Shopping for first tractor.

[Ell Tee]

Hi All,

Wonderful site you all have here I landed here through a google search. I am currently in the market for my first tractor. At this point I am thinking a sub-compact with front loader, 5-6' finish mower, box scraper, and eventually a tiller. The land is flat and loamy sand soft soil. Initially I will be using it for mowing and driveway maintenance but eventually want to be able to till .5 acres when I expand my garden. My main questions are as follows:

Does a sub-compact sound like it would be sufficient?
If so what HP ranges do you think I should be looking at?
Any specific features that you would recommend?

I have been looking at the JD1023E, TYM 223T and the Mahindra Max22. Any suggestions for additional makes/models that would be adequate are greatly appreciated.

Have a good day and thanks in advance.

 

[3v0]

Kubota BX series.

 

[chim]

Welcome aboard! I've used 5' rear finish mowers for the last 20 years, and bought a 6' just last year. My Ford 1210 with around 16 HP handled a cheaper (read also light weight) 5' RFM pretty well as long as I used a pair of small suitcase weights on the front of the tractor. My Kubota B7500 with 21 HP handled a heavier 5' Landpride. The 5' was the absolute max for the Kubota. The same Landpride RFM on the Ford was a no-go. The ol' Ford would cut grass with it but it was a real strain for the Ford going up the slightest hill.

Last year we bought a Kubota L3200 and the 32 HP is a nice match for the 6' Landpride RFM. The L3200 has a noticeably easier time with the 6-footer than the B7500 had with the 5-footer.

My experiences have been with HST tractors. Some have posted that gear tractors have a little more HP left over for running the implements. With a hydro tractor I'd recommend at least 21 HP for a 5 footer and 30 HP for a 6'.