Buying Advice First tractor- Could really use input

[momof2crazygirls]

I have talked my husband into a backhoe for the L2501- do you think it would be better to hold off on that?

 

[momof2crazygirls]

Sorry- it is 14 acres total with 6 9of it pond. Less than an acre is finish mow. Just the part around the house is finish mow and the neighbors horses take care of that for me. No small choke points.

 

[momof2crazygirls]

I apologize- I am on my phone and thought I was replying to each persons questions but it looks like it put them all at the end.

 

[nybirdman]

Go with the "L" series and forget the Back-hoe.Not enough reach to do much with a beaver dam.We have two in the family;L3300 and a L3000 and they are absolute work horses.I can't believe the size of some of the logs my son has hauled with his L3000.

 

[jeff9366]

As you will have a Front End Loader (FEL), which is ordered on practically every small tractor, what tasks do you see for the Backhoe that the FEL and bucket cannot complete? Are Backhoe specific tasks worth $5,000 price of the Backhoe?

Another question: How much work do you see doing with Three Point Hitch implements? The Backhoe has to be removed from the tractor in order to access the Three Point Hitch.

I have no experience with beaver dams but you will likely pull them apart with a 20' chain attached to key dam pieces running to the tractor rear/center drawbar.

If you decide the Backhoe is necessary, it will be 20% cheaper ordered with the tractor, rather than ordered later.


A Ratchet Rake bucket attachment is useful for removing brush and trees.

VIDEO: ratchet rake brush clearing - YouTube

 

[KyleH]

Depends on what your needs are, don't think you will regret getting a backhoe, likely use it more than you could imagine. Also may be able to make some extra cash doing odd jobs for people to help pay for it. Backhoe makes the tractor so much more useful, I can't picture having one without it unless I had a mini excavator to do the digging.

 

[momof2crazygirls]

As you will have a Front End Loader (FEL), which is ordered on practically every small tractor, what tasks do you see for the Backhoe that the FEL and bucket cannot complete? Are Backhoe specific tasks worth $5,000 price of the Backhoe?

Another question: How much work do you see doing with Three Point Hitch implements? The Backhoe has to be removed from the tractor in order to access the Three Point Hitch.

I have no experience with beaver dams but you will likely pull them down with a 20' chain attached to key dam pieces running to the tractor rear/center drawbar.

If you decide the Backhoe is necessary, it will be 25% cheaper ordered with the tractor, rather than ordered later.


A Ratchet Rake bucket attachment is useful for removing brush and trees.

VIDEO: ratchet rake brush clearing - YouTube

True- thank you for that input. I just thought while I had my husband talked into it I better do it- LOL! Okay I have the L2501 with FEL, bushhog, and box blade priced out. If I leave off the backhoe what other implements do you feel are great to have? While they are having the rebates and husband on board I better get my list checked off. I honestly could do without the backhoe.

 

[jeff9366]

A Ratchet Rake would be at top of my list. You can order a Ratchet Rake from the T-B-N store, button at top of page.

If you intend to have a kitchen garden, a PTO powered roto-tiller should be on the list. However, a small garden can be scratched in with the Ratchet Rake.

Besides pasture, determine expected uses for your additional land. Don't fish for implements. Give us a list of your needs and let respondents suggest implements based on experience.

ROTO-TILLER VIDEO: pto tiller - YouTube

 

[Egon]

Choosing which tractor one needs gets interesting!

For what you have described I'd take a serious look at the B with backhoe. The hoe, though small, will do a lot of small jobs for you. If patient bigger jobs can be done. Perfect for digging out and planting trees and such things. The loader work is the same situation as the backhoe. Takes patience. Don't get too hung up on horsepower unless rotating attachments are a priority.

I'm basing my opinions on 3000 hours with a 16 hp. Kubota B7100 working on sixty eight acres. It dug out trees & rocks, hauled dirt, pulled logs & rocks and rotatilled five acres of rocky soil. A larger tractor would have been nice but that was what was available. Currently a JD 4200 with backhoe is what I have. Just love the backhoe.

 

[jeff9366]

I have no experience with beaver dams but you will likely pull them apart with a 20' chain attached to key dam pieces running to the tractor rear/center drawbar.

