Comments, thoughts, recommendations (needed) on tractor purchase decision

[leverlock]

Hello to All,

I have read this forum off and on for awhile. Its been great to see all the wisdom and experience available here. We finally made the move to a property where I can make use of a compact tractor and I have been doing the research till I'm blue in the face but now its time to ask a few questions. I do search the forum for old threads and earlier comments so pardon me if I missed something that was already answered recently elsewhere.

I have about 20 acres of land. The house has about 1 acre of yard that needs mowed. There is a 5 acre pasture that needs maintained. The neighbor has a few cows I let him use that for grazing but not sure that will continue. The rest is wooded. The terrain is gently rolling/sloping toward a creek in the back.

For projects and maintenance I'm looking at the following:
* 1,600 ft. driveway to keep up
* brush hog the pasture
* convert some pasture into garden
* remove small pond in backyard that is harboring undesirable critters ;-)
* fence repair; new posts and wire or install 4 board sections
* clean up downed trees, brush
* stump removal
* keep up, create new trails in the woods
* make food plot in meadow by the creek

As far as tractor brands are concerned I have Deere and Kubota within an hour. Other brands are further out. I have been stuck on a few of the more common buying issues:

1. How large a frame size and how many HP's?
2. Do I/will I ever need a mid PTO?
3. If I don't need the mid PTO is the L Kubota or Deere E a good value?
4. Is it worth the extra $$ to buy the Grand L or Deere R model for those deluxe features?
5. Do I really need to be able to remove the front loader?
6. Is it worth it just buying implements from dealer or better to go aftermarket?
7. And of course, do I get the backhoe?

From the sounds of it the dealers are all going to be supply constrained again this spring. But I don't want to buy something that doesn't fit my use case. I view this as a buy it once right and see if it will last my lifetime.

Oh, bonus question... I left behind the garden tractor so I have to get another to mow the yard or a zero turn. Thoughts welcome on that as well.

Thanks in advance, appreciate the help, Bob.

 

[fried1765]

Hello to All,

I have read this forum off and on for awhile. Its been great to see all the wisdom and experience available here. We finally made the move to a property where I can make use of a compact tractor and I have been doing the research till I'm blue in the face but now its time to ask a few questions. I do search the forum for old threads and earlier comments so pardon me if I missed something that was already answered recently elsewhere.

I have about 20 acres of land. The house has about 1 acre of yard that needs mowed. There is a 5 acre pasture that needs maintained. The neighbor has a few cows I let him use that for grazing but not sure that will continue. The rest is wooded. The terrain is gently rolling/sloping toward a creek in the back.

For projects and maintenance I'm looking at the following:
* 1,600 ft. driveway to keep up
* brush hog the pasture
* convert some pasture into garden
* remove small pond in backyard that is harboring undesirable critters ;-)
* fence repair; new posts and wire or install 4 board sections
* clean up downed trees, brush
* stump removal
* keep up, create new trails in the woods
* make food plot in meadow by the creek

As far as tractor brands are concerned I have Deere and Kubota within an hour. Other brands are further out. I have been stuck on a few of the more common buying issues:

1. How large a frame size and how many HP's?
2. Do I/will I ever need a mid PTO?
3. If I don't need the mid PTO is the L Kubota or Deere E a good value?
4. Is it worth the extra $$ to buy the Grand L or Deere R model for those deluxe features?
5. Do I really need to be able to remove the front loader?
6. Is it worth it just buying implements from dealer or better to go aftermarket?
7. And of course, do I get the backhoe?

From the sounds of it the dealers are all going to be supply constrained again this spring. But I don't want to buy something that doesn't fit my use case. I view this as a buy it once right and see if it will last my lifetime.

Oh, bonus question... I left behind the garden tractor so I have to get another to mow the yard or a zero turn. Thoughts welcome on that as well.

Thanks in advance, appreciate the help, Bob.

I cannot offer much advice on the tractor issue, as nearly 2 years ago I bought an extremely low hour original owner L48 TLB Kubota. The current near equivalent is the L47 TLB, and would likely now cost somewhat North of 50K if new, depending on included accessories.
The entire Kubota line though, seems to be at the very pinnacle of CUT machines.

For mowing, I bought a new SCAG Liberty, 48" zero turn mower with 21HP Kawasaki, ($4410 OTD) back in August of last year.
I like it a lot, but very few hours so far.
That was probably about $1,000 more than the big box zero turns, but the SCAG Liberty is beautifully built machine.

