Still trying to decide imput please

[chub380]

Hey guys talked about this a little before, really need to get a tractor for some earth and stone moving chores; also would like to use the tractor for mowing to use it a little more, when i was in pa I had a l3600 which was a great tractor but never really used it every week ,thats why i would like to get one thats a little smaller so it would get used every week at least during mowing season. so heres the problem trying to get something large enough to do some work but small enough if wont crush irigation lines ect. I have kinda narrowed it down to kubota 2620or 2920 and massey 1526 and 1529 both seem about the same size and dealers are both within 20 min. Kubota is all i ever owned so i am a little partial to them, but i like some things about the massey better like the position control on the 3pt, also like the backhoe offerings better. Then i get to thinking would it be better to just get a zero turn for the grass and try to find a used tractor for the other jobs but then the tractor would not get used all the time. Also mabye this would be a good question for John Thomas or any one else who got a 26 [either kubpta or massey] is there a reason other than money to chose a 26 because they seem to be the same size as thier 29 counterpart just with more power,I am sure someone has been here before so i would love some suggestions,btw if kubota made a tractor in the range i am looking for with position control this wouldnt be as hard of a descion. Also a little concerned about the mowing decks on the Masseys they looked stamped rather than fabricated not sure if that matters in cut quality. thanks alot in advance sorry for the long post.

 

[Carl_NH]

Hi Chub380

So you have 1 acre correct? It would seem a BX25 with deck would work or the B2620 too. I would tend to agree a ZTR plus a tractor would be nice and more flexible.

A used tractor $10K and $6K ZTR would work or get the "all in one" but moving rocks and navigating with a deck on is not the easiest if you have tight spots or obstacles to go over.

 

[chub380]

I went in and updated that, not sure why it said that back in pa we had a bout 2.5 ac out here a little more i fixed that ,the rocks are mostly for making gravel driveways to out buildings and a road across th back of the property, I just remember how our 3600 sat so much and that kind of disturbed me, our grass is prob about 2.5 ac and flat with not many obstacles

 

[Carl_NH]

Well, montana gets snow, so a tractor with a FEL makes sense, and if your grass areas are open a RFM would work too unless you are planning a Box Blade.

I think the 2620 or the BX25 with a MMM would be a good choice. You will spend about 2 hours a week cutting with a 54-60" MMM deck and with a ZTR maybe 1.5 hours.

So one machine will work well and get used more often so utilization (which is one concern of yours) would be higher than having separate machines.

 

[chub380]

Talked to the massey dealer today i like everything but the stamped mower deck, quess thats not a big deal do like 3 range hydro, position control and backhoe offerings; the massey 26 is smaller quite a bit smaller from the 1529 I think the kubota the 2620 and 2920 are the same size anyone know for sure? I also like the pedels on the massey.

 

[deathtoblackberries]

Kubota 2620 and 2920 are identical except for HP. Since I have a new B2920 scheduled for delivery in 2 days and I had not checked out the Massey I just checked the specs. The Kubota backhoe out specs the Massey 1529 so I'm curious why you like the Massey better? The loaders are mixed, Massey L100 lifts more at the pins, Kubota has higher breakout force at the pins but I'd say advantage Massey on the loaders. Obviously advantage Massey for the position control and the Massey 3 point lifts more. Advantage Massey for the independent PTO and optional SSQA. Except for the weaker backhoe the Massey has its pluses, I can see why you are still undecided.

Here's where I'm at, there are at least 5 Kubota dealers in my area, my dealer is only 10 minutes away, has been in business 50 years, and must have 40+ tractors in stock plus a couple acres of implements. There is only 1 Massey dealer within 100 mile radius of me, there were 2 of them but one dumped Massey and now sells Kubota's. The one dealer does have 2-3 location but the closest is a 40 mile trek through heavy traffic. So I'd have to give some weight to this. I had the same problem when I was considering the Mahindra Max28, nearest dealer was 70 miles away. One thing I would check is the cost of financing if you are planning to finance. Mahindra was charging a premium of $1,500 for 0% for 72 months, Kubota is only charging $550 for the same.

I'm sticking with the Kubota B2920, would love to have the position control and higher specs on the loader and 3 point but the most important implement to me is the backhoe due to all the stumps I need to dig out. I got the 16 inch bucket and mechanical thumb it looks a beast. Good luck with your choice, it took me weeks to decide.

Massey B10 backhoe - bucket/dipper 2,400/1,450 lbs
Kubota BH65 backhoe - bucket/dipper 2,585/1,686 lbs

Massey L100 loader - lift at pins/breakout force at pins 1,282/1,968 lbs
Kubota LA364 loader - lift at pins/breakout force at pins 952/2,154 lbs

 

[GreenWannabe]

Kubota and Massey were both on my short list last year, but I found a much better deal on a Kioti. Like 20% better. If you have a Kioti dealer in your area, I think they would be worth a look.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Kubota 2620 and 2920 are identical except for HP. Since I have a new B2920 scheduled for delivery in 2 days and I had not checked out the Massey I just checked the specs. The Kubota backhoe out specs the Massey 1529 so I'm curious why you like the Massey better? The loaders are mixed, Massey L100 lifts more at the pins, Kubota has higher breakout force at the pins but I'd say advantage Massey on the loaders. Obviously advantage Massey for the position control and the Massey 3 point lifts more. Advantage Massey for the independent PTO and optional SSQA. Except for the weaker backhoe the Massey has its pluses, I can see why you are still undecided.

