Tractor Sizing TRACTOR WEIGHT as ONE (1) CRITERION in TRACTOR SELECTION

[jeff9366]

TRACTOR WEIGHT as ONE CRITERION in TRACTOR SELECTION

This thread has evolved since February 2, 2018 under former title of GUIDE: Shopping/Sizing A Tractor.
T-B-N members have contributed 413 replies to this focused thread, commencing its third iteration. I thank them.


My opinions developed while owning/operating a Deere 750 clutch and gear, a Kubota B3300SU/HST, a Kubota L3560/HST+, and operating two 50-horsepower, 2-WD John Deeres, one a Deere/Georgia shuttle shift, the second a Deere/India clutch and gear. A fairly diverse assortment of tractors, in weights often discussed on this site.


I have owned three tractors. The first a 1,900 pound subcompact "learner" without a Loader. The second a 2,200 pound tractor-loader package. The third, my 3,500 pound Kubota L3560, is tractor nirvana in my north Florida conditions. Had I early read a thread philosophizing on tractor weight it would have stimulated tractor weight research and I would have omitted purchase of tractor #2, which proved too light for my applications. I purchased tractor #2 seduced by the allure of increased horsepower.

Tractor neophytes should find this blurb especially stimulative.

 

[jeff9366]

WORKING DRAFT (7.46)​

The fundamental importance of TRACTOR WEIGHT eludes many tractor shoppers. Tractor capability is more closely correlated to tractor weight than any other single (1) specification.

The most efficient way to shop for tractors is to first identify potential tractor applications, then, through consulataton, establish bare tractor weight necessary to safely accomplish your applications. Tractor dealers, experienced tractor owners and TractorByNet.com are sources for weight recommendations.

Sufficient tractor weight is more important for most tractor applications than increased tractor horsepower. Bare tractor weight is a tractor specification easily found in sales brochures and web sites, readily comparable across tractor brands and tractor models, new and used.

Within subcompact and compact tractor categories, a significant tractor capability increase requires a bare tractor weight increase of 50%. It takes a 100% increase in bare tractor weight to elicit MY-OH-MY!

Shop your weight range within tractor brands. Budget will eliminate some choices. Collect a dealer brochure for each tractor model in your weight range. I spreadsheet tractor and implement specs, often a revealing exercise. I have a column for cost per pound.

Most tractors under 3,000 pounds bare weight operate in residential or hobby farm applications on one to ten flat acres.

Selling a used tractor is easy. Selling multiple light implements in order to buy heavier, wider implements for a new, heavier tractor requires a lot of time. Depreciation on implements is worse than depreciation on a tractor.

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

A quality dealer, reasonably close, available for coaching, is important for tractor neophytes. Most new tractors are delivered with a glitch or two requiring correction. My Kubota dealer is six miles away. I feel my local dealer continues to add value to my equipment after seven years. Dealer proximity is less important for those experienced with tractors and qualified to perform their own maintenance.

BUY ENOUGH TRACTOR.​

 

[Dranrab]

Jeff, I am a neophyte and frankly there's nothing stimulative about it. For your application you found larger tractors sufficiently more efficient than smaller ones to make it worth the extra expense. It's obvious you spend quite a bit of time trying to influence readers here. Your posts would be much more influential if you quantified how the larger machines did things your smaller tractors could not do or how they did jobs more quickly. I don't want to dissaude you from continuing to try to help readers, as I have found some of your posts very helpful, but as it stands now the substance of this post essentially reads "because I did it" or "because I said so."

 

[jeff9366]

Perhaps to you. Many of the 400+ replies to predecessor threads found it useful.

Perhaps even you. Considering an L2501 you have added 1,000 pounds bare tractor weight.

I could make do just fine with a sub-compact, but I have been told so many times to go a size larger than I think I'll need that I decided to go with a small frame compact. I have decided to go new. I narrowed it down to a Tym T264, Kioti CK2510, Mahindra Max 26, LS XJ2025, Branson 2510H, Kubota B2601, Yanmar SA424 and SA324, Massey 1526, New Holland Boomer 24 and JD 2025 R.

