Is a subcompact under 25hp enough power?

[Kioti Sal]

My personal opinion is this. I don't want to spend my money, let alone yours. But better to have a slightly undersized tractor AND a good zero turn, then a bigger machine with no zero turn.
Because you may be pulling trees, brush hogging, using a blading, etc several times a year. But you mow 25 (or more) times a year and that's for the REST of your life.
You don't have to brush hog and you don't have to grade, but you always have to mow. My lawn looks better with a zero turn and it takes me less time to do so.

Not to mention, what if you are injured or sick. Does your spouse, partner, or neighbor have to do it for you? And more importantly, do you want that person using your $25k+ tractor to mow your lawn?

-Sal

 

[wawajake]

My personal opinion is this. I don't want to spend my money, let alone yours. But better to have a slightly undersized tractor AND a good zero turn, then a bigger machine with no zero turn.
Because you may be pulling trees, brush hogging, using a blading, etc several times a year. But you mow 25 (or more) times a year and that's for the REST of your life.
You don't have to brush hog and you don't have to grade, but you always have to mow. My lawn looks better with a zero turn and it takes me less time to do so.

Not to mention, what if you are injured or sick. Does your spouse, partner, or neighbor have to do it for you? And more importantly, do you want that person using your $25k+ tractor to mow your lawn?

-Sal

He can buy a rear mounted finish lawnmower for maybe $2500.... and all those other rear implements as budget allows, and only have one compact machine to maintain. And can just as easily teach his wife or family to use a tractor. My 12 yr old granddaughter is driving mine and looks forward to cutting the 3 and a half acres of lawn this summer. (With many objects to drive tight to. )

 

[OrangeRidge]

Is a subcompact under 25hp engine enough power to maintain a under 15 acre property where the tasks are mowing w/ mid mower, finish mower, brush hogging, stump grinding, hole digging, box blade and typical loader work?

I have owned a 35hp and 50hp so I'm a little uneasy getting a under 24hp.

Go mid sized . Small Kubota L model type . Forget BX : they're mowers really , and small at that . 15 acres is a fair old area to deal with .

 

[Reils49]

I’m running a BX2360 and use it for everything! I wouldn’t mind a bigger tractor, but I don’t need one.

In the past 15 years the town highway department has dropped close to 500 dump loads of dirt at my house. Everything was moved with the tractor, essentially like a dozer. I cut my own firewood every winter/spring and usually burn about 5-6 cord a year. I use my tractor and chains like a skidder. I can get more wood out dragging it than in the bucket. Both of those jobs are pretty heavy duty for a small tractor, but it’s a beast.

For more routine jobs I use it for plowing snow , moving firewood to the house, york raking the driveway and running a 4 foot brush hog.

My neighbor has the BX with the backhoe, and I borrowed it this summer to excavate my footing drainage.

So these little tractors are tough.

 

[TN8Man]

I don't think I have seen the OP list the number of acres he will be mowing rather he just stated a total of 15 acres. If he is mowing five and the other ten are wooded/house/structures or the inverse of that they requirement may/will change.

We must know the facts as the devel is in the details.

I currently have ~8 acres with ~5 that I mow but I'm going to be buying more property starting with ~4 acres and this is all wooded land that I will start working.

I did decide and purchased a 48hp TYM tractor to replace my NX.

 

[jrsavoie]

Is a subcompact under 25hp engine enough power to maintain a under 15 acre property where the tasks are mowing w/ mid mower, finish mower, brush hogging, stump grinding, hole digging, box blade and typical loader work?

I have owned a 35hp and 50hp so I'm a little uneasy getting a under 24hp.

No. These little things seem to be either under horsepowered for the size or oversized for the power.

The little loaders don't seem very heavy duty either.

 

[TN8Man]

I looked really hard at downsizing my tractor years ago on a 6 acre property. Liked the idea of the smaller 25HP tractor for working around the yard. I went over to my neighbor who was a lont time farmer and asked his honest opinion. He bascially said in a nice way that would not be a wise choice. He was right.

If you plan on keeping the bigger tractor and having this one as an extra, I say go for it. But if you are planning on getting rid of the big tractor to buy smaller, I think you will regret it.

