which one, JD 1025R or MF GC1720 or MF 1526 with woods backhoe or NH25s

[Kubota Possum 2018]

I can't speak for the MF. However, I recently purchased a Kubota BX 23 S. Prior to the purchase my dad and I spent a week test driving (mowing, & using the FEL/ backhoe) several models including the JD 1023 & 1025, Kubota BX 23 S, and Mahindra Max 24. By far we were most impressed with the Kubota, and thus this was what I purchased. I have been very impressed with the power and quality of this little tractor, and would recommend it to anyone. Hope this helps.

 

[MessickFarmEqu]

I really can't think of any tractor under 40-50 horse being built in usa. There may be some assembled here with foreign made parts.

K U B O T A.

BX-series is built here. Imported engine and trans, but the rest is done here. Been to the factory.

 

[Phillip w]

I'm always hesitant to make fast judgements or assumptions on posters because we all have different opinions and may have different knowledge awareness too. But Phillip, I also believe if you let a person talk enough - they'll demonstrate if they are correct or way off base. So I've read your many posts on numerous threads over the last two years. Here is what your pattern is - you claim you never create your equipment problems - its always the tractor is the problem. But then you claim you use it very lightly in one post and then in other posts you use it heavily with big loads. You claim you operated it carefully - yet then you'll talk about being in 2wd and starting to slip so you flip it into 4wd and "suddenly it breaks". Over and over and over again - its never you - always the equipment and the glories of the old big tractors you have or had.

Then comes posts like this one where you show how negative you are to smaller tractors that are merely "overgrown lawn mowers" like the one you bought - a 31 hp Massey product. You have great disdain for smaller tractors - yet you bought one after you sold the big farm and only have a few acres now. My point comes from your own posts - you use tractors like you did when you had big farm tractors - you expect them to do things far beyond their capacities - then b ad mouth them when they don't. If you have no respect for compact tractors (as this most recent post of yours certainly documents) - why did you buy one and why are you considering getting another one? If you express these types of opinions as this most recent one documents - but then in other posts talk about how you use them hard - what can you expect ?

I'm tired of hearing on such and such a person claims they are weak - yet you bought one. You want us to believe you are a skilled operator - but skilled operators understand and know the limits of their equipment and don't expect performance they are not spec'd to produce. Yet by your own posts of the last year and more - your own words show either you bought a unit and never understood its specifications - and merely assumed it would do what your big units did . . . or you are not the skilled operator you always claim. You can't even get a newer tractor to start in the winter - and you live in a moderate climate state like KS ?????? Who do you think believes those kinds of statements - when many of us live if far harsher winter climates - with uncovered unprotected units and successfully start them all the time - even in the -20 F. temps.

Any one single of your posts may have left some room for you being partially accurate - but the enormous number of constant contradictions doesn't - there are just so many contradictions. It would seem your retirement from farming was a wise move on your part both financially and for other reasons I won't mention here. Enjoy all your money - and live in the present - not the past. Good luck to you.

jmho

P.S. By the way - you'd disagreed with someone else's example of a home vs. business PC computer are different - and you stated that a home computer and a work or business PC computer do the same things. I'll guarantee you his example was highly accurate and your statement was highly incorrect. A home computer is rated with a life expectancy average today of less than 16 months while business rated PC computers are rated for 36 to 39 months on average. Their components are different - their service power-on hours per day expectation is double or triple that of a home computer. And their cooling capacities and air-gap spacing vary greatly from a home computer - not to mention memory chip choices and motherboard connectivity.

