Spend my money.

[muddstopper]

Looking to buy a new tractor. I have a few basic requirements. Approx 40hp or larger. Dont need anything much bigger. Must be 4x4. Must have loader capable of 2000lb with forks. Prefer hydrostatic. Cab not necessary. Dont like those itybity tires on the front, but I dont need a set of super swampers either. Looking at Massey, Mahindra, Yanmar, and a few others, and no I dont like kubota or Johndeere, sorry if that hurts someones feelings. Must be able to run 6ft tiller and 6ft bushhog. Anyways throw out some suggestions, and prices if you got them. Looking at buying new complete with loader, bucket, pallet forks, tiller and scrapeblade.

 

[jeff9366]

Approx 40hp or more. Must be 4x4. Must have loader capable of 2000lb lift with forks. Prefer hydrostatic. Cab not necessary.

This is the mid-weight of compact tractors, a high unit volume segment. Every tractor manufacturer offers at least two models, an economy and a deluxe tractor, with your specs. All offer HST. All are 66" wide, plus or minus a smidge. All have a bare tractor weight of 3,700 pounds to 4,100 pounds.

Looking at Massey, Mahindra, Yanmar, and a few others.

Go for it.

I suggest adding Kioti and Branson to your research list.

(Kubota), Yanmar and Kioti produce almost all tractor components in their own factories, therefore buy few components from outside, relative to other brands.

Every brand has an easy-to-access web site with pricing.

 

[muddstopper]

Well, Jeff, I kinda figured that one out already. I am just tired of trying to guess which one will last the best, has the best ground pressure, and has the best part availability, wont turn over on a little slope, or ballhoot down a semi steep grade etc and able to turn around at the end of a row without needing a mile of field to do it in. I dont have a tractor dealer of any brand close by and the last tractor I owned was a TN75 New holland. To big for what I need now, and the tractor before that was a FordDexter 2wheel drive that would spin on a wet rock.

 

[jeff9366]

Snarky.

The Three Point Hitch tractor has been marketed in the USA since 1939. Patents on the Three Point Hitch and TPH hydraulic controls expired in 1955. Since 1955 (66 years) all traditional compact tractors have been designed and produced around the Ferguson Three Point Hitch, worldwide.

The traditional tractor design is generic.

I am tired of trying to guess which one will last best.

That depends on the prudence of the owner/operator. Prudence in operation. Prudence in performing preventative maintenance on time. Employee tractor operation will be intermittently imprudent.

Inside storage is better than outside storage.

I prefer 3-cylinder diesel engines (Kioti) over 4-cylinder diesel engines for simplicity. At 40-hp you can go either way. About 50-hp the engines have 4-cylinders.

Looking at Massey, Mahindra, Yanmar.....

Among these three I rate Yanmar tops. My first tractor was a Deere/Yanmar.

As for parts: (Kubota), Yanmar and Kioti produce almost all tractor components in their own factories, therefore buy few components from outside, relative to other brands. (Deere, commendably, has a plant in Waterloo, Iowa dedicated to producing factory parts for legacy models. Very good parts availability but high prices for legacy model parts, produced in small volume in a union plant.)

wont turn over on a little slope

The spread of the rear wheels/tires is the most important factor in tractor stability, followed by rear tire ballast. All the tractors you are considering are 66" wide with R1/ag tires. R1/ag rear tires are almost, almost always spread/adjustable wider.

turn around at the end of a row without needing a mile
Dont like itybity tires on the front,

The turning radius of every model is part of its specs.
I doubt there is 12" difference in turning radius among all the models you examine. (It is small front wheels that make tight turns possible.)

Most will have split turning brakes. However split brakes are seldom used in field work today. Split brakes are used when clearing snow, today.


When considering a tractor purchase bare tractor weight first, tractor horsepower second, rear axle width third, rear wheel/tire ballast fourth.

 

[K5lwq]

I will say the Branson turning radius is the tightest I ever have seen. If I turn my wheels all the way it is at slow speed as I can't imagine the force that would be on the front end.

 

[IndyJay]

@Williy will say "buy a Yanmar", but I kinda like Kioti.

 

[TmbrWlkr]

Kioti DK4510SE - 45HP, HST, feature rich, checks all your boxes ....... done deal!

