Compact Tractor

[Dave Lehnert]

Did not want to hi jack other tractor thread.
I am at the point in life where a compact tractor would make things a little easier for my 2 1/2 acres.
It would be a want but not a need for sure. For that reason I cant justify buying a new unit.

Just for example, this is the size I would be interested in. I am not set on any one brand.
http://rktractors.com/products-tractors-rk24-series-rk-tractors.php

Just looking for some pointers in buying a used unit.
I am concerned about "Gray Market" units. I don't know enough to avoid one.
I have no knowledge on 3 point hitch equipment. What works with what tractor etc.... Does one brand of belly mower fit any brand tractor.
What to avoid, what to look for etc....

[Larry Edgerton]

Dave, hang out on Tractor .net for a while and read. Particularly read the complaints.

I have a NH 45hp, but would like to buy a small one like you showed as a yard unit. I want to keep the big one for unloading/loading trucks and other heavy chores, but for the garden and yard cleanup a little one would be nice.

Its just me but I stay away from the off brands on anything like a tractor that will be around for a long, long time. My concern is parts. I also try to stay away from the obscure low volume models, again for parts reasons. For example the JD1025 that is mentioned in the add you posted is fairly common, has a good reputation, and John Deere has been around a long time. Kubota B&L series are around used a lot, and quite often with low hours as homeowner units.

I had all kinds of toys over the years, but I have to say I wish I had bought a tractor many years before I did. It just saves a lot of work on the body. I would recommend a quick change bucket mount so you can have forks. I use the forks more than the bucket. Little backhoes are not worth the money, they are close to useless for real tasks and for as little as you will use it hire that out to a real backhoe or rent one.

[Jim Becker]

Best advise is to buy from a local dealer who will be there to provide advise and service. There is little or no discounting in the tractor business, so "quality" dealer takes precedence. In my area, for example, there are three Kubota dealers within 10 miles of me and one Deere dealer that's about 15 miles away. The New Holland dealer closed its doors a couple years ago. Guess what color tractor you see the most of around here? ;)

Gray market means machines intended for foreign sales imported without permission from the manufacturer. It generally means "no warranty" and in some cases, certain parts may be hard to find.

3 pt hitch equipment is pretty ubiquitous -- sub-compacts and compacts like you ask about generally use Category 1 3-pt attachments. "Belly Mowers" are generally brand-specific. I personally gave up using a mid-mount mower years ago in favor of a ZTR for mowing. Mounting and un-mounting a 300+ pound mower was a very unpleasant task and necessary to properly use the backhoe and FEL for "real work". This was before "drive over" mowers became available, however. The major brands like Kubota and Deere tend to support this now so it's a more workable option for folks wanting to both mow and do heavier tractor work.

Used tractors are certainly an option and many dealers even have great trade-ins from when folks bought too small and moved up. But these machines hold their value, too, so the cost difference from new isn't going to be striking, trust me. And new generally has 0% financing plus a warranty. Buying used from a third party is also viable, but be careful about ascertaining how it was serviced, how many hours are on the machine, etc. There's no recourse when you buy from an individual.

A good resource about tractors is a forum like this one, but, well...for tractors. TractorByNet is it's name and it's a good place to explore information about any of the brands available locally to you with experience from folks who actually own them.

[Tom M King]

The price is really attractive, but I wouldn't buy one. None of my tractors were new when I bought them, but know people with new ones that have about the same about of trouble to deal with on theirs, as I do on mine. I only have one John Deere.

My JD dealer is the closest to me. I call when I have the part numbers of what I need. The guy that answers the phone will say, that part number has been changed to some other long digit number, and I've seen this guy do it off the top of his head, so I don't think he's looking it up. The part will be there early the next morning.

My Massey Ferguson dealer is about 45 minutes away. I got a deal on that tractor, but the deal diminishes every time I need to get something for it.

I looked at the tractor specs. I wish they made compact tractors without a hydro transmission, but doubt they do. I like a power reverser standard transmission.

The other turnoff is Titan tires. No one could give me another pair of Titan tires. I bought two for the back of the John Deere because of price, and I'll be glad when they're worn out, so I can put some smooth riding tires on it. Also, I bought a gooseneck flatbed trailer that came with Titan tires. I left it sitting about 100 miles from home one night, and went back the next day, when stores were open, so I could replace two blown tires on the empty trailer.

A friend lent me a small Kubota with loader once, to do a job for him. I don't remember the model number, but it was probably the smallest one, with maybe a four foot wide bucket. It wouldn't half fill the bucket with loose dirt because it wouldn't push the bucket in the pile. I could have done that job faster with a shovel and wheelbarrow. I do notice in TV ads that they show the operator picking up a bucket of some sort of lightweight mulch.

With any tractor, new or old, a most important part of the purchase is proximity to a good dealer. If you have farmers around you, buy what most of them are using.

[Dave Lehnert]

Dave, hang out on Tractor .net for a while and read. Particularly read the complaints.

I have a NH 45hp, but would like to buy a small one like you showed as a yard unit. I want to keep the big one for unloading/loading trucks and other heavy chores, but for the garden and yard cleanup a little one would be nice.

Its just me but I stay away from the off brands on anything like a tractor that will be around for a long, long time. My concern is parts. I also try to stay away from the obscure low volume models, again for parts reasons. For example the JD1025 that is mentioned in the add you posted is fairly common, has a good reputation, and John Deere has been around a long time. Kubota B&L series are around used a lot, and quite often with low hours as homeowner units.

I had all kinds of toys over the years, but I have to say I wish I had bought a tractor many years before I did. It just saves a lot of work on the body. I would recommend a quick change bucket mount so you can have forks. I use the forks more than the bucket. Little backhoes are not worth the money, they are close to useless for real tasks and for as little as you will use it hire that out to a real backhoe or rent one.



Interesting info you gave about the backhoe. I could go with a smaller unit if I did not get a backhoe.
Something like this. http://rktractors.com/products-tractors-rk19-series-rk-tractors.php
Like you, I wish I had invested in one 20 or more years ago. Guess I never realized you could by a small tractor with a PTO and such.

[Tom M King]

If I need a hoe for a small job, even up to digging footers for a building, I'll rent a mini-excavator.

I rented a TerraMite once. The hoe on the Terramite surprised me with how strong it was, but by being strong enough to stick the teeth in hard ground, it would easily move the position of the tractor with every stroke of the hoe.

[Jack Lemley]

I bought a JD 3032E a couple of years ago with front loader (5ft bucket), brushhog, and box blade. Later I picked up the iMatch that makes hooking up and disconnecting 3 pt attachments a breeze (it shouldn't be optional equipment in my mind). Should have bought it 15 years ago. The JD quick connect for front end attachments is superb. You won't regret the purchase. This is the one have https://www.deere.com/en/tractors/utility-tractors/3-family-compact-utility-tractors/3032e-compact-utility-tractor/

Jack

[Todd Mason-Darnell]

Best advise is to buy from a local dealer who will be there to provide advise and service. There is little or no discounting in the tractor business, so "quality" dealer takes precedence. In my area, for example, there are three Kubota dealers within 10 miles of me and one Deere dealer that's about 15 miles away. The New Holland dealer closed its doors a couple years ago. Guess what color tractor you see the most of around here? ;)

Gray market means machines intended for foreign sales imported without permission from the manufacturer. It generally means "no warranty" and in some cases, certain parts may be hard to find.

3 pt hitch equipment is pretty ubiquitous -- sub-compacts and compacts like you ask about generally use Category 1 3-pt attachments. "Belly Mowers" are generally brand-specific. I personally gave up using a mid-mount mower years ago in favor of a ZTR for mowing. Mounting and un-mounting a 300+ pound mower was a very unpleasant task and necessary to properly use the backhoe and FEL for "real work". This was before "drive over" mowers became available, however. The major brands like Kubota and Deere tend to support this now so it's a more workable option for folks wanting to both mow and do heavier tractor work.

Used tractors are certainly an option and many dealers even have great trade-ins from when folks bought too small and moved up. But these machines hold their value, too, so the cost difference from new isn't going to be striking, trust me. And new generally has 0% financing plus a warranty. Buying used from a third party is also viable, but be careful about ascertaining how it was serviced, how many hours are on the machine, etc. There's no recourse when you buy from an individual.

A good resource about tractors is a forum like this one, but, well...for tractors. TractorByNet is it's name and it's a good place to explore information about any of the brands available locally to you with experience from folks who actually own them.

