Which one?

[johnk]

Not being sarcastic but it looks like a lawnmower to me. Looks about the same size as my Ford with a 48 inch deck..

 

[kozak]

Well I thought it was a pretty good tractor(4010) because it is about the same size as a jd 2520, and has a 3 pth. I though it might actually be underpowered.

Not really underpowered, just too small & too light to effectively plow snow, lift big rock, pull half decent sized logs, move a tri-axel dump truck load of dirt, etc , etc.. in a decent amount of time & without alot of back wheels spinning. Included with this is the frustration that you WILL experience when you find the tractor having a tough time doing a task.

What I meant with too much power is that these small light weight tractors have an incredible amount of power for the light weight chassis that their built on. For alot of the tasks you will be doing it will not be a factor that you don't have enough HP for that size tractor. It will be more a factor of too light & too low to the ground relative to an actual CUT.

Hmmmmm, just took a look at your pic of the 4010. Interesting. It does look bigger than I thought it would be. No listing of this tractor on the JD site so checked out "tractordata.com" Built between 2003 to 2005. Weight of 1420 lbs & rear PTO lift of 890 lbs. Not bad for the size of tractor. With additional weight (300 to 400 lbs) you should be able to maybe do some half decent work. You do realize if you want to go into the woods to blaze some trails or whatever, that mid mower would need to come off.

I would still have to recommend a larger framed tractor. I agree with Egon, the B7800 would be a much better selection as long as you did'nt buy that first one you were looking at unless the price dropped 5 to 7 grand.....and even then your still taking a gamble.

The other selections you were looking at did'nt look too bad either. (i.e. the L3400, L2800 as long as they were hydrostat's. The B2620 would be as small as I would go)

Others will tell you on this site. More people have traded up from the original tractors they bought. Just don't want you buying too small & then regretting it.

When you get close to pulling the plug, why not see if a local Dealership will let you try a few different sizes on your lot....or rent a tractor for a week-end to get a feel for it. Would be real good to try this during this winter & try clearing some snow off your drive-way with either a FEL or rear blade. Then you will at least get an appreciation of what lots of weight (or not) on a tractor can do for you.


Good Luck,

Vic

 

[mowtowblowload]

Thanks again guys, I think I will look bigger, for the diff in price, it wopuld be crazy not to.
I think the new Kubota B3200 will be one to look at closely, it replaces the 7800, and had 32 hp instead of 30, plus some other improvements.

 

[Gittyup]

Few regret going bigger, and I support that move. But, don't let anyone tell you that the 4010 won't move some snow. I can very effectively push up to 18" of heavy snow with a much smaller Deere (425). That 4010, properly equipped will do just about all you have talked about doing. It's comparable to the larger BXs and other brand subcuts. It won't do what the full size CUTs will do, but it's still a very nice machine. Put weights on it and some good tires. Add a loader, hydraulic dozer blade, or snow blower and you've got a very capable platform. One thing about the Deeres, the implements made for them are excellent. But, they aren't cheap..... And after all that, it makes a super lawn mower too.

But sometimes there is no substitute for weight when you need to put the power to the ground. And that is why I suggested the CK20. Other than Bransons, Kiotis are the heaviest tractors out there. Some of the botas are almost as light as the 4010. I would weigh my decision carefully after comparing the specs and driving them before deciding.

 

[RalphVa]

Here's my 4010 in mulch carrying mode.

Ralph

 

[RalphVa]

For those of you who think 18.5 hp isn't enough, just look through an old tractor book. Most of the early tractors fell in the 12-20 hp range. The old JD M that I have and use and old soil ripper from was an 18 hp gas engine tractor.

With the cost of energy going up (yeah, it's down again now, but just wait), we need to think about minimizing our tractor and truck sizes. In most cases, a 16-18 hp tractor will likely do 90% or more of what you want to do, and a 125-140 hp small pickup will do most of your pickup duties. Rent a biggy on occasions when you really need it. In the meantime, rev up those engines. The US likely won't get out of energy hog mode until the most purchased vehicle is a small pickup, not an F-150. F-150ish pickups have gotten bloated. They'll haul about 3 yards of stuff now, but their bed height makes them impractical for most small uses. You cannot load them from the side like you can a small pickup.

Ralph

 

[mowtowblowload]

Funny how any conversation can turn to gas prices.
I sell cars for a living right now, and it never siezes to amaze me at the number of full size trucks we sell here, we sell like 3 to 1 trucks to cars. Even when gas was almost $6.00 a gal.
Like Ralf said, prices are low right now, but hang on they ain't gonna stay there.
Right now there are great deals to be had on tractors here, the prices are close to the US prices, not lioke the difference in car prices.
A well optioned Silverado ext cab, not fully loaded mind you, sells in the area of $43,000.00 retail. Kinda makes it hard to save for a tractor. I drive a Hyundai Accent, I paid $22,000 + tax+licence etc.

 

[Botabill]

I have to agree with Nubota. I also see long term advantage in either the B7800 or the 4010. I had a Kubota BX 1800 for the past 4-5 years on my 30 plus acre patch and it was quite adequate for getting er done. It also was a fuel miser. As a far as clearing an area of woods a chain saw is more important than a bigger tractor. The 1800 had a ground clearance of only 8 inches. Who cares. I cut the stumps off as close to the ground as possible because I want the firewood. I just traded my BX for a Kubota B2620. The 2620 has 12 inches of clearance but isn't as nimble in the woods and it is significantly smaller than the B7800. I considered the 7800 but for me it was way too big. I notice the fuel is sucked up faster also in the 2620 than it was in the 1800. Regardless of what tractor you get sometimes it will be too big and sometimes the same tractor is too small. Look at your long term needs which brings me back to NuBota's I think accurate accessment of your situation.

 

[mowtowblowload]

Do you mean, you see NO long term advantage? I was confused by your post, sorry just making sure I read it right.
But I do agree that maybe a smaller tractor would be adequate for my needs.
I would like to clear the .5 acre, and maybe till the ground for a garden, not all of it mind you. Afterwards I would use it for snow removal, mowing, and the odd job here and there. Who knows I may end up clearing more of the land, I do heat with wood afterall.
Thanks for all the info guys, it is very helpfull, even if I find myself bouncing back and forth between tractors.lol

 

[Gittyup]

Sound like you can afford just about any that you are considering. In that case, get the one that makes you the most excited when you ride it. There is no wrong answer among those you are considering. So just be happy and smile