You've seen this a thousand times, BUT....

[sgtglenn]

You\'ve seen this a thousand times, BUT....

Own 25 acres of East Texas Piney woods. Most of it is Pine trees and hardwoods. The pine trees are coming off in 2005. I'm a rookie to tractors, however I need one real soon. I'm looking for one with a FEL, heavier duty shredder (2" sapplings, vines, etc.), and a blade. I've "heard" don't buy less than 30 HP. I've looked at the Kubota L3400, and the JD 790. The 790 is only about $1,000.00 cheaper. The Kubota with FEL, blade and shredder (standard) is $15,800. The JD, about 14,800 with a heavier shredder. I'm seeking suggestions as I have no specific history in buying tractors. Thanks to all who take time to read this and pass along your valuable information. I don't want a bigger shredder than 5 foot because I want to be able to move in and out of the treed area.

 

[To20Chris]

Re: You\'ve seen this a thousand times, BUT....

Welcome to TBN! They are both good choices. The Kubota is a newer design, but I think the JD is heavier, which I like in a tractor. You may also want to look at the Kioti LK3054XS, which has a shuttle shift to make FEL work a little easier. I'm sure some of the people with JD790 can give you more info, but I don't think there are very many L3400s out there yet.

 

[Varmintmist]

Re: You\'ve seen this a thousand times, BUT....

The 790 isnt 30hp, this may not be a real problem, just check your implements to find the PTO hp. That is a lot more important than eng hp.

I was in the same boat as you a few weeks ago. My choices were the JD790, Kub L2800, TC 30, and Mahindra 3510. Price was the cutoff for me so to get a machine large enough to do the job it was a no frills deal. All of the ones I priced were within 1000 of each other. Bottom was the JD @ 15025, top was the Mahindra @ 16K. Seems NE prices are somewhat higher.

I ended up with the Mahindra, more bang for the buck. Kubota @ 15.5K came in #2 for what I needed.

Bottom line is, as long as they will run your implements, both will do the job. Now all you have to do is run both at the dealers. Then make the call. Dealer is important to. If the XXXX dealer has a bad rep, then get the other machine. Color doesnt matter as they are all made overseas.

JMHO

What might be an option is go to the dealer and tell him exactly what you want to do with the machine. He should be able to fit your property to the tractor. Just stand by for a leg pulling session because they are just like car dealers.

 

[diral]

Re: You\'ve seen this a thousand times, BUT....

I have a Kubota L3400 , 4 wheel drive, and a 5ft. Bush Hog Squealer with the clutch drive. It is a fantastic pair. I mow about 10 acres of grass, bushes, and weeds, and it does everything better that I could imagine.

 

[Michigan_Mike]

Re: You\'ve seen this a thousand times, BUT....

I have a 790, and a 6' rotary cutter, and havn't had any difficulty with saplings. I also have to deal with "wild rose" that have stems of 2 to 3 inches.
The PTO is rated at 24hp.