Everything Dave said, especially about tractorbynet.com. I spent months there before we bought our Kioti 27hp. Don't buy a belly mower or a 3 pt finish mower (I did, biggest waste of my money). If mowing is your biggest concern, get a ZTR + the tractor

[Nike Nihiser]

Here's a couple of thoughts. I had a Kubota BX 22 with a 5 ft belly mower and a FEL. I think I only took the belly mower off once to use the FEL, if you're operating on relatively level terrain just put the belly mower in the full up position, It never got in my way and probably helped with traction due to the added weight. I could scrape up/load loose dirt so full it would be spilling off the loader and would make the rear end bounce a little from the weight in the FEL. You definitely need 4 wheel drive with a FEL on a small tractor like this because the back end gets light and you lose traction. I had over 1000 hours on mine and other than routine maintenance only had to replace the battery.

[Jim Becker]

A friend lent me a small Kubota with loader once, to do a job for him. I don't remember the model number, but it was probably the smallest one, with maybe a four foot wide bucket. It wouldn't half fill the bucket with loose dirt because it wouldn't push the bucket in the pile. I could have done that job faster with a shovel and wheelbarrow. I do notice in TV ads that they show the operator picking up a bucket of some sort of lightweight mulch.

Was there any weight on the back? I leave the 700 lb backhoe on my little BX-22 and routinely move full buckets of 3/4 modified and 3/8 red stone as well as dig out and move soil. Without the weight on the back, the behavior would be very much like you describe!

Speaking of that little backhoe...it's helped my machine pay for itself many times over. Yea, it doesn't dig fast nor does it dig really deep, but for maintaining my property, it's been a blessing. I used it last weekend to put in a new conduit between my shop and the house for a communication cable when the existing conduits proved to be unusable. In a half hour, I had a 2' deep, 30' trench across the driveway cut in, the conduit in and the backfilling done. But for big jobs, I'd certainly want something larger, heavier and more capable.

[Ken Platt]

Another vote for spending time reading on Tractorbynet, it really got me up to speed on the basics and figuring out what I wanted, which was a front end loader, backhoe, and front-mount snowblower.

By some odd coincidence, there happened to be a guy on tractorbynet who had essentially that collection on a kubota B2410 and when he saw my post, decided it might be a good time to sell and upgrade, and turned out to be maybe 50 miles away, and we made a deal good for both of us.

I can't imagine using the tractor to mow; too awkward me. But it completely ROCKS as a snow removal device.

THere's a huge thread on TBN titled something like "what you did with your tractor today" which I found very helpful to get an idea of the variety of functions these things can do. As someone new to tractors, I had no idea. I can't imagine how I got along before owning one.

[John K Jordan]

First thing I'd ask is what you want to do with it. Mowing is different than log skidding and digging and grading and steep hills. A friend of mine bought a Kubota B-series with a belly mower. I can literally mow circles around him with my Kubota zero turn. It might depend a lot on the terrain, flat vs hilly. The belly mowers I know of require an extra PTO shaft in the center of the tractor - check a for this on a used tractor. I don't know if the attachment points are universal. If buying primarily to mow I'd probably look at a mower instead.

The 3-point hitch is nearly universal until you get into the bigger tractors, but even then there are adapters. The bigger problem is a smaller tractor may not get much use from certain attachments, for example trying to level clay with a yard box which might act like a parking brake. You have to You'd have a hard time plowing with a small tractor except perhaps with a small plow or a subsoiler used gently. A hitch with quick adjust is a wonderful unless hooking up things small enough for you to lift. Some friends with tractors without this are envious.

From those I've know who have had them I'd stay away from a backhoe that mounts on a 3-point hitch. One friend broke the casting on his larger tractor. I do have a backhoe but it attaches to a strong subframe that runs from near the front of the tractor to the rear. I had to dig a 15' diameter circle about 4' down to get this hackberry stump out of the ground.

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The means of powering the wheels is also an important consideration. For example if you want to load a big pile of compost into a truck a hydrostatic drive is a dream while a standard shifter with clutch will wear you out. If you are driving around and around the field spreading fertilizer the straight shift should be fine. If you hope to pull a heavy seed drill or hay baler you simply can't do it with a compact tractor with even mild slopes. One consideration with the drive method is a hydrostatic drive does steal some power from the engine, perhaps further handicapping an underpowered tractor.

Some tractors are 4wd but not all. The 2wd tractors have stouter front axles but 4wd is almost a necessity on hills and mud (or muddy hills!) I use my tractor in 4wd mode almost all the time.

I consider a front end loader essential for a general use tractor, for digging, smoothing, spreading gravel, carrying and lifting logs onto the sawmill, and carrying things. Just fine to take the chainsaw out to the woods and bring back firewood or haul trash to a pile. Some people refer to a FEL as a glorified wheelbarrow. However, the buckets really don't hold much - if buying mostly to haul things around I'd look at a little 4wd utility truck instead.

One problem with a FEL is again tied to the size and power of the tractor - I have a 40 hp Kubota and still can't lift some of the logs I want to put on the sawmill - I have to roll them up a ramp or fire up the skid steer.

I agree with the quick connect for the FEL bucket. I swap buckets and forks often and the same attachments fit the bobcat as well as the tractor.

If buying used the first think I'd ask is to see the maintenance records. Some people don't keep them, sometimes because they don't even change the oil and hydraulic fluid on schedule. Any engine or hydraulic repairs might cost more than the used tractor.

Check the tires on a used tractor. You might not believe how much tractor tires cost.

A good local dealer is imperative unless you get a tractor to just prissy around in the yard and never break anything or never do any maintenance. :)

I researched tractors on the tractor forums before I decided. I ended up with the Kubota L-series 40 horse with FEL and a number of attachments such as post hole digger, hydraulic fence post driver, and 6' wide things including a yard box, rotor tiller, bushhog, and rake. (6' just clears the rear wheels on my tractor even turned around to their wide mode for more stability) The tractor is still not powerful enough for everything I want to do on my property (27 acres) but your decision still boils down to what you want to do with one. Just what do you want to make a little easier?

JKJ


Did not want to hi jack other tractor thread.
I am at the point in life where a compact tractor would make things a little easier for my 2 1/2 acres.
It would be a want but not a need for sure. For that reason I cant justify buying a new unit.

Just for example, this is the size I would be interested in. I am not set on any one brand.
http://rktractors.com/products-tractors-rk24-series-rk-tractors.php

Just looking for some pointers in buying a used unit.
I am concerned about "Gray Market" units. I don't know enough to avoid one.
I have no knowledge on 3 point hitch equipment. What works with what tractor etc.... Does one brand of belly mower fit any brand tractor.
What to avoid, what to look for etc....

[Dave Lehnert]

Thanks everyone.Some good info.

I do not plan to mow with it. I have a ZTR.

My ground is flat as a pancake except for a small grade up to the road.

I'm thinking a bucket, forks (like a forklift), blade, maybe a tiller, drag.

I know when having problems there is nothing better than dealer support. But I can count on one hand the number of times I needed a dealer help. I tend to take care of things myself. Don't know what its like around you but here it is nothing for a dealer to be backed up 4 to 6 weeks for repair in the spring/ summer.
My ZTR purchase I went with my second choice because of a local long time dealer. They went under. Two other dealers close to me have changed brands over the years so don't have the confidence in them supporting me as one would hope.

[Dave Lehnert]

Everything Dave said, especially about tractorbynet.com. I spent months there before we bought our Kioti 27hp. Don't buy a belly mower or a 3 pt finish mower (I did, biggest waste of my money). If mowing is your biggest concern, get a ZTR + the tractor



I have a Kioti dealer about 45 min from me.
What made you buy the Kioti over another brand?

[Larry Edgerton]

Interesting info you gave about the backhoe. I could go with a smaller unit if I did not get a backhoe.
Something like this. http://rktractors.com/products-tractors-rk19-series-rk-tractors.php
Like you, I wish I had invested in one 20 or more years ago. Guess I never realized you could by a small tractor with a PTO and such.

The local rental place here gets $175 a day for a mini excavator. The price of the backhoe attachment will buy a lot of time with the much larger excavator.

