Comparison Another newbie looking for advice - no affinity to color

[AxleHub]

If you are a new unexperience tractor owner the differences between colors does not matter you don't know what will be important. A great dealer with average tractor will help more than great tractor with average dealer
In my area I would only consider Deere or Kubota for inexperience owners. Every other brand is sold by someone with tractors as sideline

Please define "your area". Is it the distance you can walk or bicycle to a dealer in 15 minutes . . . or a distance you can drive to in 3 hours or less (175 miles).

Just for clarity . . lets consider someone who is considering a scut or a small frame cut.

1. Because someone didn't own a tractor before . . It doesn't make them unaware. They can see the differences in build quality . . they can feel the differences in seating and floor arrangement and comfort and the response to the controls . . they can read the specs and reviews . . they can "hear" opinions from friends and TBN posters and others who have had tractors. And of course they can test drive the products. After all . . on a tractor . . typically there is no radio to distract them

2. So in your area only Kubota and J.D. are selling tractors as a primary product ? In Cincinnati area ? That's why I asked for a definition because your profile shows Cincinnati . . a major metro area with many towns and suburban/urban developments. So there are no Kioti or Mahindra or Yanmar or Massey or TYM dealers ?

3. And because someone hasn't previously owned a tractor doesn't define them very well either. Maybe they rented equipment or grew up on a farm or their dad or brother owned or worked in a landscaping business. And virtually all of them would have owned lawn tractors or motorcycles or other equipment.

I don't mean to be argumentitive or less than agreeable . . but TBN effects its readers and we have a responsibility and obligation to define our opinions for others in order to not misinform. If a new prospective buyer is in parts of Canada or parts of Montana or remote parts of Texas it can be 200 miles to a dealer, but you're in Cincinnati area.

 

[Poopdeck Pappy]

Jeff, I know you love your Ratchet Rake, and I like mine too, but I think your comparison is way out of whack. Using a RR in place of a box blade for moving dirt is like using a butter knife instead of a reciprocating saw for knocking down a stud wall.

There's simply no comparison to the dirt moving work a box blade will do compared to the RR. Keep in mind that you are in sandy soil and don't deal with the tough clay or rocky soils that many of us do. The soil type and condition can change the equation a lot.

The RR can do some things better than a box blade. But moving dirt is not one of them.

June 9, 2016 I authored this post on Ratchet Rake Vs TOO LIGHT Box Blades:

I own both a Ratchet Rake and a Rollover Box Blade.

I have been contemplating Ratchet Rake versus light Box Blade this morning.

I like the Ratchet Rake, which I recommend based on 600 hours experience.

This post concerns Ratchet Rakes Vs. light Box Blades, such as the 60" Land Pride BB1260/346 pounds/69 pounds per foot.

I searched for the weight of kubota L3301 bucket but could not find a number. I presume L3301 bucket weighs approximately 240 pounds, extrapolating from other kubota specs. 68" Ratchet Rake weighs 88 pounds. Adding 240 + 88 = 328 pounds, pretty close to 346 pounds of BB1260 Box Blade.

In addition, the (operator controlled) weight of the FEL frame bears on the Ratchet Rake. Likewise, weight of the Three Point Hitch bears on the Box Blade. FEL frames weigh much more than ( 3X? 4X?) Three Point Hitch components. So, including some FEL weight, I guesstimate that ground contact pressure on Ratchet Rake and BB1260 would be at least equal, perhaps greater pressure on the Ratchet Rake.

Further in Ratchet Rake's favor you have articulation of bucket/RR combination in two planes from the operator's station and 1-1/2" serrated teeth on the Ratchet Rake.

Box Blade can be raised and lowered hydraulically from the operator's station. Box Blade angle of attack is adjustable via the Three Point Hitch Top Link, but not from the operator's station. Standard Box Blade does not have rippers, standard is a smooth cutting edge.

Ratchet Rake is capable of tearing up sod with its serrated teeth, the initial operation in much grading. The Ratchet Rake will not pull as large a load as a Box Blade but it may pull 35% of capacity of BB1260 per pass, with faster cycles. Ratchet Rake is more intuitive in operation than a Box Blade, which requires considerable experience to operate efficiently.

This is why I feel the Ratchet Rake is superior to light Box Blades for LIGHT grading.

This is a novel assessment of the Ratchet Rake. Subject to revision and modification.

When I have heavy grading to do, I mount my 60"/625 pound (125 pounds per foot of width) Bush Hog (brand) Rollover Box Blade on the tractor's Three Point Hitch AND the Ratchet Rake on my FEL bucket.

 

[jeff9366]

The comparison is the Ratchet Rake to LIGHT Box Blades, such as 60" Land Pride BB1260/346 pounds/69 pounds per foot.

