Used tractor recommendation for 40 acre property for $15-20k?

[prof fate]

There's a lot of great replies here ... getting me thinking in lots of directions.

The best thing I have to compare to this experience is cars ... I've been into cars for a while and like working on them so I can compare some lessons learned there to here.

1. I'm certainly of the belief that I prefer a more powerful engine vs a less powerful one. So whatever motor I get I would want it to be the equivalent of a v8 powered SUV - pretty much more than you need, which means less stress on the motor.

more HP is more money to buy, uses more fuel - but if you don't work it as hard it may last longer - but most tractors can 7k, 10k hours or more - few if any of us will put that many hours on a tractor..I'm well above average at say, 300/year...so TWENTY YEARS to get to 6k hours...My previous tractor was a 74 kubota I bought in 2017 with 1338 hours on it. Yes, 1300 in 43 years.


2. I don't know anything about Tractor motors but when I look at vehicles I look at the motor and try to find bulletproof ones. Are tractor motors made by certain manufacturers and shared amongst tractor brands? Are some motors known for their reliability over others?

Kubota, kioti make their own engines. Many use Yanmar (a good engine). Engines are rarely an issue...driveline componenents are more likely to be the issue, or hydraulic system componants.

3. I have looked at some used one .. the hours I've seen seem to be 1500 hours or less ... how many is too many? Also are there "service" intervals for tractors wherby a certain "hour mark" they pretty much require, new this, new that, etc?

See above. My '18 kioti is 400 hours between oil changes...clean disels (with dpf) have their benefits.

4. I think maybe my eyes are bigger than my wallet right now, and the more I think the more maybe a backhoe isn't a critical accessory I need right now. Are there any critical "must have" accessories when buying? For example is a bucket loader a must have?

You'll find 1,000,000 uses for a loader. Also useful are back blade (dirt, snow), box blade (dirt and leveling), disks (planting, loosening dirt for leveling or moving), brush hog (for weeds/tall grass mowing), finish mower for lawns, post hole auger for planting trees, fence posts, pole barns, etc, forks for the loader (so quick tach is best setup) for moving anything on a pallet (implements, storage, posts, etc), logs, portable tool bench, water totes, feeders, etc. I use my forks as much as my bucket.

5. With tractors, is rust a concern? Do some manufacturers use better metal than other? Or maybe older built machines have better metal than new?

Keep it inside as much as you can. I see them sit out for decades - not a big issue really. My implements sit out, my brush hog is very big, 30 years old, and has some surface rust is all.

6. When it comes to attachments and parts are tractors universal? Can I mount any type of tractor backhoe to any tractor?, what about other accessories?

No. Woods makes a 'universal' backhow that fits most any 3 point hitch. A friend has one, uses it a lot. Woods says they won't break your tractor. Factory ones include a steel frame under the tractor - otherwise the trans/engine connection is all you got holding your machine together and the forces, so I'm told/read from a hoe, can break a tractor in half.

7. What usually breaks on tractors? Are they hard to work on or fix? Are some tractor parts more "universal" than others, or easier to find than others?

All are made over seas so all parts, or almost all, are imported. Common items are readily accessible (filters, etc). It may take a week to get a part. More depends on your dealer size than anything else. Big dealers that sell a lot of tractors tend to have more on hand than smaller ones.

8. What tractors do you think have the best communities around them? One of the most helpful things for me is when I have a problem, to find forums and others that have had much experience with the same machines.

Kubota, Deere are the top two selling brands. most expensive too. After than...RK claims to be a big seller and growing (tym tractor rebranded). Mahindra makes some of their tractors and some are rebranded (tym I think). Kioti makes their own in korea. New Holland I'm told is LS.

I had a kubota, looked at them. Lots of things are 'options' - grab handles on both sides, quick tach, bucket level indicator, arm rests that add up fast. I also don't like where the fuel fill is.
The deere dealers I visited are a-holes.acted very much like they don't want to be bothered selling tractors. plus their quick tach is unique to them -fine if you're buying new stuff but hard to find used stuff.
LS is too far away. no branson dealer. didn't like the mahindra tractors. never got to the NH dealer.
RK..lots of features at a fair price, but big box level of service, they've quit selling tractors twice in the past..so what if they do it again, what about support and warranty? Too big a purchase to have that lack of support IMO.

Kioti - well spoken of online, neighbor has one, as does his dad - bewteen them 40 years of owning kioti and not one single repair.
the kioti was $3500 less than kubota (before options on the Kubota) and $500 less than an RK with similar options.

