Best Tractor?

[mr_shovel]

Best tractor for me that is.

I just purchased a place with 8 acres and I am looking for something to maintain the property. I small tractor seemed like a good option to me so I started looking at SCUTs. So far I got like the MF GC2300 and CASE DX25E. Both dealers were very nice and helpful (I was pleasantly surprised when it was nothing like a car dealership). Also, the price was also equal. I am also small and can fit on either just fine.

Does one of these units have any significant advantages over the other that would make it stand out as an obvious choice?

Usage:
Mowing 1 acre
Snow removal: 350’ drive
Build-maintain some trails
Light landscaping, garden, maybe some fencing.

SCUT will be enough?
Better solutions for my needs?

I live in an area that gets quite a bit of snow so I hope to get something soon. I hate to be out there with my shovel when we get out first 12”

Thank you all.

 

[scott_vt]

Best tractor for me that is.

I just purchased a place with 8 acres and I am looking for

Usage:
Mowing 1 acre
Snow removal: 350’ drive
Build-maintain some trails
Light landscaping, garden, maybe some fencing.

SCUT will be enough?
Better solutions for my needs?

I live in an area that gets quite a bit of snow so I hope to get something soon. I hate to be out there with my shovel when we get out first 12”

Thank you all.

Mornin Mr Shovel,
First welcome to TBN. You will find plenty of info on this site and some very helpful people !!!

You ahve listed two nice machines, the only thing that I question is if you ever want to do more than what you originally listed ! 8 acres is a pretty fair amount of land to maintain, and if you ever needed to rough mow or skid larger logs, I question whether those tractors will be large enough ?

Im sure that other members will post there advice and concerns on here also. Good Luck with whatever you decide !

 

[Thomas]

Morning.
If you get a chance check out B7800 from Kubota.

Yup the clock just a ticking for your first real good snow dumping.

Have safe and pleasant holiday.

 

[mr_shovel]

Thanks Scotty,

I am afraid to mess up the lawn with bigger. Also, much of the lot is really wet amd marshy so I am not sure I can do too much with it.

However I do anticipate some driveway maintanance, washouts and repairs. It is 350' of gravel and a good amount of water runs under (sometimes over) it when it rains.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

First, I don't think there is much difference between the 2 tractors you are looking at in functional terms. To me the Case DX25e offers a slight advantage but that would just be personal choice.

That said, I think most people here will suggest that for 8 acres you might want to seriously consider upsizing your tractor. A B7800 or B3030 with a mid-mount mower and turf tires is a light tractor that would not really impact your wet areas any more than the GC or DXe tractors with turf tires. It would give you the advantage of a 72" mid-mount mower deck so the mowing would be a little quicker, but 1 acre is not much to mow so the time savings would be minimal. The larger tractor size will help with other chores on the remaining 7 acres of your property and I don't think you'd regret it. The key is that the Kubota B7800 and B3030 are 'ultra light' tractors so they are ideal for what you are looking at with the soft ground issues you have.

 

[daTeacha]

Hello Mr. Shovel and welcome to the boards.

There will be a lot of advice and knowledge here for you to take advantage of. You may also note that some of us are a bit opinionated about what brand is most suited for a particular purpose, and usually that brand coincides with what the poster owns -- strange, eh?

So take all advice with that grain of salt, but temper it with the knowledge that none of us would steer you to a bad tractor and we all just love to buy tractors when spending someone else's money.

It's really hard to find a bad new tractor -- the market is sufficiently competitive that almost any brand name and some of the not so well known brands are very good machines. Your choice boils down to what you like and what you feel will be best for your situation. Most of us here tend toward the Tim the Toolman line of thought -- MORE POWER! That's fine as long as the physical size of the machine is something that you can use.

I use a Case DX29 with HST on my 6.5 acres of wooded hilly ground. I upgraded from a Kubota B7100 (16 engine hp, about 1350 lb) because I needed more stability and loader capacity. I wish I had gotten the 33 hp engine every once in a while, but the tractor does whatever I need to do except lift some seriously large rocks. Even then, it lifts the rears despite having 900 lb on the the 3 point and 130 lb on each rear wheel.

With your wet ground, the posters suggesting Kubota over the Massey or Case are giving good advice. Kubotas tend to be light for the power they deliver, while something like a Mahindra will tend to be heavy. The Kubotas that correspond to the sizes you are looking at are the BX series, but I, too tend to think you will prefer something a little bigger and with a little more ground clearance. Once you own the thing, especially with a loader on it, you will find more and more to do with it. You will probably be happier with your purchase if you get something you think is one size too big right now. Inside a year you will think it's just right.