When I have heavy grading to do, I mount my 60"/625 pound (125 pounds per foot of width) Bush Hog (brand) Rollover Box Blade on the tractor's Three Point Hitch AND the Ratchet Rake on my FEL bucket.

The Ratchet Rake alone is equal to or superior to light Box Blades with around 60 to 70 pounds per foot of width, typical of Box Blades sold for subcompact tractors, such as the Kubota BX series.

Post #11 does not compare the Ratchet Rake to all Box Blades, just light Box Blades.

 

[Streetcar]

Please define "your area". Is it the distance you can walk or bicycle to a dealer in 15 minutes . . . or a distance you can drive to in 3 hours or less (175 miles).

Just for clarity . . lets consider someone who is considering a scut or a small frame cut.

1. Because someone didn't own a tractor before . . It doesn't make them unaware. They can see the differences in build quality . . they can feel the differences in seating and floor arrangement and comfort and the response to the controls . . they can read the specs and reviews . . they can "hear" opinions from friends and TBN posters and others who have had tractors. And of course they can test drive the products. After all . . on a tractor . . typically there is no radio to distract them

2. So in your area only Kubota and J.D. are selling tractors as a primary product ? In Cincinnati area ? That's why I asked for a definition because your profile shows Cincinnati . . a major metro area with many towns and suburban/urban developments. So there are no Kioti or Mahindra or Yanmar or Massey or TYM dealers ?

3. And because someone hasn't previously owned a tractor doesn't define them very well either. Maybe they rented equipment or grew up on a farm or their dad or brother owned or worked in a landscaping business. And virtually all of them would have owned lawn tractors or motorcycles or other equipment.

I don't mean to be argumentitive or less than agreeable . . but TBN effects its readers and we have a responsibility and obligation to define our opinions for others in order to not misinform. If a new prospective buyer is in parts of Canada or parts of Montana or remote parts of Texas it can be 200 miles to a dealer, but you're in Cincinnati area.

I live on the east side of Cincinnati just outside city limits
The title for the thread is newbie so I assume little or no experience
The nearest kioti dealer is 1 1/2 hours away. Mahindra is sold by lawn care or car dealer. Massey all closed TYM is sold by lawn care outfit over an hour away
There are new holland dealers that also sell Kubota, but they only have large tractors for new holland.

For newbie the difference between tractor colors will be minor. They may prefer the setup of one over another, but they will not know if the difference of FEL capacity is important or not.
A good dealer will be helpful a car dealer may want to sell what is on his lot

 

[Poopdeck Pappy]

The comparison is the Ratchet Rake to LIGHT Box Blades, such as 60" Land Pride BB1260/346 pounds/69 pounds per foot.

When I have heavy grading to do, I mount my 60"/625 pound (125 pounds per foot of width) Bush Hog (brand) Rollover Box Blade on the tractor's Three Point Hitch AND the Ratchet Rake on my FEL bucket.

The Ratchet Rake alone is equal to or superior to light Box Blades with around 60 to 70 pounds per foot of width, typical of Box Blades sold for subcompact tractors, such as the Kubota BX series.

Post #11 does not compare the Ratchet Rake to all Box Blades, just light Box Blades.

I would take a LIGHT box blade over a RR if my goal was to move dirt. And that would be especially true in clay soil. I don't have the pleasure of working in sandy loam, so I can't comment on that. I might change my mind in lighter soil than this thick gummy rock hard clay we have here.

I have a 72" Gannon with hydraulic rippers for my Kioti, so that one doesn't qualify as light duty by any means. I also have a Land Pride BB1548 for my BX2660. That one weighs somewhere around 385 pounds and is 48", so approx. 95 pounds per foot. It is perfectly sized to the BX and is a working little dude. I don't think LP makes that one any more in a 48" version.

 

[vacman]

I just bought a new tractor of this class last fall. I'll offer up a couple of my observations.

First, I ended up buying a B2650 which is still in the B class but is a bigger frame than the B2601.
The B2601 was actually my first choice but I got the 2650 for 18,285 including tax and delivery. My package included the tractor/FEL/and forks. The 2601 would have been $1100 less so I think your current quote for the B2601 is a bit high.
Besides Kubota and John Deere, dealers for other brands are few and far between around here. I was able to compare John Deere, LS, and Mahindra. The Deere didn't fit me all that well so it was out pretty early. I really liked the LS but it's three point control is not position control (even though their literature says it is, it is not). At the time, SSQA was not available either but I think it is currently. The Mahindra seems like a good tractor too but it's fit and finish just isn't up to the others. Both the LS and Mahindra would have been less money but I think I will get that back at time of resale.
As to dealers, I really like the idea of buying local but I did shop from closest all the way to Barlows in Kentucky. Barlows had the absolute lowest price but a dealer about an hour from me worked with me and got down to within $500.00 so that is where I bought it. I would have been happy dealing with Barlows as well but think if I need service, the local guy will be better. i haven't really needed any service yet but I'm confident he will take care of me if/when I need it.

