4 Tractor Comparison

[cjpembo]

I'm trying to decide between the following four "compact", gear-driven tractors:

2010 JD 3005 4WD 27.5 HP 2000 lb ($12,200)
2010 JD 4005 4WD 40 HP 3200 lb ($16,950)
2010 NH T1510 4WD 30 HP 2385 lb ($11,500)
2010 Bobcat CT335SST 4WD 38 HP 3668 lb ($12,900)

Dealers:
4 JD dealers within 20-44 minutes drive of my house
2 NH dealers within 30-75 minutes drive
2 Bobcat dealers within 30-75 minutes drive

Concerns:
Bobcat is new to the tractor biz.
The Bobcat is built by Kioti.
I don't have a Kioti dealer within 100 miles.
The Bobcat and JD 4005 are 1000 lb heavier: will I have to wait until the ground is completely hard to mow? I don't want turf tires... would like to be able to plow snow.

Intended use:
Smoothing and mowing 9 acres.
Tilling large garden.
800' of gravel drive to maintain and plow.
Add a loader some day.

Property:
I live in KS: my property is flat pasture and there are no trees or rocks to clear. My property has a max 12' per 500' elevation change. Should I consider a 2WD JD 3005 ($10,000)? My neighbor managed to plow his gravel drive with an ancient 2WD tractor with chains last year.

Thanks for your thoughts!

Chris

 

[nybirdman]

Everyone here will tell you to get 4wd..like adding 20hp..get the FEL ,you will regret not getting it,the Bobcat will be serviced by your dealer not Kioti.Check out the dealer ,service department,longevity ect.Lighter is better for lawns for sure,if mowing is your primary,turf tires aren't bad in the snow ,maybe better than industrials(R4).You can get by with the FEL and maybe a back blade for snow removal.Try them all,see what fits you the best.
Lots of good info here,do some reading.

 

[MessickFarmEqu]

The New Holland has a lot of history to it. The nuts of bolts of that model go back almost 20 years (model 1320). Its one of the most solid, reliable machines they have made.

 

[RoyJackson]

With your acreage and 9 acres to mow (is this finish mowing, brush cutting or a combination?), I'd want a larger tractor.

Anyway...my choice would be the 4005 (formerly the 990). That tractor can handle the largest mower (at least a 7' mower, even an 8' unit) and cutter (6' cutter) as well as the other tasks.
As far as 4WD (or, in Deere parlance, MFWD)...well, a lot of folks did a lot of work (for a lot of years) with 2WD and chains when necessary. However, I'd much prefer that front wheel assist. It's a big help when using a front end loader or plowing snow. You won't need front wheel assist for mowing or tilling.

If you go for a 3005 (formerly 790) or the NH, figure on implements a foot smaller in width (6' finishing mower, 5 foot cutter)

Although I'm a Deere guy, that Bobcat/Kioti would be my second choice.

You wrote "Add a loader some day". I strongly suggest you buy a FEL as part of your initial purchase...that'll be the cheapest way to buy one.

 

[arrabil]

Turf tires do fantastic in the snow/ice.

Bobcat and Kioti are both made by Daedong.

Like Roy said, definitely buy the loader with the tractor. The larger finish mowers require front ballast and the loader is an effective way to do that. Particularly if the bucket is quick-dettach so it isn't in the way.

In general heavy is good for everything but mowing but I wouldn't trade away heavy for anything.

I also agree with Roy that I'd buy Deere then Bobcat. Search the New Holland posts. I'm not impressed with the build quality of the NH tractors but thats my personal opinion.

Do you work on your own tractor or will your dealer be servicing it? Deere's web parts interface is top notch and worth quite a bit in my tractor selection priorities.

 

[Nissan197]

I think all the brands listed are good. I personally would go with the Bobcat, more bang for your buck IMO, but you also have to think about reliability of each brand. Do you plan on keeping this tractor forever or is resale value a concern for you?

I am also with the others on purchasing a FEL. Bobcat was offering a free loader with purchase if you had a coupon, but I don't know if that is still in effect. I have a Mahindra 3215 (32 HP) and it has done everything I have needed, except digging my drive out this last winter. I think if my industrial tires had been filled and/or I had chains on them I would have been fine. Some of those drifts were 6 ft deep.

