New Guy First Tractor

[ProfJeff]

Grats on your new machine ProfJeff. Shame the dealer didn't take the time to show you the ropes. I'm in a similar situation with a little GC (first tractor) coming next week.
I would love to learn some lessons the easy way - do you mind sharing how you scared yourself? How do you feel about the little GC so far?

Scare #1: My very first trip from front to back yard, I was going forward slowly down a hill through the woods with maybe 250# in the FEL a bit too high--probably hood height. The tractor got into some loose dirt, bounced, and started sliding forward and down the hill, and not being used to left foot braking I had a momentary no-brake problem. Fortunately I had my hand on the FEL and just dropped the bucket as jumped off the gas. Probably not the best, but better than letting it get loose and go into a tree. I sort of kicked myself for not practicing the hill with no load. I learned to back down the hill in the next hour.

Scare #2: Similar 250#ish in the FEL, slowly trying to maneuver in the back yard which is hilly. Looking at pics online, my backyard ranges from almost flat to 8 to up to 15 degrees with one nice little 50 degree ramp--I will be push mowing that! I was pointed about 45 degrees down the hill on about 8-10 degrees slope left to right. I tried to turn right to go up the hill and the uphill rear wheel came off the ground. I spent enough time in go carts and on a race track in my younger days that I instinctively turned left down the hill as I started a dismount off the right side. Between turning downhill and my 170# sudden shift to the right, the wheel came back down but it was a pucker moment on a 2-3 hour old tractor. After that, I have only backed down that part of the back yard too. I spend a lot of time in reverse.

The machines feels very top heavy with the loader and very unsettled in the back all time. I should note I took the mid mount mower deck off due to ground clearance in the woods. That is 260# of very low weight that would help a lot down the hills through the woods on both sides of the property. I am going to fix that with the FEL over the next few weeks so that I have better paths.

I have about 500# of Heavy Hitch and weights on the way, supposed to ship Friday or early next week. I am getting my tires loaded tomorrow. That will be about 700-740# total. With the tires loaded my plan is the full 500# weight with the FEL up and down the hill, and then when I am mowing take off the ssqa and use maybe 300 or so on the HH. I think the mid mount mower deck while mowing since it is 260# very low.

It's a learning curve for sure.

 

[greggyy]

I am looking at buying my first tractor. After studying them all, and creating spread sheets i still don't know. They all have some good and some items missing. I am looking at the 24.9 HP tractors or so they are called. I live on 10 acres, lightly wooded. Mostly flat as its overgrown farm land. Mostly dirt then clay here in the north. I am buying this mostly as a toy.

Your land size is irrelvant.

The tasks you know of is very relevant.....but the ones you do not know of yet may bug you later....

I have 2 40hp jobs.......older, no fel unfort, but I manage with the 3pl and they can lift about 1600lbs or so safely.

Frankly, they are too small to have a really useful fel, I would say you want a fel that can handle a couple of thousand ponds comfortably, because...

Some hay bales are heavy
Plastic bins can hold 1000lbs easily and are good for feed pr other storage
If your pushing small machine, cause you will be moving dirt, you could get yourself in trouble
Lots of things come in bags or on pallets here, and theybare often 2000lb
If you want to cart a ibc it will weigh quiteba bit and more than a 20hp can hable on rear even
For dirt, if it is compacted etc, you need weight for traction, moving loose stuff like sand will be ok

Yeah, so it is not so simple. 20hp is prob suited to tasks around home garden better imo, I would like a 70 or 80hp with fel, it wouldnbe far better, alas, for me, no funds atm for that....but an old 40hp can be useful and cope with groundwork too, like a inter 275, 414 etc.....

 

[Cranblue]

Get a chance go to You Tube and look at L2501 expanding a pond.Watch how small tractor with experienced operator works and moves a lot of dirt.Gets good full buckets keeps ground smooth rarely spins a tire.

