Sub-Compact/Compact Recommendations

[iptman]

How does LS, Mahindra, Bobcat, New Holland etc all compare?

the LS MT225S seems like a well built tractor in the approximate size of the B2601.

The Bobcat tractors are white painted Kiotis. Check to see if you have either a Bobcat dealer or Kioti dealer around. Generally the Kioti/Bobcats have significantly higher weight compared to any other brand's tractor in a comparative size. My CX2510 weighs 2200 pounds and the Kubota B2601 weighs 1600 pounds. Bobcats are shipped from Kioti and are assembled fully in a Bobcat factory before being sent to dealers to sell. Kioti relies on dealers for final assembly. If there was a Bobcat equivalent of the Kioti CX2510 I would have bought that. I would feel way more comfortable with Bobcat's service techs than any Kioti dealer's. For what you have you should look in to the Bobcat CT2025. No DPF, good weight, 22hp PTO and you'll be surprised how cheap they're selling for right now (free FEL through the end of May). Skip the MMM and get yourself a used Scag with less than 500 hours on it. My mowing time on my ~2.5 acres of grass went from 4 hours with a tractor to 1 hour with the zero turn.

 

[can do]

I am looking for recommendations for a sub-compact or compact tractor. Right now my wife and I have a smaller property (1.2 acres). We have property that we will be building on in the next few years (15 acres with a ~600-800ft planned driveway). I am looking to get a front mount blower, front loader, and belly mower for the time being. We are planning a 1.5-2 acre finish cut area at this time. If I need a backhoe I will rent one. Another usage will be at my family cabin for doing some light work moving dirt and moving wood around.


There is one other manufacture You should not overlook & that's Massey-Ferguson ! I can still get parts for my 1959 M-F 50 from the nationwide dealer network of AGCO parts & that's a 62 year old tractor ! Hows That for for part availability & they aren't going anywhere Think about it! & welcome to TBN& that's a M-F 1526 compact to the left with my M-F 50

 

[Hermio]

Our goal is to leave most of the property wooded and only maintain the yard and driveway, maybe a small firing range where I could handle mowing that with either the belly or a 3 point. I am pretty familiar with the cut quality of the 1025R with the 7 iron deck as I've used our neighbors and it cuts far better than my older Husqvarna with a 48" fab deck.


Most of my mowing will be the yard. If I need to mow field/do tractor work I plan on taking the deck off which makes the drive over of the JD extremely enticing. I'm planning on using the mower on my current property now (~1.2 acres of lawn) until we finish construction which may be a few years.

I had a Kubota B7100 for about 30 years. I finally figured out that a tractor is not a very good mower. I now have a zero turn mower (BadBoy), which mows much better. I also got a much bigger tractor for heavy work in the woods: a Mahindra 50 Hp 4WD HST model. Having a ZTR and a tractor will make your life easier. Just costs more!

 

[Tony H]

I am looking for recommendations for a sub-compact or compact tractor. Right now my wife and I have a smaller property (1.2 acres). We have property that we will be building on in the next few years (15 acres with a ~600-800ft planned driveway). I am looking to get a front mount blower, front loader, and belly mower for the time being. We are planning a 1.5-2 acre finish cut area at this time. If I need a backhoe I will rent one. Another usage will be at my family cabin for doing some light work moving dirt and moving wood around.


I'd like to stick to a company that I can expect to have a long service life (IE 20-30 year part availability) which has really pointed me toward units like a JD 1025R or Kubota BX2680.

You may want to explore Mahindra MAX series. I can't Dis the Orange or Green in the sub compacts but they think their machines are made of gold just because they carry their name. Massey ferg too. How much snow do you get at a time typical? If you 2-3 feet in a night, you can count on super slow going with the sub compact. Less then 2 feet typical, you will be very happy

 

[Stowed4Sea]

@Bdsankey I'm also in the search, granted I'm looking for more HP and bigger size as that's what I need, but I also had the same questions and concerns about LS when I started.

I quickly found out they are have been around for a long while (originally part of LG when they started making tractors, LG like the TV's etc). They eventually split off in 2003 into their own company. They are one of the few companies that makes small tractors to have invested significant resources into making their own Tier 4 diesel engines. They are a leading brand in S. Korea, and their worldwide exports are growing rapidly each year. They have lofty goals and are investing a lot in way of making their own stuff, very similar to Kubota back when they were first developing as I see it. They aren't some brand like Bobcat that is paying someone else to develop and build their tractors or engines.