Good luck on your purchase. You cannot go wrong with any of the brands listed.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Bobcat seems to be the most bang for the buck. HP means nothing without traction so get the tires you want and weight will help that. Bobcat shines in this area. No, I do not own one but have looked at all the units you are and my choice is Bobcat for sure with a FEL.

Chris

 

[Rob-D]

I'd rule out the Deere 3005 and the NH... too light in my view for what you want to do.

I like the 4005, it's a solid machine but be ready for a manual non-sychro box. You say you don't want a FEL but Roy is right and I'll bet you'll regret not getting one if you let it go by.

Just my two cents,
Rob

 

[Z-Michigan]

The Bobcat is the nicest/fanciest tractor on the list, I think, despite its middle range price.

An FEL is extremely useful.

A lot depends on what kind of mowing and how often. A bigger tractor will power a wider mower and maybe go faster, but it will also generally mean a tighter turning radius. If you're going to mow all 9 acres weekly, you need something good sized. If you're mowing 1/2 acre weekly and 8 1/2 once a year, you won't need as much.

I recently bought a Kioti DK40SE and am 100% happy with it so far. I previously owned a Deere utility that I bought new, and have shopped the options from Kubota and New Holland twice now, as well as Kioti (I only shopped Deere the first time - while they make quality, the prices for their CUTs are so high it wasn't worth my time to shop them this time around.) FWIW, keep in mind that the Deeres on your list are bare-bones tractors made to a price point, and a lot of the fancier features are really, REALLY nice to have.

 

[Rob-D]

Deeres on your list are bare-bones tractors made to a price point, and a lot of the fancier features are really, REALLY nice to have.

I'll second that. I have "load match", "auto cruse" and "motion match" along with an "ehydro". It's night and day over a non-syncro manual. The hydro spoils you... BAD!

Rob

 

[gregsons]

I plow with turf tires on gravel and have no probs. this will be my first year on blacktop i used chain on my tires and i think one heavy snow fall my tires spun but really never slowed me down. by driveway is really flat. as for the FEL, I Have one and used it alot but i really dont think you really need one , unless you moving round bales. i could get away with out one. if i was to buy a new tractor ( not a new to me) i would save the money and not get the FEL. to each there own .

 

[MESSMAKER]

I plow with turf tires on gravel and have no probs. this will be my first year on blacktop i used chain on my tires and i think one heavy snow fall my tires spun but really never slowed me down. by driveway is really flat. as for the FEL, I Have one and used it alot but i really dont think you really need one , unless you moving round bales. i could get away with out one. if i was to buy a new tractor ( not a new to me) i would save the money and not get the FEL. to each there own .

Weird how two people can see it differently. I have had a tractor without a loader and spent a ton of time and effort to do things without it. I have one on my current tractor and I am digging, grading and lifting something almost every time I start it up. I see a tractor by itself as primarily a pulling device with PTO. Add a loader and it doubles the amount of things you can do.

 

[tornadowatchranch]

I too live in Kansas up around Lawrence. I have the Bobcat 335 (mine is a hydrostat) I have not had any problems in the yard with it. You have to pick you route and time for a few days after the spring rains. It was 106 here yest so it is just like driving on concrete now! The 335 will take a 7 foot finish mower (see posts by dk35 vince I think--he has a kioti equivalent) I believe the bobcat gives a free front end loader if you finance yourself or cash. I went with the local credit union. Good luck in the search.

tornado

 

[cjpembo]

Hey, thanks everyone for the quality responses. A few points:

I didn't mention in the original post that I have a Bobcat 773 skidloader at my disposal; hence that is why I thought I'd hold off getting the FEL for a tractor. I've got more loader than I know what to do with already.

The 9 acres are currently and will continue to be finish-mowed. I'm currently using a Grasshopper 928D with 72" cut (but I'm offering the unit for sale on Craigslist... only 210 hrs on the machine). I'd like to spend some time smoothing out my ground, tilling a garden, etc.

Yes, I could borrow/rent/hire a tractor/someone to smooth out my property... but then I'd never get a shiny new tractor (the perfect 10 yr anniversary gift if you ask me).