[Perry Hilbert Jr]

If you buy private, get somebody that knows tractors to look it over first. There are things the tractor newbie just won't realize to look for. A tractor that is too small will always be a PIA. A larger than needed tractor comes in handy more than you could know. Here in the farm, I only have three tractors. A 1948 Ford 8N, tractor which is great, except it has all the problems associated with gas engines, ignition shorts, carburetor adjustments, updraft carb that floods easily, carb floats that are eaten by the modern gas additives. I also have a 1973 Ford 4,000. Also a gas tractor but with fewer gas engine problems than the 8N. Then I have a JD 210C back hoe/loader, diesel, power shift, 4wd. My drive way is just a hair over 1,400 ft long A tractor with front end loader to clear it would have to be massive to do an efficient job. I can clear a 15 inch snow with the JD in about 15 minutes. one pass out and clean up the parking area and driveway entrance . The back hoe is diesel and far less maintenance. The back hoe also weighs 11,000 lbs and using the back hoe for digging trenches for water lines, electric lines etc, is much easier than some toy attachment for a subcompact tractor. My neighbor has 7 acres and plows his driveway with an old Farmall H tricycle tractor. It takes him forever to clear his driveway if the snow is over 10 inches. The rear mount woods mower only does a fair job mowing. It also has all the ignition and carburetor problems that come with a gas tractor. But, he got it for $700. Diesel tractors can be a problem starting in cold weather, but in the last 20 years, there have been many improvements to alleviate starting problems. If your property is flat, and snows are moderate, you may not need 4wd. A used compact tractor around here, (hilly) that is 4wd brings 2x or 3x as much as a two wheel drive identical tractor. My Ford 4000 has been good, but repair parts can be expensive. ($389 for an OEM radiator) ( $700 for a new carb.) Been looking for a newer diesel 4wd tractor in the 50 hp range. They are not cheap unless they have been beat to heck. 30 to 35 K for new finding one for less than 10K is really hard. Every 2 acre farmette in the area wants a compact or subcompact tractor. It is rare to see one for less than 5K in reasonable shape. I recently saw an 19 hp garden tractor with a home made front end loader bring over 3k. I would not have given $500 for just the lawn tractor. But it takes two fools to run up bids at an auction.

As for front end loaders. A standard toothless front end bucket can NOT dig anything but snow, sand and loose gravel. The small tractors have no weight to push the bucket into material to dig, and unless the bucket has a bar with teeth to break up the soil or bank, it simply can't get a bite to dig. Guy I know wanted to regrade his yard and bought a small tractor with front end loader. he tried for a few hours and realized he wasted his money for what he wanted to do. The bank was all virgin packed shale. The bucket just kept scraping over it. It would have taken a huge track loader to do what he wanted. I also use my back hoe to get firewood here in my own wood lot. I can put about 3/5 of a cord in the front bucket. My tractor bucket is so much smaller that perhaps only a 1/5 of a cord will fit. I have seen folks try to pull stumps with their small tractors. They just dig holes with their wheels. Trying to pull with a bucket lifting is an invitation to tipping the tractor forward or breaking the loader.

[Jim Becker]

Dave, if you're going to do forks for your FEL, how much you need to lift with them (the actual application) is very important to know since just like FEL capacity and safety using it is affected by weight in the back, putting things on forks extended in front of the FEL also extends that weight farther forward. Think "lever". A partial solution to that is getting a tractor that has a quick attachment setup on the FEL arms...you can swap the bucket for forks and some other things. You'll need to be in the compact size, rather than the sub-compact size tractor and a quick attachment setup that's compatible with the skid-steer world opens up a lot more options.

Perry is correct that you have to understand what a particular tractor is capable of, both functionally and safely. There are work arounds for many tasks with a smaller machine as I've learned to do over the years. He mentioned stumps. No way you "pull" them. But I do dig them out and then drag them away to "the pile" with my little machine. It take time, but I have that available and my hourly rate to myself is pretty good. :)

[Tom M King]

To answer the question about weight on the little Kubota, it had a finish mower on the back, so not much weight, but did have 4wd. I'm just used to a 70 hp with 7 foot bucket, and it'll fill the bucket with whatever is on the back.

For those that don't know what a power reverser is (also called shuttle shift by some manufacturers), it's a standard transmission, but has a little lever to the left of the steering wheel, that you flip back and forth with your little finger, that changes from forward to reverse, without having to use the clutch. No pedals to step on unless you want to use the accelerator pedal. I much prefer a power reverser to a hydrostatic transmission. I would have worn out several hydrostatic transmissions in the years I've used the 70 hp with reverser, but we live on what the locals call "The Ponderosa".

edited to add: The only trouble with a reverser is that it's guaranteed after running one for a few hours, when you get in the truck to back up, you'll look back, and hit the left turn signal to back up, and it won't work.

I much prefer also, to rent a mini-excavator over having a small backhoe, but I have a trailer I can pick up a 4 or 5 ton excavator with, and a dually to pull it with. For short trenches, I rent a walk behind trencher, and use the trailer they come with. There are times when I wish I had a backhoe, but have never come close to paying for one comparing cost of other equipment rentals. I use a mini-excavator every year or so, for different things, but can do a Lot of work in 8 hours with one. The last job I needed one for was to bury a horse, and am getting ready to go get one, as soon as the ground dries out some, for some grading, to consolidate a burning pile, and to pull up some small Pine trees that are on a bank too steep to get to with a small chainsaw. A hoe with a thumb and long arm is good for a lot of things. Of course, everyone needs to figure out what's best for their situation.

[John K Jordan]

Good point about the diesel I didn't mention. I have one gas zero turn mower and a little utility truck with a gas engine - I don't use either any more. The tractor, bobcat, mower, and utility truck I use now (plus a Dodge 2500 truck) are all diesel engines. Not only do they always start, they have plenty of low end torque, good hydraulics, hydrostatic drives, and have better fuel economy. Offroad diesel fuel for the farm vehicles is readily available and without road taxes. The little Kubota diesel farm truck even has a hydraulic dump bed - something I didn't realize how much I would use until I got it.

I keep a toothed digging bar on the bobcat bucket all the time. You are correct, digging with a toothless bucket is almost impossible unless the soil is soft.

As for renting a mini-excavator instead of having a backhoe, I guess it depends on how much you might use it and how much notice you have. With a friend here putting in a concrete porch for me it was only a few minutes for me to go get the backhoe and dig the footers, saving the hours and and the pre-planning to reserve, haul, use, return, and pay for a rental. I dug a 250' trench for underground power for the shop then used the backhoe a few days later to fill in the trench. Broken underground water line? Dig it up and fix it in two hours instead of all day. Installing a livestock waterer 1000' from the house I rented a ditch digger but couldn't have dug out around the junctions and under the waterer without it and with about two days of digging by hand 4' down. Dig up a stump, put in a drainage ditch, plant fruit trees, bury a horse or a llama or a trespasser? (JK!) Dig the hole when needed without logistical consideration like waiting until the rental store is open on Monday and rushing to get done by return time. My backhoe attachment was about $7000 extra but it's paid for itself if not in rental fees but in convenience.

One more thing about tractors for general use. The best thing I did for mine was to install top-and-tilt hydraulics on the 3-point hitch. Even simple grading the driveway (mine is about 1/4 mile) is so much simpler since I can adjust the angles of the yard box or grading blade on the fly without having to get off and crank and try again. Perfect for adjusting the bushhog on slopes, the auger to drill straight, and the fence post driver. Even hooking up equipment is quicker. After years of using this I don't think I'd want a tractor without it.

I've always thought if I was king I'd have three tractors - a small one for getting in tight places, especially in the woods, a medium sized one for moving gravel, turning compost piles, and grading the driveway, and a big honkin' tractor for stumps and heavy logs and unloading bundles of lumber, digging, and seeding and bailing hay. The big one would have a cab with heat and air! My old used bobcat, more powerful than my tractor, is a compromise but I'd hate to do without it.

Related to woodworking: ready to build the shop.
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Again, what to get depends on what kinds of things you need or want or think you want to do, and when you want to do them. And that pesky thing called a budget...

JKJ

[Todd Mason-Darnell]

I have a Kioti dealer about 45 min from me.
What made you buy the Kioti over another brand?

We were looking at Deere, Kubota and Kioti (basically the three brands within 1 hour). I had done my research and from what I could tell, all three were about equal in quality. Ultimately, the decision came down to the dealership.

We were looking in the 30 hp range. The Deere guy kept only showing me 40-50 hp tractors at a significant higher price point. The Kubota guy (who was one of the owners) was a racist a-hole (he was actually kept trying to tell me ethnic jokes).

The Kioti guys were great. They talked me through what I was primary going to do (bush hogging, light property work and road maintenance). They offered to sell me a larger tractor, but recommended the size that I bought (as in all things, I would mind a bigger tractor, but really don't need it). My wife went separately from me. They walked her through a bunch of the features of the different tractors, had her drive different ones. They treated her with respect and did not patronize her (she drives the tractor almost as much as I do).

In terms of quality, I have not had any issues with the Kioti (just routine maintenance-it is shed kept), but I only have 400 hours on it and it is the only the tractor I have ever owned.

I would highly recommend getting a front end loader (FEL). With a couple of hooks welded on the bucket and some chains, it is the most useful tractor tool you can own. Aside from moving material, I use it to pull, yank, and haul all sorts of stuff. Using the FEL and a strap is how I moved the pallet with table saw into the shop.