Well, for starters, I haven't even been a member for two years. Only a little over a year. My point is this: I have a friend with a John Deere 8320. (about 250 HP). This tractor is tried and proven itself on the farm. Now he has smaller tractors as well, all John Deere. He wanted and need a light utility tractor. Can you imagine this guy buying a Kubota? Mf? Kioti? Etc. No he went with John Deere because it has proven itself. Your in Wisconsin. (The dairy state) most of the dairies here are basically utilizing skid steers. The fact is these guy around here have the age tractor. These tractor are well proven. So when need a light utility tractor, they go John Deere and case-ih even if they are overgrown lawnmowers. I knew a guy, he is deceased now. However as he grew older, hooking up implements became a real challenge for him. He had plenty of loose cash laying around so he started buying tractors. His goal was to have a tractor for every implement. He ended up with 14 tractors and a lawnmower. How many do you think were Kubota? Or some other brands? The answer is zero. He was a case man. Case had proven itself on the farm. He had everything from a case 400 to a case 2290. That is my point. It is not marketing, these guys with a tractors that are proven on farm, just are not buying Kubota, kioti, LS, mf, new Holland, etc. They are going to stick with the brand that has proven itself and what they trust. By the way, Kansas is not as mild as you may think. We generally see zero and sub-zero temp about every winter. I will grant that Wisconsin sees more of it than we do, but yes we do generally see a couple of cold snaps every winter that sends us to zero and below.

 

[plowhog]

All were easy to get a hold of and bent over backwards to provide me with the info i requested except one and that was JD.

So you are developing personal experience along with others who ... contribute ... various opinions.

You might consider that internet forums are often targeted by marketing folks who pose as end users to push one product and detract all others. Spend a little time in the John Deere Lawn and Garden section and I believe you will see this in full bloom. So if it is there, it is here also.

Nobody disputes that if you have a good relationship with the dealer for your 200hp tractor you would be inclined to do business with them for a 25hp tractor. I just don't get the sense that this is your situation. And, finally, enjoy the shopping phase!! It can be very confusing and sometimes difficult to make a decision, but it seems you are doing all the right things to investigate.

 

[AxleHub]

. . . . . . Your in Wisconsin. (The dairy state) most of the dairies here are basically utilizing skid steers. The fact is these guy around here have the age tractor. These tractor are well proven. So when need a light utility tractor, they go John Deere and case-ih even if they are overgrown lawnmowers. I knew a guy, he is deceased now. However as he grew older, hooking up implements became a real challenge for him. He had plenty of loose cash laying around so he started buying tractors. His goal was to have a tractor for every implement. He ended up with 14 tractors and a lawnmower. How many do you think were Kubota? Or some other brands? The answer is zero. He was a case man. Case had proven itself on the farm. He had everything from a case 400 to a case 2290. That is my point. It is not marketing, these guys with a tractors that are proven on farm, just are not buying Kubota, kioti, LS, mf, new Holland, etc. They are going to stick with the brand that has proven itself and what they trust. By the way, Kansas is not as mild as you may think. We generally see zero and sub-zero temp about every winter. I will grant that Wisconsin sees more of it than we do, but yes we do generally see a couple of cold snaps every winter that sends us to zero and below.

Maybe dairies in KS use primarily skid steers - but in Wisconsin most dairies grow their own crops for feed and diversity. As an example - one farmer less than 10 minutes from me has just under 2,000 acres in crops. That's a large farm operation for Western Wisconsin - but middle and southern Wisconsin have many large farms as do upper central Wisconsin. I sense you are assuming information - not researching it.

Next . . . you refer to "light utility tractors". Well your MF 1533 was not a light uitility tractor it was a small frame compact tractor. The sizing process goes sub-compact, compact, utility. In the Massey line - compacts extend to 59 hp. Your recent MF1533 is no where even remotely close to a light utility tractor.

Lastly - why do you assume I don't know Kansas weather - I have a good friend in Kansas City area and he sends me their weather conditions 2 or 3 times a week except in winter when he sends it 3 or 4 times each week to dig at me. Numerous times this last winter and the prior winter - you were warmer than Atlanta GA as they had freezing public water fountains on multiple occasions each winter. I can't imagine how you could consistently fail to be able to start a nearly new tractor all winter in your weather conditions and temperatures - regardless if it was stored outside or inside - its just not a reasonable statement.

Now to be more on topic for the OP - I like the MF GC1715 and GC 1720 models especially - and the 1526 offers enhanced clearance. The Kubota B and BX products are very nice - but their fan cooling for hydros is a little prone to exposure. The JD 1025R is likely a fine product - but I don't like its hydro lines from fel to valve having so much low exposure on the right side.

 

[plowhog]

Think the question was asked earlier, but the swiveling seat is a bit of a pain although it does work. The only other SCUT I saw that had two seats (one for backhoe) was Kioti.

