Buying Advice Looking to purchase, need as much advice as possible.

[ovrszd]

First, I don't really have any qualifications nor knowledge to comment about anything in this thread.....that said, this caught my attention and I totally agree with it.

I bought a used IH 1066 to cut the farm. What I find is, when I want to go SLOW to cut something, low range, first gear is STILL too fast if I'm operating the mower at PTO speeds.... I wish it had a creeper gear or an extra low range.

90% of my time it's perfectly fine as I scoot around in 4th gear, low range. (no need for high range) It's those rare moments when I need to be slow and careful when it shows it's a big machine.

I struggle with that problem when trying to cross a ditch while cutting CRP with my batwing. Wish I had a crawler gear for those moments.

 

[Farmer495]

I see no issue having 120 HP for haying. Means you can play with a large discbine or round baler with HP to spare and weight to be safe.

Kubota has been in the 90 to 120 HP market for at least the last 20 years. Pretty well every tractor that size in this area does hay and forage work.

 

[TheMadOne]

120HP is a tricky spot, because you're kind of straddling a divide between large utility tractors and smaller row crop models in a lot of product stacks.

For Case you'd be looking at both the Farmall 120A and the Maxxum 125, for JD you're looking at like four separate product lines. Kubota has at least two models in that segment.

That said, you then get into two different schools of thought with baling. Some people want a heavier machine to keep the baler from pushing them around on hills, or if they're running a large square baler, to keep the plunger from beating them to death. Some people on flatter ground go for the lightest machine with the HP to get the job done, so as to avoid any unnecessary compaction. Then there's the people who have "aged out" their old 4020 or what have you and are running it as a dedicated baling tractor to avoid having to switch equipment as much as possible.

Sizing for baling is complicated, and depends a lot on the area you're working in.

 

[ovrszd]

120HP is a tricky spot, because you're kind of straddling a divide between large utility tractors and smaller row crop models in a lot of product stacks.

For Case you'd be looking at both the Farmall 120A and the Maxxum 125, for JD you're looking at like four separate product lines. Kubota has at least two models in that segment.

That said, you then get into two different schools of thought with baling. Some people want a heavier machine to keep the baler from pushing them around on hills, or if they're running a large square baler, to keep the plunger from beating them to death. Some people on flatter ground go for the lightest machine with the HP to get the job done, so as to avoid any unnecessary compaction. Then there's the people who have "aged out" their old 4020 or what have you and are running it as a dedicated baling tractor to avoid having to switch equipment as much as possible.

Sizing for baling is complicated, and depends a lot on the area you're working in.

Very well stated. Adding particular setup issues of the operation, as in distance of the spread. I have Cattle Operations around me that are spread 20 miles from one field to the next.

 

[kenmac]

I've only owned Kubota's and for me, they have been bulletproof. I had and 80's Kubota 4500 DT that would pull out cement trucks when they got stuck on my property
As I read a lot on the net seems guys with JD are always fixing them.
As to Kubota being "light" just add weights.

well, today's tractors with all the emissions aren't bullet proof. Just go to any dealer and you will see any of the emissions tractors in the shop for emissions related problems.
Why buy a BIG money tractor, then have to add weight when you can just buy a heavier tractor ?


Most people around me use 90-95hp for haying. I use a 105 hp. we don't have any issues pulling hills while haying

 

[tradosaurus]

If I was planning on spending $70K+ on a tractor I would look at a lot of youtube videos and then go sit in a few at tractor dealers. I would look at google reviews of close tractor dealers to see what brand I would buy.


New Kubota M7 Series tractor overview by Messicks - YouTube

2016 JOHN DEERE 5100M For Sale - YouTube

Mahindra 9110P Tractor Walk-around - YouTube

 

[MHarryE]

I debated between a Kubota and JD. Kubota was less expensive. Deere dealer didn’t try to sell his tractor at all. He only talked about how bad it would be buying a Kubota. Kubota dealer also sells New Holland but offered the Kubota as better value. Ended up with the Kubota, M135 GX which I traded 4 years later for a M7-171. Spend a lot of time at auctions. If you think you might want to trade the JD will retain value due to paint color. One of my partners was very price conscious, bought NH with very basic transmission. Bad. Haying and the like, power shift is a must today. My nephew bought a Kubota M100GX based on my 135 experience. Has worked well for him for his dairy & beef operation but he has 13 other tractors, no power shift among them, to use for lighter and heavier jobs so using it as his primary loader and general purpose is fine, but would want the larger displacement engine and higher HP if he didn’t have the others. So I’d look more for what features will save you time. As for emissions, my cousin has Tier 3 JD’s, 90 hp and 170 hp on his beef operation. Both have been at the dealer for major engine repairs this year. They both have around 3,000 hours. He had to have a loader quickly installed on his 115 hp NH to keep feeding while the 90 hp Deere was down. Never can have too many tractors where livestock are involved.

 

[oosik]

I'm not into hay. My bordering neighbor to the south definitely is. He raises cattle and hays for them. He also does custom cutting/baling for others. His hay tractors are 100% pre-Tier 4 Case IH. They are all 4WD and right around 150hp. Our hay country - the Palouse - does have steep hillsides to farm.

His reasons for going to Case IH. Pre Tier 4 because he can get used equipment at a more reasonable price and does not have to fiddle with Tier 4 concerns. The size range - 150hp - because he does not want to run out of "grunt" when extensive farming of hillsides. Case IH because the local dealership is a good friend of my neighbor and provides excellent service.