Need some input and comparisons of brands.....

[jlbota]

Hi everyone...its been a busy weekend here in Ohio.
I am looking to upgrade from my current Kubota BX22 to a bigger Kubota or maybe another brand??? Locally to me I have Kubota, Deere and New Holland. I will mainly be using this machine for material handling, snow removal, tilling, leveling out soil. Maybe a brushhog in the future. I also will be purchasing a backhoe with the new unit to keep my creek maintained and to maintain culverts and dig for drainage and such. Right now I have roughly 9.5 acres and may aquire another 5 next to me soon.
I love the BX but I would like something with a little more capability...It was perfect where I was before but its seems to be getting smaller as our property and workload grows.

I was wanting to get ideas of which models to look at in the Deere and New Holland when comparing to like a B2410??? in the Kubota...Do you guys think a Deere 4115 is comparable and maybe a NH TC24??? Do you guys think this would be big enough or should I move up a few steps to like a Kubota B2910??? Then what would be comparable in the Deere and New Holland models? I am going to look this week and really appreciate any input you guys can give.
/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Dargo]

I've owned all three brands and purchased each brand new. It will likely come out to be your personal preference. I moved from Deere to Kubota because they were the only one of the three mentioned who offered a nice well built cab that included A/C and other amenities. You can't go wrong with the brands you mentioned. Pick what you like best!

 

[8561]

They're all great tractors. I love my B2410 and I use a backhoe on it as you are proposing to do. I believe you will find the TC24 and 4115 to be slightly larger than the B2410 and correspondingly have slightly higher advertised capacities, albeit with more weight. The Kubotas are all metal construction while the Deere and NH use quite a bit of plastic bodywork. Which is better is a subject of some debate. The Deere's also use quite a bit of electronics on the tractor which I personally do not care for. In fact, a friend sold his new Deere because of all the "gadgets." You might also consider checking out a Kioti CK20.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

I get to play with both the B2910 and TC24 on a regular basis, I think either would be well suited to deal with 9.5 acres, and I think the JD4115 and B2410 or B7610 would also be good choices. But I think that each of the machines is somewhat different, and I am least familiar with the JD.

First, for 9.5 acres, I would NOT go below a 24 hp tractor, and a 30 hp tractor is not too large. Now the topic comes up with what tasks you are going to be doing. For <font color="red"> material handling, snow removal, tilling, leveling out soil. Maybe a brushhog in the future. I also will be purchasing a backhoe with the new unit to keep my creek maintained and to maintain culverts and dig for drainage and such </font> I would be looking at a machine on the heavier end of the spectrum. For me, that would rule out the smaller Kubota machines, but would still keep the B2910 in the running. Now if the work is some serious amount of heavy work, then I would rule out the B2910 and go look at the NH TC29, NH TC33 or the Kubota L3130. Those machines are heavier than the machines you mentioned in your post and are probably better suited for your tasks. Understand that for lighter machines are suited for some tasks and heavier machines are suited for different tasks, the tasks you outlined lead me to think you need a heavier machine.

 

[Henro]

I'm not sure if you can swing it cost wise, but I would keep the BX (because you are going to take a hit if you trade, either an obvious one or a hidden one) and move up to something larger than the B2910 Kubota. I assume you have a MMM for the bX and you could use it for grass cutting and misc tasks as a side kick for the larger tractor. I do this and am really happy having a BX along with the larger tractor.

With your property size, I would think something like a L3430 would be a good fit for the bigger jobs. Personally, I love my B2910, but if I had more than 4 acres (which I don't) I would be happy with a bit larger of a tractor/loader. By keeping the BX you could also put off buying a backhoe for the larger tractor until you were sure you needed something more than the BX offers.

A B2910 is a nice size tractor, but it is really on the small size. I happened to stop at a Kioti dealer recently for a few minutes and it looked like the CK25 was about the same size.

Any of the three colors you mentioned will give you a great tractor. I would concentrate on size first, and after deciding what I wanted size wise, then I would start pricing by color and pick the color that gave me the warmest feeling and best value for my dollar.

