55-60 HP CHOICES

[hotjava66]

In the market for a tractor in the 55-60hp range. Been in a sharing situation for a little while, sold my last tractor and regret not having one at my full disposal. Have owned or operated a pretty wide range over the years, I work in underground construction and most of them feel like toys or are disappointing as far as hydraulics, speed etc. That being said, better than doing it by hand, and/or destroying my property with heavy equipment. I own an 84” rotary mower, grapple rake, 5’ rototiller, and a 72” land plane, along with some smaller drags and field tools. Will also be buying a swing out or side shift flail mower for pond/ditch banks etc. General use all over the board, tree/firewood work, moving logs for milling, brush hogging, moving bunks of firewood, food plot planting and maintenance, rototilling, some yard work (placing mulch and stone etc.) some snow plowing. Must haves, cab with heat a/c radio, true 3rd function, 2 rear remotes, 4x4, hydrostatic or true power shuttle.

Past tractors I have owned or used extensively, started off years ago on Oliver 550, several older 4 series Deeres, several Kubota L series, had a Branson 3520 for a bit.

After lots of looking and prior experience here is my thoughts and where I’m at. Deere is out of the picture, mostly on cost, and I feel their 3 point and loaders are a bit under built. Hydraulics and hydrostatic are top notch but no longer that much better to justify the cost.

Kubota, have lots of hours on them, I really don’t like the hydrostatic pedal. The Grand L one is ok/tolerable but an L6060 with all the accessories is too much money, and the MX6000 pedal is a deal breaker for me. I have some nerve issues in right foot from lower back injury, that coupled with being taller/bigger I cannot get my leg into a position to use it correctly. Most of these tractors are a set up for shorter people anyway, seats are too short, will not hold a bigger person up (and I’m not that heavy).

So started looking at other brands, ones with nearby dealer/support. Drove a fair amount of them around the yard but hard to make a real impression without actually working or loading them.

LS MT357. Hydrostatic seemed pretty smooth/quick. Loader seemed a little slow compared to some. 3 point setup seems to be middle of the road size/build wise. Small, turbo engine (not my favorite setup) seemed fairly strong and smooth. More electronic stuff than some of the others with associated possible issues. I like that it had wider front tires for yard work flotation. Fit and finish ok, seems a little behind some of the others. Cab ergonomics and lever placement not bad. Loader not quite as heavy built as some. Cheapest tractor set up with all the wanted items, had R14 tires that I have been wanting to try.

Kioti NS6010. I wasn’t expecting a lot and this one surprised me. Loader was fastest of the bunch. Hydrostatic was very well balanced. 3 point setup seems pretty beefy. Small 3 cylinder turbo again. Loader build quality seems pretty good. Nice cab, good ergonomics and lever placement. Exterior paint and fit/finish lacking though.

TYM. I was hesitant to try them, my Branson was kind of a problem child. Tried out the T574, was not impressed with hydrostatic or loader function. Ergonomics/lever placement not great. That led me to this, which I had only seen online, one came in recently.

TYM 4058PC. Nice very smooth 4 cylinder engine. Really heavy specs in lift on both ends. Very nice cab and ergonomics, some nice functions and features. True power shuttle. Very heavy duty loader, axles, 3 point. Minimal engine electronics . I really liked it except for a couple deal breakers. Too tall for a couple buildings I need to go in. And while I liked the power shuttle, the brakes are on the right side next to the throttle pedal, so for real loader work, on slopes or in tight quarters, no way to brake and throttle up to for good loader function. Needs a throttle up button on stick. Loader was slow as molasses unless you had good rpm.

Yanmar YT359. Larger 4 cylinder non turbo (like this), I did like the transmission for the little bit I ran it. Loader speed is nothing to write home about. Really nice cab and ergonomics (other than seat too short like most), throttle up button on stick. Great warranty. Negatives, 3 point looks a little lighter than the rest, no true 3rd function from factory, front axle and loader seem slightly less heavy built. Price way above the rest.

So far none are standing out, I really wanted to love the TYM but those couple things put it out of contention. Kioti maybe in the lead but their fit/finish and rust started in small spots kind of put me off. LS maybe close second but I didn’t love it either, would need a good endorsement from other users. That dealer has a good rep. I want this to be a one and done deal, getting to the point I know what I want and can take one to the end with good care and service. Any input on the above or other suggestions welcome.