LINKS:

1. Drawbar chain grab hook, clevis mount: Hook for Drawbar on Tractor 3/4 Pin

2. Grade 70 - 5/16" chain - 20' Grade 70 Chain-Transport Chain | Agri Supply #12446

Grade 70 - 1/4" chain is sufficient for L2501 strain. 20' length with two grab hooks, in a plastic box, cheap at Walmart.


TRACTOR SUPPLY COMPANY will stock above too.

 

[momof2crazygirls]

A Ratchet Rake would be at top of my list. You can order a Ratchet Rake from the T-B-N store, button at top of page.

If you intend to have a kitchen garden, a PTO powered roto-tiller should be on the list. However, a small garden can be scratched in with the Ratchet Rake.

Besides pasture, what uses to you expect to for your additional land? Don't fish for implements. Give us a list of your needs and let respondents suggest implements based on experience.

ROTO-TILLER VIDEO: pto tiller - YouTube

Yes I will have a garden and I will be filling in low spots, using the box blade on the drive... honestly I'm not sure I've figured out everything I will be doing around the place. I've wanted one for two years but haven't had one so I'm honestly not sure.

 

[nybirdman]

Get the heaviest duty FEL bucket that they offer and have some chain hooks welded(or bolted) on.
To deal with the beavers;hire a trapper or bust out the middle and lay a 6-8' "barrel" made of page wire fence.

 

[Luke'sScreenName]

True- thank you for that input. I just thought while I had my husband talked into it I better do it- LOL! Okay I have the L2501 with FEL, bushhog, and box blade priced out. If I leave off the backhoe what other implements do you feel are great to have? While they are having the rebates and husband on board I better get my list checked off. I honestly could do without the backhoe.

I also would skip the hoe.

You asked what else might be useful; A rear remote for a hydraulic top link and pallet forks would be worth some thought. Also, I'm not sure if anyone has mentioned that SSQA (skid steer quick attach) for the loader is very good idea.

The hyd top link will make your box blade much better and is even useful for the brushhog and makes hooking 3pth implements up easier (along with telescoping lift arms).

You will use the pallet for more than you might think for all kinds of things not just pallets. Don't get 'light-duty' or bucket mounted forks IMO. Barrels, brush, fencing, fence posts, lumber, plywood are all much easier to move with 4ft forks than bucket.

 

[Blackgreyhounds]

As far as mowing, if the MMM works for you, go ahead and get it. You can always use it at first, and later sell it off to help pay for a zero turn down the road. Not the cheapest way to do it, but it would spread out the financial burden.

I've never had a backhoe, and I've never missed it. (?duh) $5k pays for a whole lot of track hoe rentals, where you can get the right size for job if needed. As above, I'm sure they are handy and I would like one for the rear end ballast, but I certainly don't like the idea of putting it on and off to use my other 3 pt attachments.

Again, for my money, I'd go with the L minus the backhoe over the B with the backhoe. The added weight and ruggedness of the frame and stronger hydraulics just gives you so much more potential to do work now and to grow later.

 

[Blackgreyhounds]

As above, skid steer quick attach(SSQA) or "2 Lever Quick Coupler" as Kubota calls it, is an absolute must! My L3710 w/ LA681 FEL does not have it and I hate not having it. It's over $1000 to convert later on (see below). A decent box grader is very useful. Pallet forks are super handy. Extra hydraulics front and rear are always a nice feature too, but these can be added later if need be. A root grapple would be great for me, since I need to clear a lot of forest into pasture.

Here's a note from my local Kubota dealer about converting to SSQA retroactively: "Kubota does not have a quick coupler that fits the LA681, however ATI (in New Holland) does. They are expensive, about $800. You then need a $150 blank to weld to the back of your existing bucket to make it fit the QA. If your interested let me know and I'll firm up price and availability. Its a costly change, but your attachments down the road will be cheaper and nicer to use than clamp-on \ bolt-on options." All this, plus paying someone to cut and weld your old bucket to fit the quick attach. Even so, this is definitely number one on my list of upgrades.

 

[dragoneggs]

I love my backhoe but I've done a fair amount of trenching, stump removal, terracing, and planting/moving of shrubs, etc. Lot's more to go as well... so glad I have it! Removing the BH for other implements is a bit of a pain, but if you are a patient sort and have a place to store your implements it is a wonderful thing. Setting your implements on dollies, especially the BH is a good idea. I rarely touch a shovel anymore and my back is happier. That said, it is a luxury. I think most implements hold their value pretty well over time if you take care of them. Oh and they are dang fun!