 

[FTG-05]

Here are two things I think you and anybody else looking to buy their first tractor need to know up front:

- Buy one with a Front End Loader (FEL). But that's not enough: Buy one with a FEL that is quick detachable, either the Kubota-usual Skid Steer Quick Attach (SSQA) or the JD proprietary version. Not sure if it matters which - just make sure you don't buy a pinned FEL. There are tons of implements for the FEL. Having a pinned FEL is only slightly less useful than having no FEL at all, IMO.

- When you start buying 3ph implements, make sure they will fit a Quick Hitch (QH). Even if you don't want nor plan on a QH at first (why wouldn't you at only $99 for the HF or Agri-Supply versions); make sure they fit in case you change your mind later. Changing out implements later or changing the implement itself to fit a QH is a major PIA.

For hobby farmers, the ability to change out both the FEL and 3PH implements quickly is a huge advantage. Typically, we're not out there bailing hay or planting cotton or cutting wheat on hundreds of acres; instead we do 3-6 different operations in a day with different implements. Making them easy and simple to change over is so much simpler and less frustrating.

Good luck!
Oh, and don't forget the most important implement of all:

 

[PEJ5]

Would it be fair to say that whatever you buy, you'll plan to(or have to) live with for many years to come?
If so, I recommend you first set aside $2k or $3k for critical used attachment purchases. Then buy the biggest, heaviest, highest clearance height, biggest hydraulic pump, lowest hour tractor/loader you can afford. Did I mention a strong quick attach loader?
If you are like me you will write these specs and price down for each used tractor you find and this will help you to quickly narrow down the make/model and age range you can afford. It is good to narrow it to a brand that is sold and serviced in your general area. After some time shopping, one ad will stand out and really get your attention. Then follow all the good buying tips (mechanic inspection, etc) to be sure it is not too good to be true. The tractor shopping bug is dangerous so don't act too quickly.

In my opinion, skip the backhoe idea initially because it will steal precious money away from critical factors above for the base machine. If you truly 'need' one, you will be able separately justify the cost later. "I can save $5k on this contractor quote". On the other hand, if you end up with too small a tractor (weight/HP, etc) the backhoe included may not do the job you need and then you'll be disappointed in your investment for a very long time.

For my used machine I did my initial service at my local dealer and bought attachments from him to start a relationship.

Have fun.

 

[prof fate]

it was easiest for me to go new - 0 down 0% financing for 6 years.

My cash went to the implements.

Had I bought used I'd likley have had to spend $8k to get ANYthing with a loader that worked, to 12k for something 'my size' in decent condition. And getting a loan on that may have been an issue (home equity, signature, etc). Still would have payments, and no warranty.

Paid off my car and traded one payment for another. As long as my car lasts 5.5 more years or so I'm golden! Since it's 5 now and I ususally keep cars 10 years I think it should work out.

or I'll just drive the tractor to work!

 

[3gunr]

If you are serious about food plots. THen a 20x20 is awaste of time. two deer will eat that in one night. I put in quarter acre plots with a 30 hp tractor with ease.An fel is a must have item, arotary cutter and 3 pt tiller will do most of what you will need , A spreader and some type of drag and or roller are also very usefull. 4 wheel drive in a smaller tractor is also a must. good luck.

 

[boostmg]

Kubota, Deere are the top two selling brands. most expensive too. After than...RK claims to be a big seller and growing (tym tractor rebranded). Mahindra makes some of their tractors and some are rebranded (tym I think). Kioti makes their own in korea. New Holland I'm told is LS.

I had a kubota, looked at them. Lots of things are 'options' - grab handles on both sides, quick tach, bucket level indicator, arm rests that add up fast. I also don't like where the fuel fill is.
The deere dealers I visited are a-holes.acted very much like they don't want to be bothered selling tractors. plus their quick tach is unique to them -fine if you're buying new stuff but hard to find used stuff.
LS is too far away. no branson dealer. didn't like the mahindra tractors. never got to the NH dealer.
RK..lots of features at a fair price, but big box level of service, they've quit selling tractors twice in the past..so what if they do it again, what about support and warranty? Too big a purchase to have that lack of support IMO.

Kioti - well spoken of online, neighbor has one, as does his dad - bewteen them 40 years of owning kioti and not one single repair.
the kioti was $3500 less than kubota (before options on the Kubota) and $500 less than an RK with similar options.