Spot on. I'm replacing the bigger tractor.

 

[TN8Man]

My personal opinion is this. I don't want to spend my money, let alone yours. But better to have a slightly undersized tractor AND a good zero turn, then a bigger machine with no zero turn.
Because you may be pulling trees, brush hogging, using a blading, etc several times a year. But you mow 25 (or more) times a year and that's for the REST of your life.
You don't have to brush hog and you don't have to grade, but you always have to mow. My lawn looks better with a zero turn and it takes me less time to do so.

Not to mention, what if you are injured or sick. Does your spouse, partner, or neighbor have to do it for you? And more importantly, do you want that person using your $25k+ tractor to mow your lawn?

-Sal

I can't use a zero turn with the hills I have.

 

[Jdodson50]

Is a subcompact under 25hp engine enough power to maintain a under 15 acre property where the tasks are mowing w/ mid mower, finish mower, brush hogging, stump grinding, hole digging, box blade and typical loader work?

I have owned a 35hp and 50hp so I'm a little uneasy getting an under 24hp.

There will be some jobs where 50 hp will not big enough. In my experience 35 hp will hit the sweet spot. you will regret downsizing to 25 hp.

 

[Jons999]

I have a 21HP subcompact on a couple acres. Works fine 90% of the time but I find myself needing more lift capacity from the loader. I also don’t now with it because even being a subcompact it is heavy enough to damage the lawn in spring and fall. My recommendation would be a larger tractor for your loader, brush hog, stump grinding work etc, and spend a few thousand on a large lawn tractor or zero turn for the areas that are finish mowed.

 

[DGF]

Is a subcompact under 25hp engine enough power to maintain a under 15 acre property where the tasks are mowing w/ mid mower, finish mower, brush hogging, stump grinding, hole digging, box blade and typical loader work?

I have owned a 35hp and 50hp so I'm a little uneasy getting a under 24hp.

No.. Don't do it.. A subcompact is physically too small to handel most of the equipment you mentioned very well. Step up to a 'compact' tractor and you will be much happier. Compact tractors run about the same HP but are far more capable than the smaller subcompact. Compacts also give you acces to a small but real backhoe. Subcompacts are really very capable garden tractors. Nice but limited.

 

[Zork]

Is a subcompact under 25hp engine enough power to maintain a under 15 acre property where the tasks are mowing w/ mid mower, finish mower, brush hogging, stump grinding, hole digging, box blade and typical loader work?

I have owned a 35hp and 50hp so I'm a little uneasy getting a under 24hp.

Yes, 'for the most part' I think so. Stump grinding is hard on the machine and post hole digging will depend on your soil. A smaller frame and horsepower will limit you in job size due to speed and time to completion. Compare a small mouse and a large rat with a piece of cheese, the rat might eat the cheese in minutes, but the mouse will be there for days or weeks. Up until 2004 the largest "real" tractor I had on the property was my personal 1971 fullsize 12HP Powerking loader with rear hydraulics. Modern 24HP tractors are far superior to the Powerking.

 

[jrsavoie]

I’ve previously owned a 25HP Kubota B2601. It was great for my property and did most everything I needed, however, it was too light for stump removal and heavier ground engagement work that needed to be done. I moved up to the largest frame 25HP in the Kubota brand, the L2501. This tractor has been fantastic. It has been able to perform every task the smaller B couldn’t. And, for my hills and due to my impatience and eagerness to get things done quicker, I added a Turbo which increased output by 45%. The tractor now produces 44HP and 35PTO.

View attachment 859116
I’m not advocating for you or anyone to modify their tractor but, it was certainly part of my journey.

Mike

Nice looking installation
Did you bend your own pipes or buy prebent ?

 

[Zork]

No.. Don't do it.. A subcompact is physically too small to handel most of the equipment you mentioned very well. Step up to a 'compact' tractor and you will be much happier. Compact tractors run about the same HP but are far more capable than the smaller subcompact. Compacts also give you acces to a small but real backhoe. Subcompacts are really very capable garden tractors. Nice but limited.