In terms of other implements, I have a box blade, dual beveled box blade ( aka land plane--best tool for road work), bush hog, finish mower, and a rake.
Lots guys swear by their grapples, but I do not do a lot of brush clearing, so it would not be used often (we have 30 acres and my wife has horses). I would like a back hoe, but the $5-8K price tag makes me pucker up.

[Tom M King]

Todd's post made me think that it might be worthwhile to post about chain hooks on buckets for those that might not know. There are two basic types of chain hooks. One lets the chain slide through it, and the other grabs one link. A 3/8" grab hook is what I like on a tractor bucket. It will grab either a 3/8", or 5/16" chain. Slice the back flat with whatever your method of cutting metal is, and weld it to the top center of the bucket. That leaves it out of the way when not needed, but lets you get a little extra reach when moving something by tilting the bucket. I don't know why a chain hook is not standard issue with any loader bucket. Chain hooks also come in different strength ratings.

Picture shows location of chain hook on bucket that the log tongs are hooked to.

http://historic-house-restoration.com/images/secondlogup.JPG

[Jerome Stanek]

We have a Mahindra dealer near us and they seem to be nice tractors I have a Ford and a Kabota the Ford has a front end loader and the gearing that I need for my flail mower. The Kabota is an old one it is either to slow or to fast to use the flail mower. It does co other duties though.

[Keith Outten]

I have a Deere 4105 diesel I purchased new. IMO a tractor without a Front End Loader is like a car without an engine. I have several implements but the FEL is used 90% of the time. Anytime I have lifting chores to do I head for the barn and get the tractor. I also have an 84" wide tiller for my garden that gets the job done so quick its shameful. I have a box blade, bush hog, landscape rake, cultivator, and a shrub bucket I use to move small trees and for small trenching jobs. I built my own carryall and have yet to finish a pulverizer I started working on a couple years ago. I also built a set of brush forks for my first tractor that I gave to my Son in law with the tractor. Now I need to build another brush fork for my Deere, after I finish the pulveriser :)

[Dave Lehnert]

Thanks to everyone for the info.
I now have a better idea what I want.

[Dave Cav]

I had two tractors at my previous place, to maintain 7.5 acres of Pacific Northwest woods. We also had a 1000 feet of driveway, and a mile and a half of private road that the neighbors shared maintenance duties on. I had an older (late 70s/early 80s Mitsubishi 16 HP 4WD and a New Holland TC 30. Both had loaders, and I had all the usual attachments, plus a backhoe for the NH. The backhoe attachment was built onto a heavy subframe so it didn't stress the tractor, but it was HEAVY. As for my experience, if you read Perry's post upthread, he pretty well sums it up. If I had to do it all over again on that size property, I would get a skid steer instead of a compact tractor.

I'm on one acre now, and my tractor requirements are virtually non existent, but I will admit I have been looking at the little Mahindra tractors at the dealership down the road.

[Ronald Blue]

You've received lot's of good advice. I can tell you the Yanmar engine is first rate. I have a Cub Cadet/Yanmar 32 HP FWA with loader, box scraper, and conventional rear blade. One thing I like about it over most others is the 3 speed hydro. Low has all the power you need for the toughest task and allows creeping along at a snails pace if needed. 2nd is a good utility gear and while you can do some heavier work with it it also would be good for mowing or similar duties. 3rd gear isn't going to do much work but it travels at 13 mph if you need to travel any distance. I have zero problems filling the loader with dirt or rock. I intend to get a tiller in the near future as we are in process of building a new home and a lot of landscaping will need to be done. A backhoe attachment would be nice but I probably won't invest in one. I looked into "gray market" at one point and they just made me a little worried that parts my be difficult to obtain. Ironically the founder of Rural King was from about 20 miles away from where I currently live. I think they are a solid company. Ask to talk to other owners if possible. Good luck.

[Tom M King]

My first tractor was a 32 or 35 hp (don't remember exactly, since it's been decades ago). There is a big difference between a 35 hp, and a 25 hp tractor. I really haven't spent much time running compact tractors. Either will move dirt, but if you want to shape dirt, bigger is better. I built a state spec 1/8 mile road with the 70 hp '79 John Deere in the picture above, and a MF 115 hp 4wd tractor, for a little real estate development I did.

I started with the 35 hp in 1980, but it would stall pulling a loaded box blade. Then I'd have to lift to dump some, and take extra time leveling the hump. It was probably ten years later that I bought that John Deere. I built our horse farm with that tractor. It will not only pull a 7' full box blade, but dirt will spill over the top if you take too big of a bite to start with. It will also take a nice cut with a grading blade for shaping crowns on roads, and cutting ditches.

A grading blade with a tailwheel is almost as good as a motor grader.

[Ronald Blue]

My first tractor was a 32 or 35 hp (don't remember exactly, since it's been decades ago). There is a big difference between a 35 hp, and a 25 hp tractor. I really haven't spent much time running compact tractors. Either will move dirt, but if you want to shape dirt, bigger is better. I built a state spec 1/8 mile road with the 70 hp '79 John Deere in the picture above, and a MF 115 hp 4wd tractor, for a little real estate development I did.

I started with the 35 hp in 1980, but it would stall pulling a loaded box blade. Then I'd have to lift to dump some, and take extra time leveling the hump. It was probably ten years later that I bought that John Deere. I built our horse farm with that tractor. It will not only pull a 7' full box blade, but dirt will spill over the top if you take too big of a bite to start with. It will also take a nice cut with a grading blade for shaping crowns on roads, and cutting ditches.

A grading blade with a tailwheel is almost as good as a motor grader.

I don't think an 80 HP tractor is going to be needed or even very useful for 2-1/2 acres. If you haven't ran a a FWA tractor then you should try one. I can tell you the difference between a 2WD and a FWA tractor is nothing less than remarkable. I know from running both that the things you can do with FWA vs 2WD are significant. Under perfect conditions (dry solid ground) a larger 2WD will probably accomplish more. But the conditions we have here currently there is no comparison. You fill the loader bucket full of dirt or rock and start across the soft mucky soil conditions we have here at the moment and the front end will sink on the 2WD and there you sit. Empty the loader of most or all it's contents if you want to get out. Maybe that's not true with your rocky conditions but here in the corn belt it's the way it is. With the front wheels pulling you power across all but the worst of conditions. If it's bad enough it won't matter. I'm not discounting what you've accomplished with your tractor. It's documented that under perfect conditions the same tractor in 2WD vs FWA are virtually the same. Once the conditions deteriorate the advantage of FWA is huge. Around here there are very few tractors sold without it. But back to the OP query he is looking at probably a sub compact or a small compact. RK is made by TYM which also makes and owns the Branson line. I think the support is there long term. The price seems very good.

[Tom M King]

Ronald, You're quite right that a 4w would be better than a 2wd. For any size acreage, I'd still rather have a 35hp category1 tractor, than a compact.

When I bought that 2wd tractor, it was 11 years old, and I bought it for not many more dollars than I sold the 35hp MF for. In the little over 3,000 hours that I've put on it, in the 28 years that I've been running it, I've gotten it stuck once. We have some of all conditions here too, but I have no reason to want to run it when the ground is soft. The time I got it stuck was on a grassy area, where the grass is on top of sand, next to the sand on the beach. I forgot to lock up both drive wheels, one wheel spun a little bit, and it turned the sand underneath it into quick sand. I could have pushed it out with the bucket, but didn't want to tear the ground up, so I used the bigger tractor.

This tractor will either pull something out that's stuck, or pull it in two.

Just as an example of what you can buy used tractors for, I bought this tractor at an auction in 1999 for $7500, and all it needed was an air conditioning compressor. It's sitting out in front of the mechanic shop, getting it ready to go before the pastures need clipping when Spring gets here. I have less total purchase price tied up in these two tractors than a new, major brand name compact costs.

[Jim Becker]

Tom, I'm not sure what the context is for your "35hp Category 1" tractor, but if the Cat 1 is referring to the 3PT, even the Sub-compacts are Cat 1 3pt.

That said, for small acreage/estate management, don't underestimate the capability of these smaller machines and also consider that many folks also need to garage them. Size does matter when it comes to those of us with smaller properties. But as always, the job(s) that the machine will be expected to do certainly factors in to the choice.

[Tom M King]

Around here, tractor speak uses Category size as a general term for tractor size, and what it can do. For instance, the 70hp John Deere, in the picture above, is a "low end Category 2", and the 117hp MF is a "category 3". Yes, they do tell the size of the 3-point hitch, but hp sometimes overlaps the category sizes, so talking category just tells the general work that a tractor can do. Around here anyway, a compact tractor is not called a Category 1 tractor, but simply a compact even though the 3 pt. hitch can fit Category 1 implements.

Of course, there are many factors to consider in a purchase, but without information, that decision is limited.

