The "right sized" tractor for our land?

[jeff9366]

We have about 2 acres.

Recurring tasks:

• Moving logs/firewood.
• Gravel road maintenance (filling potholes, pulling a drag, etc...).
• Snow cleanup (not road plowing-I handle that with the truck) around the house and buildings.

Upcoming projects that I'll use the tractor for:

• Moving gravel/grading 25' x 60' parking area in prepartion for paving.
• Building a boulder wall (using rock sourced from the property) alongside the parking area.
• Spreading gravel over a corduroy road I'm building through the swamp in the rear of the property.
• Tearing down an old 16' x 20' timber frame barn and building a new 20' x 32' pole barn.
• Hauling boulders and other material down to our pond to build up the bank.

Given all of this, should I stick with something comparable to the L245DT, go a bit smaller for greater maneuverability (I definitely don't need something larger)?

Ground clearance due to larger wheels and tires is the single greatest difference in tractor specs between (all brands) of Subcompact tractors and the lightest Compact tractors. Larger wheels and tires permit compact tractors to bridge holes, ruts and tree debris with less operator perturbation relative to subcompact tractors.

One can mow a field faster with larger wheels and tires. One of two mph with larger wheels/tires will significantly reduce field mowing time. Larger wheels and tires also assist towing logs and speeds grading rough, pot-holed drives.

Five reasons owner/operators trade up from a Subcompact Tractor:
More tractor weight.
More FEL lift capacity.
More ground clearance
Three-range (3) HST (Lower LOW, Higher, HIGH) rather than two-range (2) HST.
More tractor horsepower


VIDEO: Kubota BX Series VS. B Series - YouTube

A Kubota 'B' series or the new LX2610 should be ample and efficient for your tasks.

 

[oosik]

Around here there are many used tractors. As long as you are looking for 350 to 550 hp units. Used compact and subcompact tractors do not exist. I started out in 1982 with a brand new Ford 1700 4WD. It took 27 years to complete all the projects, I could, with that unit. In 2009 I bought a brand new Kubota M6040. I'm still working on the larger projects. I have 80 acres, a mile long driveway and winter snow.

I hope that, wherever you are - you have better luck finding a used tractor that meets your needs.

 

[mikester]

That L245DT will probably run forever as long as you dont abuse it. But why buy the cow when you get the milk for free?

You have an awfully nice neighbour to let you use the tractor any time you want. Hopefully you leave him with a full tank of diesel every time you borrow it. It wouldnt hurt to contribute to the services costs too i.e. oil+filters

I have a neighbour near by who has a similar set up...couple of acres next door to a farm. He uses his neighbours machine to cut his own grass and then cuts his neighbours grass the same time. Seems like a fair trade to me.

 

[Egon]

Don’t get hung up on terminology like sub compact or compact. Just think small and a little larger and so on and so forth. But do consider transmission types, Power steering, mechanical items hanging off the bottom and four wheel drive.

With a loaded bucket and using an implement bar on the three point you will be surprised at the size of log you can pull.

 

[shooterdon]

I was in the same situation. My neighbor would let me borrow his tractor whenever I needed it. It was great but not perfect. So I understand.

After about a year of trying to find a decent used tractor at a reasonable price I gave up. A friend passed away and I ended up purchasing his tractor. Spent $2500 getting it repaired. If you are not talented, budget something for repairs on a used machine...and tires are not cheap. After a year and a half, I traded up to my current machine.

A SSQA FEL is almost a must have. It allows you to quickly change attachments on the FEL. I use the bucket the least. Most of the time, I have a grapple or forks mounted. You should think about the jobs you will be going and decide accordingly.

Firewood is heavy. How you move it and store it affects tractor choice. I needed 2000 lbs of capacity for how I handle it. YMMV

Other considerations are where you will garage the tractor....will it fit?

One last suggestion. You may not need a tractor that will do every task you can imagine. You need one that does all the repetitive jobs. I use contractors to do the odd job I might do once or rarely. It helped my thinking to put together a spreadsheet.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

A lot depends on tractor configuration. Buy the heavy duty front loader. Ag tires will give you better traction, but chew up your yard. I have a Kubota 3130 and keep a rear implement mounted almost all the time, either a mower or 55 gallon sprayer, plus loaded tires. The blade is a special purpose tool, not heavy enough to make much traction difference.

Shop around. Kubota is a good tractor, but if you have a dealer nearby, consider a Mahindra, Massey-Ferguson, or New Holland. Buy a shop repair manual and parts manual when you buy the tractor. It's $100 well spent. You are buying a dealer as much as you are buying a tractor.

You want to store it out of the weather. Modern electronics and water don't mix.

 

[Jstpssng]

A lot depends on tractor configuration. Buy the heavy duty front loader. Ag tires will give you better traction, but chew up your yard. I have a Kubota 3130 and keep a rear implement mounted almost all the time, either a mower or 55 gallon sprayer, plus loaded tires. The blade is a special purpose tool, not heavy enough to make much traction difference.

Shop around. Kubota is a good tractor, but if you have a dealer nearby, consider a Mahindra, Massey-Ferguson, or New Holland. Buy a shop repair manual and parts manual when you buy the tractor. It's $100 well spent. You are buying a dealer as much as you are buying a tractor.

You want to store it out of the weather. Modern electronics and water don't mix.

I would add Kioti and LS to that list. I believe that the latter is underpriced for what you get. They are the "new kid on the block", and are trying to build marketshares. Over the next few years their prices will go up.
I lean toward Kubota, but if I'd had more time to look around when I purchased my current tractor it probably would have been a geared 2610 Kioti instead.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

Nobody is mentioning JD, but they are a good tractor. A used one can be a great buy, because JD has an extensive network of dealers. You will never be without repairs. The reason most of us don't mention it is they sure are proud of their green paint. Their prices are out of line. But hey, if you find somebody who needs the money, or grandpa died from the virus, there may be a deal waiting for you out there.