Help Sizing Tractor

[boggen]

*well humphs* my bad on notation of revisable PTO option. i could of swore, going to a 1 of the red tractor sites, they offered a "reverse direction for PTO" not a simply swap out for spline type / 540 to 1000 type doing. there was issues that came up along the lines of PHD (post hole diggers), and some power rakes, and snow blowers, and tillers even. of running then in opposite direction. to un-stuck a PHD and/or get a different finishing touch to the soil.

===========

as rutwad noted. the flick of finger on left to change direction i like power shuttle shift lever. i can operate go peddle with right foot, and then operate split rear brakes (left and right break pedals) with left foot. and then either backhoe or 3pt hitch with right hand.

i can also see how folks could like a HST style pedal. wither 1 peddle. *push down heal* to go forward, and then push with toes to go backwards. or a double pedle on right foot, 1 for forward, 1 for reverse. this letting you move your left hand in a bit more different directions on steering wheel.

every tractor manufacturer and even between there make/models offered, setups are a bit different. for how things are setup. everyone has different preferences, and some times ya work with what ya got. my general statement of some sort of hydrualic transmission. is just that HST or power shuttle. i like being able to drive backwards same speed i can drive forward. and not mess with a gear shifter or a clutch. and be able to adjust to a given speed (MPH) i think is best, with my foot for forward or reverse. it frees up my body (hands, feet) up to keep things moving, vs whipping feet / arms about trying to grab something to change something, while i keep tractor moving.

========
other issue everyone is different heights / different arm / leg lengths. and having controls that fit you. and in easy access for you to control comfortably. while prices might be slightly different or a feature or two a little bit different, that sounds better and you want. if you are having a hard time seating down into tractor, and not able to easily reach peddles, steering wheel, and rear hyd remotes. your not going to like driving the tractor for long time spans.

for example i moan and complain about the old 1954 allis chalmers CA tractor. pure manual transmission, and constantly pushing in the clutch, my foot / leg goes numb after a while. if ya gotta hold your leg / knee / foot to deal with a single HST peddle. to go forward /backwards. it might get old rather fast.

some setups just do not play well between tennis shoes / hi-tops, vs almost knee high boots (work, winter, mud, water style boots).

some of the levers (3pt hitch, rear hyd remotes, FEL joystick/levers, 1-3 or 1-x gear selector) normally located all on the right hand side of tractor. you either end up bending over reaching for them. or elbowing yourself in the rib cage to get to them. pending on were you need your seat positioned. and for some shorter folks. twisting body around to get to some 3pt hitch / rear hyd remote controls.

========
with above said. go to a few different dealers offering different brands make/model of tractors, and set down in them and test drive them. see if there is a "test pile" of dirt you can run FEL into.

see how it is operating levers and driving backwards or act if your looking down at some 3pt hitch on back. hopefully dealer might allow you hook up a 3pt hitch attachment. and physically use say a box blade or rear blade or something, and see how much you can see and make out from your seat. or if you are bending over backwards and looking further back behind you to see what is going on.

make yourself a little "hump" of dirt. and try to back right up on it and make a dead stop and then see if you can 1/4" to 1" your way down the little hump.

hit the left and right rear break peddles, and see how sharp of a turn you can make. with and without 4WD / MFWD engaged.

try to back drag with FEL, and see how much detail you can see through cab.

how much do you need to turn steering wheel from going straight, to turning max amount for left or right. and being able to hit say power shuttle shift lever, or needing to move your left hand again to keep turning sharper.

 

[rutwad]

boggen, you may be right. I don't know about those tractors.

 

[todd92]

I'm down to the final 2. I wrestled with the cab idea, but in the end I think open station is better for my use. I just won't be outside much in the cold or for long stretches in the highest heat.

The last 2 are THe Kioti NX5510 HST and the LS XR4155H. With loaders, 2 remotes and industrial tires, they both price out just over 27K cash. I can get a demo Kioti for 26K with 50 hours but full warranty. I figure 55HP is plenty for my needs. The Mahindra 2555 was 2K more and the MF 1754 Was 3.5K more. I saw nothing that would make the Mahindra worth more and I appreciate that there were a few things better about the MF, but not 3.5K worth IMO.