 

[Roadworthy]

Your tractor choice will be in part dictated by whether you plan to mow your yard with it. If you plan to mow the yard the mid PTO is important. The Kubota L series does not offer a mid mount, though the LX series does. When shopping I opted to stay under 25 horsepower and eliminate the need for a computer and diesel particulate filter. I feel tractors should be simple. I did not get the quick attach loader as I don't plan on replacing my bucket with anything else. If you think you need a grapple you may wish to think it over. My rotary field mower runs off the rear PTO and is the one I used on my prior tractor. As far as the backhoe goes, you may wish to consider renting one unless you do a LOT of digging. They require a separate sub frame and I believe it interferes with the three point arms to the point where you must take one off to use the other. I didn't get a grand anything - it's a tractor. I don't have heat or air conditioning, just an open cab. Simpler is better as far as I'm concerned. I do the maintenance.

 

[jeff9366]

I have 20 acres of land. The house has about 1 acre of yard that needs mowing. There is a 5 acre pasture that needs maintenance. I plan to convert some pasture into a garden. The rest is wooded. The terrain is gently rolling/sloping toward a creek in the back.

Buy a Zero Turn mower for your yard.

For five acres a 1,500 to 2,000 pound bare weight compact tractor, around 50" wide, is ample, unless your slopes make you feel uncomfortable on these fairly narrow tractors. This weight tractor is typified by the Kubota B series.

The B series all have a front PTO, so if you desire to mow your lawn you can accomplish that with either a mid-mount-mower (MMM) or a rear Finish Mower mounted on the Three Point Hitch.

The next increment heavier (2,600 pounds barre weight) and wider (55") tractor is the L series Kubota L2501. Mid-PTO is not available on the L2501. More capable AND more stable.

Tractors are inherently unstable operating on sloped ground. Tractor rear wheel/tire spread defines compact tractor stability working sloped or uneven ground. A 6" increase in rear axle width substantially decreases tractor rollover potential. Tractor width is an approximation of rear axle width.

Small tractor wheels drop into holes, disrupting traction. Larger wheels and tires supplied on heavier tractors bridge holes and ruts, increasing traction. Larger wheels and tires permit higher operating speed over uneven ground by reducing implement bounce and operator perturbation.

When considering a tractor purchase bare tractor weight first, tractor horsepower second, rear axle width third, rear wheel/tire ballast fourth.

Kubota's are imported through Georgia and assembled in Georgia. Kubota FELs and Backhoes are all manufactured in Georgia and exported world wide.

Deere is headquartered in Iowa. Deere operates a large tractor plant in Augusta, Georgia.

 

[jeff9366]

1. How large a frame size and how many HP's?

Weight is more important than horsepower for most tractor applications.

Staying under 26-horsepower threshold eliminates moderately complex Tier IV emission control equipment.


2. Do I/will I ever need a mid PTO?

Mostly for MMMs and front Snow Blowers.


3. If I don't need the mid PTO is the L Kubota or Deere E a good value?

Value is different to each individual. Not paying for Tier IV emission control equipment certainly increases value.


4. Is it worth the extra $$ to buy the Grand L or Deere R model for those deluxe features?

The Kubota B series are considered fairly deLuxe tractors.
The Kubota L2501 is an economy tractor.
You really need 15 acres of tractor workable ground to justify price and weight of a Grand L.

5. Do I really need to be able to remove the front loader?

Few do. However an easily dropped SSQA bucket is a valuable option.


6. Is it worth it just buying implements from dealer or better to go aftermarket?

Land Pride, owned by Kubota, makes high quality implements.

I have fifteen implements sourced from five manufactures. Buy implements only as the need arises, research here and buy heavy.

7. And of course, do I get the backhoe?

Removing stumps is impractical with a compact tractor Backhoe. Devote the $6,000 Backhoe cost to a heavier, wider tractor.

Call in an Excavator or Bulldozer to remove stumps. $1,000 and done.