Good luck in your quest.
John

 

[AxleHub]

I live on the east side of Cincinnati just outside city limits
The title for the thread is newbie so I assume little or no experience
The nearest kioti dealer is 1 1/2 hours away. Mahindra is sold by lawn care or car dealer. Massey all closed TYM is sold by lawn care outfit over an hour away
There are new holland dealers that also sell Kubota, but they only have large tractors for new holland.

For newbie the difference between tractor colors will be minor. They may prefer the setup of one over another, but they will not know if the difference of FEL capacity is important or not.
A good dealer will be helpful a car dealer may want to sell what is on his lot

What about these three Massey dealers less than 45 miles from Cincinnati ? The link below will pull them up for you.
?

Massey Ferguson | Find a Dealer

 

[Streetcar]

What about these three Massey dealers less than 45 miles from Cincinnati ? The link below will pull them up for you.
?

Massey Ferguson | Find a Dealer

The one in Kentucky is small place did not know they started to sell Massey
Ohio is real dealer, but lots of backroads or 1 1/2 hour on highway
By name Indiana list trucks first

 

[bobbylyon]

WOW - lots of info on this thread (some tangents :thumbsup: ), thanks everyone.

After research, spreadsheets, resale guides, etc. I narrowed my final list to the Kubota, JD, Kioti, and LS. All 4 had a presence around my area (some closer than others).

With quotes in hand I started my day off with a visit to the JD dealer. The 1025R sat there and the finish is top notch and comfort was good. I asked to chat with the person who prepared the quote but he was not in. I asked to speak to someone else and displayed my quote with checkbox attached. He responded with "I can show you the tractor but I can't sell you anything but parts." So I asked when someone from Sales would be in? His response was that no one would be in today (Saturday). I replied asking "so if I wanted to buy a tractor today - cash - no one would come in?" He nodded yes. I asked what I could buy today and he responded with parts, some implements, and JD gear. I have a low tolerance for insolence - I gathered up my kids and we walked out.

Next stop was the LS dealer. Sat and drove the unit and performed well. The Mitsubishi engine looked and sounded great. The hardware and assembly left a little to be desired compared to the JD or a Kubota. Hangers and assemblies were just a bit to Harbor Freight / "China-y" for my liking. Literature they had on hand for the LS was print-outs using an inkjet printer. I understand these are S. Korean machines but they looked and performed not like Kia or Hyundai. The dealer was small and the shop and single mechanic was a bit disorganized. The deal they quoted me was nearing a similarly equipped Kubota. I thanked them for their time and moved on.

I visited the Kubota dealership and drove the Kubota unit. As you'd expect - fit and finish was top notch, similar to JD except at this dealer I got to operate it. The cockpit was a bit cramped for me and they wouldn't move much on the price but still my favorite unit.

Lastly, I grabbed the trailer because I was heading to the only 5-paw Kioti dealer near by (~ 120 miles away). The dealer had been in regular contact with me and very responsive over the days leading up to my visit. He received a CK2510H a few days before and needed the FEL installed but otherwise ready. I arrived 45 - minutes til closing but the unit was there ready for me to test drive. They had a few exercises for me to go through to evaluate the performance. The machine operated very well. The controls reminded me of using my buddy's mid-90's Kubota B2000 series, and I guess it should with the bad blood between Kubota and Kioti (some may say Kiboti). The dealer was clean, the shop was clean and organized. I mentioned that I preferred utility tires and they responded with "No problem, Ted will be staying over if you decide to purchase to perform the final inspection and delivery." They were able to answer questions on the unit, explained the warranty, and how service would work in my situation being as though I was coming from a greater distance. I was sold. After working up the sale, the total was even less than what was quoted over the phone. The kiddos and I grabbed some lunch and 45 minutes later the unit was ready for my final inspection; nearly 2 hours after closing. The owner and technician both stayed back and helped load it up.

After 2.5 hour drive which included 4 deer sightings and a bear that had me lock up the truck and trailer, I was able to try it out by amending gravel in my RV parking. The unit operates smoothly, and the FEL has great capacity. I'm very happy with the larger unit over the 1-series I was originally after. I have no regrets thus far on my purchase.


Thanks to everyone for their input.

 

[AxleHub]

Nice summary Bobbylyon. Its nice to know the outcome and results and rwasons why