So flip a coin? Take the demo and save over a thousand? Decisions, decisions.

 

[GManBart]

I'm down to the final 2. I wrestled with the cab idea, but in the end I think open station is better for my use. I just won't be outside much in the cold or for long stretches in the highest heat.

The last 2 are THe Kioti NX5510 HST and the LS XR4155H. With loaders, 2 remotes and industrial tires, they both price out just over 27K cash. I can get a demo Kioti for 26K with 50 hours but full warranty. I figure 55HP is plenty for my needs. The Mahindra 2555 was 2K more and the MF 1754 Was 3.5K more. I saw nothing that would make the Mahindra worth more and I appreciate that there were a few things better about the MF, but not 3.5K worth IMO.

So flip a coin? Take the demo and save over a thousand? Decisions, decisions.

Those are two good machines. It really should come down to which one feels better to you.

I owned an LS that was great, but they still haven't changed their FEL to keep up with the competition as far as max lift height. The XR you're looking at maxes out at 96.3" where the Kioti is 108.3". That 12" doesn't sound like a lot until you're trying to load a small dump truck, a 30yd rolloff dumpster, or something similar. Also, since the Kiot lifts an extra 50lbs a foot higher, that means it's actually a fair bit more powerful. In other words, to the same height, the Kioti will lift more. That's a big factor for me...maybe not for you, but it's worth mentioning.

If the demo looks clean, I'd probably go that route.

 

[boggen]

goto manufacture website... and go through the "tractor builder" or what ever they call it. and look at various add-on's they offer.

many of the add-ons come in very handy.
--TNT (top and tilt) for 3pt hitch,
--larger alternator if needing an electrical cable winch, or wanting to run some larger brighter lights.
--see if there is an option for upper front and rear work lights. either on the ROPS or sun shade. they come in handy!
--extra rear hydraulic remotes / SVC
--third function remote for FEL
--most tractors come with basic 3pt hitch and may not come with the extra check chains / stay straps, sway bars/chains. you may need them.
--swinging draw bar (attached just below the PTO shaft)
--grill guard for front of machine if ya plan to do some heavy rotatory cutter work out in woods and like. and keep sticks and like from puncturing the radiator.

most of above can be a bit more "tractor specific" some of the stuff dealer is the actual folks that install the extra stuff.

some extra stuff that can be had 3rd party and installed DIY and/or possibly dealer installed....
--bucket hooks for FEL and/or backhoe bucket
--telescopic lower lift arms for 3pt hitch or pat's easy hitch or... some sort of quick hitch for 3pt hitch.

the misc extras above are small prices compared to overall tractor but can add up quickly.

 

[todd92]

Again, I want to thank you guys for the really, really good advice. I'm going to look at the demo tomorrow. Unfortunately, no one has any XR4100's in stock, though I've looked at the XR4000's and I understand the only real difference is the LS engine in the 4100.

 

[Poopdeck Pappy]

Make sure you're pricing the tractors with the same equipment. For example, if one of them has two sets of hydraulic remotes as standard equipment, be sure you price the other one with the same equipment.

And, FYI, two sets of hydraulic remotes would be the absolute minimum I would require. My next tractor will have three sets.

 

[todd92]

I hadn't studied the specs that closely on the loaders, the Kioti loader is substantially more capable. The Kioti tractor is also bigger in every dimension and a couple of hundred pounds heavier. Looks like my decision is getting easier.

As I said, both are equipped the same, loaders, 2 remotes, industrial tires.

 

[TJP89]

The NX is the top line fully optioned flagship Kioti tractor currently. Check to make sure the LS can match the standard features of the Kioti.

 

[GManBart]

I hadn't studied the specs that closely on the loaders, the Kioti loader is substantially more capable. The Kioti tractor is also bigger in every dimension and a couple of hundred pounds heavier. Looks like my decision is getting easier.

As I said, both are equipped the same, loaders, 2 remotes, industrial tires.

Not only that, but there are a couple of other things that would push the Kioti to the top (for me). One, the throttle linked to the HST pedal is very handy, and works nicely on the NX...it even saves you fuel because without it, it's easy to jump off the tractor without lowering the throttle because it'll only take a minute. Two, the rear 3pt control is extremely handy when hooking/unhooking implements.