 

[deezler]

Scare #1: My very first trip from front to back yard, I was going forward slowly down a hill through the woods with maybe 250# in the FEL a bit too high--probably hood height.

Scare #2: Similar 250#ish in the FEL, slowly trying to maneuver in the back yard which is hilly.

The machines feels very top heavy with the loader and very unsettled in the back all time.

I have about 500# of Heavy Hitch and weights on the way, supposed to ship Friday or early next week. I am getting my tires loaded tomorrow.

It's a learning curve for sure.

You'll be all set once you get that extra rear ballast. Carrying things in the front loader without any counter balance on the rear is a bad idea. As you just learned. I don't think you'll need to reverse down moderate hills once you get the machine properly set up.

Also, were you in 4WD? I typically engage 4WD when doing heavy loader work on hills, you need that extra traction and linking of all the wheels together when braking.

 

[RjCorazza]

You'll be all set once you get that extra rear ballast. Carrying things in the front loader without any counter balance on the rear is a bad idea. As you just learned. I don't think you'll need to reverse down moderate hills once you get the machine properly set up.

Also, were you in 4WD? I typically engage 4WD when doing heavy loader work on hills, you need that extra traction and linking of all the wheels together when braking.

The 4wd comment is important! When going downhill (particularly with weight in the bucket) always be in 4wd. The rear becomes light and loses traction and no amount of braking will save you because there are no brakes on the front wheels. In 4wd the fronts will bite in nicely with engine braking.

 

[MiserableOldFart]

I am looking at buying my first tractor. After studying them all, and creating spread sheets i still don't know. They all have some good and some items missing. I am looking at the 24.9 HP tractors or so they are called. I live on 10 acres, lightly wooded. Mostly flat as its overgrown farm land. Mostly dirt then clay here in the north. I am buying this mostly as a toy. Not worried about how quick i can do something. My use will be to move some dirt to fix low spots, till some small deer food plots, move food such as beets in the winter for the deer, or whatever little task that comes along. It will be a 4x4 with a loader. After studying i have a few questions about how important some things are. It will be a hydro. Is a 3 speed really nice compared to the 2 speed. How important is weight, the Branson's seem to weigh the most. Engine C.I., the Branson 2610 71.7c.i. being the heaviest has one of the smallest engine, the Kioti CK2510 is 100c.i. while the Kubota is 68c.i. or 78c.i. depending on the 2601 or 2610. Will a smaller C.I. motor last as long, seems like it has to work harder. The Yanmar claims to have cast iron trans case, hydro pump case and front axle case, i'm guessing the others have aluminum. The tractor that seems to have most of what i like is the LS with extras i like such as tilt, soft seat with arm rest, good engine, 3 speed, mid PTO but no good dealer close by. The winner there is the Yanmar or Kubota. Since i will likely use it a few hours a year, not sure i should pay extra for the name. Is having the rear tires filled a good idea? Is it true they say always buy one bigger then you think you want? Thanks all.

I was looking at a NY Workmaster 25 S yesterday, and it's a very impressive little tractor. I think it's only 2 range HST but it has quite a strong loader for a SCUT. 3 Ranges are definitely preferable to 2 if all three ranges are usable speeds. The NH SCUT has a pretty strong loader, stronger, I think than most SCUTs. The comparable LS machine might also, but most NHs have NH loaders not made by LS, so it's not a given.
I agree with those that say despite the obvious charms of a SCUT, a small compact is a better fit on 10 acres. Of course that generally means paying for the pollution abatement stuff. The Kubota L2501 might suit you, but I honestly believe it's underpowered for a tractor that size, and really only exists because of the price point of not having pollution stuff.
If money were no object, I'd steer you to the Deere 2038R, That tractor is a work of art, and truly must be seen if you appreciate tractor aesthetics at all, but it is very much a premium machine. It packs a lot of power into a compact machine.
It's always a good idea, imho to choose the model that is the most powerful in a given size, regardless of the maker. L3901 appeals much more than L2501 or L3301, etc., unless there are particular problems with that tractor, as I've heard were with the largest of the Kubota B series before they changed models.. I think that was B3301(?).
Since you have woods the one question I would ponder is whether or not you'd ever want a chipper. 3-4" chippers can usually be powered by a CSCUT, but the problem is that a lot of 1-3" branches will require an agonizing amount of trimming to coax through unless they're straight as an arrow.
One last item: SCUTs and the smallest compacts have category 1 hitches, but the arms are so low that there are implements that will require some tricks to use because they are taller..