Here's where I'm at, there are at least 5 Kubota dealers in my area, my dealer is only 10 minutes away, has been in business 50 years, and must have 40+ tractors in stock plus a couple acres of implements. There is only 1 Massey dealer within 100 mile radius of me, there were 2 of them but one dumped Massey and now sells Kubota's. The one dealer does have 2-3 location but the closest is a 40 mile trek through heavy traffic. So I'd have to give some weight to this. I had the same problem when I was considering the Mahindra Max28, nearest dealer was 70 miles away. One thing I would check is the cost of financing if you are planning to finance. Mahindra was charging a premium of $1,500 for 0% for 72 months, Kubota is only charging $550 for the same.

I'm sticking with the Kubota B2920, would love to have the position control and higher specs on the loader and 3 point but the most important implement to me is the backhoe due to all the stumps I need to dig out. I got the 16 inch bucket and mechanical thumb it looks a beast. Good luck with your choice, it took me weeks to decide.

Massey B10 backhoe - bucket/dipper 2,400/1,450 lbs
Kubota BH65 backhoe - bucket/dipper 2,585/1,686 lbs

Massey L100 loader - lift at pins/breakout force at pins 1,282/1,968 lbs
Kubota LA364 loader - lift at pins/breakout force at pins 952/2,154 lbs

I see you ordered a 16" bucket for your backhoe. That is going to be way to large a bucket for digging out stumps. It may be good for digging in sand but I doubt you will have the power to do much with it in hard dirt. I have on my B 26 a 7" (cut down from and 18" by previous owner who bought a 12 and 18" bucket)and a 12" and the 12 is slow going digging stumps due to the larger area. I use the 7" for stump digging but an 8 or 9" would work fine. Check the specs on the B26 compared to your 2920 and you will see a large difference in power and weight. Talk to your dealer about swapping size of buckets after trying it out or better still, demo one of his on the lot if he has a dirt pile to play in. Remember a loose dirt pile is not the same as digging hard soil or trying to tear out roots.

 

[deathtoblackberries]

I see you ordered a 16" bucket for your backhoe. That is going to be way to large a bucket for digging out stumps. It may be good for digging in sand but I doubt you will have the power to do much with it in hard dirt. I have on my B 26 a 7" (cut down from and 18" by previous owner who bought a 12 and 18" bucket)and a 12" and the 12 is slow going digging stumps due to the larger area. I use the 7" for stump digging but an 8 or 9" would work fine. Check the specs on the B26 compared to your 2920 and you will see a large difference in power and weight. Talk to your dealer about swapping size of buckets after trying it out or better still, demo one of his on the lot if he has a dirt pile to play in. Remember a loose dirt pile is not the same as digging hard soil or trying to tear out roots.

I'm going with the 16" on the advice of my dealer, we have easy digging here but sticky soil and they say the problem with the 12" is the dirt sticks in the bucket and won't fall out. Another owner here on the forum in my area confirmed, he had the 12" and had to switch to the 16" for that very reason and says it works great for digging stumps. I need to do some excavation so I figure worse case I'll try the 16" if it doesn't work I can always use it for the excavation and pick up a 10" or 12" for the stumps. The B2620 and B2920 are identical in weight according to Kubota's specs, the only difference is 26hp vs 29hp.

 

[chub380]

I only ever had kubota and loved it, had to sell when i moved,to answer the question i like the platform better the pedal configuration, and just eaiser to service under the hood,i like the position control 3pt,not so crazy about the mowing deck i think if it was more heavy duty the massey would be my choice.I may wait to see if the new 2650 comes without a cab that might be an option; were you specing the cb10 backhoe to the kubotas counterpart on those specs?

 

[deathtoblackberries]

I only ever had kubota and loved it, had to sell when i moved,to answer the question i like the platform better the pedal configuration, and just eaiser to service under the hood,i like the position control 3pt,not so crazy about the mowing deck i think if it was more heavy duty the massey would be my choice.I may wait to see if the new 2650 comes without a cab that might be an option; were you specing the cb10 backhoe to the kubotas counterpart on those specs?

Yes CB10 as that is the backhoe Massey listed for the 1529, from Massey's website it didn't look like the CB15 was supported on the 1529 e.g. it wasn't in the list of tractors for that backhoe. If only they put everything we want in one tractor lol.