 

[Torvy]

What is your height maximum? There's only 1.25" difference between the T574 and T4058.

I run a 175mm ditch mower on my 574 (ROPS). Most of the work I do is in my forest with the grapple. Also, I am retired and this was going to be a one and done purchase. For me, the loader speed wasn't a big deal. Maybe if my sole income was coming through my tractor it would be different. Of course, the layout has to fit you.

Since all involve trade-offs, I would look into what you can do to minimize your frustration with all of your choices. Some things just take time to adapt. Sometimes, you can literally adjust the flow, etc. Can you get a throttle added? After-market seats? A thing some miss about the LS models is that most of them have a max lift height about 12" lower than the competition. That may or may not matter to you. It does skew the lift capacity to sound stronger than it is. Maybe see lift curve data. LS was my 2nd choice. Purely based on the machine, I'd get Yanmar, but money and lack of dealers dropped them out. Kubota and Deere were not only expensive, but the dealers seemed to think they were doing me favors. My dealer also sells Kioti and rust spots bothered me, too. Ground clearance is 2" lower than 574 and 7" lower than 4058. It just depends on if that matters.

For me, the biggest selling points on the TYM were: the engine that wasn't dependent on the emissions to function; the value trade off of capability to price; and the whole machine was TYM owned/built. (Some models use other engines).

Good luck in your search.

 

[WM75Guy]

What is your budget and where are you located? Will help to narrow done your options so you don't get overloaded with suggestions.

 

[jyoutz]

Don’t know if this would work for you, but I use the pedal on my MX differently than designed. I keep my foot planted on the floorboard, not the pedal. I use the toe of my foot on the pedal to go forward and lift the pedal with my toe from underneath for reverse. There’s plenty of room even with work boots to keep your foot on the floorboard and use the pedal this way.

 

[Torvy]

J, I suppose that may depend upon your boot size.

Good point that there's often ways to adapt.

 

[hotjava66]

Height requirement is to get in an 8’ door, so 95” max height. Pretty much eliminates any of the TYM offerings. That puts me to LS, Kioti, and Yanmar.
Re Kubota foot pedal, I tried this since the Kubota dealer said same thing. Unfortunately this is a major issue due to pinched nerve, lifting toes especially with work boots is a problem.
Located in mid Michigan, have Kioti, LS, TYM, Yanmar dealers all 1/2 hour away. Same with Kubota.
Trying to stay under 50k fully optioned as I require.
LS is at 42k ish
Kioti had 2 different quotes last verbal one 45K other at 48k
Yanmar just shy of 50k
All have low or 0% financing but you pay more up front. Backwards math shows effective interest rate at 3% if you take the financing. Negative there is you pay it all up front, so early payment is not in your favor.
Kioti has 0% or a 2.99% at the cash price so pretty much equal except at 2.99 if you pay early you save on interest.
Most of the dealers I have vetted and trust, that being said service is only as good as the techs they keep on staff. This is a daily problem in my work life, oversee a fleet of equipment and finding good service is extremely difficult.
Prefer to get something I can work on or hopefully not work on at all.

 

[hotjava66]

J, I suppose that may depend upon your boot size.

Good point that there's often ways to adapt.

13FF doesn’t help

 

[Torvy]

Ouch, that's pretty low with a cab. I put in a 10' door just in case. Tractor lives under a lean-to at about 16'. I can lift the loader all the way up under it.

The math on the financing is comparing the cash discount savings to the full cost of financing. You also need to see what you could earn with that money invested. Typically S&P fund would return 10% less inflation, so usually a net of 7%. Versus 3% APR, you net gain 4% annually investing for X years. (Less payments). When you compare that gain to the cash discount, there's your real number. Devil's in the details.

 

[Torvy]

13FF doesn’t help

That big of a foot means those lower cabs could be uncomfortable. Aren't trade-offs fun?

 

[hotjava66]

Honestly I found the cabs to be more than adequate for space, seats are all a touch low but a small riser is easy to make.
All 3 are close as far as likes/dislikes. Kioti and LS I just don’t know a lot about to judge long term durability. The LS has a lot of electronics which I’m wary of, most of the issues I see these days in bigger equipment is either emissions or computer related, especially as they age. Yanmar might be the same as far as engine/transmission goes but does have 10 year warranty. Kioti seems more simple and robust, just fit and finish issues and I don’t know the brand.