[Joe Bradshaw]

I had been thinking of getting another tractor. This thread inspired me to bite the bullet and visit my local John Deere dealer. I am now the proud owner of a John Deere 1025R compact diesel with FEL. Besides, it was a birthday present to me.
Joe

[Tom M King]

Nice toy Joe! You'll love it. Time spent on a tractor is very satisfying. I've known people who bought a larger piece of property just so they could work on it with tractors.

There is a guy here that makes a good part of his living with a 1025 and belly mower. He gets jobs that are a little too rough for the yard cutters to want to put their Zero Turn mowers on, but too small to get someone with a tractor and bushog. He does landscaping, and such too, but I talked to him a while back, when he was doing some work for my 101 year old Mother, and he said he'd done enough work with that tractor to pay for it in a couple of years.

[John K Jordan]

Time spent on a tractor is very satisfying.

A friend would come and play on my tractor, bobcat. He called it his "dirt therapy".

[Ronald Blue]

Here's the category sizes and horsepower overlaps.

Three-point hitch specifications


Category
Hitch pin size
Lower hitch spacing
Tractor drawbar power


upper link
lower links


0
17 mm (5⁄8")
17 mm (5⁄8")
500 mm (20")
<15 kW (<20 hp)


1
19 mm (3⁄4")
22.4 mm (7⁄8")
718 mm (28")
15-35 kW (20-45 hp)


2
25.5 mm (1")
28.7 mm (1 1⁄8")
870 mm (34")
30-75 kW (40-100 hp)


3
31.75 mm (1 1⁄4")
37.4 mm (1 7⁄16")
1010 mm (40")
60-168 kW (80-225 hp)


4
45mm (1 3⁄4")
51 mm (2")
1220 mm (48")
135-300 kW (180-400 hp)

[Dave Lehnert]

I had been thinking of getting another tractor. This thread inspired me to bite the bullet and visit my local John Deere dealer. I am now the proud owner of a John Deere 1025R compact diesel with FEL. Besides, it was a birthday present to me.
Joe



You move a lot quicker them I do. Enjoy!

[Jerome Stanek]

You can not just go by the horsepower of a tractor. look at the Ford 8n it could do a lot of work and it was only 21 horsepower. We had a tractor pull and an old 9 horsepower steam engine pulled more than the 90 horsepower modern John Deere.

[Matt Meiser]

I could write a book about what I learned from my years owning a compact tractor. You need to buy the right size tractor for your needs. Too small and you are going to be limited or at least its going to be less efficient. Mine, if I'd have gone 1 size smaller it would have meant 20% less back blade and brush hog capacity. Too big and its going to be difficult to maneuver. Buy it from a full service local dealer who can get the parts you need fast and service if needed. And buy the right implements for the jobs you want to do. A loader can technically remove snow but it does a poor job for example. I was considering a blade or snowpusher attachment for mine when I sold. Similarly, a box blade can be used to maintain a gravel drive. But there's a tool specifically for that purpose that does a lot better job. And a heavy rear attachment can act as a counterweight for a loader, but an 8' long brushhog and clamp on bucket forks makes for a loooonnnnnggg machine.

[Bill Dufour]

With FEL power steering is needed.
Bil lD

[Ole Anderson]

I'm not a tractor person as I live in a subdivision, but my son living on 3 acres five minutes away is. He bought a heavily wooded lot and built a house. Before the house was finished he bought a used Kubota B2910. He absolutely loves it. It came with a front bucket. He has since added a back blade, a york rake, a brush hog and a grapple.

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[Ronald Blue]

Revived thread but still good info here. Still using my 32 hp Cub Cadet/Yanmar and loving it. The only thing I wish it had was the skid steer bucket attachment system so I could have some forks. I'm not interested in clamp on the bucket style. I might convert it sometime. There are yt videos on doing it. Since retiring and losing a fully equipped service truck with welder and torch though I would probably end up paying a welding shop to do it. I agree that you shouldn't get a compact or subcompact utility tractor if all you want is to mow conventionally. If you need a brush hog or post hole digger or similar attachment then they are the ticket. Backhoe attachments in my opinion aren't worth it. They are also hard on the tractor if you use it much. Rent a mini excavator or hire someone to do the work. I needed a 120' trench for water and gas line. Hired a backhoe and it only cost me $175 for him to dig it. I back filled it.

[Jack Frederick]

When we bought the place here, while only 1.3 ac, I knew I could not do the mowing and general maintenance on the place without a tractor. I just can’t do the heavy ground work any longer. The tractor can. I hung out at TBN and ended up with a Kubota 2660. I was interested in Kioti and Mahindra, but went with having a local dealer available as I had never owned a tractor. that has proven to be a good decision in my case. I have a loader, box blade, tiler, 60” mid-mount mower (mmm) and had a 48” bush hog. I also picked up a Rachet Rake, which has been very useful. After a couple years with the hog I had gotten the yard to where the MMM could handle the place so I sold the hog. The BX was just to small for that mower. It is never a good thing to wonder if the tractor is in control or the implement. My mistake in buying the 2660 is that I decided that I would rent a backhoe if needed, so I didn’t buy it up-front with a BX25. A couple years later my daughter told me of a neighbor who was leaving the area in a hurry. Something about his shoice of crops. I gave him $3500 cash for a 400 hr BX23 with FEL and backhoe. Digging with the 23 is like emptying Lake Tahoe with a tablespoon, but it get the job done and is a really fine machine. I welded up a set of forks which will fit on either tractor. I added a plywood hopper that sits on the forks for carrying leaves etc in some quantity, but as Jim pointed out, you change the dynamics with a lot of weight way out front. I drop the FEL and Box when using the MMM on the 2660. Without them the tractor can mow on the steep back slope. With the loader and box on the center of gravity is to high and your just have your heart in your throat, which is not where you want to be on a tractor. I also welded hooks on each bucket ion line with the lift arms and put a ring in the center for rigging. I am going to sell the tiler this year. Hmmm, perhaps that Domino… I don’t like the hard sub-surface it creates. I’m welding up a sub soiler for the 2660. As to size, I’m content with the BX’s. It will not do everything, but I can take my time and work with it. The issue with tractors is power vs weight, or more correctly power & weight. If you don’t have the weight you cannot put the power to the ground. Get the weight and you tear up the ground you don’t want torn up. There is a balance there somewhere. I bought new from Kubota on the first one. Their 5 yr, 0% PLUS their required insurance on the finance is in my view and experience an excellent deal and takes the glow off buying used, well unless like me you can steal a BX23. Fourteen years in, I’m really happy with my Kubota’s.

[Edward Weber]

Been a few years since the OP started this thread, I hope he found what he was looking for.
I have a MF 1635 and have been very happy with it.
Finding a small tractor can involve a lot of homework, as there are so many brands these days. Some good, some not so good, it just makes finding the right one for you more difficult.
I'll add a +1 for https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/, for those who may not know exactly what they're looking for. Great place to learn the lingo if necessary, also the common questions and issues that you might need to know, before and after purchase.

[John K Jordan]

My cumulative experience on this subject:

I have a friend with a BX series Kubota with a belly mower. A small bush hog works ok but the mower is so slow.
I use two Kubota 25HP diesel powered zero turn mowers at my farm. each with 5' cuts. They will mow rings around the small tractor. I keep one for grass and the other for rough - it will cut things so rough I sold my bushhog.

469628

My friend uses his smaller tractor sometimes to tension a steel cable for cutting trees and haul log sections out of the woods. The tractor barely has enough power and because of the lighter weight it doesn't have enough traction - we have to cut the logs into short pieces.
I have a mid sized Kubota L series (about 40 horse) which has far more power and can skid heavy logs. I usually lift one end of a long log off the ground with a skidding tong attached by chain to hooks welded on the FEL and drive backwards. I put a heavy yard box on the back for counter balance if needed.

I have an other friend with a large tractor. He mounted a backhoe on the 3 point hitch. It eventually broke part of the casting of the tractor and the repair was prohibitively expensive. I've read other horror stories about 3-point-hitch backhoes. Moral of the stories: don't do it. One with a sub frame won't hurt the tractor.

I bought a backhow for my L3830 tractor. Instead of mounting on a 3-point-hitch it has a strong subframe that extends far under the tractor and bolts securely to the underside. It uses a hydraulic pump driven by the PTO and will easily dig ditches, footings, and stumps and it will supposedly dig deep enough to install for a septic tank. From experience it will easily dig deep enough to bury a horse. It lacks the power of a real backhoe but is still useful. The dealer said it can be attached in 5-minutes - it takes me at least 20 minutes.

469629

I bought an excavator a couple of years ago and will try to sell the backhow since I'll never use it again.
The small excavator easily trenches, takes down trees, and can lift and move a 2-3000 lbs log or rock.

