Not using all my horses by design??

[Atypical_decorum]

I've recent acquired a good amount of acres, but they're all steep. I have a small tractor, but it's not even close to cutting it on the hills while working (20hp). I need something bigger like an M7060 or L6060 but found a cheap Kubota M108s low profile 8 speed with 1300hrs. Of course, the horse power is way more than I need. Im going to be using a tiller, BH100 backhoe, FEL, and other equipment.

I won't be using all the HP, so I won't been to be hard into pedal. So here's the question. Does it make sense, fuel wise, to get the tractor seeing as I won't be deep into the power band to run and do what I'm looking to do? Particularly with it being 8spd.

I've looked up M7060 and they can easily get to 5+ gph full bore. An M9000 is 5 to 10gph depending on who you ask at full throttle. If this tractor is 10gph at idle it might not be worth it...but I don't know.

(edited for clarity)

 

[workinonit]

Are all Kubotas that bad on fuel? My 100 HP JD is about 2.3 gph at around 65% load. That really seems high to me.

 

[sea2summit]

I’ve never seen my m4-071 (deluxe 7060 basically) go even close to 4, mowing I’m usually 3.4-3.6. Who is saying 5?

I don’t know what a reasonable price on the M6 is but my only hesitation would be DEF. I want a M5 badly, I could use a few more HP baling on hilly terrain.

 

[Atypical_decorum]

Are all Kubotas that bad on fuel? My 100 HP JD is about 2.3 gph at around 65% load. That really seems high to me.

They aren't kind with fuel from reports. My B7500 is about 0.5GPH while mowing.

 

[Atypical_decorum]

I’ve never seen my m4-071 (deluxe 7060 basically) go even close to 4, mowing I’m usually 3.4-3.6. Who is saying 5?

I don’t know what a reasonable price on the M6 is but my only hesitation would be DEF. I want a M5 badly, I could use a few more HP baling on hilly terrain.

Other posts on here is what I've seen reported.

 

[stumblinhorse]

540 rpm is 540 rpm. Seems like you are gonna use what you use….

 

[Atypical_decorum]

I’ve never seen my m4-071 (deluxe 7060 basically) go even close to 4, mowing I’m usually 3.4-3.6. Who is saying 5?

I don’t know what a reasonable price on the M6 is but my only hesitation would be DEF. I want a M5 badly, I could use a few more HP baling on hilly terrain.

It's $20k. No DEF.

 

[scootr]

I'm averaging 1-2 gal an hour mowing moderate hills in the MX5200 with loaded tires. It stands to reason you are better off having a little more HP than needed vs running the dog poop out of a barely enough power unit when it comes to wear and tear and machine longevity. I usually don't need 50+ hp. My 7' flail mower calls for 35hp at the PTO. But I need 50+ and more when I sink the rippers into this clay soil.
Go big or go home sorta applies within reason

 

[JethroB]

My Kubota L5460 (54 hp) uses about 0.7 gallons per hour flail mowing at 540 rpm, the L4760 a little less. The flail doesn’t work the engine very hard like the bush hog.

 

[5030]

I've never kept track of fuel usage but a bigger horsepower tractor will typically use less fuel because the motor isn't being run hard at rated rpm than a smaller one that is. Fuel usage isn't something I get concerned with anyway.