55HP Tractor

[Liquidsilver]

If I did more loader work, I'd like an HST... but for what I do, mostly mowing and land-planing, I prefer my gears.

 

[Andy1969]

I agree that for lots loader work there’s nothing like a hydrostatic. But for me I’m willing to give up some of the speed the hydrostatic gives you for those tasks for the pulling power and relative simplicity of a gear drive shuttle. Also to be honest I really can’t stand listening to a hydrostatic whine all day. If I was really in a hurry to do loader work, I wouldn’t be using a tractor anyway. I’d buy a skid steer. The difference between a skid steer and a hydrostatic tractor for loader work is way bigger than the difference between a hydrostatic and a shuttle tractor. That’s just my opinion based on having used all of the above.

 

[mred2]

Does Ls make the NH?

 

[mo1]

Does Ls make the NH?

LS makes the Boomers and the 40 HP and under (compact) Workmasters. New Holland themselves make the full-sized utility and larger tractors.

 

[strantor]

Does Ls make the NH?

LS makes the Boomers and the 40 HP and under (compact) Workmasters. New Holland themselves make the full-sized utility and larger tractors.

I'm surprised this took until the 5th page to get mentioned, especially after several LS owners have chimed in.

Dealers near me include Kubota, JD, Case and Massey Ferguson. [...] I am not familiar with Kioti, Mahindra, Yanmar etc and would rather wait a few months rather than settle for sub par quality. Thanks.

This is the OP. Thanks for all the good advice. Based on the dealers near me I think I have narrowed it down to Kubota, Kioti and Massey Ferguson. I still want the HST option and I want R1 tires instead of R4 tires (which seem to be standard on some of these tractors), so it is probably gonna come down to availability. I am gonna continue to look at low hour used tractors also.

Massey Ferguson? Which model? Their tractors (in your HP range) are made in India (might as well buy Mahindra) or China (might as well buy Jinma).

If you're looking at a Case Farmall or a New Holland Boomer then what you're looking at is an LS tractor (made in S. Korea) with a different paint job, a higher price tag, and an inferior loader. LS makes those tractors and sells them to CNH, who slaps their stickers and loaders on them. Compare an LS loader and a Case/New Holland loader if you have access to both, and make up your own mind. In fact, compare an LS loader to any other loader and make up your mind. Where LS uses 3/4" plate steel, JD uses brittle hollow cast iron and everyone else (Kubota, New Holland, Mahindra, MF, etc.) uses flimsy weldments of 1/4" sheet and 1/8" tubing. Kioti's loaders look pretty stout from across the internet but I've never seen one in person.

I will make an attempt to not be completely biased by saying about LS, that they're typically sold through mom & pop dealers, so hit-or-miss on the quality of post-sale service. Someone said earlier that the dealer is more important than the brand; I don't feel that way, but I can see where others would, and if that's the camp you're in then I recommend doing a deep dive on whatever dealer in your area sells LS, but definitely don't look past LS under the assumption it's "sub par quality." Also I found that LS tractors don't run well on gasoline, so you can jot that down as another "con."

 

[presnewt]

I'm surprised this took until the 5th page to get mentioned, especially after several LS owners have chimed in.



Massey Ferguson? Which model? Their tractors (in your HP range) are made in India (might as well buy Mahindra) or China (might as well buy Jinma).

If you're looking at a Case Farmall or a New Holland Boomer then what you're looking at is an LS tractor (made in S. Korea) with a different paint job, a higher price tag, and an inferior loader. LS makes those tractors and sells them to CNH, who slaps their stickers and loaders on them. Compare an LS loader and a Case/New Holland loader if you have access to both, and make up your own mind. In fact, compare an LS loader to any other loader and make up your mind. Where LS uses 3/4" plate steel, JD uses brittle hollow cast iron and everyone else (Kubota, New Holland, Mahindra, MF, etc.) uses flimsy weldments of 1/4" sheet and 1/8" tubing. Kioti's loaders look pretty stout from across the internet but I've never seen one in person.

I will make an attempt to not be completely biased by saying about LS, that they're typically sold through mom & pop dealers, so hit-or-miss on the quality of post-sale service. Someone said earlier that the dealer is more important than the brand; I don't feel that way, but I can see where others would, and if that's the camp you're in then I recommend doing a deep dive on whatever dealer in your area sells LS, but definitely don't look past LS under the assumption it's "sub par quality." Also I found that LS tractors don't run well on gasoline, so you can jot that down as another "con."

I have researched the LS tractors some but there are no dealers anywhere near me.

 

[LD1]

I'm surprised this took until the 5th page to get mentioned, especially after several LS owners have chimed in.



Massey Ferguson? Which model? Their tractors (in your HP range) are made in India (might as well buy Mahindra) or China (might as well buy Jinma).

If you're looking at a Case Farmall or a New Holland Boomer then what you're looking at is an LS tractor (made in S. Korea) with a different paint job, a higher price tag, and an inferior loader. LS makes those tractors and sells them to CNH, who slaps their stickers and loaders on them. Compare an LS loader and a Case/New Holland loader if you have access to both, and make up your own mind. In fact, compare an LS loader to any other loader and make up your mind. Where LS uses 3/4" plate steel, JD uses brittle hollow cast iron and everyone else (Kubota, New Holland, Mahindra, MF, etc.) uses flimsy weldments of 1/4" sheet and 1/8" tubing. Kioti's loaders look pretty stout from across the internet but I've never seen one in person.

I will make an attempt to not be completely biased by saying about LS, that they're typically sold through mom & pop dealers, so hit-or-miss on the quality of post-sale service. Someone said earlier that the dealer is more important than the brand; I don't feel that way, but I can see where others would, and if that's the camp you're in then I recommend doing a deep dive on whatever dealer in your area sells LS, but definitely don't look past LS under the assumption it's "sub par quality." Also I found that LS tractors don't run well on gasoline, so you can jot that down as another "con."

Dang....a post implying that LS is a better designed and engineered loader than deere and kubotas

 

[EddieWalker]

Massey Ferguson? Which model? Their tractors (in your HP range) are made in India (might as well buy Mahindra) or China (might as well buy Jinma).

I know that they build a lot of them in Brazil, some in France and some in China, but I thought the China plant was shut down, or being shut down as Brazil expands. I wasn't aware that they where building Massey Ferguson tractors in India. I saw a video on Youtube about the Massey factory building tractors and it was state of the art. Super clean, organized and what you would expect to see for Mercedes being built. I don't remember where it was at, but it did help me lean towards Massey when I was looking around.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Massey Ferguson? Which model? Their tractors (in your HP range) are made in India (might as well buy Mahindra) or China (might as well buy Jinma).

THAT is about a mile from the truth!

SR

 

[Cycledude]

I have researched the LS tractors some but there are no dealers anywhere near me.

Love my LS tractor but if I didn’t have a good nearby dealer (40 miles) I MIGHT have bought something else. As far as the loader I love that also, I’ve heard folks complaining LS loaders don’t lift as high as some other brands do but mine lifts way more than high enough for my needs, then there’s the safety factor the higher it lifts the more dangerous any loader becomes.