 

[redman135]

Hello Leverlock, some food for thought. Ergonomics: try various tractors for size and fit. Do the loader,gear stick and other controls fall to hand or is there a stretch?
Kubota has a treadle forward/reverse control, some swear by it, some swear at it and some are indifferent. JD has a side by side forward/ reverse peadle so try both to see which suits you.
I recommend you get a ssqa AND 3rd service (in case you get a grapple)with a standard bucket, not a 4 in 1 as it is heavy andcomes straight off your loader capacity.(3 rd service is cheaper new than to retro-fit, and adds resale value.
I don't know what slope you have on your property, but if you can, go for the adjustable rim option and set to maximum width for stability. DON'T think flat ground =safe. You would be surprised by how many tractors roll on flat ground. ALSO a raised loader in a turn is more likely to roll espesialy with a full bucket. Low is GOOD.
Backhoe: hire a contractor for speed or rent. The money you save can be spent on other attatchments.
Lastly, as your skill level increases you will have "mission creep", decide what you need then go 1 size up. Look on TBN there are plenty of threads regretting buying small, and very few regreting going to big.
Good Luck whichever way you jump.

 

[rademamj1]

1. How large a frame size and how many HP's?

For your property size, and that most is wooded, recommend a 26 to 40 Hp range. This will allow enough power, and still accomplish your tasks and provide mobility among trees. Some models to consider: Kubota L3301 or LX3310. Deere 2032R or 2038R. Kioti CK3510SE

2. Do I/will I ever need a mid PTO? In this case, low priority. In fact I recommend a residential garden tractor or preferably a zero turn.

3. If I don't need the mid PTO is the L Kubota or Deere E a good value? The Kubota L series has great value. Personally I would avoid the Deere E Series and just consider the Kubota L and Deere R series in 26 to 40 Hp range.

4. Is it worth the extra $$ to buy the Grand L or Deere R model for those deluxe features? Yes definitely. But too much horsepower can be unneeded.

5. Do I really need to be able to remove the front loader?
You can mow very well with a rotary cutter on the rear and a loader on the front. My loader has never been removed on my tractor. And unless it's for an engine repair where loader must be removed for access, plan on keeping your loader connected for many years.

6. Is it worth it just buying implements from dealer or better to go aftermarket? Personal choice on this issue. There are many quality after market implement manufacturers, like Woods and EA, but certainly Kubota Land Pride and Deere Frontier are noodles quality. I would at least get a rotary cutter at same time you purchase your tractor from the dealer.

7. And of course, do I get the backhoe?
A backhoe can be extremely useful, and your purchase of any backhoe can be delayed to a future date when you have better understanding of your specific need for this attachment. If you do decide to purchase, the backhoe should be fully dealer installed with subframe...and not a 3pt backhoe. For now, recommend you install two hydraulic rear remotes at time of tractor purchase to allow lots of flexibility for future implements and backhoe. Just my humble opinion, but if you find you need to remove hundreds of tree stumps, then use a dedicated stump grinder and not a backhoe.

I like the idea of a using a zero turn for mowing around your house. And if that 5 acre pasture is not too rough, a zero turn can also mow that in a pinch.

 

[sea2summit]

Hello to All,

I have read this forum off and on for awhile. Its been great to see all the wisdom and experience available here. We finally made the move to a property where I can make use of a compact tractor and I have been doing the research till I'm blue in the face but now its time to ask a few questions. I do search the forum for old threads and earlier comments so pardon me if I missed something that was already answered recently elsewhere.

I have about 20 acres of land. The house has about 1 acre of yard that needs mowed. There is a 5 acre pasture that needs maintained. The neighbor has a few cows I let him use that for grazing but not sure that will continue. The rest is wooded. The terrain is gently rolling/sloping toward a creek in the back.

For projects and maintenance I'm looking at the following:
* 1,600 ft. driveway to keep up
* brush hog the pasture
* convert some pasture into garden
* remove small pond in backyard that is harboring undesirable critters ;-)
* fence repair; new posts and wire or install 4 board sections
* clean up downed trees, brush
* stump removal
* keep up, create new trails in the woods
* make food plot in meadow by the creek

As far as tractor brands are concerned I have Deere and Kubota within an hour. Other brands are further out. I have been stuck on a few of the more common buying issues:

1. How large a frame size and how many HP's?

All depends on you and how quickly you want to get done (retired guy who is gonna putz around the yard tractor size would probably get a different recommendation from me than a guy who works 60hrs a week and is trying to maintain that much land on a Saturday afternoon) any size tractor will get any job done but the smaller the tractor (in HP) the longer it takes

2. Do I/will I ever need a mid PTO?

No. In my opinion mid mount mowers are horrid devices made only to make people more comfortable moving up from a riding mower. Most are difficult to attach and don't mow that well. Now if you were running a front mounted snowblower or broom maybe that would be different but I have no experience with either.