 

[Phillip w]

Maybe dairies in KS use primarily skid steers - but in Wisconsin most dairies grow their own crops for feed and diversity. As an example - one farmer less than 10 minutes from me has just under 2,000 acres in crops. That's a large farm operation for Western Wisconsin - but middle and southern Wisconsin have many large farms as do upper central Wisconsin. I sense you are assuming information - not researching it.

Next . . . you refer to "light utility tractors". Well your MF 1533 was not a light uitility tractor it was a small frame compact tractor. The sizing process goes sub-compact, compact, utility. In the Massey line - compacts extend to 59 hp. Your recent MF1533 is no where even remotely close to a light utility tractor.

Lastly - why do you assume I don't know Kansas weather - I have a good friend in Kansas City area and he sends me their weather conditions 2 or 3 times a week except in winter when he sends it 3 or 4 times each week to dig at me. Numerous times this last winter and the prior winter - you were warmer than Atlanta GA as they had freezing public water fountains on multiple occasions each winter. I can't imagine how you could consistently fail to be able to start a nearly new tractor all winter in your weather conditions and temperatures - regardless if it was stored outside or inside - its just not a reasonable statement.

Now to be more on topic for the OP - I like the MF GC1715 and GC 1720 models especially - and the 1526 offers enhanced clearance. The Kubota B and BX products are very nice - but their fan cooling for hydros is a little prone to exposure. The JD 1025R is likely a fine product - but I don't like its hydro lines from fel to valve having so much low exposure on the right side.

You missed the point about the skid steers. Yes the dairies have the big stuff. However, for something that you would consider a light utility tractor, they are using a skid steer. This includes clean out there free stall barn, handling silage if the have a trench silo, they usually have various attachments such as forks, grapples, post hole digger, etc. So a lot of tasks that you use a utility tractor, they are using a skid steer. For whatever it's worth, I have experienced Wisconsin weather. I was hauling mail from KC to Milwaukee on a relay. I set myself up in oak Creek. The company lost the contract, so i took a job hauling general freight on a dedicated run from Milwaukee to onalaska. Later I got connected with the company that got the KC to Milwaukee mail contract. Went back to work haul mail from KC to Milwaukee on a laydown. I later hauled mail for hoovestol. They are based in Eagan Minnesota. So I just may know a little bit more about Wisconsin and the north than you realize.

 

[bfloyd4445]

I have a SSQQ 60 inch bucket, pallet forks, a 4ft bush hog and a 54 inch rear snowblower, I use them all fairly often, I have lifted 700lbs with it many times, it's a tough little tractor, the PTO HP is a bit higher than the competition, the hydro pump on these little guys is pretty stout. My rear tires are loaded and I have a rear weight box that weigh's 300lbs. The DL95 loader has a lot of power on the curl and that really makes the loader stronger than you would it would be..

So the mid pto is useless to you like it will be for me. Thanks for the info. Of all the little guys i have examined the MF looks better built with a stronger sub frame then the others even the Deere and you are confirming that my observation is likely correct. I wonder how it would do on stumps?

 

[atsah]

Stump removal is out of the question. I had a JD 2305 in 2008, tractor loader backhoe, I found the backhoe to be fairly useless on even small stumps. It worked okay on small pine stumps but not worth 5 grand or whatever crazy money they ask for them. If you use a loader on a tractor to push stumps and big rocks it won稚 turn out well for the tractor.

 

[bfloyd4445]

Are you calling a 1531 a "farm tractor"?? It's nothing more than a nursery tractor made to lift mulch, dirt etc, a 1531 is NOT a farm tractor and shouldn't be used as one.. Lift to full hight is 785lbs, It's basically a hobby farm tractor..

I'm looking at the 1526 and it has many of the big tractor features and almost twice the hydraulic volume of the gc1720. Defiantly designed for serious loading, even the bucket on the loader has a form of quick attach. Nice package except that it is bigger. My whole plan is to get a little tractor to get into places the big ones can't but i keep drooling over the 1500 series. They have little things i've found very handy like draft control and detents in the 3 point lever so you can always go back to the previous location without guessing. No, the 1531 is a big step up from the GC's but they suffer from being larger all around. If i bought one of those i could retire my old Ford 2000 D but i would then still be without a little guy for tight places.