469632

If doing dirt work I use three machines:
- the excavator to break into hard dirt and put it in piles - it will spread and level dirt but it's very slow,
- a 65hp skid steer which has a terrible time digging into hard dirt but is very fast for spreading piles and doing rough leveling.
- and the tractor - first with the yard box for smoothing and then with the landscaping rake to prep for seeding.
I don't do this for money but for around the farm and to help out a few selective neighbors close enough I don't have to trailer equipment.

I used the tractor and skid steer for the ground prep for my shop:

469631


If I were rich I'd have:

A compact tractor for tight places like between the trees in the woods and for light jobs around the farm.
A midsized tractor like my 40 hp Kubota
A large tractor for heavy duty things
A skid steer with tire since it is fast and flexible
A larger skid steer with tracks
A relative small excavator for tight places - the Kubota KX033 is perfect
A larger excavator with more power and a 6-way dozer blade
The two zero-turn mowers and a smaller stand-behind for tighter areas
An equipment shed big enough to keep everything out of the rain.
A huge diesel fuel tank with an electric pump.

[Jim Becker]

Tomorrow, I'm actually moving my BX-22 here to the new property. Finally. Overkill for sure, but until I deal with a shop building, I'm going to keep it so I have the Big Orange Power Tool to use to deal with things without having to rent something, at least within its capabilities.

John, I probably mentioned this earlier in the thread years ago, but I originally did have the big 60" belly mower for this thing. I hated it because taking it off and putting it back on was a royal pain, especially with no pavement to help with the process. I bought a ZTR for mowing (SCAG Freedom-Z) and sold the deck. The FEL and BH are more or less permanently on the tractor.

[Tom M King]

My old John Deere is still working hard. I had a guy come with an excavator to dig up some big stumps for me. I have a place to dump them just a few hundred yards away, so carried the ones that weighed less than 2,000 pounds, and pushed 3 that were well over.

This is not a compact tractor, but the 1979 70 hp Category 2 mentioned earlier in this thread.

[Bill Dufour]

In California tractors under 25Hp do not fall under CARB rules. above that they have retroactive smog laws that older engines can not meet. Eventually they will be banned in California. I know the op does not live in California but pretty much all car smog laws started in California and gradually got adopted in the 49 states.
At this time you can not bring in a non-compliant Diesel engine into the state regardless of what it is or is not attached to.
Bill D

[Bill Dufour]

Be aware that a real tractor has a international legal definition of horsepower. This is nothing like the hp claims for lawn tractors that are wildly inflated.
Bill D

[Maurice Mcmurry]

I have a 1976 Ford 1600. It has 4400 + hours. No loader so fairly useless according to others. I have a box blade, a trip bucket rear scoop, and a PTO driven Yanmar backhoe. All acquired on the cheap. I continue to be amazed by what I can do with my junky rig. Ford wrote the book on compact tractors IMHO. The ones made in Japan are very impressive to me. My neighbor has a 4WD 40 hp Nortrack. I get more done with my little 2 cylinder 24 HP Japanese Ford.

[Bill Dufour]

I do not think ford had anything to do with the design of your Shibaura tractor except maybe the logo and paint scheme. I have never seen or heard of a Shibaura tractor sold under it's own name. Many sub compact tractors are sold under several different names. The original Japanese name is usually the cheapest to buy used. Especially true if there are some with old school US names on them.
Bill D

[Ronald Blue]

I have a 1976 Ford 1600. It has 4400 + hours. No loader so fairly useless according to others. I have a box blade, a trip bucket rear scoop, and a PTO driven Yanmar backhoe. All acquired on the cheap. I continue to be amazed by what I can do with my junky rig. Ford wrote the book on compact tractors IMHO. The ones made in Japan are very impressive to me. My neighbor has a 4WD 40 hp Nortrack. I get more done with my little 2 cylinder 24 HP Japanese Ford.

Actually I think the Japanese wrote the book on compact utility tractors. You have an import that's painted Ford blue. Ford had nothing to do with it except to be the importer.

[Dave Lehnert]

Been a few years since the OP started this thread, I hope he found what he was looking for.
I have a MF 1635 and have been very happy with it.
Finding a small tractor can involve a lot of homework, as there are so many brands these days. Some good, some not so good, it just makes finding the right one for you more difficult.
I'll add a +1 for https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/, for those who may not know exactly what they're looking for. Great place to learn the lingo if necessary, also the common questions and issues that you might need to know, before and after purchase.


Well this thread started in 2018 and still have not purchased one. They sure have gone up in price over the last year or so.
Im still on the edge of wanting one vs needing one. The thought of another piece of equipment to take care of and taking up garage space has not helped.

[Ronald Blue]

Well this thread started in 2018 and still have not purchased one. They sure have gone up in price over the last year or so.
Im still on the edge of wanting one vs needing one. The thought of another piece of equipment to take care of and taking up garage space has not helped.

I can say my Cub Cadet/Yanmar has not needed anything except routine maintenance. I've put 115 hours on it in 4 years. It's certainly been a workhorse. Besides my own work I went around and cleaned driveways last winter after a large snow just as a good Samaritan. Probably ticked off some of those who want to make a buck doing it but that's okay. Anyway the point is most are very dependable. However I can also tell you that at least mine won't go under a standard 7' tall garage door without having the ROPS folded down.

[John K Jordan]

…I can also tell you that at least mine won't go under a standard 7' tall garage door without having the ROPS folded down.

I need 8’ clearance for my Kubota L3839 HST tractor. I think I have about 4000 hours on it and did have to replace a seal in a FEL cylinder and seal and bearings in a front drive axle. It costs $300-$400 to replace all the filters and fluids (including about 10 gallons of the recommended hydraulic fluid!) What hurts is diesel fuel for seven engines at today’s prices! Might have to rob a bank (or go back to work) when it needs rear tires.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

Ronald Blue , Regarding "writing the book" I was referring to the 8N and other USA Fords. I have read that the Ford Motor Company played a big role in helping the Japanese industry come up with things to make other than war material during the post war years. I wanted a John Deere or a Kubota. I was able to get a blue Ford without borrowing money. (I sill want a John Deere and Kubota).

Toshiba and Ishikawajima Harima Industries evolved from the W. Edwards Demming philosophy. The factors behind Japan's post war economic growth include technology and quality control imported from the west. Ford commissioned Shibaura to build these tractors.

[Ole Anderson]

I'm confused. I was replying to a thread that showed up yesterday, yet it appears that I am the one that revived the old thread. How did that happen?

[Jim Becker]

I need 8’ clearance for my Kubota L3839 HST tractor.

I need a full 8' tall door for my little BX-22 in order to pull in without lowering the ROPS...it's a scary thing when one forgets that and the ROPS hits the door header. Going too fast means the front wheels get off the ground, too. LOL DAKHIKT!!

The Big Orange Power Tool was just successfully moved from the old property on a UHaul 6x12 with ramp. It will be nice having it here now. And I can unload my lathe and get it into the shop today, too.

469674 469675 469676

[Ronald Blue]

Ronald Blue , Regarding "writing the book" I was referring to the 8N and other USA Fords. I have read that the Ford Motor Company played a big role in helping the Japanese industry come up with things to make other than war material during the post war years. I wanted a John Deere or a Kubota. I was able to get a blue Ford without borrowing money. (I sill want a John Deere and Kubota).

Toshiba and Ishikawajima Harima Industries evolved from the W. Edwards Demming philosophy. The factors behind Japan's post war economic growth include technology and quality control imported from the west. Ford commissioned Shibaura to build these tractors.

The 3 point hitch system was developed by Ferguson and was patented. He partnered with Henry Ford and the Ford-Ferguson was built and later it was just the Ferguson after the partnership dissolved. Ferguson later merged with Massey Harris. Ford didn't do anything special with the Shibaura other then be the US marketer of it. If you look the brand up there are multiple models manufactured by them over the years. That's nothing different from what John Deere did with Yanmar early on as the market here developed and the other major US brands did the same with various Japanese tractor builders. Case IH partnered with Mitsubishi at one point. I'm not sure about now. I know John Deere now builds their own here but still use Yanmar engines.

[John K Jordan]

I.....it's a scary thing when one forgets that and the ROPS hits the door header. Going too fast means the front wheels get off the ground, too....


I've had that happen with one of my 25hp zero turn mowers when the ROPS connected with a low branch. I wasn't going fast either.

[Edward Weber]

Well this thread started in 2018 and still have not purchased one. They sure have gone up in price over the last year or so.
Im still on the edge of wanting one vs needing one. The thought of another piece of equipment to take care of and taking up garage space has not helped.