I went down the kioti rabbit hole online last night. TBH at first they seemed awesome but then some stuff kind of irked me. For example some of the negative stuff I saw was around design flaws and maybe shortcuts. Like one guy said his whole tractor became inoperable because a stick unplugged something on the undercarriage, another guy said at first he loved it, but over the years was very dissapointed with the FEL, saying his older kioti bucket was much snappier, another guy stating the location of outside hydraulic QDs would get disconnected by a stick, electrical issues (which some were saying is a dealer issue).

This basically got me back to thinking about cars. I used to have a honda civic and there were a lot of little things that pissed me off about it ... basically things that were overlooked because they didn't spend enough resources thinking it through (b/c it's cheap) ... then my next car was a BMW and they seemed to have thought of everything, even things I wouldn't think of. Overtime not having to deal with dumb little "BS" has been worth it's weight in gold.

I'm new to tractors, so I don't know if there is a "well thought out" tractor or if they are all similar, I just know when I see stupid issues it REALLY drives me crazy. If something breaks or fails thats fine, but when I can't have full confidence in using something because I know corners were cut there ... then that's when I would prefer to dump my money more into quality.

For example today in car world if I had 27k ... I'd buy a used BMW 2015 335 with low miles, instead of a brand new loaded toyota camry, because I know I'm getting a higher quality machine, with more time spent thinking through every little detail to make the experience of owning one more enjoyable, rather than something that sells me on features and looks, but once purchases starts to rear it's quirks which can just be chalked up to "we didn't think about that" or "we didn't have time to fix that or make it perfect".

I'm not trying to rag on KIOTI at all, I may still end up with one, I'm just saying little issues like that have a big weight to me. But hey if all tractors share that commonality then that must be the way it is.

As another example though, people were saying the john deere's wiper fluid and wipers sucked. If the rest of the machine never bugged me out but that was one of the issue I would prefer that.

I have to do more digging into all the brands I guess to see the nuances of all of them.

 

[boostmg]

Here are two things I think you and anybody else looking to buy their first tractor need to know up front:

- Buy one with a Front End Loader (FEL). But that's not enough: Buy one with a FEL that is quick detachable, either the Kubota-usual Skid Steer Quick Attach (SSQA) or the JD proprietary version. Not sure if it matters which - just make sure you don't buy a pinned FEL. There are tons of implements for the FEL. Having a pinned FEL is only slightly less useful than having no FEL at all, IMO.

- When you start buying 3ph implements, make sure they will fit a Quick Hitch (QH). Even if you don't want nor plan on a QH at first (why wouldn't you at only $99 for the HF or Agri-Supply versions); make sure they fit in case you change your mind later. Changing out implements later or changing the implement itself to fit a QH is a major PIA.

For hobby farmers, the ability to change out both the FEL and 3PH implements quickly is a huge advantage. Typically, we're not out there bailing hay or planting cotton or cutting wheat on hundreds of acres; instead we do 3-6 different operations in a day with different implements. Making them easy and simple to change over is so much simpler and less frustrating.

Good luck!
Oh, and don't forget the most important implement of all:

Good advice, and you were totally just looking for an excuse to post that picture lol. I appreciate the older stock and fixed sites ... how far we've strayed lol

 

[arnoldziffel]

I suggest you look at a used, well maintained Bobcat ct440 or ct445.

Heavy, powerful, well engineered, good parts availability, affordable.

 

[boostmg]

I suggest you look at a used, well maintained Bobcat ct440 or ct445.

Heavy, powerful, well engineered, good parts availability, affordable.

This is an interesting response I didn't even know about these. I was looking into them breifly .. I saw they were made by Daedong ... so are they Kiotis?

Second I guess they don't make them anymore? Why?

What if I were to want a backhoe for one ... how would I go about purchasing one of them if they don't make them anymore?

 

[TheMadOne]

This is an interesting response I didn't even know about these. I was looking into them breifly .. I saw they were made by Daedong ... so are they Kiotis?

Second I guess they don't make them anymore? Why?

What if I were to want a backhoe for one ... how would I go about purchasing one of them if they don't make them anymore?

While it seems to finally be somewhat stable, brands will enter into the compact tractor market and fail. Bobcat rebadged Daedong machines under their livery and...didn't make enough money. Happened to Cabelas(TYM) recently as well.

A Kioti backhoe might fit, but I wouldn't bet on it. Most of the parts are interchangeable with Kioti.

A backhoe almost has to be purchased with the machine. Especially when buying out of production models. Your local JD dealer is unlikely to have a backhoe laying around that'll mount right up to a 770, for instance.