 

[murphy1244]

I got a 12" bucket and we have clay soil and I don't have sticking problems.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I just cant believe that you will have enough ummph to use a 16" bucket on the 2920 back hoe. MY B26 specs the capacity of my bucket force as 4211 pound vs 2920 at 2123 so I have almost double the capacity on the B26 and it barely handles a 12" in hard soil. When using it to break out roots just calculating the force per inch of bucket width dividing 4211 x 12"= 351 pounds per inch where as with the 2920 with a 16" bucket you would have 132 pounds of force per inch. While this may not be a mathematical accuracy if does relate to the total force available and the amount of area that it spreads over. With my 7" bucket I can expect over 600 pound per inch of bucket so it significantly increases the force that I can put on roots to break them

 

[Gary Fowler]

I have not had any problems with my 12" bucket with it holding mud(none that wont shake out easily) but it does pack in pretty good on the 7". Any bucket width will hold mud to an extent and have to shake it out sometimes. I have seen track-hoes and draglines with huge buckets that had to have huge chains welded in to the bucket to help dump out the mud.
I would advise you to get something in writing to allow a swap out if your bucket is too large for your tractor or perhaps get a small bucket (8-9")like I have to use when the 16 wont work very well.
If you do stay with the 16, let us all know how it works in your soil.

 

[deathtoblackberries]

Will do Gary, again our soil isn't hard, its sticky lose your shoe in it type soil and has lots of small round glacier rock mixed in. I dug the 30 inch deep hole for my mailbox post with a shovel without any trouble, poured a bag of cement down the hole and it still doesn't feel all that stable. Now vegas I hear their soil is like concrete.

 

[Carl_NH]

deathtoBB,

just curious is your TBN name regarding berries or RIM?

Seriously to your point, Gary has the quick change bucket on the B26 - would love to have that machine, but I have the 16" on the B21 and it works fine. Is it ideal for stumping no, but it makes just a little bigger hole, and with the BH the force on a stump is just one or two teeth on the bucket so the force is about the same.

If you have a lot of ripping of stumps, get a ripper tooth to chnge out or the smaller bucket 7". The thumb is also a great tool, and I have a mech one, but want the hyd one for ease of use.

Well, enough said, Gary I have B26 envy, but get your machine deathtoblackberries, and you will be happy and can add other buckets as needed.

Carl

 

[deathtoblackberries]

Carl I have a 200 foot long blackberry patch that's going to get a taste of B2920 loader very soon, that reminds me ratchetrake. I have 3 types of stumps, about 40 puny 3-6 inch'ers, 4 to 5 10'ers, and 10 monsters in the 20 to 24 inch range. I don't think I'll be able to dig out those big ones with this tractor and may have them ground below grade or bring in heavy equipment. My neighbor across the street logged his 5 acres, he has 2 giant tracked machines he used to yank out his stumps still parked on his property, probably take him less than an hour with one of those things to pull my big ones.

 

[TomSeller]

Carl I have a 200 foot long blackberry patch that's going to get a taste of B2920 loader very soon,.

I have seen those blackberry brambles you have up there, those things are monsters. 20' high and shoot out canes sideways up to 20' a year and tip root. Good luck, let us know how you do.

 

[Notforhire]

Carl I have a 200 foot long blackberry patch that's going to get a taste of B2920 loader very soon, that reminds me ratchetrake. I have 3 types of stumps, about 40 puny 3-6 inch'ers, 4 to 5 10'ers, and 10 monsters in the 20 to 24 inch range. I don't think I'll be able to dig out those big ones with this tractor and may have them ground below grade or bring in heavy equipment. My neighbor across the street logged his 5 acres, he has 2 giant tracked machines he used to yank out his stumps still parked on his property, probably take him less than an hour with one of those things to pull my big ones.

I had a 250X30 ft patch, about 8 ft tall. Mine was pretty stump free w/ only a few about 3 in. A couple of years ago, I ended up backing into it with a bush hog. It took a while to chop it all up, but once it it was shreaded it was easy to rake up with a York. I'd run over that area when mowing my pasture, it's just grass now.

 

[Carl_NH]

Carl I have a 200 foot long blackberry patch that's going to get a taste of B2920 loader very soon, that reminds me ratchetrake. I have 3 types of stumps, about 40 puny 3-6 inch'ers, 4 to 5 10'ers, and 10 monsters in the 20 to 24 inch range. I don't think I'll be able to dig out those big ones with this tractor and may have them ground below grade or bring in heavy equipment. My neighbor across the street logged his 5 acres, he has 2 giant tracked machines he used to yank out his stumps still parked on his property, probably take him less than an hour with one of those things to pull my big ones.

We did the same thing on 2 acres a few years ago with 70-80 24" stumps and had an excavator in for a week to clear all of them - was a lot of clean up afterwards - took the summer with a york rake and lots of rock picking.

The berry brambles seem attracted to newly cleared land - we have two patches 50' around growing out of rocky areas but only 6' high and 1/2" stems and they are still nasty.

I tried the ratchet rake but there are too many embedded rocks in the ground so I wear coveralls and gloves and attack them with my brush cutter.

The RR will work well if you dont have too many rocks is my experience. Good luck and if you have the 20' monster blackberry bushes that is a real challenge i agree.