Looking for Subcompact

[KC2LLW]

Hello,
I am looking for a new Sub Compact tractor. I am on a budget. I have a little over 1 acre of land and will use the tractor for the following, any help in picking the right tractor is appreciated.
1) mowing.
2) moving mulch and dirt, cleaning muck out of a small pond.
3) snow removal.
4) digging trenches

Thanks,
Steve

 

[GManBart]

To be much help, we kind of need to know the ballpark of your budget….since that can mean very different things to different people. Do you know what dealers are in your area, or at least within the area you'd be willing to travel to visit them?

If you stick with some of the bigger brands you'll have a hard time picking a "bad" machine, because the SCUT field is pretty hotly contested, and it seems almost everybody makes a good product.

The bigger brands that pop to mind (no particular order), are CaseIH, Deere, LS, Mahindra, Massey Ferguson, New Holland, Kubota, Kioti, Yanmar. You could walk into a dealer for any of those brands, and buy whatever SCUT they have that looks, and feels nice (how the layout of the controls works for you, etc), and leave with a solid machine that will do the jobs you need done. With only one acre, you don't likely want/need anything very large, and the bigger machines tend to be more cumbersome as a mower.

Depending on how big the trenches you're planning on digging, you may want to just rent a machine for the day to do that…even the larger bigger CUTs aren't really all that great at digging trenches. Adding a backhoe gets pretty expensive for something many people use/need very infrequently.

 

[KC2LLW]

I have Deere, New Holland and Kubota Dealers in my area Northern NJ. I think maybe a Yanmar and Massey dealer too. just looking to dig for lines ect 4' deep I guess my budget is around 16K

 

[Apastron]

Hi Steve,

Are there any specific brands you are considering so far? I don't really have any advice for you, but I'm in the same situation and almost posted the same question except for the snow part (Florida). I was contemplating one of the Kubota BX tractors myself, but was also hoping to take a look at a Yanmar too. Is your terrain pretty flat? Mine is but has some steep drainage ditches and I'm a little worried about the weight and sinking into a soft lawn.

Hopefully some others can provide some input...

73,
Dave

 

[KC2LLW]

Hi Steve,

Are there any specific brands you are considering so far? I don't really have any advice for you, but I'm in the same situation and almost posted the same question except for the snow part (Florida). I was contemplating one of the Kubota BX tractors myself, but was also hoping to take a look at a Yanmar too. Is your terrain pretty flat? Mine is but has some steep drainage ditches and I'm a little worried about the weight and sinking into a soft lawn.

Hopefully some others can provide some input...

73,
Dave

Dave,
I have been looking at Deere, New Holland and Kubota. I too have fairly level ground and need mainly a mid mount mower 60". and a front end loader. Back hoe would be nice but I am on a tight budget. noticed the 73 are you on HF much?
73
Steve

 

[Tomtint]

You should be able to find a almost new used BX I that price range. I would not be to concerned with a 60" MMM. A 54 is more than big enough

 

[Panik]

I'll echo what GManBart said about being able to walk into almost any of the major manufacturers and being able to walk away with a quality scut. That's pretty much what I did when I purchased my BX.

I walked into my local kubota dealership because it was the only tractor dealer I knew about besides the grey market place down the street. I bought the next day without searching out other manufacturers because I liked what I drove, the folks there were quality people and it was five minutes away.

I'm not saying that I exactly did do diligence, but having visited other manufacturers since I think I could have do the same thing with any of the big names and come away with much the same impression about the quality of tractors. Not that there are differences both objective and subjective, however scut's are a tight market.

Find something that fits your ergonomics and wallet, and equally as importantly find a dealer that will treat you right at the time of purchase and down the road.

 

[GManBart]

I have Deere, New Holland and Kubota Dealers in my area Northern NJ. I think maybe a Yanmar and Massey dealer too. just looking to dig for lines ect 4' deep I guess my budget is around 16K

Northern NJ….uh oh! Just kidding, I have to admit I was born there (lived in Hopatcong, and went to high school in Sparta), but don't claim it since it wasn't by choice.

Any of the brands you mentioned will have something that would work well for you, but I'd put a bit of a caveat on the New Holland. NH hasn't made their own SCUT/CUT tractors for a long time now, and in some cases, you can buy the exact same machine from the actual manufacturer, for thousands less. Some of them are made by Shibaura, and some are made by LS. I don't think there's an LS dealer near you, but those are the models you can buy direct for less.

The small to medium tractor world has gotten pretty complex as far as outsourcing, and who makes what, where they're made, etc.

In the SCUT size it's really hard to go wrong with Kubota, and I think you'd have no trouble finding one new, or nearly new, for $16K. There are also a ton of positive comments, reviews, and posts on the Deere 1025R here, so that would be a good one to at least look at. Similarly, Yanmar is a solid choice, and they've made tractors, and engines for Deere for ages (although I think it's only engines now). The new line of smaller Masseys have gotten really good reviews as well, so I wouldn't hesitate to look at them.

I guess that's a long way of saying you'll probably just have to look up some specs online, visit the dealers, and get a feel for the machines, and the dealer. Things that you find annoying in a machine might not bother me at all, and vice-versa, so seat time is really important. Good luck!

 

[nikdfish]

They may be pricey but backhoes can be usefull for more that just moving dirt, especially with a thumb added to the mix. I found I use the hoe on our 1025R FILB for moving, holding & loading wood more often than digging...

It makes dealing with dead falls & blowdowns a lot easier for a guy with a few miles on the odo.

Nick

 

[Poopdeck Pappy]

I have Deere, New Holland and Kubota Dealers in my area Northern NJ. I think maybe a Yanmar and Massey dealer too. just looking to dig for lines ect 4' deep I guess my budget is around 16K

In my area, you could get a Kubota BX25D with a backhoe for $1,000 - $1,500 over your budget. It is a VERY capable little tractor.

 

[flusher]

I have Deere, New Holland and Kubota Dealers in my area Northern NJ. I think maybe a Yanmar and Massey dealer too. just looking to dig for lines ect 4' deep I guess my budget is around 16K

If by digging trenches, you mean a backhoe, it will be difficult to fit a new TLB (tractor loader backhoe) into your $16K budget. The Kubota BX or one of the small Mahindra SCUTs would fill the bill but probably would cost you North of $16K.

If you mean 4" wide trenches for laying pipe and conduit, then rent a Ditch Witch from Home Depot. In this case with only one acre, my first tractor, a Kubota B7510HST with the LA302 FEL (4-ft wide bucket), would work for you. I paid $12.6K for one of these new in 2005. One of the little Mahindra SCUTs would also fit your budget.

Good luck.

 

[imgone52]

In my case, I shopped Massey, Kubota and Yanmar (CC Yanmar then). I liked them all and made my decision based on best price for the package (tractor, FEL, mower deck, and counter weight) coupled with the fact that I had a Yanmar powered JD for 20 plus years. I have been very happy with the Yanmar. I agree with others, you can't go wrong with any of the major brands. Enjoy the process.:thumbsup:

 

[AroniaFarmer]

Why not one from TYM? They are nice tractors only problem is sometimes the dealers are a little farther away. Much lower cost than a kubota or john deere