You'll have a decision about tires -- turfs will give the most flotation and be easiest on your lawn while R1 (Agricultural tread) will be hardest on the grass but give the best traction in soft soil. In between are the R4s, which look like industrial tires. They are a compromise in every sense of the word. For a lot of people, that is just the ticket and they make the tractor look good as an additional benefit.

Enjoy your shopping and don't be in a hurry. You can hire the driveway cleared for a lot less than you can buy a tractor. A few hudred spent over a winter for someone to plow it is better than buying a tractor in a hurry for $15K or more and wishing you had bought a different one later.

Keep us posted as you work your way through this. We enjoy helping out!

 

[rback33]

I will second.. or third or fourth... whatever a lot of what you are hearing. I think I would move up a series on the Kubota, with turf tires and a set of chains. I don't have personal experience, but I read somewhere on here that they really liked the turf/chain combo for snow. I could be wrong there though. Since you list mowing as a priority and live on a swampy lot, I'd get turf tires on a lighter CUT rather than a SCUT.

 

[jimmy1]

Welcome Mr Shovel:

I can't speak with a lot of experience as my SCUT will only be arriving this week or next. I have 3 acres and will be using an ACGOST22A, FEL, 60mmm the counter part to the MF GS2300. I aslso do a 350 ft driveway for the 60" rear snowblower and about 1.5 acres to mow. I think this is a good fit for me.
But if you have 8 acres I would have to give a lot of creedence to the advice here on the CUT. For one thing once you get your property and start doing things around it there will inevitably be more things that you will want to do. For example you may want to start chipping branches or add a generator, these will like a bit more HP. As someone mentioned skid out a log, then more weight and loader capacity would be nice.

Just some of my thoughts.

Jim

 

[flusher]

Best tractor for me that is.

I just purchased a place with 8 acres and I am looking for something to maintain the property. I small tractor seemed like a good option to me so I started looking at SCUTs. So far I got like the MF GC2300 and CASE DX25E. Both dealers were very nice and helpful (I was pleasantly surprised when it was nothing like a car dealership). Also, the price was also equal. I am also small and can fit on either just fine.

Does one of these units have any significant advantages over the other that would make it stand out as an obvious choice?

Usage:
Mowing 1 acre
Snow removal: 350’ drive
Build-maintain some trails
Light landscaping, garden, maybe some fencing.

SCUT will be enough?
Better solutions for my needs?

I live in an area that gets quite a bit of snow so I hope to get something soon. I hate to be out there with my shovel when we get out first 12”

Thank you all.

Before you buy you should consider something in the 25-30hp range WITH a front end loader (FEL).

I have 10 acres of flat grazing land that I take care of with a new 21-hp Kubota B7510HST that has the LA302 FEL (4-ft wide bucket). Cost me $12,600 plus tax in May05 (invoice said $10,000 for the tractor and $2600 for the FEL). Never regretted spending the extra $s for the FEL. I have a 4-ft King Kutter rotary mower (brush hog) to mow the weeds. The 7510 handles it easily.

My Bota has 4WD and a hydrostatic transmission which are great when using the FEL for digging and scooping. Strongly recommend that you look into these features.

At 21-hp the 7510HST is underpowered for serious tillage, although I run a 4-ft wide Yanmar RS-1200 rototiller with no problem ($300 used). Comes in handy for landscaping and garden prep.

I'm going to put about 7 acres into hay production using a 1966 Massey Ferguson MF135 diesel (45 engine hp) that I picked up locally last July.

 

[jbrumberg]

mr_shovel:

Welcome to TBN ! I see a lot of good advise in the threads so far, and it appears that you have given some thought as to what size tractor you think you will need for your stated intended uses. There will always be some trade-offs as it relates to tractor size , use, and tire selection. It does appear that you will need a lightweight tractor with turf tires due to your wet lawn mowing requirements. Tire traction may be a problem for snow removal and your other intended uses without chains. Ground engaging attachments work best with a heavier tractor. Make sure that the tractor you ultimately purchase can handle a PHD and auger width you anticipate needing. Test drive as many tractors possible and visit the local dealerships in your area. Dealer "feel" is just as important as tractor "feel". Good luck on your search! Jay
P.S. There are no "best tractors".