 

[jyoutz]

J, I suppose that may depend upon your boot size.

Good point that there's often ways to adapt.

Size 11.5

 

[Torvy]

Kioti also makes the tractors for Bobcat. They are going to have the same electronics/emissions junk as all of the new units other than the TYM (and then only those with the TYM/Kukje engine).

I think all of the S. Korean brands are solid. There are pros and cons. In my case, an equivalent Kubota or JD would have cost 40-60% more.

 

[big bubba]

good luck with your search. i've always been reluctant to choose a tractor according to storage access. my feeling rather than limit yourself to storage access, choose the optimum model for your needs, than accommodate for storage options, lots of options out there. best regards,

 

[Jrasband]

Can't go wrong with a M7060, or M6060

 

[big bubba]

Can't go wrong with a M7060, or M6060

agree, or if one can find, used pre tier 4 of the same class. will be selling mine within a year, but no online sales. OP: best in your quest

 

[hotjava66]

good luck with your search. i've always been reluctant to choose a tractor according to storage access. my feeling rather than limit yourself to storage access, choose the optimum model for your needs, than accommodate for storage options, lots of options out there. best regards,

It’s not just storage, my firewood storage and implement lean to are all pretty short. That and for work in the woods I find taller is more cab exposed to damage from branches.

Can't go wrong with a M7060, or M6060

Can’t disagree, just cannot justify the physical size and cost for my needs. Have thought long and hard about a true utility size tractor, so much more of everything over a compact. But I just don’t need it, and would be a bother to deal with the size vs the work to be done.

 

[big bubba]

you are correct in cab size working in woods, i overlooked that. sounds like you're on the right tract, & take your time now that you have the purchase fever. wise to post here

 

[rScotty]

In the market for a tractor in the 55-60hp range. Been in a sharing situation for a little while, sold my last tractor and regret not having one at my full disposal. Have owned or operated a pretty wide range over the years, I work in underground construction and most of them feel like toys or are disappointing as far as hydraulics, speed etc.

SNIP...

I want this to be a one and done deal, getting to the point I know what I want and can take one to the end with good care and service. Any input on the above or other suggestions welcome.

Yes, that 55 to 60 hp range seems to be a nice size. I know we ended up there, and so have a number of friends. It's powerful enough to do most work, and still not too physcally big for around the barnyard.

BTW, hotjava66, that's a nice write-up you did on the various brands. I enjoyed reading it and you sure do have a lot of choices. I don't have a clear favorite myself, although for our work I'd put more emphasis on the type of transmission. The transmission type seems to have a lot to do with how I enjoy doing our chores, work in the wood, and generally maintaining the property. Frankly I used to be a power-shuttle shift guy, but HST has spoiled me. The only limitation with HST is some only have three ranges, and I prefer more gearing choices than that. The only one I know that has more than 3 ranges is in some Kubotas, but there may be others

The Kubotas six speed HST+ transmission is rugged. We've used our M59 hard 16 years it sure fits the work we do. The HST+ models also have the best version of Kubota's oddball F/R pedal.
The other transmission I like is Yanmar's i-HMT. I wouldn't buy today without at least trying the Yanmar YT359 with their i-HMT transmission.

Both the Kubotas with HST+ and the Yanmars with i-HMT are top of the line in quality and that does tend to make them cost more. All I can say on that is looking back over the years, our best tractors have always been a little more expensive than we wanted - but ultimately worth it.

So since you asked for suggestions, here is another.... if I were buying today I'd ask the Kubota and Yanmar dealers to introduce me to some of his customers with similar tractors that I could talk to about their tractors.
Those cabbed HST+ and i-HMT models have been out for 10 or more years now. I'd sure want to personally talk to people who have been using both.
rScotty

 

[Williy]

Yanmar has up to $3500 discount and 10 year power train
warranty

willy

 

[arrow]

Although it seems your criteria are rather numerous, there is a way to solidify choice.
1. All the deal breakers can be eliminated
2. Rely on your closest dealer first and I don’t care what the brand unless it includes a deal breaker.
3. Tractors can be had with smaller tires if height issues cannot be solved with raising entry headers. Would need all 4 tires changed for ratio issues. Additional ballast would make up for tractive differences.
4. A person can get used to just about anything so minor preferences such as loader speed or fit and finish become less important in relation to what’s more important such as deal breakers or physicality issues.