which Kubota

[gandalf]

Hello! I'm new to this forum but I have enjoyed reading the comments, questions and answers and now I have a question that I'd appreciate advice on. I own a 40 acre agri-farm, a few miles north of Carthage, Missouri that a share cropper farms at this time, with the main crop being soy beans and milo. I have decided to build a home on about 5 acres of this land and maybe someday start "farming" the land myself. I don't need the income, so I quess that would make me a "hobby" farmer. I do however have a lot of experience growing vegetables and we do a lot of canning. My dilema is that I want to make the right decision initially so that I don't regret it a few months down the line. I will have a lot of "bush hogging" to do and fence line maintenance, wood cutting and hauling, general land-farm duties, brush clearing etc etc- and the aforementioned future takeover from my share cropper. A local Kubota dealer, Anderson Motors, in Joplin, Missouri offers very good package deals on the smaller tractors, like the L2600, with a box blade, loader, bush hog and trailer, at a real great price, but I'm a little bit to big(6'-4" and 350 lbs) for this unit and I think it may be to small to do the job, especially if I put the land in wheat, oats or hay, and do the job myself. I want live PTO, auto trans, 4WD and whatever would make my job easier. Sorry for the long "first time" post, but I see expertise here, that I don't have, so I thought I'd ask advice. Thanks, Sam

 

[Bird]

gandalf, the smaller tractors like the L2600 can do the job, but of course, a bigger one just does it faster and more comfortably. I use a B2710 and like it, although I only have 10 acres. I'd suggest that you go to that dealer and try the different ones until you find the one that's comfortable for you, and that's the one that'll be big enough to do what you want to do. In other words, I believe that if a tractor doesn't "feel" right to the buyer initially, it'll get worse instead of better with time.

Bird

 

[Vernon]

Bird is right. You should deffinately try many different tractors before you make your final decision.

 

[W5FL]

Guess you just can't have it all! So it is important to decide what you want to be able to do with your tractor.

The Ag tractors are the M Series and none have automatic transmissions. They range from 47 hp to 120 hp and have a wonderful fully synchronized transmission and dash mounted shuttle as well as draft control and very strong 4WD systems. The smallest loader will lift (in the bucket) over 2100# and the 3 point will pick up a 7 ft mower or work with most of the heavier ag pto driven equipment. Kubota makes a nice range of tractors to fit all uses and the L Series while not intended as an Ag tractor is certainly used by many for that use. Most are sold with a really nice hydrostatic transmission and can be outfitted to perform most chores. They are available with cab/air conditioning and a lot of nice creature comforts. They are not suitable for Haying, pulling Spriggers, and most 6 or 7 ft equipment or some of the more demanding Ag applications requiring 50 pto HP or more. They are also lighter than the M Series making them nice choices for mowing, landscaping, and thousands of other uses.

I personally don't believe you will save a dime on a package deal over just deciding what you need or want and purchasing it at or near the same time as the tractor.

I have seen several people with 40 hp tractors wishing they had a 60 hp tractor but have yet to find someone wanting a smaller machine than they have. Unfortunately the larger tractors also cost more, so cost sometimes winds up being the deciding factor for most of us.

 

[Billc]

gandalf, think you may need to really think through on how you will use a tractor. In your post you said you will be working on 5 acres but "maybe" start farming. That is a big maybe.

If you plan on taking care of the entire 40 acres you want either an M series, which is a true ag tractor, or large L series (4310 or 4610) (and remember bigger is better). The advantage of the L series is that you can get it with a hydro transmission (hst)...meaning it is basically an "automatic". The advantage of the M series is that they are bigger, stronger, and more of a work horse. A M series can pull larger 3 point implements, the loader will lift more, etc.

If you will be mainly taking care of the 5 acres, the above tractors will give you a serious case of over kill. So determine how you will use a tractor.

Oh, you said you were a pretty big fellow. If you will be working on the 40 acres and not just the 5 acres, you will like the seat on a M series much more.

 

[_RaT_]

Sam, I would be inclined to go with a Grand L. Plenty of power and your extra weight will only enhance the traction. The hydrostatic drive (HST) on the Kubota is the best on the market. The L4610 is the newest with the most HP. It also has the highest lift capacity of the loaders in the L line. The M series are very nice tractors as well, but offer no HST, you must select your gears and use a clutch. That is really why the Grand L's and L's have become increasingly popular. HST is definitely the way to go. Your concern will be fit. Just try them out, sit in them and see how you like the seating room. Most all tractors big and little definitely compromise the seating area, (although todays tractors have gotten better)its not as though you can stretch out, but who would know, theyre so much fun that you quickly forget about the accomodations. Rat...

 

[JimBinMI]

Paddock,

I respectfully ask, who says that the Kubota HST is the "best" on the market? I truly didn't notice any difference between the B7300, B1700 and the NH TC18!
Even Bird responded in an earlier post that he notices NO difference between his B2710 and his relatives NH TC29!

Where does this come from?

JimBinMI

We boys and our toys!

 

[W5FL]

In a "Which Kubota" topic, you will get no respect here Jim......

The larger tractors have all the room a big man can use on the M Series. I sure would hate to sit on a tractor for 12 hours a day if I weren't happy with the seating comfort! For many Ag applications, you actually push in the clutch every hour or so. The same is true for a lot of bush hogging on reasonably large open acreage. The M Series turns the PTO off/on with a short lever that operates a hydraulic clutch for the pto. The pto is thus independent of tractor motion or the clutch.

By the time you put a round bale of hay on the front loader spear and a round bale on the 3 point spear and stack them two high, there is a reason why there are no smaller Ag tractors and it doesn't help if the loader doesn't have enough capacity to get a bale off the ground. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[JimBinMI]

Wen,

I really didn't expect a return post on that question since there is nothing to back the statement. Just like the last time it was mentioned there was no response.

JimBinMI

We boys and our toys!

 

[Kelvin]

Cost permitting, consider this...

Buy a 27-40 mid-sized tractor for now (such the L-series or one of the larger B-series Kubota). It would actually be more than you NEED for the 5 acres, but I don't believe that you'd regret the purchase.

If (and when) you start maintaining the larger acreage then you'll obviously wish you had a larger tractor. Based upon the experience gained with the mid-sized tractor, you should have a really good idea of the features & size that you would want and/or need in a larger tractor. At that time buy a larger tractor as a SECOND tractor. Since the mid-sized tractor would be able to handle a lot (but not all) of the chores on the 40 acre parcel, then you'll find yourself using it instead of the big tractor on many chores because it would (1) be more fuel efficient, (2) be more convenient (especially for the smaller tasks) and (3) save "wear & tear" on the larger, more expensive tractor. For chores such as mowing with a rotary mower, while the big tractor is much better and faster, it still would be nice to have the option of having both tractors in operation at the same time if you have a willing operator (wife, children, etc).

I only have 5 acres, but have upgraded from a small compact to a mid-sized compact. I intended to sell the smaller one but, based on a lot of the reasons listed above, ended up keeping it and using it as much (or more) than the larger one. My wife and I do occasionally get into the "his & her" mode and have them both going at the same time. To my surprise, even my 16 year old daughter seems to enjoy operating the tractor (so far I have only let her use the older gear drive; once she uses the new hydrostat model I probably couldn't get her back on the gear drive).