The substance of this post essentially reads "because I did it" or "because I said so."

Yes, experience is valuable.

 

[Dranrab]

WORKING DRAFT (7.46)​

The fundamental importance of TRACTOR WEIGHT eludes many tractor shoppers.

Can you demonstrate the importance of weight?

The most efficient way to shop for tractors is to first identify potential tractor applications, then, through consulataton, establish bare tractor weight necessary to safely accomplish your applications. Tractor dealers, experienced tractor owners and TractorByNet.com are sources for recommendations.

Every dealer I have visited has said they sell 4-5 foot implements with their 2000 pound +/- compact tractors. Is there a better way to establish the ideal bare tractor weight?

Sufficient tractor weight is more important for most tractor applications than increased tractor horsepower.

Can you clearly explain or demonstrate how?

a significant tractor capability increase requires a bare tractor weight increase of 50%.

What can you offer in support of this assertion?

Most tractors under 3,000 pounds bare weight operate in residential or hobby farm applications on one to ten flat acres.

Where did you get that data and is there anything wrong with operating sub 3000 pound tractors in hobby or small farming applications?

When considering a tractor purchase, bare tractor weight first,

Now we are back to needing to consider bare tractor weight without an explanation (other than see your dealer) for how we are supposed to calculate the correct bare weight for a given task.

BUY ENOUGH TRACTOR.​

A famous gun writer once said "use enough gun." That went a long way toward fueling the magnum craze. Nowadays magnums are falling out of favor. People are starting to realize that the .257 Roberts class chamberings are more than adequate for anchoring most North American big game animals. That class of cartridges does it with less fuss and less cost. Seems the once lowly 257 really is enough gun.

Let's try this to see if we can draw out some substance.

 

[Diggin It]

"because I said so."

That's the way Professor Orange works.

 

[atsah]

Dranrab, any piece of equipment (tractor, truck etc.) that is bigger, heavier are going to do more work than a smaller, lighter piece of equipment. From you're posts you seem to be looking at 1800-2000lb tractors, nothing wrong with that, if it will do what you need to it to do have at it BUT, they do not compare to a piece of equipment that is bigger and heavier..

From what you have explained you want to do with a tractor, the 24-26hp tractor will probably do what you want it to do.. SCUT's are very handy, they don't tear lawns up and you can work close to things BUT, they are limited as to what they can do, every size tractor has it's limitations, as long as you are aware of a SCUT's limitations before you buy one, that's all that matters..

Jeff has been through the "to small tractor" buying thing as have I and many others here. We are trying to help new members learn from our past mistakes..

Go on youtube and watch the tractor you're interested in buying do some work and you be the judge as to whether it suits you're needs.. You have the benefit of watching someone with the same tractor you are interested in working, we did not.

 

[RalphVa]

I think the only time you need weight is you're pushing or pulling something fairly heavy: usually farm machinery. However, they even make round hay balers for Gravelys or other 2 wheelers.

In my experience, going to 4wd instead of 2wd is all I needed and in a base 1200 # tractor. I've a 100' vertical drop down to the creek behind the house. Had troubles with the Gravely being safe or having enough traction to go up/down the hill. My first tractor, a JD 4010, did fine as have the 1025R and 2025R (this one basically the same as the 4010 except for more hp).


Ralph

 

[Dranrab]

Why not exit my thread and start you own? It is not my fault you do not get "it"

I have answered a number of questions for you but now I am adding you to an exclusive group, those on my
T-B-N IGNORE LIST.

Nor is it my fault you are unwilling to teach. How dare I have the audacity to ask questions of you.

 

[Dranrab]

Dranrab, any piece of equipment (tractor, truck etc.) that is bigger, heavier are going to do more work than a smaller, lighter piece of equipment. From you're posts you seem to be looking at 1800-2000lb tractors, nothing wrong with that, if it will do what you need to it to do have at it BUT, they do not compare to a piece of equipment that is bigger and heavier..

