25hp Tractors for Vegetable Farming

Iowa Hillbilly · Aug 24, 2021

I'm looking to get into vegetable farming and am considering getting a couple of 25hp tractors to do it. There are a lot more options on the market than I expected and I'm not sure which model(s) would work best for me. I plan on having beds that are 36" wide with 18" pathways in between and I want to be able to straddle the beds, so tread width is very important for me. The biggest task for them will be wagon pulling, but I also plan to use them for a 36" tiller, potato digger, flail mower for maintaining fence lines, running a PTO generator, and maybe a wood splitter. I don't need or want a cab for this. I may get a loader for one of them for odd jobs, where a small machine comes in handy. I generally prefer larger displacement, lower rpm engines for longevity and heavier weight machines. I plan for both to be hydrostat transmissions and I want them to be easy to operate for inexperienced tractor drivers.

I've got three models on my short list right now: the Mahindra 1626 HST, the Kioti CK2610 HST, and the Branson 2515H. Kioti lists the front and rear tread width for their tractor on the spec sheet, but Mahindra and Branson don't. I can more or less figure it for the rear axle by subtracting a tire width from the overall width, but the front tread width is a mystery. Does anyone know the front tread widths for those machines? Do any of these models have electronic engine management or are they still mechanical injection? I like to keep it simple.

I'm not at all concerned about putting spacers on the rear axles to widen them out, but I'm somewhat hesitant to try that on the front for fear of messing up the steering radius/geometry and exposing the king pin to potential rock hits. Does anyone have experience with front axle spacers who can educate me on this? I'd appreciate any help you can give me or experience you can share with me about this.

ptsg · Aug 24, 2021

One thing to keep in mind, is the tire choice. With R1 tires, most manufacturers offer a width adjustable rim. Usually just for the rear wheels. Here in Europe, on the Branson, if the owner chooses R1 Radial tires, he will get both front and rear width adjustable rims.

I think the Branson meets your criteria really good. It's an heavy tractor, very heavy duty construction, pretty much all mechanical, low revving engine (PTO 540@2200 engine rpm) since it's a detuned engine from the higher HP models and has a large displacement for the sizer at 1.7L. It does have an independent PTO and very good lifting specs both at the loader and at the 3 pt.

I can share the tire tread width for the higher HP models of the Branson. This is from the manuals for the 3015, 3515 and 4015.

LS Tractor Owner · Aug 24, 2021

Not sure if you have an LS or New Holland dealer nearby, but they also have a tractor similar to the Kioti you're looking at. The LS may be substantially less in cost..... worth it to at least look....

Iowa Hillbilly · Aug 24, 2021

ptsg said:
One thing to keep in mind, is the tire choice. With R1 tires, most manufacturers offer a width adjustable rim. Usually just for the rear wheels. Here in Europe, on the Branson, if the owner chooses R1 Radial tires, he will get both front and rear width adjustable rims.

If they have width adjustable rims that would be very helpful. Looking at the online pictures I thought they looked like they were fixed. I think that's typical for tractors in this size range in the US, but maybe they offer an adjustable wheel as an option?

ptsg · Aug 24, 2021

Iowa Hillbilly said:
If they have width adjustable rims that would be very helpful. Looking at the online pictures I thought they looked like they were fixed. I think that's typical for tractors in this size range in the US, but maybe they offer an adjustable wheel as an option?

Only with R1 tires I believe. Once you choose R4 or Turf, you get a fixed center rim. But definitely confirm this with the dealer of whatever brand you end up buying.

Iowa Hillbilly · Aug 24, 2021

LS Tractor Owner said:
Not sure if you have an LS or New Holland dealer nearby, but they also have a tractor similar to the Kioti you're looking at. The LS may be substantially less in cost..... worth it to at least look....

I'm checking out LS models now. This is actually the first time I've ever heard of them. I looked at the New Holland models previously, but I didn't find quite what I was looking for.