Your situation sounds very similar to ours and since the
L3130 has been thrown into the mix, I have some thoughts you might consider about that tractor. We also live in Kentucky and recently bought 20 acres.
In October of 2004 we purchased a Kubota
L3130 from a dealer 40 miles outside of Louisvlle. We paid $18,125 for the hydrostat, R1 tires loaded with antifreeze, 723 FEL w standard bucket and 3 hooks welded on and delivery 12 miles to our property.
When pricing these out, be sure to factor in some of the options that people often leave out of the discussion. For instance, the R4 tires were $600 more. Unless you are finish mowing, you might consider putting that towards the upgrade from gear to hydro on any tractor you consider. Endless configuration options need to be considered for the trade offs, like quick attach bucket, heavy duty bucket or grapples or tooth bars may add up to more than gear to hydro upgrade, etc.
If you plan to lift and move heavy trees you might want the 723 versus the 523 FEL, and you need the bigger loader if you want to add a backhoe later.
We needed a tractor for many of the same purposes you stated, plus we were doing a lot of backfilling and finish grading on the home we had built there last year.
I drove Deere, Kioti, CNH, Branson and Kubota, and looked over Mahindra, MF and Farmtrac. We eventually went with the Kubota
L3130 over the Deere 4310 and Kioti CK30, though all three felt very capable and comparable.
I have been very happy with the
L3130 and think the constant recommendations on this forum to pay more for the L3134 or L3138 are mostly unfounded. With the 723 loader completely heaped with wet clay or gravel and hauling it uphill the tractor has never really even hinted that it is underpowered. Don't expect the other two models would do that in high gear much better than the
L3130. Used properly, you shouldn't have any complaints about its ability. Unless you have to have the pto hp, it is not worth the money to me.
I run a 5' bushog and the pto power for that task has never been overly burdened in tall wet grass. I have drug the 6' box blade heaped full without ever slowing down. The subsoiler did require added throttle a few times, and I suppose if I ever use all the rippers with the boxblade some day, that'll tax it too.
But the weight of the
L3130 (especially with the tires loaded) really lets me put the hp to the ground reducing spin outs a lot (another advantage of the r1 tires, but if you do a lot of loader work, the R1 front tires really don't want to bear it well -- another trade off!).
Anyway, I didn't drive any new tractors that I didn't like, so all the little details added up to my decision and probably will for you too. Once you find one that will do what you need it to do, the big details are a price you can be happy with and a good dealer.
p.s. If you do much loader work, I think you might regret the strait gear versus the shuttle or hydro. I know I would.
