Re: Shopping Advice - Small L\'s
It's kind of scary but hours don't always tell the tale. I've seen low hour tractors in duty as rentals that I'd be scared to buy. Also seen some higher hour units that may last for years and years. One of the fellows posted a link to a site that had "what to look for in an excavator." Are there any books Harv could get that would help in this regard? Take gas engines, your typical listening for knocking and compression testing and listening to the tailpipe sure doesn't work for a diesel!
I'd suggest getting on the internet and forming a circle searching list of dealers, NH JD and KU fanning out from your location, contact them all. They may have what you need. If you are fixed on Kubota only, still do it as trades come in. Last time was in the JD dealer in Sumner Washington they had a small Kubota. I see this mix of colors in the back lots of all dealers. Try to let them know what you are looking for, and ask them to keep the info. Sometimes they will make a deal with someone if they think they can sell the trade to you. Boy 42 acres, I wouldn't go less than 30 gross hp unless it is just mowing you have to do.
And even going by HP is getting tough. I have a 35hp and a "22" hp BX for my 10 acres. I use the "22" as Kubota is doing what GM and probably others are doing, figuring HP at some higher rpm. On a tractor or even a pickup who gives a rat's axx what the hp or torque is at 4000+rpm. Chevy salesmen are currently running off at the mouth about the 300 (now 320hp) 6L engine. A nice engine, but all of their engines now have torque peaks way the heck up into an area I'd never be using. Look at old specs for the 5.7. Kubota has done this with the BX, I'd consider it more equivalent of the old 18hp, as I'm probably never going to run it up to 3200rpm to find the extra 4 hp. I wish the FULL torque and hp specs were published, including a graph showing when you get what.
Are you also doing a search of all the "nickel-ad" papers in your area? For instance when I type in "nickle-ads" I can get a combined listing of all the typical local-free-in-the-store ad papers for WA OR ID. Then there's the truck and heavy equipment trader magazine. I'd also suggest putting up a big WANTED poster on the local feed store bulletin board, or even a "WANTED AD" in the paper or on line.