 

[IndyJay]

Here are the specs for the 45HP Kioti Hydro DK series.

DK4710SE HST | Kioti Tractors

www.kioti.com

 

[Williy]

We have the YT235C really enjoy Yanmar
comfortably built in and the controls are all
at your finger tips for easy operation. You
just might want to test drive these two Yanmars!

willy

 

[EddieWalker]

There really isn't a best choice, just the one that has the most things about it that you like better then the others. Nobody has a secret better something on their tractor that the others don't know about. For me, what makes a tractor better then the others is their support. Can I find a part for it when I need that part? Will they have parts ten and 20 years from now? Dealer support is nice if you need it and you don't like to fix things yourself. Tractors break down. Hopefully it's not very often, but it will happen. If you can fix it yourself, buying parts online, or at the Auto Parts store like Napa makes it easier to avoid a bad dealer, or one real far away.

For me, Kubota is the leader in all things I think are important in buying a tractor. I do not have one, but I've been to their dealership several times, and I'm always impressed. I have Branson, New Holland and Case. I do not plan to ever buy those brands again. Parts are just too hard to get from them.

Sometimes you just have to go sit in the tractor and see how it feels to you.

 

[chim]

Parts of two posts I've recently made cover a couple of things you may be interested in:

Can say that the pucker factor for me depends on what I'm driving.

The little Ford 1210 with air-filled R1's that's been here for around 30 years is the one that's the least scary on slopes. Don't want to jinx it but that little beast is nearly impossible to roll with the 5' RFM down. The RFM acts like training wheels. It has mowed across steep sidehills in 4WD and crabbed the whole time. The few times it started to slide I steered uphill and mashed the hydro pedal to get it spun pointing straight uphill. Many times I mowed with my XL butt on the uphill fender.

The L4240 with liquid-filled grooved R4's is comfortable at around 17* but not much beyond that. I recently used a level on the grille guard to check the steepest part of the yard. Anything steeper than that wouldn't feel good going sidehill. The 4240 feels more stable than the B7500 and L3200 I had previously.

I have always removed the entire loader and frame for mowing on the tractors that had them. It's a lot more compact and is easier to use that way.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


I SUSPECTED the tightest turning tractor of mine would be the Ford 1210. Then the L3200 and L4240 would follow in that order. Measuring from the face of the rear tire at 3:00 and 9:00 with the steering to full lock surprised me. The L4240 was 71", the 1210 was 80" and the L3200 was 98".

 

[muddstopper]

I can see it now, a ford 1210 with a loader with 2000lb pallet of fertilizer on the front. No thank you. And I already know what a L4240 with a 6ft bushhog will do on steep ground. You can try it and we will decide what you think about it when you hit the bottom, either on its wheels or on its top. I dont hold out much hope for the L3200 either. I had better luck on the same hill side with a 4610su, 2 wheel drive, than the l4240. There is a reason I dont consider kubota when it comes to tractors to go in the wood with. Yes, I know a lot of folks own them and like them, but my experience tells me to stay far away. Best tractor I have found for wood work ( I probably should have mentioned small logging as work to be done, is actually the Massy Ferguson, older models, (235, 245's). It just seems to me they are more stable and heavier weight wise, and have more actual pulling power when dragging a heavy load. I dont know if that holds true to the newer ones being sold now. I dont know if they ever made a 245 with 4x4, but if they did, I would be looking for one. I dont need the latest bells and whistles. I appreciate the suggestions, but those are not the tractors I would consider.

 

[IndyJay]

When I was tractor shopping earlier this year I drove the Iseki built Massey 1840M and 2850M tractors. These both felt capable and secure, very nice tractors. I wanted something with a little more heft so the 1840M was out. A friend suggested that I check out Kioti. I drove both the CK3510 and the DK4510 and liked them both as well. The DK4510 had many of the things I liked about the 2850M but was $10,000 cheaper. If the prices had been a little closer I likely would have gone for the red tractor, if only because my old tractor was a Massey1250 (also Iseki) and I had a good 27 years with that tractor. In any case, with the 3 months (50 operating hours) that I've had the Kioti I feel that it was a good choice. One thing I will say, same as what others have said, make sure you buy enough tractor for the job. My MF1250 served me well but there were many times I wished it had more weight, only a few times more HP.