Sorry to hear you're still without one. not to add to you issues but you do have to allow in you budget and room for storage, at least a good quality cover and all of the attachments you may need. Many attachments DO NOT move easily without being lifted by forks or attached to the tractor, even the ones on wheels. Mowers, tillers box blades and so on, can all weigh several hundred pounds (at least mine do).
One man with a tractor can get a lot done, hopefully you can get one that fits your needs.
Good luck
Just to add a little woodworking to the thread, this is what my carry-all looked like when I first built it, it's not quite as pretty now.
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[Ronald Blue]

I will say I had never heard of a "ratchet rake" and had to look it up. I might have to get one although I have already removed a lot of the crap trees etc just with the loader. I did get a landscape rake and that had been very handy. It also does a decent job grading the driveway. I still have a box blade and post hole digger. The handiness of a compact utility with fwa is amazing. Once you have one you wonder how you got along without it. It's big enough to do actual work and small enough to be very maneuverable.

[Alex Zeller]

Not sure if they still do but Tractor supply use to sell the Ratchet rake.

A tractor is like a Shopsmith. It's an engine on wheels that produces power (pulling, PTO, and hydraulic). Personally I wouldn't get a 25hp tractor unless I could confirm it would meet my needs. Far too many people see the low price tag and think, I can afford that. Once they get it home the realize that they can use it to do more than they expected and within a very short period of time are now trading it in to get what they really needed. Secondly if you do go with a 25hp tractor try it out. Most likely it'll be a hydrostatic tractor with a 2 or 3 speed transmission. However that transmission may have been designed for the 35hp version of that same tractor. That could mean gearing that's too tall for a 25hp engine which forces you to always use low gear (which is fine for some types of work but not so much other times). Don't think of a tractor like a car. Think of it as a lifetime purchase so spending a few bucks now really isn't too much when you figure you could own it for 20, 30, or 40 years. Besides, life is too shirt to buy a tool that's helpful but not as helpful as it can be because you didn't spend a few extra bucks.

BTW I started looking for a 30ish HP tractor I could put a snow blower. I ended up with 45hp and even then I find I'm going slower than I would like.

[Ronald Blue]

Not sure if they still do but Tractor supply use to sell the Ratchet rake.

A tractor is like a Shopsmith. It's an engine on wheels that produces power (pulling, PTO, and hydraulic). Personally I wouldn't get a 25hp tractor unless I could confirm it would meet my needs. Far too many people see the low price tag and think, I can afford that. Once they get it home the realize that they can use it to do more than they expected and within a very short period of time are now trading it in to get what they really needed. Secondly if you do go with a 25hp tractor try it out. Most likely it'll be a hydrostatic tractor with a 2 or 3 speed transmission. However that transmission may have been designed for the 35hp version of that same tractor. That could mean gearing that's too tall for a 25hp engine which forces you to always use low gear (which is fine for some types of work but not so much other times). Don't think of a tractor like a car. Think of it as a lifetime purchase so spending a few bucks now really isn't too much when you figure you could own it for 20, 30, or 40 years. Besides, life is too shirt to buy a tool that's helpful but not as helpful as it can be because you didn't spend a few extra bucks.

BTW I started looking for a 30ish HP tractor I could put a snow blower. I ended up with 45hp and even then I find I'm going slower than I would like.



Having had experience with tractor mounted snow blowers I know from experience that 45 HP would be leaving a lot to be desired. Even on 5' it would struggle. As you say you have to go very slowly. Easy to bog it down if you aren't careful.

[Edward Weber]

Without getting into too much granularity about compact tractors.
Engine HP and PTO HP are not the same, you need to know what the attachments requires and what your tractor is actually capable of.
This goes for some of the other common measurements as well. like the lifting arms, the hydraulic pump and so on. One manufacturer can list measurements one way and someone else another. It's not always for trying to "get one over" on the customer but it does make comparing brands of similar size and features difficult.
It's sometimes hard to tell if you're really comparing apples to apples.

[Alex Zeller]

Having had experience with tractor mounted snow blowers I know from experience that 45 HP would be leaving a lot to be desired. Even on 5' it would struggle. As you say you have to go very slowly. Easy to bog it down if you aren't careful.

I'm at the top of the hill so it's not too bad. The blower is 6' wide so when I make that first pass there's only a few feet left to remove. With hydro it's real easy to speed up and slow down depending on how deep the snow is.

[Zachary Hoyt]

I clear our snow with a 6 foot blower on a 1955 Farmall 300, with about 35-40 HP new, and presumably less now. We get a lot of snow here sometimes, so it's been very handy, and I could afford it. I paid $1000 for mine at an auction and had to put about as much into parts to get it running, as one piston and sleeve had to be replaced due to rust and the IPTO drive splines were stripped which involved a double split and several other new or used parts. I have had it for 9 years and it's been very handy. I'll miss it when I move next summer but there's not much room or need for a tractor this size on a 1/4 acre lot in a town.

[Tom M King]

I would like that Ratchet Rake better if it was changeable with a bolt on bucket cutting edge. They only make them up to 72". I think my 8' Pulverizer will do as much, and more, but that's probably a good, cheap option, better than nothing but the bucket edge.

[Ronald Blue]

Without getting into too much granularity about compact tractors.
Engine HP and PTO HP are not the same, you need to know what the attachments requires and what your tractor is actually capable of.
This goes for some of the other common measurements as well. like the lifting arms, the hydraulic pump and so on. One manufacturer can list measurements one way and someone else another. It's not always for trying to "get one over" on the customer but it does make comparing brands of similar size and features difficult.
It's sometimes hard to tell if you're really comparing apples to apples.

You left out draw bar horsepower. The reputable companies numbers are reliable in my experience. They have been around to long to misrepresent their product and with today's sue happy life style someone would be there to drag them into court. Larger tractors are easily verified by the Nebraska tractor tests. They go way way back too. For anyone that doesn't know about them google them. I linked Zachary's International (McCormick Farmall) 300 for his enjoyment.

https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2068&context=tractormuseumlit

[Jim Becker]

I've never felt a reason to question Kubota's specifications nor any of their name-brand peers. That includes both engine HP as well as things like PTO horsepower.

[Edward Weber]

You left out draw bar horsepower. The reputable companies numbers are reliable in my experience. They have been around to long to misrepresent their product and with today's sue happy life style someone would be there to drag them into court. Larger tractors are easily verified by the Nebraska tractor tests. They go way way back too. For anyone that doesn't know about them google them. I linked Zachary's International (McCormick Farmall) 300 for his enjoyment.

https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2068&context=tractormuseumlit


I wasn't saying the numbers aren't reliable or accurate, rather different companies use different ways to describe them. With the large number of compact and subcompact tractors it can be difficult to sort out the differences. Many people shopping for these sized units do not know what to look for in the first place or if there are differences in the way things are described.
Simple example of what I was getting at.
My tractor, a MF 1635 is on the same level as a Kubota L3901 These units are similar in many ways, apples to apples.
Lifting points weight for the MF at 24" beyond ball end is 2535lbs, while the lifting weight for the Kubota is 1985 at the ball end. This doesn't seem right but it's what the specs say. It's even worse when you see "equal" specs.
If people don't know what to look for (or even when they do) they can come accross something that doesn't seem to make much sense.
I was only suggesting people need to do their homework so that they get the machine they need/want.

[Ronald Blue]

I wasn't saying the numbers aren't reliable or accurate, rather different companies use different ways to describe them. With the large number of compact and subcompact tractors it can be difficult to sort out the differences. Many people shopping for these sized units do not know what to look for in the first place or if there are differences in the way things are described.
Simple example of what I was getting at.
My tractor, a MF 1635 is on the same level as a Kubota L3901 These units are similar in many ways, apples to apples.
Lifting points weight for the MF at 24" beyond ball end is 2535lbs, while the lifting weight for the Kubota is 1985 at the ball end. This doesn't seem right but it's what the specs say. It's even worse when you see "equal" specs.
If people don't know what to look for (or even when they do) they can come accross something that doesn't seem to make much sense.
I was only suggesting people need to do their homework so that they get the machine they need/want.


When I compare those 2 models there is significant differences. The main difference being the weight. Your MF is between roughly 500 to 700 lbs heavier. The wheelbase is about 7" longer as well which would aid in 3 pt hitch lift capacity. I have no reason to doubt the specs either company puts out. So while horsepower is pretty comparable your tractor has more mass. Most people would probably not ever notice the difference for what they are doing. I actually work my tractor and have had the rear end in the air lifting and digging and the front end in the air via the loader either hydraulicly or buy pushing and it cantilevering up as the loader bites in. Actually upon comparing my Cub Cadet/Yanmar has nearly identical specs to the Kubota. Weight and wheelbase are tit for tat. Anyway research is valuable but if someone doesn't know what they are looking at they might not get the best bang for their buck. Which is what you were saying so we agree. They should ask here for "expert" advice. :eek::) We can thoroughly confuse them.

