Buying Advice Evaluating options for a compact

[jeff9366]

Unfortunately the local dealer didn't have that one, but the other dealer is only 40mins away.

The only difference is horsepower via addition of a turbocharger and the hood scoop. Do not bother.

 

[NYCheese]

Woods and grapple and hills to me means you need a tractor with some weight, 3000+ lbs bare tractor would be good. Cutting and moving trees requires a good amount of loader lift ability and enough weight to counterbalance it.

I'd be less concerned with tier 4 emissions and more concerned with getting a machine that's going to serve you well long term. A $30K budget can get you a lot of tractor.

Seems like everyone here is saying the same thing. I'm going to the Mahindra and Yanmar dealers tomorrow, to see what they have to say. Both Kubota dealers made it seem like the B2650 would suit me well, even though I was a little concerned that it's 800lbs lighter than the L2501, which is still less than what is being recommended here. I really dont' want to purchase something that is going to struggle with what I need it to do. I'll post again tomorrow, after I see what the other dealers try to put me in.

 

[jeff9366]

Seems like everyone here is saying the same thing. I'm going to the Mahindra and Yanmar dealers tomorrow, to see what they have to say. Both Kubota dealers made it seem like the B2650 would suit me well, even though I was a little concerned that it's 800lbs lighter than the L2501, which is still less than what is being recommended here. I really dont' want to purchase something that is going to struggle with what I need it to do. I'll post again tomorrow, after I see what the other dealers try to put me in.

Only now is it understood that of your 37.5 acres only 10 acres is potentially open land. The 27.5 acre balance is woodland.

Collect a dealer brochure for each tractor model in your weight range.

 

[rScotty]

I'm definitely trying to get the right machine here, so I don't have to sell anything in the future. I'll spend some time this week looking at the other brands and see where I end up. Maybe I'll go back to one of the Kubota shops too, and look at the L again. I don't want to get something too light or underpowered. The B2650 really felt right to me when I was sitting on it....but it's impossible to compare driving around a flat empty field vs what it would be like on my property.

37 ACRES IS A HUGE AMOUNT OF LAND. I think the TBN advice you are getting to look to the next size larger is correct. It also allows you to step up to medium size implements - and you will get a lot more use from those medium size implements than the smaller size. That is a larger step up than you know right now.

I think that 26 hp is fine for most of your jobs. But the difference is that a larger machine will make 26 hp at half throttle. Out in the field isn't it a whole lot nicer to listen to a larger tractor snorting and working at half throttle than a smaller tractor wailing away at full chat?

Can you rent something for a weekend?

Here's an important point not often mentioned: Most machines give you a choice of tires: Ag, Industrial, or Turf. Turf have the best ride, and Ags the best traction but worst ride. Industrial tread is the compromise that most commercial operators choose. Industrial tread is also noticibly more stable on a hillsides or with weight in the loader bucket. It costs little to choose a different tire type when buying a tractor, but because each different tire type requires a different rim it is hugely expensive to change later.

I have finally come around to preferring HST to all other transmission types, but do want it to have at least 3 ranges. If you are comfortable with a standard gear-driven manual transmission you can save enough to buy that backhoe and maybe even put a thumb on it. For me that would be a no brainer. Most of the time you are NOT changing gears when operating a tractor. You pick a gear and stay in that gear for awhile. What you are doing is working the clutch quite a bit with your left foot. With HST you are working the HST pedal quite a bit with your right foot. It's about the same.... On neither do you change throttle setting all that often.

For your first tractor, IMHO you will learn more and be more comfortable in amongst trees and hillsides if you have an open station rather than a cab. On medium size and larger tractors the seats can be changed. There are threads on that. A suspended and damped seat with better padding is in the 6 to 700 dollar range. A pneumatically "air ride" type is about twice that. Some of the younger members won't understand why I find the seat options so important, but older TBNers will.....

Good luck on the search,
rScotty

 

[NYCheese]

Only now is it understood that of your 37.5 acres only 10 acres is potentially open land. The 27.5 acre balance is woodland.

Collect a dealer brochure for each tractor model in your weight range.

Just to be clear, your advice is something 3000+ bare tractor weight, or 4000+ with attachments?

Also, you said in one of your posts to have a look at the B3350, but then in another you said don't bother.....little confused, but I'll put it on the backburner for now anyway, and hit other dealers first. Thank you for taking the time to share your advice.

 

[ericm979]

I have 20 steep brushy/wooded acres here in coastal California. My first tractor was a Kubota B7100HST. I could mow with a small (42") rotary cutter, pull up small brush and move dirt a little at a time. It was ok until I got serious about maintaining the land and clearing some of the brush that's grown in the last 60 years. The initial driver was getting a larger PTO chipper- for that I needed more power and a larger tractor to carry the chipper. I initially was looking at the Kubota B 3350. But after reading here and discussing my needs here I realized that a bigger tractor would be able to do more. Instead of a Kubota L3301 I ended up with a Branson 3725. It's been really awesome. There's a lot of jobs that I can do with the 3725 that the old B7100 could not even attempt. My only regret is not getting a 4225 as when I am chipping large diameter wood I could use more power. The 3725 is fine for everything else. I got a grapple and that is so useful for moving logs and pulling brush. The first time I pulled a huge poison oak out of a tree I wanted to keep I was really sold on the grapple.

