Kubota B26 yes or no?

[Carl Bert]

I can tell you first hand that the B26 is a great little machine. Perfect all around machine for use on your property. I can't speak for mowing, as I never had or used one on my machine. I can tell you that the backhoe is easily removed in a matter of minutes. If you do decide on the B26, I would recommend getting the hydraulic thumb. It is worth every penny. This machine is very well built and should last a lifetime for personal use.

If you have any specific questions, don't hesitate to ask. I love talking about my B26. Good luck in your search.

 

[Spitfirefd]

Ok,
How about a used L35? any thoughts on that model?

 

[bandit67]

The L35 is a good machine. I've used one on my property, but it would have taken me a little more time to get smoother with the GST on my mountain property. A used L35 nowadays will most likely have a lot of hours and seen a lot of hard use.

One thing to consider with the B26 is your elevation. I assume you're not anywhere near as high above sea level as I am? I'm at 8500'. The B26 would not have a good enough power to weight ratio as high up as I am, so that took it off my short list. Another thing about the B26 is if you're only using it mainly for your own property, and not in a commercial setting, you'll never wear it out. One of the large B series or the L series should handle your property well enough. I was very pleasantly surprised with how well my non-commercial B3030 TLB handled all of the tasks I threw at it, and I have a lot of decomposed granite and rocks to deal with.

Here are some pics showing some of the work my BH75 did on a rock ledge hillside that I needed to dig out. I started with a full size TLB, but found that the bucket alone couldn't chip away any faster than my little machine could, as I couldn't utilize the significantly larger bucket when breaking up the rock ledge.

These little machines are pretty amazing. Don't think you'll be unhappy with whatever you decide on.

 

[don white]

I had a B20 first and then traded up to the B26. I really like this machine. I live in the woods and it is the perfect size for getting around in the trees. I have a grapple bucket and a snow plow for it. One of these days I will get the thumb.
Not sure about the mowing. It is only 26 hp which is plenty for digging and bucket work but mowing takes hp. You should look closer at that issue.

 

[NHbotanut]

I have the older model B7610. I have 4N1 bucket along with a grapple & Woods backhoe. This little machine constantly amazes me on what it can move and do. I have not had any issues using the 4N1 bucket or the FEL Grapple.

One of the things I love about it, is that it is small. I have been able to get into small areas to do backhoe work, or get in close to a house for trenching. Because the weight, I have had a couple of jobs because I can cross a septic field without doing any damage.

With all that said, I wouldn't mind having more FEL lift capacity, but I wouldn't want to trade up in tractor size to get that.

 

[Kyle241]

The B26 is a great machine (used to own a B20) and is great in woods because of it's size and durability. I agree that no QA FEL sucks and I was looking at the L45 but decided for the price and new tasks I do with my tractor, e.g. plowing and discing, I upgraded to a MX5100. A BH is a great implement and expensive but I would not go without it.

 

[workinallthetime]

welcome!
i was in your same boat a few years ago, I went with a b3030 TLB and never looked back. Something at that time made me stear away from b26 and go with the b3030. i can tell you it is a great all around machine. I am at about 560 hours right now and would say at least 1/2 those hours are using the BH. i made a mechanical thumb for mine and that really increased the value of the BH. the thing is if you were to get a b3030 or something in that catagory you would have close to the same power but the ability to add a belly mower for your mowing gig's. i purchased a Zd326 to do my mowing since i was also doing mowing jobs and wanted to get done quick and be more flexable about the work i took.
Over the past few weeks i have been doing some serious thinking about a L39 or L45, however the 50K plus price tag has me looking for used jd 110 or 310
good luck

 

[joshuabardwell]

Hire mowing is tempting, but it is hard to make any money at it. Well, let me put it another way: it is easy to lose money at it. There are a lot of yahoos out there hiring out bush-hogging for way too little, not having insurance, not covering their transportation, or depreciation on their tractor. By the time they go out of business three months later, somebody else has taken their place. In the mean time, anybody who wants to actually run a sustainable business is being priced out of the market. It's not to say that it can't be done, but you need to get customers who are willing to pay a fair wage for someone who is going to act like a professional. Or you need to understand that you're working for beer money and little more. But bush-hogging is very hard on a tractor. I bush-hogged just a little bit, and I did more damage to my tractor in that time than anything I've ever done around my own property. The problem is that you are often driving blind, and you're going to run over something or get hung up in a rut or who knows what. You'll snag a hydraulic line or bust up your bush-hog and then where are you at? Fixing it out of pocket, and all the tiny amount of profit you made on the last three jobs goes to fixing up the tractor. Oh, and let's not forget that as soon as you do work for hire, whatever insurance policy you have covering your tractor (if you have one) goes out the window. And, worst-case scenario, you damage somebody's property and they sue you, and the fact that you don't have business liability insurance (because who can afford that on a bush-hogger's pay) means you're personally on the hook.

I say all this as the voice of experience. When I first got my tractor, I had the idea that I would help cover the payments hiring out bush-hogging. I did a few jobs before deciding that it just wasn't worth it. That may not be everybody's decision, but it was mine.

 

[cd1075]

Ok,
How about a used L35? any thoughts on that model?

I have had a B26 for 3 years and it is amazing what I have been able to do with it

 

[Gary Fowler]

I have a B26 and it is a strong little tractor and very maneuverable which is its strong points=small but strong. I don't particularly like the smallish 3 point hitch links and they look rather weak for using a box blade or other heavy equipment. I don't use mine for anything but backhoe and loader work as I have another tractor for mowing. I got a good deal on my used, otherwise the price would have been more than I wanted to pay. I could have bought a Mahindra Max 28 new for what I gave for my B26 but I don't think it would have been as tough as the B26. I was out in the woods today pushing over small trees and digging larger one up by the roots, pushing thru the saw briars, grape vines and other tangles that had the trees wrapped up. With the 4 post FOPS I could just plow thru the vines pushing a load in front and the rest sliding over the two front post and canopy. I couldn't do that on a CUT with ROPS without a suit of armor on or I would have been cut to ribbons. For small, maneuverable backhoe work in heavy cover it cant be beat, but it will cost your wallet dearly for that extra. For whatever TLB that you get, be sure to get the hydraulic thumb, it adds lots of versatility to the hoe in being able to grasp materials and move them around. If you don't mind a little larger tractor you might look at the John Deere 110. I think they have about 40 HP which would be better for mowing. I don't think you can haul even the B26 with a bushhog on a 14 foot trailer, its going to be pretty well full up with just the TLB.