 

[AndyMA]

I agree, pretty much all tractors are good. Personally I think you need something like a TC29 or equilavent size. I think the subcompacts will seem ok for the first few days and then you will quickly realize their limitations. I had a JD 750 for a while (just larger than a subcompact) It wasn't long before I traded it for a Ford 1710 (and that's when I only had 3 acres)

Andy

 

[mr_shovel]

I went to 3 Kubota dealers and they were hard to talk to. They couldn't answer many questions and one used the excuse: "I don't usually sell the little tractors". They basically handed me a price sheet and sent me on my way. Tractor looked nice though!

I also went to the Mahindra dealer. He spent an hour with me, presenting, answering questions, test driving etc. He had a few 2015HST w/ FEL left for $12,700. (good value?).

Also, looked at some 2320 w/ loader for $14500. NH TC30 for $16,000ish. I have not considered any of these units yet so I suppose I have to investigate some.

Its seems just as my mind was made up, I find my self with more options than before.

 

[Glowplug]

That's a shame about the Kubota dealers you had experience with. I guess everyone is an individual and different. My Kubota dealer is almost too good to me. When I first started looking at tractors I had a simple quick question. I didn't expect him to take more than a few seconds to answer it. He proceeded to take me into his office, go through all the books, options, prices, etc. for the tractor I was looking at. Showed me a similar model in the warehouse. So, after an hour and a half I finally said, "I really gotta go now!" Another time I was just browsing (drooling) on the lot. He was closing another big deal so I didn't even want him to see me, let alone bother and distract him. He approached me and handed me the keys of a brand new Kubota M8540 (85hp Ag tractor with FEL) and said "Go ahead, drive her around as much as you want. I'll be inside." That was when I really became totally hooked.

I guess the bottom line is that you should feel as comfortable with your dealer as with your tractor.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

You have literally dozens of choices so it is very easy to become overwhelmed.

Look at your specific conditions and look at the characteristics of the tractor to determine what is suitable for YOUR needs. Rank YOUR needs by their importance and factor in YOUR conditions.

I made a recommendation earlier, now let me try to give you my rationale for making it. You said your needs were mowing 1 acre, grooming 300' of drive, clearing upstate NY snowfalls, and doing some other misc tasks that were not particularly heavy. You said you had some very soft land in parts of your property.

Based on just that small amount of informaiton I figured that you needed a roughly 30hp light tractor with turf tires. They will give minimal impact on your soft ground and they won't tear up your lawn. The higher HP will give you a lot of future options for care of your property and let you run larger implements because 8 acres is a fair size property and can be very time consuming if you are limited to a very small tractor. The 30hp tractor allows for a 6' finish mower and a 5' medium duty rough cutter. It allows for 5' worth of a tiller and a 6' snow blower. A 60" bucket on a front loader is pretty normal.

Now when you consider the weight, the B7800 or B3030 are only slightly heavier than my little New Holland TC24D but offer more power, in a small size, without increasing the impact to the turf. On the weight scale, a New Holland is a fairly heavy tractor, the antiquated TC30 or the modern TC29/32/33/34 series machines are going to have more impact to the ground. The Mahindras are even heavier than the NH and the little 20hp Mahindra you considered is about the weight of my TC24 but offers far less horsepower to the PTO to run your mower deck, and offers less than the sub-compact tractors that you started looking at with the Case and the Massey.

By the way, the New Holland line and the Case line are both the same tractors. Case doesn't off the Super Steer option on the larger machine sizes, and doesn't offer the antiquated/economy TC30.

DISCLAIMER, I currently own/operate a Kubota B2910 (which is the older version of the B3030) and a New Holland TC24D. Both a excellent, but each has its own characteristics. Honestly given what you wrote, I would not recommend the New Holland or Case tractors over the Kubotas and I think they are nicer tractors than Kubotas. It is certainly possible that your needs are far more complex than what you first outlined; if so it is possible that myself (and others here) might change our recommendations.

 

[MikePA]

For mowing only 1 acre that has some marshy spots, I suggest getting a riding lawn mower/lawn tractor for mowing and a tractor for the other tasks you mentioned.

I thought I could replace my 16 hp Wheel Horse garden tractor with a 42 inch rear discharge mower with a New Holland TC25D with a 60 inch mid mount mower. I, too, have some marshy spots. The TC25D was way too heavy at 4 or 5 times the weight of the Wheel Horse. So, I sold the mid mount mower for the TC25D and began using the Wheel Horse again.

