Buying Advice Questions about potential purchase, not sure where to start

[fattylumpkins]

Looking to purchase my first tractor. Have decent lawn tractor (JD x350) but it's proven inadequate for any projects beyond cutting grass.

There is a John Deere dealership nearby, and a Kubota dealer even closer, so I would like to limit my search to these brands.

I currently live on a 3.8 acre property in Washington. It's slightly hilly, very rocky soil (sometimes boulders), there's several trees but it's mostly a meadow, and it's constantly on the verge of being swallowed by blackberry. The property was neglected prior to purchase, so I'm in the process of restoring it and transforming it into my sanctuary. Use cases are moving wood, I would love to get a brush hog (as I've paid for this several times now and it's baffling how quickly blackberry grows), moving sod, filling holes, evening out land / tilling, and as a helper for ambitious gardening plans.

I think it's time for me to start considering a tractor. My budget is probably around $20K with some wiggle room.

Additional considerations: I've never used a tractor before, I'm not very mechanically inclined, and as such, I would love to have something user friendly and reliable. I don't know if this matters, I'm in my 30s and a woman, so I want to come prepared to any dealer so I don't get taken advantage of.

To be honest, I'm not 100% sure a tractor is the right thing for me. The anonymity of the internet will allow me to admit I'm sorta an idiot and in over my head, and maybe I should just stick to hand tools and manual labor.

Either way, thank you for any insight you can provide, I sincerely appreciate your help and advice.

 

[ning]

We're all idiots to start, and those who won't admit this are still idiots. The rest of us, just slightly less idiotic....

Moving wood: You'll get lots of suggestions to get a grapple. I've managed just fine with forks; drive slowly and you won't lose the load. You can always strap the wood to the forks frame or use a chain. Forks are probably the most useful attachment on the tractor, at least tied with the bucket. Grapples are great but very expensive, especially those that are light enough to preserve some of the tractor loader's lifting power for the actual load. Forks are relatively cheap and light.

Many suggestions will tie the size of the property to the size of the tractor, but really it's about what you're using the tractor for, and where you need to get the tractor into. If it's got to go through a narrow gate, that's going to limit you to smaller tractors -- they're still very useful.

My guess is you'll be aiming at the B, LX, or L, 26-33hp in the Kubota line, or similar in the JD.
Unless you have significant PTO needs (like for a chipper), higher hp is not likely to be that useful. In a tractor, traction is king (thus the "tractor") and traction requires weight. The L is a larger frame tractor than the B, and thus heavier. I'm not well versed enough about what the LX is (it came out after I did my own shopping) but I suspect it's between them in weight (and cost).
The BX is a very useful creature but it's much lighter, smaller, and can't lift or operate the same size attachments.
Personally I don't like the idea of the bellow mower on a little tractor, as it seems to be something that a dedicated lawn mower does for a lot less money (like your x350) and doesn't sacrifice ground clearance on the bigger tractor.

Mowing your size property will go fine with a 5' rotary (it's a pretty rough cut, very much not fancy, but it's effective at controlling brush with much less to go wrong than other mowers). 6' will require a bigger tractor than a 5', for weight & power requirements. 5' may be easier to handle going between trees; driving a tractor with a big mower behind it can surprise you with how wide that thing swings when you turn! Drive slow. No, slower.

If you have blackberry brambles, I've found the best way to eliminate them is to put a chain around the bramble like a noose and pull it out.
A tractor or 4wd pickup truck is perfect for this.

This works best if the bramble is fairly dense, and the ground should be at least somewhat moist.
I've found doing this that quite often I'm left with only a root here or there and control thereafter is pretty simple (ideally, dig or yank out those roots, but cutting them back regularly can eventually kill them off too).

I've done this with 5/16" and 3/8" chains, with a slip hook

at one end; start by laying the chain around the bramble (in one case I had to use a pole to shove the chain through a bramble because I had to pull it in sections) and secure the chain to the puller (I did most of this with my truck, attached chain to trailer hitch). With the truck, using four-low is good for a slow pullout; the chain gradually tightens around the bramble and the bramble collapses into a big ball that I dragged to a good place to burn it.

It's almost sad but I have very little blackberry left on my land, but luckily our neighbors still have brambles trying to take over so we just go pick berries next door now when we want to make more wine

 

[fattylumpkins]

Hi!

I will have to try your recommendation with the chain and hook. I have all of those tools at my disposal right now, and will be giving this a go this weekend My broad fork is how I've been getting at the rhizomes but it's just an overwhelming uphill battle that I am constantly losing. Due to the huge rocks just beneath the surface of the soil, my brush cutter with the fitted blade has become a sketchy weapon - I never know what I'm about to hit.