3. If I don't need the mid PTO is the L Kubota or Deere E a good value?

I can't speak to the JD value but I think the MX offers a whole lot more than the L for the average homeowner with capabilities at an economy price over more "luxury" items focus.

4. Is it worth the extra $$ to buy the Grand L or Deere R model for those deluxe features?

I love my MX and never considered another tractor until it went down hard last year and I had to have a tractor. The M4's deluxe features are pretty dang nice, if I was spending more time in my tractors than a few hundred hrs/year I'd spring for a cab and AC for sure.

5. Do I really need to be able to remove the front loader?

I find it nice for some jobs, maintaining a foodplot would be an example of when maneuverability and less weight is nice. It's a nice to have but not a need to have option.

6. Is it worth it just buying implements from dealer or better to go aftermarket?

Depends on the implement, usually cheaper to go aftermarket but package deals are sometimes really good and if you're wrapping it into the financing it could also sway that way.

7. And of course, do I get the backhoe?

I pulled hundreds of pine stumps out of my last property which justified the backhoe, now it gets used less than a few hrs a year. It's great to have around but isn't necessarily a required item. If you can afford it and think of at least 20 hrs of work for it I'd spring for it, more tasks will come up

From the sounds of it the dealers are all going to be supply constrained again this spring. But I don't want to buy something that doesn't fit my use case. I view this as a buy it once right and see if it will last my lifetime.

Oh, bonus question... I left behind the garden tractor so I have to get another to mow the yard or a zero turn. Thoughts welcome on that as well.

Thanks in advance, appreciate the help, Bob.

Every tractor I've bought from my first one I thought would be my forever tractor...really they were just stepping stones to bigger projects

Zero turn vs a mid mount, or even a rear finish mower, isn't even really a comparison in my mind. ZT all the way.

ETA, what part of GA?

 

[Bullwinkle123]

You didn't say what kind of driveway maintenance you had in mind. If you are maintaining a gravel driveway that might wash out after heavy rains, you're going to want to haul gravel in your bucket and use a rear blade, box blade, or some other rear attachment to grade the driveway.

Also if you're going to do any snow clearing, that's a very complex topic for tractors. I would just say don't expect to have a front mounted snowblower for any sane amount of cash. I suppose GA doesn't get much snow so hopefully you're immune.

A 1 acre lawn wouldn't be worth the price of a ZT mower in my book, but I spent $9k on mine for a very convoluted 2 acre lawn with a lot of contours. You can of course find ZT mowers a lot cheaper, but 1 acre isn't so bad, at least if it's just a big open patch, for any mower. If you use your tractor, then yeah, you'll probably want that mid pto, and that pretty much implies a smaller tractor with turf treads. Where as wtih my R4's I keep any traversal of the lawn to a minimum.

As for brush hogging the field, figure 5 PTO HP per foot of rotary cutter as a baseline.

If you have a lot of trees falling on your yard a grapple is a life saver for older people with bad backs. You'll need a 3rd function hydraulic outlet for that.

I never need to take off my loader, but I swap between my bucket and grapple and pallet forks a lot, SSQA is a win.

 

[dodge man]

There is two schools of thought for mowing. Get a zero turn and get a tractor for just tractor stuff. The other is get a mid mount mower or a rear finish mower and use the tractor for mowing. I have a mid mount on mine and like it. Do you have a place to store two units, do you mind maintaining two units? If you do mow with your tractor you will want to take you end loader off.

The E series JD’s do come in cheaper but you give up some stuff. For example no mid pto, the end loader is harder to remove, not as nice a seat. This may or may not be important.

If you finance, it’s nice to be able to roll it all in including implements. If not other places are often cheaper. Backhoe, tough call. They are expensive but if you need it, you need it. You can buy a lot of other implements for the cost.

JD or Kubota? Both great tractors. I owned a Kubota for 10 years. Just my opinion but the only edge JD has is the auto connect mid mount mower. Otherwise a toss up.

Tractor size? A larger 2 series JD like the 2032r would be the minimum I’d recommend. I think a 3 series or a L sized Kubota would be better, 35 to 40 hp.

Good luck in the search.