In 2002-04 I test drove several tractors in different sizes and decided a Branson 3520 was not too big. The smaller sizes I thought were too close to the capabilities of my 1971 12Hp Powerking. Also, 4x4 is a must.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

Most tractors worth having, will damage your lawn while mowing. Not only that, but higher center of gravity and narrow wheel base on a SCUT doesnt make it great for hills.
A SCUT compromises in most areas. It doesn't do anything really well. It does most things ok. I've mowed some large hills with a ZTR. Anything outside it's capabilities, I don't really want to drive a machine on honestly. An ATV and trail mower go places I won't take the ZTR, and are light enough they dont do turf damage. I'd love to use the tractor to flail mow some of the property, but even the R4s will damage the property when it's a little wet.

 

[McCann]

Is a subcompact under 25hp engine enough power to maintain a under 15 acre property where the tasks are mowing w/ mid mower, finish mower, brush hogging, stump grinding, hole digging, box blade and typical loader work?

I have owned a 35hp and 50hp so I'm a little uneasy getting an under 24hp.

I worked 10 acres with a 2210 Deere. 23 hp. It had enough power to run cutters and augers and mowed the lawn as well. Plowed the drive too. After 8 years I moved up to a 4310. Then I realized I over worked the little 2210. My realization was I got the work done but always at or above the capacity of the tractor. I broke and repaired it annually. You can did a hole with a spoon but we all reach for the shovel.

 

[tonys55]

Lots of good points being made. Aside from capabilities, don't forget about Limited CAT 1 or CAT 0 on SCUTs. It can limit your choice of implements and therefore the features and durability of a given implement. You may like the features on brand X but they don't make a version for a SCUT. To get features and durability, size and weight matter.

 

[NUTTERDW]

I have 40 acres and with a rear finish mower cut 3 acres every 10 days or so all summer, and brushhog (48 in) a couple other acres of fields and even some trails a few times each year. AND snowblow all winter. I do it with a 26 subcompact that is now 16 yrs old. Regular maintenance, . It's light weight means no damaged lawns and can drive on septic bed. And it sips diesel fuel so cheap on pocketbook. Only disadvantage is small wheels and some traction issues on my clay. IF I were to do it again I might chose the B26 instead of BX26. But Hp no problem for all my many rear implements.

I have a B series 23 hp 4 wheel drive Kubota with ag tires and I mow around 10 acres with a 54" mower with no problems. I could have used a 60 mower with my tractor but elected the 54 because I have a lot of trees and road banks to mow. I use a 48 tiller to do my garden and also a 48 " brush hog. plenty of power to do those jobs. It has 3 ranges and the only time I use the lower range is tilling because I want the slower ground speed. It may take getting used to going from a larger tractor to a smaller one. I do have a 53 hp tractor available for loader work but I am often surprised at what the smaller tractor can do.

 

[NYlumberman]

For 20 years I developed and maintained 48 acres with a JD 4200 26HP tractor. the property is a mix of abandoned fields, conifer plantations, and deciduous woods. I hired a dozer to build the pond, the roads, and to clear the brush, so the tractor was used to maintain the roads, mow about 7 acres using a 72” rear discharge finish mower, plow snow, loader work, and firewood. Some of what I mow is scary steep.
These days I mow the “back 40” with JD 1545 with 72” rear discharge front mount, and a Cub ProZ 54” ZT for around the house. And I upsized my tractor to a Yanmar YT235. The bigger tractor makes quick work of loader road maintenance tasks, though the hydraulics on the loader are no where near a responsive as the JD was. The Cub Zero turn has the steering wheel and the front wheels steer, it is the best machine on the steep bits. It is also superior on the uneven ground and around our many trees, thus the 54” deck. Frankly it could mow the whole place, but we think it’s fun to “team mow”. The 1545 is a used municipal mower, I wanted rear discharge for around the ponds, and an additional benefit it doesn’t wind row the grass if I get lazy.
Most machines that do many things come with compromises. You need size and power to clear ground, and to move dirt, but afterward when you’re maintaining you need a machine that doesn’t leave mark. Of course your mileage may vary.

 

[Yander]

The problem is you've owned bigger tractors. I only have a small compact 25 horse and I would have a hard time going back to a sub compact.