 

[sparkyjohn]

I was looking at a NY Workmaster 25 S yesterday, and it's a very impressive little tractor. I think it's only 2 range HST but it has quite a strong loader for a SCUT. 3 Ranges are definitely preferable to 2 if all three ranges are usable speeds. The NH SCUT has a pretty strong loader, stronger, I think than most SCUTs. The comparable LS machine might also, but most NHs have NH loaders not made by LS, so it's not a given.
I agree with those that say despite the obvious charms of a SCUT, a small compact is a better fit on 10 acres. Of course that generally means paying for the pollution abatement stuff. The Kubota L2501 might suit you, but I honestly believe it's underpowered for a tractor that size, and really only exists because of the price point of not having pollution stuff.
If money were no object, I'd steer you to the Deere 2038R, That tractor is a work of art, and truly must be seen if you appreciate tractor aesthetics at all, but it is very much a premium machine. It packs a lot of power into a compact machine.
It's always a good idea, imho to choose the model that is the most powerful in a given size, regardless of the maker. L3901 appeals much more than L2501 or L3301, etc., unless there are particular problems with that tractor, as I've heard were with the largest of the Kubota B series before they changed models.. I think that was B3301(?).
Since you have woods the one question I would ponder is whether or not you'd ever want a chipper. 3-4" chippers can usually be powered by a CSCUT, but the problem is that a lot of 1-3" branches will require an agonizing amount of trimming to coax through unless they're straight as an arrow.
One last item: SCUTs and the smallest compacts have category 1 hitches, but the arms are so low that there are implements that will require some tricks to use because they are taller..

I bought the Kioti CX2510. I have about 12 hours on it and like it very much. It has the largest engine [100ci] compared to Kubota at 68ci and is the same engine in the 2610 and i think in the 30hp version. The tractor is also the heaviest in its class and has the best ground clearance. And the engine does its work at 2600 rpm not the 3200 on some models. I bought a 4' tiller, a 4' bush cutter and a FEL tooth bar. I see no problem with the 2 speed transmission. It will get no road driving so no need for a high gear. Very happy so far.

 

[kenmbz]

Congrats on the new tractor!

 

[blacktruck]

I bought the Kioti CX2510. I have about 12 hours on it and like it very much. Very happy so far.

You know the rules. Pics or it didn't happen.
Congrats on the new tractor purchase. They are a big investment but well worth it labor savings.

 

[Williy]

Have you seen this?

willy

 

[Forky]

That was 18 minutes of painful bias toward Yanmar...first 3 minutes when they compare cost, it's the added warranty that add plus k's to the price of Kubota to keep Yanmar in the ballbark for a inferior tractor to the Kubota. Additional cost to the price that is not necessary ... with service that is par non for Kubota. No way they will ever convince me that I bought the wrong tractor...sorry to disappoint. Watch your bottom...it's close to the ground.

 

[ProfJeff]

OK so the weights are in! Next questions.
How high or low do you carry them? I would think the answer is as low as possible without hitting the ground, right?

When storing the tractor, do you let the weights just hang off the hitch or do you put some support under them so the hitch isn't holding up 500 pounds for days without use?
Thanks all!

 

[RjCorazza]

I doubt it really matters, but I store my stuff with no weight on the hitch. A cut to length 6x6 looks like it would work.