From what you have explained you want to do with a tractor, the 24-26hp tractor will probably do what you want it to do.. SCUT's are very handy, they don't tear lawns up and you can work close to things BUT, they are limited as to what they can do, every size tractor has it's limitations, as long as you are aware of a SCUT's limitations before you buy one, that's all that matters..

Jeff has been through the "to small tractor" buying thing as have I and many others here. We are trying to help new members learn from our past mistakes..

Go on youtube and watch the tractor you're interested in buying do some work and you be the judge as to whether it suits you're needs.. You have the benefit of watching someone with the same tractor you are interested in working, we did not.

I am targeting small compacts like the Kubota B2601 or compacts in the Kioti CK2610 size. I'll see if I can find some videos of them working.

 

[atsah]

A little heavier than a SCUT with the same power as a SCUT.. Kinda like my 3025, it's a little weak for it's size IMO but I like it and no tier 4 emissions, I'll put up with the small loss in power to avoid tier 4 any day..

 

[atsah]

I am targeting small compacts like the Kubota B2601 or compacts in the Kioti CK2610 size. I'll see if I can find some videos of them working.

If this is the only reply you have to the information in my post, that tells me a thing or two, all I'm going to say is , good luck to you in you're endeavors..

 

[Dranrab]

If this is the only reply you have to the information in my post, that tells me a thing or two, all I'm going to say is , good luck to you in you're endeavors..

My apologies for a reply that may have come off as curt. I am grateful for the well thought out post you provided. My attention was divided while I was reading it and rather than wait and respond in full, I fired off a quick response to let you know I had read it and would follow your suggestion.

 

[BAP]

Jeff, how many threads are you going to keep starting that day the exact same thing? Are you just trying to boost your post count? Your opinions in these threads are not the Gospel truth that you make them out to be. In fact, you could be misleading new buyers into buying bigger than they need to. Weight is a factor in tractor buying, but not the only factor like you keep trying to tell people.

 

[atsah]

My apologies for a reply that may have come off as curt. I am grateful for the well thought out post you provided. My attention was divided while I was reading it and rather than wait and respond in full, I fired off a quick response to let you know I had read it and would follow your suggestion.

Okay, good enough..

 

[atsah]

you could be misleading new buyers into buying bigger than they need to.

I honestly don't see that happening, I see people reading Jeff's posts and taking what he says into consideration.. If someone comes on here and asks a question and buys the wrong tractor, they didn't do the research needed to fulfill their needs, they need to read, read and read some more not take one mans opinion to buy a tractor for their needs..

Lots of people jump on Jeff, I don't see the reasoning behind it.. Their are lots of posts on this forum that are of no use to some people and that's fine but on occasion people get on another member because of the members opinions.. If someone is asking a tractor question and takes one mans opinion and buys a tractor because of that one mans opinion, they don't research much and is their own fault they bought the wrong machine..

Within a few hours of youtube and reading threads you can get a pretty good idea of what you need..

I'm going to stay out of this one, their are a few negative comments including the usual "professor orange" comments that have no value to anyone other than a blue guy trying to start trouble yet again...

 

[Dranrab]

Okay, good enough..

This was actually a pretty good video. I am going to continue to watch some. Thanks for the recommendation.

#122 Why Would You Buy a Kubota B261 Compact Tractor? - YouTube

 

[atsah]

This was actually a pretty good video. I am going to continue to watch some. Thanks for the recommendation.

#122 Why Would You Buy a Kubota B261 Compact Tractor? - YouTube

Nice.. That's a good one.. You will get a pretty good idea of what a particular tractor can and can not do..

 

[Dranrab]

Nice.. That's a good one.. You will get a pretty good idea of what a particular tractor can and can not do..

This one is not a good video in that it's at some kind of fast motion, but it does show the tires spinning as the operator sticks the bucket into a load. So that illustrates how weight can make a difference.

kioti ck261 clearing land part 2 - YouTube

 

[atsah]

You have to take into consideration guys like this think they have a bull dozer, a tractor with a bucket on it is made to move material. While you can do some light digging with a tractor with a loader it isn't a bull dozer, I have a small dozer and my tractor that's twice it's size doesn't stand a chance at digging compared to it..