Buying Advice To buy used or new? 1026R vs 1025R

[tcreeley]

Looked around- that is heavy wear on the tractor, regardless of what the hours are. Poor operators = damage.

 

[jKlaus]

I've been getting quotes with the backhoe which is where that additional money is coming from. I just talked to one sales rep that suggested I forego buying the backhoe and just rent an excavator when needed. He said he regularly sells them with backhoe and hears the client complain of not using it enough to justify the expense later. Currently the projects I have in mind are trenching for tile around the house.. need to port all of the down spouts away from the foundation. I also want to build my own barn and figured I could use the backhoe on the foundation. I also have a pond that I'd like to drain 5-10 feet and dig out / clean out decomposing material from the short line.

As far as the land clearing is concerned - I have about 1.5 acres covered in a combination of small pine trees and bamboo. I figured if I got a set of bucket teeth it may help in the clearing effort. If not I can chainsaw through it easily enough. I just need the tractor to help dig up small stumps and haul away debris. I also have a couple of tree patches around my pond that are extremely overgrown with virginia creeper and other unwanted plant life. I'd like to trim all f the pines to 8-9' and just have pine needles as ground cover. Ultimately we have just over 3 acres that hasn't been maintained for the past 20 yrs.. the prior owner liked the 'natural' look to things. Guess he also liked the look of an aging / rotten fence that I'll have to be replacing at some point.

I've considered buying a larger tractor but am somewhat concerned about mobility. I plan on planting an orchard at some point and am still undecided whether I will mulch between the trees or leave grass and mow between.

Any thoughts - perhaps some of you can warn me that my honey do list will grow large enough to warrant a 2025 instead?

 

[BitChin1]

I'll let others comment on 2025, but in my experience I purchased a x730 for mowing, light yard work and a blade for driveway maintenance. My friend purchased the 1026r for FEL and mowing etc - we found that my x730 was more manageable around the yard and that his FEL was not useful for moving landscaping rocks etc that he wanted to use it for. He returned it and picked up a x7 series (don't recall which model) and hired out the landscaping work.

At a minimum I would ask dealer to demo unit to be sure it will meet your needs

 

[jKlaus]

I grew up driving larger tractors and test drove the 102(5/6)R enough to feel reasonably confident that it could maneuver around the majority of my yard. Currently we do not have any trees that stand alone. All are clustered into over grown areas that I couldn't mow if I wanted to. I plan on thinning the ground level plant life, but leaving all of the pine needle mulch that falls naturally in those clusters. The only exception to this would be in the orchard but I will likely just cover that entire rectangular area with mulch to help the soil retain water. I have enough projects in my head to feel I warrant at least a 1025R.. I'm afraid the x series wouldn't be up to the task(s). That said it is probably a good idea to test the 1025R out on the property just to make sure it can handle some of the hills and valleys. Our property is fairly flat.. mainly just has a gentle slope but there are a few ditches that may be interesting. Or may warrant a 3pt sickle mower down the road.

Its probably worth noting that we are starting to raise live stock. Currently only chickens but will likely be getting goats or pigs in the relatively near future. Perhaps there's a tax write-off in there somewhere?

 

[s219]

I would probably avoid the used unit, simply because it sounds like it got beat on pretty hard. A 1026R is not remotely suitable for construction/demolition work in my opinion, so I would be concerned about one that was used for that kind of thing. It probably got traded in because they realized it was too small and light duty for their usage. In the meantime it took a beating.

You mention land clearing, and that is one thing I would not recommend a 1-series for due to the limited ground clearance. It's a great tractor, but focused more towards homeowner stuff on smoother ground. If serious about land cleaning and venturing off-road, look into a Deere 2-series, Kubota B-series, or equivalent. You do not want to skimp on ground clearance, otherwise you will run into problems getting stuck and breaking parts on the underside of the tractor.

Pricewise, the Kubota B-series overlaps the Deere 1-series and has a good deal more ground clearance without being noticeable bigger to drive/maneuver. Then the Deere 2-series overlaps the B on the high end. These are all tractors I looked at when purchasing in 2011 (ultimately got a Kubota B2920), hence my recommendations. I believe at the time I was quoted $14,400 for a 1026R with H120 front loader, while the Kubota B2620 was $14,700 and the B2920 was $15,400, both with front loader. Some of the other brands have good options in that size/price range as well.

Good luck!

 

[jKlaus]

Well gentlemen, you have convinced me to purchase new rather than used. That said, I am now debating whether or not I "need" the 260 backhoe. I know I want it but I feel I should at least analyze how close I can come to justifying the cost. Any of you that have backhoes - what are your post purchase thoughts? Has it proven to be worth the investment?

 

[KennyG]

I'd love to have a backhoe, but could never justify it. If I ever really needed one, I would just rent or borrow a mini-excavator. In my mind they are much more functional and rental is not too expensive (and I have a friend who owns one.)

 

[Poopdeck Pappy]

Are you stuck on John Deere? The equivalent Kubota to the 1025R is the BX25D, and you can buy a brand new BX25 for $17,500 - $18,000.

Or, you could buy something like the LS XH2025H with a backhoe for probably $20,000 +/-, and it's a lot more tractor than the 1025R or the BX25.

If you specifically want a Deere, that's ok. Just understand there are alternatives.

 

[jKlaus]

I have considered the BX25D and will probably try test driving one before making the final decision but I like the ease of implement change that JD offers. I've heard that the BX series isn't that comfortable for long legged folks. I'm only 6ft tall but a lot of that is arms and legs.. I also like the location of the front hydraulics control valve on the JD over all the rest on the market.
This weekend I have to head to the feed store and there's a MF dealer on the way - figured I might be able to test drive a GC1720.

 

[cford36]

Are you stuck on John Deere? The equivalent Kubota to the 1025R is the BX25D, and you can buy a brand new BX25 for $17,500 - $18,000.

Or, you could buy something like the LS XH2025H with a backhoe for probably $20,000 +/-, and it's a lot more tractor than the 1025R or the BX25.

If you specifically want a Deere, that's ok. Just understand there are alternatives.

This was what I was going to ask. As a current JD 2210 owner ( same as the models you are looking at just 3 generations older) looking to upgrade, I am pretty set on getting an LS after a lot of researching. Much more tractor for your money with just as good a quality and warranty.