 

[redman135]

Hello Mudstopper, some things to consider: 1) Rims/ width. I recommend 2 piece rims. eg MF 240, go from 6' wide to 7' 6' wide. Major gain in stabitity/feel, while still being agile in confined spaces like forest.

2)Hydraulics: Loader, get 3rd service (grapple etc) and scv ,opt for 3 pairs(double action) as you always get mission creep as your experience increases. Standard is 2 pairs or 1pair +1single action scv on a budget model. Hydraulics are pricy to add later.

3)Be aware that budget models usually skimp on the hydraulic capacity(gal/min), loader valve bank quality(only lift or curl 1 at a time, a higher quality vlave bank lets you do a simultaneous lift and curl) , and the budget tyres are often narrow and cross ply vs wider and/or radial on upspec version.

4) Sit on the tractor and test for fit. There are small differences that may add up to a deal breaker. Also in no particular order:
Are the loader 3ph, scv controls comfortable to use/easy to reach?
Can you see the ground around the front wheels (dodge pot holes)?
Does the powersteering have enoughh power to turn in deep mud at max weight on the loader?
WHERE is the measurment for the loader weight rating made? Measured at the bucket pins you will appear to have a higher rating than 1 measured at the front of the bucket(The bucket measurment refects the real world lift capasity more accuratly)
Are you breathing exhaust fumes?
Can you tilt the seat so you don't have a lake on the seat when parked?
Are you parking in a shed, if so what is the clearance? folding ROPS?

Good Luck

 

[jeff9366]

I already know what a Kubota L4240 with a 6ft bushhog will do on steep ground. You can try it and we will decide what you think when you hit the bottom, either on its wheels or on its top. I dont hold out much hope for the L3200 either.

The primary factor influencing tractor stability is the spread/stance of the rear wheels/tires. The Kubota L4240 has rear tire/wheel spread adjustment of 12" as a standard feature with both R1/ag or R4/industrial tires. Did you set the wheels wide on the L4240?

The second factor is wheel ballast. Loading tires 50% to 75% with ballast improves tractor stability by lowering the center-of-gravity. Were the L4240 rear wheels ballasted with liquid or wheel weights?

Third stability factor is ground clearance. Less ground clearance is better than more for stability. R1/ag tires increase ground clearance over R4/industrial tires.
What tires did you have on the L4240?


The Three Point Hitch tractor has been marketed in the USA since 1939. Patents on the Three Point Hitch and TPH hydraulic controls expired in 1955. Since 1955 (66 years) all traditional compact tractors have been designed and produced around the Ferguson Three Point Hitch, worldwide.

The Three Point Hitch tractor design is generic.​

When T-B-N correspondents correlate any TPH tractor brand directly with stability it invites skepticism.

Best tractors I have found for wood work are the older Massy Ferguson models, (235, 245's). It just seems to me they are more stable and heavier weight wise.

Ground clearance of MF245 (1976-1983) is 9.4 inches.
Weight, diesel, 4,050 pounds bare tractor.
Width 71"

 

[zzvyb6]

A quality dealer is my highest priority. That means warranty, parts, delivery, attachment, and packages of tractor + implements. BTW: I looked at all the RK [Yanmar rebadged] tractors a few days ago. On the floor were about 6 models to compare side by side. Quite surprized on the prices. I see USED JD, Kubota, and NH, LS tractors going for more money.

 

[jeff9366]

I looked at RK [Yanmar rebadged] tractors a few days ago.

RK tractor are produced in Korea by TYM.

Some RK/TYM models feature Yanmar engines.

 

[Rdrcr]

We have the YT235C really enjoy Yanmar
comfortably built in and the controls are all
at your finger tips for easy operation. You
just might want to test drive these two Yanmars!

willy

Thank God Willy showed up!!!

YANMAR FTW!!!

OP spend your money!!!

Mike

 

[the old grind]

Yanmar, Branson, Kioti/Cat, TYM for me in the 35-50 hp range. Wheel spacers and filled tires for slopes. You only pay for it once. get the right tractor.

(what jeff said, what redman135 said)

 

[Williy]

There is also this Yanmar tractor!

willy