I will look into what you suggested as well, my cursory review of what was available had me thinking the BX2380 would be the best option for my needs and then came all the (overwhelming) options about add-ons. I think that can be covered by talking to the dealer directly, I just want to know what base version I should seek out. Do you think a front loader (is that the bucket attachment?) would be something to immediately purchase?

Thank you so much for your thoughtful reply! Such great advice!

 

[Torvy]

Limiting yourself to JD and Kubota will definitely significantly impact the initial outlay of funds and the cost of filters and such. Those are the two most expensive commonly available brands in the US.

Shop the dealers. All brands make good tractors.

 

[California]

To be honest, I'm not 100% sure a tractor is the right thing for me.

I think a tractor is what you need. But $20k seems high. You don't need a big tractor, just something to use Cat 1 implements. I do ok with 4 ft implements in applications similar to yours, used on either my 24 hp or 18 hp tractor. Lots of blackberry vines here, I mow corridors so we can walk along and pick berries.

Most important is get one with a loader. It's not only for digging/moving earth, you'll soon find this takes the place of a wheelbarrow, a hoist, a mounting place for forks. When family visits to pick apples, I bring in their buckets using the loader. The uses are endless.

Tractors last for years. My preference would be a good used tractor from a dealer who is sure to be available to help with it for a long time. That $20k budget is more than enough for a used tractor with several implements and years of maintenance. But Deere and Kubota dealers are famous not just high repair costs, but also for putting commercial farmers ahead of small hobby farmers because downtime is a crisis for the former. I think this is an aspect to consider.

Older tractors are simple, while troubleshooting and electronic parts for recent ones can be as complex as a modern car, and need service only from an authorized dealer. The older ones were designed for owner maintenance, so a shop supporting any brand could maintain it.

Just things to consider ...

Whatever you get, you'll love it.

 

[fattylumpkins]

I think a tractor is what you need. But $20k seems high. You don't need a big tractor, just something to use Cat 1 implements. I do ok with 4 ft implements in applications similar to yours, used on either my 24 hp or 18 hp tractor. Lots of blackberry vines here, I mow corridors so we can walk along and pick berries.

Most important is get one with a loader. It's not only for digging/moving earth, you'll soon find this takes the place of a wheelbarrow, a hoist, a mounting place for forks. When family visits to pick apples, I bring in their buckets using the loader. The uses are endless.

Tractors last for years. My preference would be a good used tractor from a dealer who is sure to be available to help with it for a long time. That $20k budget is more than enough for a used tractor with several implements and years of maintenance. But Deere and Kubota dealers are famous not just high repair costs, but also for putting commercial farmers ahead of small hobby farmers because downtime is a crisis for the former. I think this is an aspect to consider.

Older tractors are simple, while troubleshooting and electronic parts for recent ones can be as complex as a modern car, and need service only from an authorized dealer. The older ones were designed for owner maintenance, so a shop supporting any brand could maintain it.

Just things to consider ...

Whatever you get, you'll love it.

That's solid advice and perhaps a more realistic approach to what my initial impression was. I had to look up what Cat 1 implements were but that does seem pertinent to what I described needing.

I'll have to look into getting one second hand, perhaps I'm not familiar with the market or where to find them, but the options for a used one look slim.

Also your candor about repair / maintenance is something I experienced. JD had my little mower for a long enough time to do the maintenance that the grass reached waist height and took me weeks to mow through.

Thank you for the time you spent to reply to me, I'll put more time into finding one secondhand versus the most convenient but expensive solution.

 

[dodge man]

With JD look at a 1023e, 1025r or a 2025r. Pre Covid $20k would have got the job done. 5 years ago I paid $20k for my 2025r out the door but things have gone up. There are lots of used ones out there also.

 

[oosik]

We moved onto the property in 1982. It's 80 acres and classified as open range land. 25 miles due SW of Spokane.

Started with a brand new Ford 1700. 26 engine Hp. Worked just fine from 1982 until 2009. Then I got a new Kubota M6040. I had completed all the smaller projects in those 27 years. I wanted to move on to bigger projects.

You talk about all the blackberries. Are you a Westsider? Anyhow - I had a loader and bucket for gathering up and moving things. And a rear blade for summer and winter driveway maintenance. I have a mile long gravel driveway. With the new Kubota I got a grapple and new HD rear blade.

Welcome to TBN. Best of luck in your ongoing search.

 

[jeff9366]

I currently live on a 3.8 acre property in Washington. It's slightly hilly, very rocky soil (sometimes boulders), there's several trees....

Use cases are moving wood, moving sod, filling holes, evening out land / tilling, and as a helper for ambitious gardening plans.

My cursory review of what was available had me thinking the ((subcompact category)) BX2380 would be one option for my needs.....


If you can live with the minimal 9" ground clearance ((think boulders)) common to subcompact category tractors in every brand, a BX2380 should be in the mix of tractors you consider.

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[jeff9366]

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