[Edward Weber]

I know they're a little different, I just picked a similar size and HP Kubota since most people are more familiar with them. I don't know wht would be a direct comparison these days as my tractor is 10 years old. Might be interesting to see what's comparable today.
Expert advise, you're funny

The other thing is the size of the platform, you can get a 25HP sub-compact or a 25HP compact. There will be a world of difference in what the machine can handle.
The good thing is you can probably find a unit tailored to your specific needs, the hard part can be finding it. It seems like every brand slightly excels in one area or another, whether it's power, weight, dealer, etc.

[Ronald Blue]

I know they're a little different, I just picked a similar size and HP Kubota since most people are more familiar with them. I don't know wht would be a direct comparison these days as my tractor is 10 years old. Might be interesting to see what's comparable today.
Expert advise, you're funny

The other thing is the size of the platform, you can get a 25HP sub-compact or a 25HP compact. There will be a world of difference in what the machine can handle.
The good thing is you can probably find a unit tailored to your specific needs, the hard part can be finding it. It seems like every brand slightly excels in one area or another, whether it's power, weight, dealer, etc.

When I ended up with mine I was actually after a larger unit but things work out for a reason. I talked to one person and the other owner sold it. I wasn't pleased but decided on the one I got. In the end I have no regrets. The other one was a shuttle shift with clutch. I love the hydro. It's never given me a moments trouble. I agree subcompacts are okay if that's all you want/need. Compacts are much more capable though. Ironically locally besides JD dealer the MF and Kubota dealer are the same. They are real labor savers. In fact I look for ways to use it on projects but I'm running out of those. One thing I intended to do and didn't before I retired was weld a couple hooks on the loader bucket. I even purchased them. No welder now so I guess I'll take it to the welding shop. For anyone that might be interested I got this style hook.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007IBJM9O/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1

[Edward Weber]

Sounds like we have had very similar experiences.
When I was looking, one salesman was trying hard to sell me on a NewHolland Boomer with the shuttle shift. I told him no and he said I'd be sorry if I went for a hydro. Needless to say after 8 years with the hydro, I couldn't be happier. The main advantage that was pointed out to me with a subcompact was the weight. Mine has water filled tires and is quite heavy, which isn't ideal for certain delicate projects where a sub compact could easily go without damaging pavers or turf.
I also added grab hooks when I bought mine although I went bolt on.
https://www.boltonhooks.com/
469814469815

[John K Jordan]

Sounds like we have had very similar experiences.
When I was looking, one salesman was trying hard to sell me on a NewHolland Boomer with the shuttle shift. I told him no and he said I'd be sorry if I went for a hydro. Needless to say after 8 years with the hydro, I couldn't be happier. ...

I love tractor talk!

IMO what little power you lose to the hydrostatic drive is well worth it for the speed and flexibility in operation, especially when moving dirt, loading, spreading gravel, raking, operating forks, even tilling (especially in tight spaces). I used mine for a couple of hours today grading the driveways after the rain, moving leaves, smoothing dirt and gravel and did a lot of back and forth made easy with the HST. I have a friend whose tractor doesn't and he is always shifting, shifting, shifting. I think the standard transmission/shift is great for working in big fields where once you start moving you keep moving: mowing and baling hay, spraying, spreading, plowing, seeding. But when picking up the hay with a grapple and loading on trailers the hydrostatic is the thing. Come to think of it, all of my farm and dirt equipment have hydrostatic drives, even the little diesel utility truck.

My tractor is not a subcompact but I still had the rear tires filled part way with liquid for stability (alcohol mixture). The extra weight is also nice when compacting soil. (For even better compacting I fill the FEL with gravel and take advantage of the extra weight on the narrower front tires.)

I welded both grab hooks on the top ends of the bucket and a slip hook in the center - gives lots of flexibility. I also bolted grab hooks on the bottom of the boom behind the bucket for those rare times when I need just a bit more lifting power. A grab hook on either end of the bucket and a couple of big skidding tongs on short lengths of chain makes lifting and moving short logs easy, especially at the sawmill. (For skidding long logs I use one skidding tong on one end of the log, lift that end a couple of inches off the ground with the bucket so it doesn't get caught on rocks and roots, then drive backwards to snake it around trees.)

The thing I'd most hate to NOT have on the tractor are the top and tilt cylinders I had added years ago for the 3-point hitch. No more getting off the tractor to make adjustments. The valves and cylinders weren't cheap but the combo is so, so useful for things like grading with the yard box and raking, clearing ditches with the long grading blade, lining up vertically to drive a fence post with the hydraulic post driver on a slope, boring holes with the auger, cutting/smoothing trails in the woods, even when bush hogging. About the only time I don't use it with 3pt attachments is when plowing or pulling the land plane. The top&tilt is the best investment I've made for the tractor.

For those thinking about getting a tractor (or just got one) I recommend researching the ways you can get hurt or killed. Here are a few:
* One of the most gruesome I read about was driving through the woods, driving over and pushing over saplings/small trees along the way, then turning around and returning by the same path. A bent over and stripped sapling can catch and feed itself up into seat area and impale the driver. Unfortunate operators have been found where the tractor finally came to rest when it ran out of fuel.
* Another thing is stability sideways on a hill - everything may feel just fine and quite stable UNTIL a wheel on the low side suddenly drops into a shallow hole or low spot or a wheel on the high side runs over a rock.
* Since the 3pt hitch does not have down pressure, people have been wrapped around the shaft of an auger when they slipped while jumping on the top trying to add a little extra weight to get through a hard spot in the dirt. Ack.
* I always wear a hard hat when working around trees - I once accidentally bumped a tree which knocked loose a dead widowmaker limb which gave my hard hat a good smack. Fortunately it wasn't big enough to break my neck.
* If clearing even small trees with the bucket be real careful not to catch a still-rooted one with the back edge of the bucket low to the ground when backing up - even moving slowly the leverage can swing the tree down at a high speed. People have been knocked out and faces have been stitched.
* The nephew of a neighbor got too close to a shaft driving a portable tractor-driven sawmill.
* One more: the grandfather of another neighbor was killed when he disturbed a hornet's or yellowjacket nest. When he jumped off the tractor to run away he tripped and his foot got caught under the rear tire (evidently not a hydrostatic drive) and the tractor ran over him. When working around brush in summer and early fall I often wear a netting over my head, the type used by bow hunters for camouflage, long sleeves, and gloves. I also carry a can of hornet spray and I've had to use it a time or two.

JKJ

[Zachary Hoyt]

That's a very good list of dangerous situations. Another I would add is driving around with the bucket way up in the air. Keeping the loader as low as possible except when actually lifting something up high is much less dangerous. Also putting things in the bucket or on the forks and then lifting them up too high without tilting the bucket down. Things can fall down the loader arms onto the driver.

[Jim Becker]

One thing I intended to do and didn't before I retired was weld a couple hooks on the loader bucket. I even purchased them. No welder now so I guess I'll take it to the welding shop.

I had them added by the dealer when I bought my Kubota and they have come in handy many times. I have one on the backhoe bucket, too.

[Alex Zeller]

I'll add just one thing about safety. The roll over bar (ROPS) is deadly if you aren't wearing your seatbelt. If you think hydrostatic drive is nice you should try out Kubota's Grand L line (the 40 and 60 series). They have a 2 speed lever so you can switch driving speeds (like changing between low and high) without actually stopping or even letting off the go pedal. For example you drive up to a pile of dirt in the middle gear, flick the lever and suddenly you are in low to get extra pushing power, then flick it again to drive back to where you want the dirt in M.

[Ronald Blue]

I'll add just one thing about safety. The roll over bar (ROPS) is deadly if you aren't wearing your seatbelt. If you think hydrostatic drive is nice you should try out Kubota's Grand L line (the 40 and 60 series). They have a 2 speed lever so you can switch driving speeds (like changing between low and high) without actually stopping or even letting off the go pedal. For example you drive up to a pile of dirt in the middle gear, flick the lever and suddenly you are in low to get extra pushing power, then flick it again to drive back to where you want the dirt in M.

I honestly do most work in 2nd gear. I only use low gear if I need more than normal power or finesse. It will spin easily driving into the dirt pile as it becomes full. I just ease up on the pedal as it gets full and tip the bucket back and back away. I'm sure the feature is nice but hydro over gear drive even with a reverser is great as far as I'm concerned. That feature sounds like what originated on Internationals with the torque amplifier as they called it. Massey Ferguson called it multi power. Most everyone else just called it high and low. The tractor I ran last month tearing up corn stocks was full power shift. You could stop and start without using the clutch at all. