~50~60Hp compact cabbed tractor with a good loader and lots of stability?

[Sid Post]

I have the L4330 here in Texas with same conditions. Have power beyond for front end (post hole digger/ mulcher, etc) . you already have more than enough HP to do your chores. I pull a 84" bush hog while doing dirt work on an incline without issue.

Pulling up T-posts from an old barbed wire fence lifted one of the rear tires off the ground.

In terms of running a post-hole digger or running my mower, no issues other than losing traction occasionally and needing to use my FEL to push me away from the "puddle" or up the incline.

When on flat hard ground like an asphalt road or concrete driveway, the loader lifts fine. However, the same cannot be said of my pastures which are not level and suffer feral hog damage.

 

[sjmedin]

I would stay away from LS. Too many problems with little support.

 

[Sid Post]

I would stay away from LS. Too many problems with little support.

Yes, around me TYM and Branson are supported significantly better than LS or Kioti. TYM seems to have a larger dealer network but, in the <40Hp class of tractors, Branson is really the one I see most from these brands.

 

[Bearsixty7]

Yes, around me TYM and Branson are supported significantly better than LS or Kioti. TYM seems to have a larger dealer network but, in the <40Hp class of tractors, Branson is really the one I see most from these brands.

You are aware TYM recently purchased/took over Branson?

 

[Sid Post]

You are aware TYM recently purchased/took over Branson?

Yes, they bought Kukje which was a major contributor to Branson. The new Branson's have the TYM emblem on them too.

 

[Shenandoah MF1760]

I own a Kubota L-4600 today. In relatively flat Oklahoma where I grew up, it was a great tractor for chores but, where I am at in Texas is sloped with feral hog wallows hidden in the pasture grass and similar obstacles that are hard to see from the seat.

I need something that is stable using a loader out in my pasture which my L-4600 is not. For those that will ask, yes my tires are loaded with "beet juice / rim guard" with wheel weights and normally a heavy 6' tiller for ballast and it is still too light in the rear. It also has a high center of gravity with a narrow "footprint" for loader work.

I need a tractor heavy enough for normal farm chores for me including but, not limited to using:

• post hole digger
• bush hog (AKA rotary cutter) so at least 35Hp PTO as a hard minimum
• heavy loader work
  • big round bale movements (not stacking)
  • buckets of wet soil
  • Skid Steer pallet forks with moderately heavy loads like pallets of range cubes or half pallets of concrete

I am looking for something with a good cab which will serve me well as I get older than I am today. To me, this means easy entry and exit, air conditioning that works well in Texas heat and humidity, and ergonomic controls that won't fatigue me with age or extended use like mowing around trees and other obstacles.

My initial search has me looking at the TYM T574 and Massey 2850M/2860M since they have relatively good dealer support around me. Yanmar is of interest but, that dealer is ~200 miles away! The Massey options are in the $45K range new and the TYM is in the $38K range so, while $7K is a lot of money, not enough to encourage me to buy the wrong tractor due to cost.

John Deere and Kubota generally dominate this market space but, Kubota is not of interest right now because their tractors are too light for their loaders and are generally undersized in the class IMHO. John Deere's business model has this diehard legacy John Deere owner looking somewhere else these days. "Right to repair" may get around their proprietary software issues for fixing a broken tractor but, that was a real turn-off for me. United Ag and Turf, the local John Deere dealer, has not been a good experience generally so far when I went there for implements and similar stuff.

What are people's experiences with Mahindra and LS tractors in this class? LS dealer support is weak but, Mahindra seems to be really making an impact on the Lowes and Home Depot garden tractor shopping crowd that just bought a small acreage. I am open to other brands that have reasonable support and a track record of being good for the owners and long-term dealers.

TIA,
Sid

I have a Massey 1760M which is the same as the 2860M except I have the 2.2L Shibaura motor as opposed to the Iseki 2.4L in the 2860M. Mine is a hydro as I mistakenly thought the wife or kids may operate it.

I dry camp on the wooded property where I keep the tractor so I have to bring in water on a frequent basis. Using a roll-over box blade for rear ballast I have no issues taking either the 55-gallon drums or my 100-gallon tank out of the bed of the truck. I typically use my grapple to do this. If I need more weight I hang some 18-wheeler brake drums off the tines.

I have some hills, but also some very wet places seasonally so I don't want the tractor to be too heavy or it'll sink to the axles. Sometimes it's hard to tell where the soft spots are. If I didn't store my tractor in a shipping container I might opt for dual wheels in the rear.

 

[jb1390]

Tractor stability is the issue. I think a 4,000lb to 5,000lb tractor that is properly balanced is what I really need for lighter-duty chores when a 10,000lb cabbed tractor is simply too big and cumbersome.

A real usable loader capacity of ~2,000lbs should lift a round bale for general movement with most hay bales and the 3-pt will easily handle another.

And yes, I am mainly looking for a geared tractor. An HST in a hay field or with a rotary cutter is not something I enjoy using. Been there and done that in the past with a friend's Kioti.

When I bought my mahindra, I wanted HST, and I wanted the heaviest machine that I could get. I use it primarily for loader work. That led me to the 3550. It is immensely stable with appropriate counterweight, with large tires and heavy castings.

Since you don't require HST, that opens up the options a bit for you. But if you have Mahindra nearby, try to go check out a 3650 (or 3640, same machine with less HP) and see what you think. I lift 2000 pound pallets of wood pellets with no real issue. Mine is open station with a canopy but you can get them cabbed as well.

The disadvantage with that weight combined with HST is that it's a pig on hills in high range. Not a huge deal for me personally, and a shuttle transmission will help there.

My tractor with just the loader and air in the tires is 6300 pounds. For heavy loader work I run a 2000 pound concrete block on the back. Tires are not loaded.

 

[Sid Post]

Since you don't require HST, that opens up the options a bit for you. But if you have Mahindra nearby, try to go check out a 3650 (or 3640, same machine with less HP) and see what you think. I lift 2000 pound pallets of wood pellets with no real issue. Mine is open station with a canopy but you can get them cabbed as well.

Mahindra support near me is questionable beyond the small 20~30Hp lawnmowers people buy. I'm sure they are fine machines for many people but, I don't trust the level of support I think I would get.

The disadvantage with that weight combined with HST is that it's a pig on hills in high range. Not a huge deal for me personally, and a shuttle transmission will help there.

Yep, my friend's 30Hp Kioti with HST is barely able to move itself in high-range on flat ground. In mid-range, it will do okay with modest grades but, you have to run the engine at a fairly high RPM level to do so. And, an HST sucks big time mowing a big pasture IMHO. My Kubota B2601 doesn't suffer this problem unless I'm on a really aggressive grade.

My friend also had the transmission quit on the backside of his dam because the angle starved the HST of oil so it "free wheeled" down the backside of the dam backward!

 

[Torvy]

Yes, they bought Kukje which was a major contributor to Branson. The new Branson's have the TYM emblem on them too.

Just to clarify for those who don't know. Branson was the trade name that Kukje used for their tractors. Until TYM bought Kukje, Branson was 100% built by Kukje. Now they are 100% built by TYM with TYM badging.

 

[Sid Post]

Just to clarify for those who don't know. Branson was the trade name that Kukje used for their tractors. Until TYM bought Kukje, Branson was 100% built by Kukje. Now they are 100% built by TYM with TYM badging.

The Branson dealer I went to said they were all built in the USA and were not owned by Kukje. I questioned that with TYM badging but, didn't argue the point either.