I'd strongly recommend an HST (or whatever Yanmar's variable transmission is called). And a tractor larger than 25hp. If you want to use a grapple or a forestry winch or move a lot of dirt you'll want a larger heavier tractor. The emissions equipment is not that bad and it does make the exhaust that you're breathing cleaner. It's mostly the smallest tractors over 25hp that have problems (like the 3350). The larger engines have an easier time getting the DPF up to temp.

 

[jeff9366]

Just to be clear, your advice is something 3000+ bare tractor weight, or 4000+ with attachments?

Also, you said in one of your posts to have a look at the B3350, but then in another you said don't bother.....little confused, but I'll put it on the backburner for now anyway, and hit other dealers first. Thank you for taking the time to share your advice.

Other than the hood scoop there is no external difference between the B2650 and B3350. If you liked one, you will like the other.

Addition of a turbocharger gives B3350 seven more horsepower over the B2650.

I recommend 4,000 pounds bare tractor for 37.5 acres of usable land. You only have ten acres that is really suitable for intensive tractor use, but hilly.

Did you view the first VIDEO in Post #5?

If you do not believe B3350 is enough tractor for ten acres, consider a Kubota L3560, one of the Kubota "Grand L" models. Again, view first VIDEO in Post #5.

 

[Tractorable]

Seems like everyone here is saying the same thing. I'm going to the Mahindra and Yanmar dealers tomorrow, to see what they have to say. Both Kubota dealers made it seem like the B2650 would suit me well, even though I was a little concerned that it's 800lbs lighter than the L2501, which is still less than what is being recommended here. I really dont' want to purchase something that is going to struggle with what I need it to do. I'll post again tomorrow, after I see what the other dealers try to put me in.

The new Yanmar YT series are beautiful machines. Though some find the YT235 a little too small and the YT347/359 a little too big. Yanmar makes Yanmar, but you might have to do some digging to find out who makes the smaller Mahindra's.

 

[NYCheese]

Other than the hood scoop there is no external difference between the B2650 and B3350. If you liked one, you will like the other.

Addition of a turbocharger gives B3350 seven more horsepower over the B2650.

I recommend 4,000 pounds bare tractor for 37.5 acres of usable land. You only have ten acres that is really suitable for intensive tractor use.

Did you view the first VIDEO in Post #5?

If you do not believe B3350 is enough tractor for ten acres, consider a Kubota L3560, one of the Kubota "Grand L" models. Again, view first VIDEO in Post #5.

I added those videos to my watch later list, but won't get to them til after dinner. I was looking through the Kubota book that I brought home, but it's hard to tell a whole lot from a book. I'm assuming the "GrandL" is a nicer finish than the L? More comfort similar to the B? If I call the Kubota shops to see if they have them on the lot....would looking at an L3301 or L3901, and comparing them to the L3560 make sense? I haven't looked at pricing online for any of these bigger machines yet, but I think I'll be better off in the longrun getting the tractor right, even if it means delaying some of the implements, ie: backhoe, until sometime in the future.

 

[LMychajluk]

Our land is a little over an hour south of the OP, and we have a similar ~35 acres on a hillside, of which I need to maintain about 5-7 acres. I shopped many of the same models the OP was looking at, initially looking at the Mahindra Max26XL, then the 1500s, and was on my way to check out the Kubota L3350 (and to talk to the dealer about the known regen issues) when I accidentally went into a Kioti dealer. I would suggest the OP at least give them a look. There was a dealer in Afton that gave me a very reasonable quote via email, though I ended up with a CK3510se from a closer dealer that's being delivered next week (the Akron dealer may also be the local Yanmar dealer). If you consider the CKs, skip the 2510 (smaller frame) and go to the CK2610 as a minimum (same engine as the 2510 and still rated at 24.5hp, so no regen, but many claim punches above it's weight class and is on the larger CK frame that's around 2800#). With the loader and filled rear tires, it should be >4000#. I had concerns about the DPF as well, but in the end, I wanted a little more HP to run a wood chipper and other as-yet-unknown implements down the road, so I bit the bullet on the DPF. As an FYI - You can get the 35 and 40hp CK models in an 'SE' model, which has a independent PTO and most options from the base CK models as standard.

Depending on how thick the brush is that you want to cut, you may also want to consider a flail mower like the WoodMax FM-62. As long as you don't need to cut anything more than an inch or so thick, it should do the trick while being more maneuverable in the wooded areas, and can also double as a finish mower, especially if you get an extra set of blades (the Y for grass and the heavier duck-foot blades for thicker brush). So, you only buy 1 mower instead of a brush hog and a finish mower, and don't need the mid-pto for a belly mower, saving another $1k or so. I plan on getting one eventually, but for now I plan on maintaining a few short wooded trails and a little brush with the FEL that will I probably put a Piranha tooth bar on and a root rake grapple from EA (I have a nice Simplicity mower for the lawn areas).

BTW, @OP - do me a favor. Stop into Oneonta and have a slice of cold cheese pizza for me. Thanks!

-Lee