And don't forget "Henro's rule" ... The more you use it the smaller it gets... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif Actually that may not be my rule...I just don't remember anyone else saying it so I laid claim to it... /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Initially I wrote off the B2910 as being too large and did not even consider it. On a whim I bought one without ever sitting on one. Best move I ever made...so don't be put off by a tractor looking much larger than your BX. It won't be long before what you thought was too large turns out to be just right.

My experience anyway...

 

[Ledgemere Farm]

Henro, you are very correct. I still chide myself for letting my little Cub go when I bought the bigger replacement. I did get a return of almost the full purchase price on it, but I do miss it's agility. It also had turf tires and my new one has ag cleats. Two tractors are always better than one, and of of course, three are better than two! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[jlbota]

Thanks everyone for your input...
One other thing I forgot to mention is that I need to be able to transport the new machine quite often and that is one reason I wanted to stay in the 24-30 hp range. I have a 16ft tandem axle 7000lb trailer and I think I may be pushing it with a fully loaded B2910 to get the right balance on this trailer.
I considered keeping the BX as I have a MMM and Snowblade and such with it. But I also have a Kubota ZD21 which has taken over the mowing chores and makes quick work of it. I like the BX MMM and it does a nice job. But the BX doesn't mow very fast. In low range it was way to slow and in high range it about beat me to death and it was hard to keep it at constant speed up my hills. I feel they need a middle range on these tractors for a faster mowing speed. Low range is great for almost everything else.

I went to my local Kubota dealer yesterday and checked out a few models there. This dealer also sells New Holland so I did a side by side comparison with the B7610 and the TC24.
The B7610 ran very smooth and I liked the way I felt like I fit into the tractor seat and everything was within easy reach.
The TC24 ran good although it was a bit rougher than the Kubota. I didn't really like the cockpit on the TC as the seat made you sit up really high...which would be nice for loader work but I think it would make for more of a pucker factor on the hills. I also didn't care for the HST pedal on the TC as it seemed to small and it was hard to rest my foot on the floor going forward without the the back of the pedal hitting your foot. You almost had to keep your whole foot over the entire pedal. I also found it harder to see the 3pt and PTO controls on the fenders of the TC and this may be due to my size as I am about 6ft1 and 315lbs so it may have just been harder for me??? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif. I also noticed right away from being able to go from one model tractor to another that the New Hollands HST pedal seemed to push back on your foot on the hills and made just a bit more noise. The Kubota HST seemed to never do this when taking it up the same hill.
Fit and finish was very good on both and I liked the position control on the TC versus the inching valve on the Kubota. Although I understand that you get true postion control with the B2410?
I am going to try out a few John Deere models next and see what I think.
By the way Henro I think I am going to try to sell my BX22 outright instead of trading to a dealer so I may come out ok in the end. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[rockyridgefarm]

Hi!

These are all great machines, it sure is fun looking at them...

If I were upgrading from a BX and had a ZTR, then I would sure be looking at the mid chassis models like the Kubota Ls, Class II Boomer's and Deere 4210-4410. Deere is replacing those with a new line and they will be 3x20's

I looked at many of the same equipment. I ended up with a Deere, and wanted to point out that the electronics aren't gimmicks, they are awesome. They were proven by years of use in construction equipment, and I wouldn't think of giving them back. I can point my bucket into a pile without fear of lugging let alone stalling the engine. You can of course do the same manually, but the by wire system is lightning fast and does an amazing job. The other functions are really handy, as well...

I also have some issues with my right knee, and the two pedal setup is really great for me...

Even the plastic in the body are a real asset. Mine has shrugged off impacts that would have crumpled a metal hood, and still looks great.

I am not saying that the owners of metal hooded, or mechanically controlled transmission-ed tractors aren't satisfied. But I did want to point out that there are scores of us who are very happy with plastic bodies and electronic controls...

And if you can wait a little, it should be just a short wait to see the new machines from Deere. They may be really hot, or not. But they should add an interesting element. The mid chassis units will be at about HP and be turbocharged.

All of these are great machines, with a good dealer; you can't go wrong with any of them, but it sure is fun looking... Good Luck.