Again, if you don't see uses for it other than your pond, it probably doesn't make sense... but I sure have found uses I never thought about like lifting heavy objects to load on/off my truck, and holding firewood to cut (with the thumb) to name a couple.

It's a hard decision but you are getting lots of good honest opinions here.

 

[dadster4]

Biased post here...when you decide what options you need, compare prices for your chosen equipment among other brand names. Kioti comes to mind You may find you get more for your money when not shopping just Kubota.

 

[TripleR]

As mentioned, don't keep fixing the symptoms of a beaver, eliminate the beaver by getting a trapper, mush less work. It took us a while to come around to that.

If you are going to be doing a lot of box scraper work, spend some extra money on a good one with TnT,: Kubota Top-n-Tilt Kit with Land Pride HR2572 Box Scraper - YouTube

A tiller is handy if you will use it, but a waste otherwise. Everyone in our family thought they wanted gardens until they found how much work it entailed, so ours sits around gathering dust. Our neighbor does a big yard and loves a tiller, so determine your needs.

As mentioned pallet forks are handy and not that expensive.

Hard to determine equipment needs on someone else's land, it has taken me a while figure out what I need.

Good luck.

 

[varmint]

I won't add anything beyond reinforcing the comments about getting SSQA on your loader! You might want to check out grapples, if you will be dealing with much brush, etc. If it gets HOT where you are, maybe even a cabbed (with AC) tractor? Although a cab creates other issues.

 

[rScotty]

Hello! I have been lurking and reading the forums for the last week and decided to join and hopefully get some feedback on the tractors I am looking at.

I have 14 acres with a 6 acre pond. The remaining acres are fenced for livestock or horses by the people that previously owned it. Some of it is pasture. I also have the pond area that will need maintenance around.

I would appreciate any positives or negatives you have regarding the above models.
Thanks in advance!

Mom, that sure sounds like a nice place. I grew up in rural Texas and remember the problems we had talking ourself into a new tractor and then trying to pick the right one. The thing to remember is that tractors are tools that last a lifetime ....and so the initial cost of a new one quickly becomes something in the past. If buying new, I'd recommend including as many options as you can. Particularly anything with the keywords: "quick attach" or "hydraulic remote" or "backhoe thumb" . Yes, all are expensive....but they will never be less money than when they come on a new tractor. Other things that we like are: the hydrostatic type transmission (HST), a nice loader, and wider less aggresive tires (industrial type tires) so we don't sink in as much on our lawn and in wet areas. Wider tires do give away some traction, but they don't tear up soft ground so much. After all, you have 4wd. Some machines offer telescoping 3 point lower arms. If so, be sure to get that type. Very handy for changing implements. And get that backhoe thumb!
All of these things cost, but all are good bargaining points too. You'll be amazed at what the dealer can throw in if he really wants to. Bargaining with the tractor dealer is a rural tradition; it can be an enjoyable pasttime for everyone - so don't be afraid to bargain hard.


After years of fixing old tractors, my wife insisted that we buy a brand new one. After many weekends spent together looking at traditional tractors with loaders and backhoes accessories, we decided that instead of a Kubota B or L or M series that we would go to their TLB series (TLB stands for Tractor/Loader/Backhoe). A TLB is basically the same as the other tractor series but a TBL has the loader and the backhoe as standard equipment and the three point hitch assembly is the option. As you know, on a regular farm tractor it's the other way around with the loader and backhoe being optional equipment and the three point hitch being standard.

Other differences in the Kubota TLB line versus their tractor line is that the TBL generally has a large sun roof - but rarely a cab. It is generally built a little stouter and wider than a farm tractor - which gives stability and some safety. And yes, TBLs tend to cost more than tractors....although they do have a reputation for being even more durable. The difference in price might not be so much when you consider that TLBs come with a loader and hoe. I've never seen a TBL with lawn mowing attachment under the tractor - but like any tractor a TLB will pull a mower with their three point hitch. In addition to a 3 point hitch, all Kubota's B,L,M, & TBL series tractors have a PTO (power take off) built in. The PTO provides power to anything being towed behind - for example a mower.
Just for grins, you might want to see if your dealer has Kubota's bodel B26TLB or the previous model of the same. TLBs are so handy that they are commonly found at rental yards too, so it is easy to rent one to try it out.

Here's a photo; Hope I haven't complicated things.
Enjoy!
rScotty