Recommended Tractor for 4.5 acres

[JasperFrank]

"Personally I am right with ya, but dealer and parts support are more important to me than country of origin."

I have to ask why this is important? I think it is completely unimportant. You can order anything, even if its a Russian made tractor. Why do you need a dealer at all? They fired off all their experienced staff for low wage workers that have no idea how the machine works or should work. I would never trust my machine to a dealer. I'd find where all those experienced people went after being fired. Have everything fixed there. No up-sale and no bull crap you get from a dealer.

 

[Yander]

I don't think you could go wrong with any of those you listed. If you are not using the tractor for providing you a living, dealer location is less important. If you are having the dealer do all of the service, might want to stay within an hour to keep the transport costs down.

If you are doing the oil yearly yourself and other general maint. items. I think the dealer location is way overrated. I would rather have THE tractor I want 365 days a year than the tractor I settled for because the once every couple year trip to the dealer is closer. I would at the very least, go sit on all of them, talk to a sales person. Then decide.

If you are intrigued by the SA425 on paper, go sit on it.

 

[ljjhouser]

1. Bigger
2. NOTHING that does not have a loader

 

[ljjhouser]

OH , also welcome to TBN - Good place to be.

 

[RalphVa]

I had a 1025R for less than 2 years. Admitedly, it was a lemon but not much more than the 2025R I got after. I highly recommend the B2301 with FEL. That is what I wanted because I wanted the equivalent of a 2 series JD but really only need about 19 hp based on having a JD 4010 the first 9 years (like a 2019E if made today). Could only get a B2601 with FEL; so, that's what I have now since January.

I mow around the house (about 1/2 acre) with a Ryobi ZT 48v but do trails and other areas with a RC2048 Frontier brush hog.

We have 8.5 acres. My neighbor has only 5 but has a 40 hp JD. What you want to do only needs 18-19 hp. Bigger is not better.

 

[ljjhouser]

25K should buy a great used Kubota L4701. or maybe 30 K with interest free financing. Keep looking. 40 hp range will be much heavier frame - wider implements, more features.

I don't know how old you are, but maybe you can relate to this. When I was young I decided to buy a computer. Stores were far and few between, so I went to a place called Crazy Dave's computers. The salesman IMMEDIATELY ask "what are you going to use it for?" That was 1982, DOS operating system. I didn't know what to say and then said I guess replacing my typwriter and making graphs. I had no idea. The answer is really EVERYTHING.

Now, the tractor. You have had experience with them and that is a great start. You know mowing will be a main use. That is good. Now you may want to decide just how long do you want to spend mowing. How is the tractor going to do in damp weather (that traction thing.) I always run out of traction when working before the tractor boggs down. Always enough hp. So I can add ballast if needed. Like a box blade when using loader.

When someone now asks me about that I use it for, I just say "About everything." Mowing, moving dirt, building onto the road, maintaining the road with 1" base rock, Loading the trash (1 time a month) to haul to the transfer station, removing stumps, scraping the road after a heavy rain, and the list goes one. Get what you will be comfortable with. There are also well cared for used tractors 5-10 years old that can last a lifetime. But hard to find. There was a thread this morning with pictures of a Kubota used - very nice. He had just purchased it.

I love my tractor. If I had to put a Gps on somewhere to keep track of it, my wife says it would be the tractor. OH wait, it has a GSP. Ha Best wishes.

 

[sea2summit]

Don't limit yourself to orange and green. Red (Massey, Mahindra, TYM and Branson) and blue (LS and New Holland) are every bit as capable and usually cost quite a bit less.

Every tractor has great things and not so great things, some of those you’ve listed are experiencing some pretty significant parts shortages due to their supply chain origins. Just a point to think about through all the brands.

 

[Torvy]

On country of origin...that gets tricky and muddled.

Deere is like GM, you would think USA, but many of the components, including engines, come from Japan (Yanmar)

Kubota (Japan) mostly makes their own stuff, but has some assembly and distribution in the US.

TYM (S. Korea) makes their own and others tractors. They also own Branson and the Kukje engine. TYM has a lot of assembly and distribution locations in the US as well. Currently expanding in Georgia to build here as well.

LS (S. Korea) makes their own and also builds units for CNH (Case and New Holland). They build tractors in Korea, China and Brazil.

Kioti (S. Korea) makes their own using their parent company's Daedong engine. Kioti also makes the tractors for Bobcat. They have a US plant in N.C.

Mahindra (India) is a little more tricky as they make some of their own, but they also sell tractors built by other manufacturers, such as TYM. They have a factory in China, but I don't believe those are exported to the US. Mahindra has assembly and distribution across the US.

This is just a loose summary of some of the brands. Get yourself the tractor that does what you need for the best value (which includes the local dealership quality).

 

[sea2summit]

Hi HB.........

.I'm on 3 acres in Kansas and on my third Kubota with all the common attachments..... Also I have a Cyclone Rake, a Stump Grinder and Chipper. In your case, I'd consider moving up to a HP similiar to your Dad's....i.e. around 40 HP....and then maybe a ZT for yard mowing.

Cheers,
Mike

I’m with this, I had two different BXs. Both of them sucked rear end as a mower. I should have gone B with a zero turn. Honestly if I was looking at a 25HP Kubota I’d look real hard at the B or L because the weight is what gets work done not to mention their vastly superior FEL and 3PT capacity and speed over the BX. I think the 1025, or any other brand’s sub-compact suffers from this. Great for suburbia maybe 1-3 acres but beyond that you really get your money’s worth out of the heavier larger frame tractors.

And to my original point before I sidetracked myself, zero turn all the way. I’ve had MMm and a 84” rear finish mower on my MX, none mowed as nicely or as fast as a cheap zero turn.

 

[sea2summit]

John deere 9series. Probably go with duals all around. Maybe triples if you mow a lot

And 3PT lift assists hydraulics.