the tractor the lower the top speed. So while mowing along a fence line isn't exactly a high-speed endeavor having a bit more speed to get back in once you're done can be rather nice and at low at low speeds a few extra mph can make a difference. Another place that extra speed can come in handy is shuttling back and forth when you're doing loader work.

While it's been a few years since I bought mine, I still recall that the "bang per buck" generally got better going larger as the price difference between sub-compacts and various sized compacts isn't all that great when considered over the life of any loan (and with the low/no interest rates :confused3 -- or the expected life of the tractor. Granted going larger/heavier can also add transportation considerations (if moving the tractor to other properties is part of the task list).

Not trying to undo anything you've researched or analyzed, just wanting to ensure that a few things that seem to frequently be overlooked aren't. Though even when everything seems to point that the tractors you're looking at are appropriately sized, it's probably still worth talking to the dealer(s) about how low hour trade-ins are handled if it turns out the initial tractor you go with doesn't quite fit your needs in practice (was actually a conversation topic my tractor dealer brought up with me when I bought my current tractor).

Anyway just my :2cents:

 

[workinonit]

I'm just curious how many of these small tractors have economy PTO. When I bought my first 5 series in 2002 I didn't even know EPTO was a thing. My tractor had it. Now I wouldn't own a tractor without it. I think anyone buying any size tractor should make that in the top 5 if not 3 requirements of the new tractor if they use their PTO very much at all. EPTO is like a cab. If you don't have one you just make do without it. If you ever get one, you would never be without it again.

 

[ericm979]

Branson 20 and 25 series models (30-55hp) have EPTO. I think the larger ones have it too but the 10 and 15 series might not. I use it when mowing the part of my property near the neighbor's house. It makes an already quiet tractor quieter.