John Deere 1026R or 2520 for 10 acres?

[KennyG]

I will go along with others that the 2520 is the minimum I would consider. I don't think the 1026 is the right machine for any serious bushhogging. I would also question the recommendations on the bushhogs. If I understand the dealer recommended a 72 inch for the 2520. I would tend to stay with a 60 inch on that machine.

The JD may cost a little more but if it's a good dealer and close to home, that counts for a lot. I'm sure that Kioti builds a decent machine, but JD and Kubota are the top machines for a reason.

 

[kiotiken]

I will go along with others that the 2520 is the minimum I would consider. I don't think the 1026 is the right machine for any serious bushhogging. I would also question the recommendations on the bushhogs. If I understand the dealer recommended a 72 inch for the 2520. I would tend to stay with a 60 inch on that machine.

The JD may cost a little more but if it's a good dealer and close to home, that counts for a lot. I'm sure that Kioti builds a decent machine, but JD and Kubota are the top machines for a reason.

I think JD is the top in the large segment (100 hp+). They also build the nicest cab machines around. I've owned one, I'm not just a basher. I had the same experience with my dealer as many others have commented on here, they're full of themselves.

I disagree JD and Kubota are the top machines, especially in the class we're talking about here. Since you mention Kioti and I know the most about it, I'll tell you that they've been around since the 40's, built tractors in partnership with Kubota in the 80's and are one of the up coming brands. Kioti, as well as the others mentioned, have a clear advantage IMHO in the smaller machines, as as you get up in hp, JD and Kubota close most of the advantage.

When I went shopping, I looked at what I would have to pay to get the tractor I wanted. For JD that meant spending more than any other brand.

 

[Stefanowich]

Update:

So I finally got a quote from my closet Kioti dealer..... I wasn't impressed at all, took him several days to respond after numerous phone calls to get back to me.

CK27 hydrostat with KL130 loader = $20,000
CK30 hydrostat with KL130 loader = $21,500

Both are without a finishing mower, wasn't impressed and thought rather high. The JD 2520 was cheaper, granted a little less HP but still. Kioti is a NO

For some good news, A dealer about 2.5 hrs away gave me these quotes:

McCormick X10.35 HST w/loader - 16,000.00 plus tax = 16,800.00 ( 4 year warranty )
LS G3033 HST w/loader - 15,000.00 plus tax = 15,750.00 ( 5 year Warranty )

Both are larger and probably better suited than the JD2520, what are you opinions of McCormick and LS tractors? Quotes are without the finishing mower but even with it, is considerably cheaper than JD. I'll probably look for a finishing mower on craigslist. Any opinions on these tractors? Granted I still like the idea of my JD dealer being 10 mins away as opposed to driving 2.5 hrs away, uggh....

Chris

 

[KennyG]

I think the LS and McCormick are both Korean built now. I think I heard the LS has a lot in common with the current small New Holland tractors. I would certainly feel better about that than a Chinese built tractor. I thnk you are seeing a typical progression. A few years back Kubota aggressively undercut John Deere on pricing to establish a market presence. There are dealer variations, but now people are seeing JD and Kubota pricing similar. It looks like your Kioti dealer may not need to cut prices now as much as they did the last few years.

Now the LS/McCormick are being aggressive. I saw the McCormick a few years ago and wasn't impressed by the technology and finish, but you would have to look at the current models to make a decision.

I've only had my John Deere back to my local dealer once in three years (the 50 hour service), but I wouldn't be comfortable being 2.5 hours away from a dealer if I thought the long warranty was valuable. Of course, that's just me.

 

[94BULLITT]

The the McCormick is the same tractor as the two kiotis you are looking at. It is also the same as the Bobcat CT200 series. They are built by Kioti. I don't recommend them because they have been known to have a sticking hydro pedal (I had one). When I was looking at tractors and one dealer sold New Holland which is the same as LS. They also sold 2 other brands. The salesman told me he did not want to talk about a New Holland. LS also makes some tractors for McCormick.

 

[Illini22]

I have a brand new kioti ck35 (NO PROBLEM WITH THE HYDRO PEDAL!). I paided considerable less than your quote. If you look at some of my previous posts you can find the price I paid. I upgraded from an older kubota that was also a great tractor ( no jerky 3pt hitch either). The McCormick is a clone of a kioti. Your comparing a lawn mower (the Deere) to the kioti ck30 or McCormick tractor.

 

[kiotiken]

As said, the McCormick is a red Kioti (Daedong), you can get a blue one badged as Landini and if you hurry, a great deal on a white one with the Bobcat logo. Take your pick of the best price, but be aware, loaders and warranties are different. Other than that and a few cosmetic things like seats etc. they are virtually identical.

