New member ...looking to buy 24 to 30 hp tractor

[Gittyup]

Test drive them all. They are all good. Just depends on usage and personal preference. I would lean toward the upper end of the 30 hp range.

 

[cford36]

Look at them all for yourself. That said, I looked at most of them at the Louisville Farm Show yesterday including LS, Kioti, and Mahindra. Nothing against Mahindra, I have not driven one but the one thing that struck me was that the fit and finish was definitely not as good as the others. (Didn't see Branson there) They all have a lot of plastic, but the plastic seemed much thinner and the gaps were much larger.

 

[jeff9366]

Kubota dealer in Athens, Tn about 32 miles from Tellico Plains

Ahhhhhhhh------------- Maybe a heavy 'Grand L' for you.

 

[paulfun9]

As others have said its best to go test them all out. I also think it might be worth looking at the upper end of that 30HP range. For me this past year the hunt started out looking for a 35 HP machine and ended with a larger frame Kioti DK40 and I am definitely glad I made the choice to go just a bit bigger than originally planned. The other thing to keep in mind is that taking a second or even sometimes a third look at them is always good as many times we miss some little things the first time around. I also recommend actually running the machines as much as possible.

Many people here are hooked on having a dealer close by but out here there really aren't many dealers very close so I just hope to have one within reasonable distance. I did get lucky and one of the Kioti dealer happens to be the closest (about 25 min) from me and he gave me the best deal of all the other Kioti dealers within that reasonable range but I would have driven the distance if the deal was that much better and almost did. At the last trip around for a final look with a trusted friend for a second opinion I decided I wanted the Kioti but the best deal was almost 2 hours away. So I simply stopped at the closest dealer and laid my cards on the table, told him straight up what the best price was and offered my business if he could get close to that price. He not only got close but actually beat it by a little bit so being happy with the machine and the price being good I jumped ship from the JD Greene and went with the Kioti.

 

[BXman98]

I would go with either a Kubota BX25D or a Massey Ferguson GC1700 series. But it's your choice i'm just adding in my opinion.

 

[BXman98]

When you rev up the JD to get the power and the speed out of it, it really sounds like a ride lawn mower. I like the Kubota BX2370 because when it idles, its proud to be a diesel and when you rev it up it doesn't sound like a riding lawn mower. Also the Kubota BX's have a Kubota diesel in them. The JD has a yanmar engine which is manufactured independently from the rest of the tractor. But if you want a FEL and BH, that's the perfect set up weight wise. Also if you have some hills on your new property then I would consider getting a set of wheel spacers, front and rear.

 

[Creamer]

have to agree with the others for what you are talking about - a little more hp is not bad. My 1710 is a great tractor but if I were to get another it would have a few more horses especially if you go HST - 35 is a nice range. For the work you are talking about the hydraulic flow rate is what is going to be critical.

 

[747driver]

Had i known of the LFS i would have went today as it is my day off, but not enough time to do so. The Branson tractors are in the south hall, i looked on the convention floor map.

 

[747driver]

Mahindra dealer is 25 miles away, Kioti dealer is 75 miles away and Branson dealer 60 miles away.. I have a trailer so that is not a problem taking it somewhere. Since we live in a heavily wooded forest there is not alot of open space other than the stone roads and atv trails. So i am leaning to a compact tractor that can get around easily. Kinda have settled for the 27-31 hp range. Also after reading posts not sure i need a BH, although it would be nice ! Probably would set in the shed most of the time. I can always get a mini excavator from the local rental place for a day or 2.

 

[jeff9366]

I used to have a Kubota B3300SU tractor-loader package. It was great but I found myself working it too hard once I became used to it. A few things broke due to strain and I was always concerned about the willowy front axle. It was not shielded underneath. Working it hard was also dangerous; a wheel or two would leave the ground at unexpectedly.

After 400 hours I sold the B3300SU and bought my current Kubota L3560 tractor-loader. It is only slightly bigger than the B3300SU but twice the weight. All four wheels stay on the ground and I feel much safer. All the components have more beef. The undercarriage is well shielded. My third tractor is a 'keeper'.

27-31 horsepower may be OK if the tractor is heavy --- still kind of in the 'mower' class, and you have said mowing is not on your tractor task list.

Most of us with experience exhort advice seekers to BUY ENOUGH TRACTOR.