 

[Williy]

Forky you say Yanmar is a inferior tractor? I ;guess they must be as there are over 75 different tractors that are powered by Yanmar diesels
Yanmar made tractors for John Deere for over 20 years and they still use the Yanmar diesels and Yanmar has been making diesels for over a
100 years for ships and all kinds of equipment etc. with all these companies using Yanmar diesels they surely must be inferior

IMO Kubota & Yanmar are both quality tractors but being an old
fart I like comfort. The joy stick for the Kubota you have to reach
out to operate the bucket and no cab for it. The Yanmar has an
adjustable arm rest that the joy stick to operate the bucket is in
your hand and Yanmar has a cab and 100+ temps don't agree with
this ole fart I'm 81 maybe you young guys like the joy stick for the
bucket out next to the steering wheel I don't.

this guy was walking down the street just looking around and he
happened to see a ladder up against this house and looking up
he sees this blonde painting her house with 2 great big heavy over
coats on be walks over and says excuse me but why do you have
2 great big heavy over coats on when the temp is over 100 degrees? blonde just following directions she holds up the paint
pail and says see put on 2 coats


willy

 

[blacktruck]

OK so the weights are in! Next questions.
How high or low do you carry them? I would think the answer is as low as possible without hitting the ground, right?

When storing the tractor, do you let the weights just hang off the hitch or do you put some support under them so the hitch isn't holding up 500 pounds for days without use?
Thanks all!

You asked a couple of good questions.
I would run with the weights in a raised position. Less chance of bottoming out if crossing a ditch or depression. The difference in height of where the tractor carries the weights is negligible in the case of stability. Before I get flamed for that, if the high point was above the wheels it would begin to have an effect. Also it would have to be a significant amount of weight that is probably more than most of us carry on the tractor. A few hundred pounds mounted on a weight bracket on the back will not change the stability of the tractor in normal operations. Raise the weight up and do your work. A good precaution is the keep your head on a swivel while operating the tractor. If you will be operating on a slope that seems to make you uncomfortable, lower the weights or drive up and down the slope instead of across it. If you get a feeling of uneasiness when operating, stop and check your surroundings and conditions. Trust your instinct. As far as the next question, lower the weight. This particularly true if it is being supported by the hydraulics. No need to have the extra weight hanging on the tractor at rest. Also even more important is from a safety aspect. In all almost all equipment and almost all instances, standard practice is to release the hydraulic pressure and lower the load to a resting position.

 

[Williy]

You guys talk about ponds, hills and valleys and I stick one foot in the
bathtub and get sea sickness and put the other foot on the edge of the
tub and get air sickness woe is me!!!

why don't they have phones in china? too many wongs and too many
wings and they might wing the wong number!

willy

 

[ProfJeff]

You asked a couple of good questions.
I would run with the weights in a raised position. Less chance of bottoming out if crossing a ditch or depression. The difference in height of where the tractor carries the weights is negligible in the case of stability. Before I get flamed for that, if the high point was above the wheels it would begin to have an effect. Also it would have to be a significant amount of weight that is probably more than most of us carry on the tractor. A few hundred pounds mounted on a weight bracket on the back will not change the stability of the tractor in normal operations. Raise the weight up and do your work. A good precaution is the keep your head on a swivel while operating the tractor. If you will be operating on a slope that seems to make you uncomfortable, lower the weights or drive up and down the slope instead of across it. If you get a feeling of uneasiness when operating, stop and check your surroundings and conditions. Trust your instinct. As far as the next question, lower the weight. This particularly true if it is being supported by the hydraulics. No need to have the extra weight hanging on the tractor at rest. Also even more important is from a safety aspect. In all almost all equipment and almost all instances, standard practice is to release the hydraulic pressure and lower the load to a resting position.

Thank you, trying not to damage it in the first 50 hours! I just figured out yesterday that I needed to lengthen the top link and tighten the sway stabilizer turnbuckles--thanks YouTube!
I had 0 training / orientation when I bought it, very disappointed.