I'm not sure it's fair to say that they are "known" for a sticky hydro pedal, but they have had that issue on the CK line, my CK30 included. My dealer did take care of mine and for the remainder of the time I had the tractor, it was never a problem again. Every tractor is "known" to have one issue or another from time to time and that's why a good dealer is important. Sorry the one you talked to wasn't, that would put me off to.

I agree, you're not doing a very good comparison with the 2520, ask them for a price on a CK20, which is still more tractor IMHO. I believe Kioti is bumping that model up to 25hp this year. Some people need and want a small, light tractor and there's nothing wrong with that. You sound like you'll have work for something bigger, and I still say the 2520 is simply no where enough tractor.

 

[joshuabardwell]

Update:
CK27 hydrostat with KL130 loader = $20,000
CK30 hydrostat with KL130 loader = $21,500

Not sure what the problem is there. The CK27 is even with the 2520 in a HP basis and, if the Deere is specced like other models I'm aware of, the Kioti has a ton of "premium" features that the Deere lacks (although I don't know anything about that specific model of Deere). An example of the "premium" features might be extendable lift arms for easier 3pt hookup, which I know the Kioti comes with standard.

the CK27 came in $900 cheaper than the 2520, and it didn't include a rotary cutter, so that's $900 in your budget for the mower, and the two tractors are dead-even on price. You might have been expecting to get a discount on the Kioti because it's not green, but that hasn't been my experience. On the models I am familiar with (which, admittedly, this is not one), the Kiotis tend to be on par with the JDs for performance and ahead in "premium" features. So you pay the same amount and get more tractor for it. Or at least, that's what some would argue.

Another thing that separates the JD from the Kioti is weight. The JD weighs in at 1,865 lbs without the loader. The CK27 weighs 3,117. That is over 1000 lbs of difference. And that will translate to a lot of extra traction if you are doing any ground-engaging work. It will also translate to additional stability when you are moving around those big round hay bales.

I'm not trying to change your mind if you're set on JD. I'm not a slave to any particular brand. But I do think you're not really giving Kioti a fair shake here.

 

[JimRB]

MY JD 870 says 2600 pounds before loader. I move light round bales with the front end loader it, less than 1,000 pound round bales, probably more like 800 pound bales. The front tires are at the edge of not heavy duty enough for the round bales. Weight is a few inches off the ground as soon as the bale is off the trailer or truck. The back tires don't care when I used the back fork on the 3 point hitch. My neighbor has a old 2520 (30 year old) with a loader. That tractor weighs at minimum before the loader of 7,000 pounds. Moving hay with that is a lot less scary than moving it with my tractor that weighs half or more. I do not do much mowing with 7 horses on our pastures. We have 4 fenced off areas so the pastures get a rest. I vote no for round bale movement with either of the little JDs. Weight and substantial frame is good along with big load rated front tires if moving rounds. Note that the rounds come off my truck or trailer when either the ground is dry and firm or when the hauling vehicles are parked on concrete.

Finish mower and pasture are sort of opposites. Our pasture grows rocks that a finish mower does not like but a heavy brush mower does not fuss over. Granted after the first few years of picking up rocks there are not many rocks getting turned up but if you have good frost heaves the rocks might turn up.

 

[joshuabardwell]

That tractor weighs at minimum before the loader of 7,000 pounds. Moving hay with that is a lot less scary than moving it with my tractor that weighs half or more.

With my CT225 (same as a CK27, I think) running about 3,500 lbs with the loader on, I have no trouble moving 6' round bales on the three-point. I wouldn't try it with the FEL unless I had way more ballast than I currently do. The round bales weigh in around 1000 lbs, so if the tractor was only down around 2000 lbs, I would hesitate a bit, but probably still go ahead, carefully.

I will say that the additional weight would be a real down-side if I wanted to use this tractor primarily as a lawn-mower. I will bush-hog a pasture all day long with this thing, but I wouldn't take it on anything I wanted to look nice if the ground was even the slightest bit wet, and even with dry ground, I make tracks that take weeks to grow out if I go over the same ground more than a few times in a row. I can see that a lighter tractor in the same power class would be nice for a mowing application. They say you never regret getting a bigger tractor; I wouldn't say that I regret my purchase, because I love my tractor, but mowing is a big part of my property maintenance, and it's a shame that I can't do it with my biggest and best tool. But if I had gotten a smaller tractor, I know there would be other things I would regret not being able to do, so it's six on one and half-a-dozen on the other. As it is, I am marginal with a box blade when I get into really heavy clay, and I sometimes find myself wishing I had another thousand pounds and fifteen HP. The day somebody makes a tractor that will pull a three-bottom plow and mow around trees without crushing a single blade of grass, I'll buy it!

Finish mower and pasture are sort of opposites.

OP said finish mower, but in the original post, mentioned rotary cutters. I think the finish mower reference was a typo.