So, the only other concern I had is what if my nearby dealer shut down due to lack of sales, but after seeing how busy they are and discussing with him the various aspects of being a dealer, he said he never wants to sell any other tractor brand. He used to sell Yanmar at one point, but all the ways he explained that LS makes it easy to be a dealer vs the other companies really helped me understand why Dealers love LS and all the customers I've talked with love LS, I think it's a brand that will stick around for a long while. Granted there is no predicting the local dealer dying in a freak accident and having his dealership shut down or who knows what, but talking it over with him really helped give me confidence in that specific dealer, even when taking everything he said with a grain of salt because he is a dealer.

I haven't decided exactly what I'm getting or what brand even, but I'm fairly certain it will be LS. Kubota's are nice, but they don't really have much savings over Deere when compared to what features you get with LS. Granted, that's from my perspective looking at the 40-60 HP range of tractors, I see lots of value In LS there over Kubota/Deere. I would assume it's the same in their smaller stuff, but I haven't looked.


Hope that info helps!

 

[nrosario]

I know there is a lot of info already posted, hope you can use this to your advantage.
I used to be inclined on owning a small and capable do-everything machine.
But now after a couple of years, I'm convinced that the best approach (in my particular case) is to use/have the right tool for the job.
Instead of getting a MMM or a 3pt finish mower, I got a medium-duty flail mower for the heavy brush and a ZTR for mowing around the house.
I'm very happy with my decision, but not everyone might agree.
In my case, I own a Mahindra Max 26xl, with BH(which I like a lot), Flail Mower, Grapple, Forks, and soon a Land Plane.

The JD 2025r, Kubota 2601, and the LS MT225s are all capable machines.
Whatever you end up buying make sure you have good dealer support (as others mentioned).

Don't discard the idea of going a little bigger for not much more $$$. (Kubot L2501, LS MT225E, Kioti CK2610, etc).

Take your time on this, don't rush it, the machine you want/need is out there, is just a matter of making the best decision for your particular situation.

And remember to have fun.

 

[kenbgbill]

I have 5 acres of mostly wooded property. It was a coin toss between a JD and Kubota sub-compact from my research but both of those seemed to rise to the top from my perspective. I settled on a Kubota BX 25D since I needed a backhoe and they seemed superior for my needs. Kubota uses industry standard hydraulic components while JD seemed to have more proprietary parts. I also got a great deal on a 2-year old tractor with zero hours that just never sold 2016 model bought in 2018 so look around and have a bit of patience. Good luck

 

[blueman2]

I am looking for recommendations for a sub-compact or compact tractor. Right now my wife and I have a smaller property (1.2 acres). We have property that we will be building on in the next few years (15 acres with a ~600-800ft planned driveway). I am looking to get a front mount blower, front loader, and belly mower for the time being. We are planning a 1.5-2 acre finish cut area at this time. If I need a backhoe I will rent one. Another usage will be at my family cabin for doing some light work moving dirt and moving wood around.


I'd like to stick to a company that I can expect to have a long service life (IE 20-30 year part availability) which has really pointed me toward units like a JD 1025R or Kubota BX2680.

I would definitely go with a compact over a subcompact. I have a LS MT225S with a loader and backhoe. A drive over center mower is available. A subcompact is basically a lawn mower. It won't give you much ground clearance or lifting power. I find the compact to be big enough to do the job; but small enough to get around in tight spaces.

 

[TexasDigger]

Kioti CK2610 all day long... I had the CK3510 HST myself & loved it but needed a HP upgrade to bail hay. The CK's are workhorses & really good bang for buck. Loader was very agile & powerful - could curl & lift/dump simultaneously (unlike several others I tested). I lifted an entire 12x12 porch on my pallet forks with my CK3510 (same frame, loader & hydros as the 2610). Would love to get another one if I could afford the pmts on both!!

 

[HEC]

If you want parts availability in distant future or even at this time it is hard to beat the Kubota or John Deere . Some of the other brands without mentioning names can be crap shoot . Have a friend who waited weeks for parts . You get what you pay for in most cases . I had a mishap with my 2650 and needed door assembly parts , glass , door latch , etc. , etc. for my cab . Called and all parts were in stock and shipped the next day .