The price on the Bobcat CT335SST incorporates the current $3,000 rebate offer. The dealer then reduced the price another $3000 ! That's about 33% under MSRP. Very tempting if I could just convince myself Kioti is the way to go. I would like to mention that my dealer warned me about adding a MMM to the Bobcat: he quite frankly told me that their MMM is problematic and will not raise up out of the way enough to use the tractor for other uses.

Thanks again everyone!

 

[CenTex Chris]

The price on the Bobcat CT335SST incorporates the current $3,000 rebate offer... Very tempting if I could just convince myself Kioti is the way to go.

The Bobcat is not a Kioti. The Bobcat is a Bobcat. It really doesn't matter that Daedong makes both tractors which are identical twins. What matters is that you're buying into the Bobcat company with its own dealer network, its own product lines and its own service and support -- and that's an entirely separate deal from Kioti.

I'm not saying one is better or worse than the other. What I'm saying is that except than the fact that both tractors come off the same assembly line at Daedong, there is no other relationship between Bobcat and Kioti. So in your particular case, Kioti doesn't even enter into the equation.

By the way I used to live in the Flint Hills... always nice to hear from a fellow Kansan. You'll be happy with whatever you choose to buy, I sure was!

 

[mjncad]

Even if you have a skidsteer at your disposal, I'd get the loader for the tractor at the time of purchase as others have suggested. Get 4WD, you won't regret it. If you do a lot of loader work, consider a hydro tranny. They make doing close quarters work so much easier.

And if your budget and the models you are looking at offer a cab...get it.

 

[LD1]

HP means nothing without traction so get the tires you want and weight will help that.

To each his own opinion but I disagree 100% with this statement. It all depends on the intended uses. To OP suggests that he will be doing ALOT of mowing and also some tilling of a garden. In these cases, weight means absolutly nothing and HP means everything.

I'll go aginst the trend here and say to get the most HP in the lightest package possible. If these are your only considerations without looking at other makes, I'd consider the 4005 IF you can do without all that fancy stuff, and since you are already second guessing the Bobcat.

Sure the fancy stuff is nice, and may make the job easier, but it wont do anymore work than a "no frills" machine. I have a kubota base line model, and I don't miss all the gadgets and HST, mainly because I have never been spoiled with them. But I wanted the most for my hard earned $$ and I couldn't justify spending money on stuff that was not absolutly necessary.

As far as the loader and 4wd go. I'd say both NOW or never. If you plan on eventually getting the loader, do it now and get the 4wd. Makes handling the loader a lot better on these smaller tractors. If you decide you can do without the loader, since your land is so flat, I'd save the $$ and go with the 2wd and get chains.

 

[Gittyup]

If you can afford the JD, then you can probably afford the Bobcat CT440 or CT445. These give you maximum horsepower so you can run bigger cutters to get that mowing done faster. Man, that's a lot of grass to cut!

I doubt that you need HST.

And I'd consider a front frame mount scraper blade in stead of the loader, since you don't need the loader. Then put a snowblower on the back. OTOH one thing the loader does allow you to do is to get rid of the skid loader altogether.

I'd go with turf tires in 4WD and add chains for the winter. Turfs are actually a good choice for snow removal.

I'd also give a lot of consideration to a factory cab because weather has quite the extremes out there. This gives you AC in the summer, and heat and wind protection in the winter.

 

[Rob-D]

My dealer had a new 4005 on the lot someone just bought. Apparently lots of people like them. I guess it's what you're used to.

For me I would buy a new tractor without a loader, to each his own.

Rob

 

[Diamondpilot]

Now that more of the story comes out, he already has a FEL on a skid steer and he is going to use it for mowing mainly, weight is not as much of a consideration. The price of that Bobcat is very good. I priced one out in June with the loader and 1 remote and it was $21,000.

I still would want a tractor with real tractor tires and some weight to it. You said you plan to do some mowing but also some gardening and smoothing out of the land. This requires traction. Look at the old machines like a Farmall M. It was only 30 or so HP but weighed 5,000#. Lots of work were done with them.

Chris