Before committing to mowing with a SCUT or CUT, ask to try it on your property during your 'rainy' season.

 

[AndyMA]

He approached me and handed me the keys of a brand new Kubota M8540 (85hp Ag tractor with FEL) and said "Go ahead, drive her around as much as you want. I'll be inside." That was when I really became totally hooked.
.

Sure makes you think about all those that complaign that their new tractor has a few hours on it. I keep wondering how anybody gets to demo a tractor unless the dealer keeps both a new (no hours one) and a used (few hours one) on the lot. Also makes you wonder about the cost of providing demo units to people who buy their tractors over the internet from one of the NC dealers. You just can't have it both ways.

Andy

 

[Agro-oti]

While you're at it you might want to check out the CK series from Kioti. Lots of tractor for the $$$.

 

[AndyM]

I would look at a lightweight compact, rather than subcompact.

I mow 3.5 acres, and take care of snow removal on a 250 foot long driveway with my New Holland TC18.

Because my grass can get a little squishy after it rains, I wanted something that would not leave much of a footprint on my lawn, so I chose a tractor that was only 1400 pounds. I went with a CUT, rather than a SCUT, because I still wanted something large enough for various other projects I've taken on around the property.

Once you've decided on the size, look over all the brands. There are several good ones out there and there are some good comparisons in some of the threads here at TBN. Good luck and report back!

 

[bill177]

I went through this same decision last summer. I have a woods that needed trails, cleaning out, etc. The mowed lawn is about 1.5 acres and we have a garden.

In the end I bought the GC2300 with loaded AG tires and a FEL on it and a 4' tiller. Mowing will continue to be done with a lawn tractor. The AG tires are needed when working in the woods - the turf tires would have loaded right up and just become clay covered slicks.

We are quite wet here also and can easily tear up the lawn. The last several weeks the tractor has become a hanger queen. But soon the ground will freeze and I can get back to work in the woods. Either that or take the floats off the plane and put them on the tractor.

The tiller did wonders with the garden. I did more work in a couple of hours than I could have in a week with a "get dragged around by" tiller. I brought nearly 100 bucket loads of nature's compost from the woods to the garden and tilled it in. Reshaped the garden to eliminate a drainage problem. If the garden does well next season - I'll double the size of it.

My parking area and driveway is paved - one of the best things I could have ever done. The drive is about 200' (quite steep) and the parking area is 60 x 30. I use a plow on my Tahoe for that and a 28" walk behind blower for trim. If we get hit hard and the snow banks get too big, than I'll put the FEL to work.

The FEL is very handy for hauling "things" to and from the barn and for general yard work. Carries the tools, supplies, and refuse. Saves many back aches!!!!

Sure, I could have gotten a giant of a tractor if I had wanted it. But, I got what I felt would do the jobs I have for it, what would easily store/park in the garage, and be fun to operate. A whole lot of the latter!

Orange, green, blue, or red are generally the choices. I went red due to a quickly formed dislike for the two local JD dealers, percieved design problems with the Kubota sCUTs, and the best blue dealer was 70 miles away.

Price wise, they were in the same general ball park - however, the MF did come in about 10% below the other two when I got down to check writing time. This will vary from one locale to another.

My final purchasing decision was based on the dealer. His application knowledge, desire to gain a new customer (not just a sale), and general follow-up.

I notice you are in central NY - near Verona Beach? The first time I became aware of small tractors was passing this place: New-Used-Tractors-Forage Harvesters-Farm Equipment-CASE IH-New Holland-White's Farm Supply-NEW YORK - although I didn't buy from them (too far from home) I did learn a lot. There is also a really good NH dealer in Richfield Springs (sells Kubota in Oneonta). He was just too far from me - I am near Albany.

 

[jbrumberg]

mr_shovel:

I know that we are not making this any easier for you, but you are getting "solid" information from an experienced readership. I have a NH TC29DA with weighted R-1's. It is too heavy to mow my wet "lawn" and the R-1's will chew up the lawn. My primary tasks are material moving (including snow), driveway maintenance, brush hogging the lower field (my avatar), hauling logs which is why I went with the R-1's. I have a White 1650LT riding lawn tractor for mowing the lawn. My tractor easily handles 5' PTO driven attachments. Hang in there! FYI- Jay