New Purchase

[blue9steel]

You guys are awesome, really enjoying the discussion. I went to the local Kubota dealer on Friday, got a good impression of the salesman. I gave him plenty of opportunity to sell me things I don't need but he didn't take the bait. Good reviews online and my wife reports two of her co-workers bought tractors there and are happy. MMM decks are out of stock and have a five month wait, which means getting B2601 as a do it all machine wasn't a realistic option. They didn't have any LX machines in stock, but I looked at the L3302HST they had and decided that would fit the bill nicely. I'm filling out the paperwork this weekend but I'll be getting that machine with a FEL W/QA & grading scraper (60" GS15). Wheels will be at widest setting, filled R14s. (60 Gallons Rimguard) Buckets are on backorder but they're going to look around to get me a smaller one to hold me over until the larger model comes in. (Ordered a cutting edge as well) Passed on the backhoe, no where to store it properly really. Tractor and mower will go in the lean-to off the barn. In addition the tractor I decided to get a 60" Zero Turn Mower (Z422KWT-60) to go with it. A lot of things were not in stock, so those choices were guided by what they had available since we can't wait forever. No obvious consensus on this thread but that combo seems to be within the bounds of the options considered workable.

 

[blue9steel]

If the OP really has 17 degree slopes, I'm thinking he needs some horse drawn implements.

I briefly considered it since we have some pretty big warmbloods but I don't think I have the patience to mess with that.

Oh and to the poster earlier, the horses, and thus the wife, are staying so that cost saving option is out. (Funny though)

 

[4570Man]

That land looks flat!

If the OP really has 17 degree slopes, I'm thinking he needs some horse drawn implements.

17 degrees isn’t that steep. Equipment can safely work that if it’s setup properly and care is taken. I didn’t measure this hill but it’s probably 20 degrees if not a tad more.

 

[blue9steel]

17 degrees isn’t that steep. Equipment can safely work that if it’s setup properly and care is taken. I didn’t measure this hill but it’s probably 20 degrees if not a tad more.

Only the steepest portions of my property look like that, and they're small areas, most of it is less aggressive.

 

[QRTRHRS]

Seeing that you have/made the plunge, I don't know how much that I can offer but here goes. I had 30 acres all hill with 25 in fenced pasture. I had a small Massey 40/33PTO HP and a 2096 4x4 Case, 108HP, 8 tons of tractor. I had a six foot bush hog for the Massey and a 15 foot batwing for the Case. Even with the tires (no ballast) all the way out on the Massey, I would resort to as said earlier, mowing up and down the slopes. With the Case I could cut across the slopes albeit with the dual battery box on the high side. I also had a front mount ZTR. The front mount was much more stable than my current belly mount Scag. I also used the front mount along with a tow along mower to maintain 13 acres of pasture at my last place. The mower would loose traction pulling the tow along on some of the steep areas. As long as any ZTR has a deck that can cut six inches high, it would be fine for mowing two acres of pasture.

I also had a backhoe attachment for the Massey. Only able to dig to six feet deep, it was not no Case 580M but better than a pick and a shovel. With the subframe (a must), it took seconds to mount up.

I used a six foot 3pt blade and a seven foot York Rake to maintain my 1500 foot long driveway. I always wanted to but never got around to putting hydraulics on them. Getting on a and off to change the direction gets old. Also, I used a shoe kit on the blade and wheels on the rake.

I am down to about 4 acres now. I only have the Scag to mow. I still have some horses for lawn ornaments. If I need to bury one, I go rent a backhoe.

Enjoy your new venture. And yes, keeping horses is cheaper than a divorce!

 

[TeamJZ]

The L3302 is a fine machine. Many people feel it’s not enough more power than the L2502 to justify the addition of emissions equipment. So the recommendation is often to either drop down to the 25 HP or jump up to the 39 HP. If you are spending enough to justify the L3902/L3901, the L3560 really is a lot more tractor for the money. Heavier, wider, and with more lifting power. (Which depending on your needs are often the three weak points in the standard L 01/02 series.) I really do think that the smallest of the L grands is the sweet spot for property of that size. If you have the opportunity to try any of the Lxx60 series, do your self a favor and just try it. (Specs don’t justify the cost, but when you sit in a grand L you’ll likely see why they are so desirable.)

I absolutely recognize that availability can influence our decisions but sometimes two days on the road is worth the investment for a tractor that will likely last the rest of your life. I checked the dealers 15 minutes away and all over the state, but ended up driving 800 miles away two states away to get what I wanted, (no regrets there at all).

Don’t get me wrong, I think the L3302/L3301 is a great tractor and if that’s the way you go I expect it will bring you happiness for many years. In any case, welcome to the club and congrats on your new helper!

 

[HighTwelve]

Very smart move and welcome to the group. I just looked it up and your L3901 is the current model successor to my L3010. You will do well with it. Filling the tires with Rimguard is also a smart move. It is very, very easy to get yourself in deep trouble with no weight in the rear and a full bucket up in the air.

if I had it to do over again a zero turn mower would be the way to go. As I stated in my earlier post, I bought the L3010 used, actually at the bankruptcy sale of a horseback riding academy. It came with both a finish rear mower and a Bush Hog and I inherited my father’s JD325 lawn tractor which goes where a full sized tractor can’t to tidy up the edges. I do have some experience with a mid mount on a Ford 9N and taking one on and off the tractor is not fun.

 

[IndyJay]

I own a John Deere so people tend to recommend what they have. I don’t think Deere and Kubota are price gouging, like a lot of things, prices have gone up and discounts have gone down. I got my JD 2025r, 60” mower deck, front end loader, loaded tires, and pallet forks for a little less than $21k three years ago. I suspect you can add at 20% to that now, maybe more.

Other brands? I’d sure look if I were you. I think of JD and Kubota as the best but they are also local for me. They aren’t the only ones making good tractors. For some reason I like the look of Kioti. (Pronounced coyote). I’ve never ran one but have looked at them. They always looked like quality machines to me.

Dodge Man, I looked at and drove Kubota, Deere and Massey, thought I'd settled on Kubota. My neighbor suggested I check out Kioti.

Kioti? Made in Korea? Started looking on internet, saw a few bad reports but then noticed that the bad reports were several years old. All recent reviews were very good. Did a "build your tractor" type thing on their website and got sticker shock in a good way. I went and drove the CK and DK models and was very impressed. Would up buying the DK4510 and have been very happy with it.

 

[rScotty]

You guys are awesome, really enjoying the discussion. I went to the local Kubota dealer on Friday, got a good impression of the salesman. I gave him plenty of opportunity to sell me things I don't need but he didn't take the bait. Good reviews online and my wife reports two of her co-workers bought tractors there and are happy. SNIP

Glad you made a decision to get on with it. As we get older we realize there is always plenty of money to be had, and they are making more every day. It's TIME we are all short on.

There's no better way to educate yourself than to just jump in and do it. I'd be curious to hear what you think of the opinions and advice we've shared if you re-read this discussion thread a year from now.

We've got friends at horse facilities not too far from you... a few hundred miles away over in Idaho.
rScotty

 

[Torvy]

For some reason I like the look of Kioti. (Pronounced coyote).

It took me a while, and a visit to a dealer, to get this. Where I grew up, it is pronounced ki- YOT. Long i, long o, two syllables. Home state University (USD) is the Coyotes, or 'Yotes for short.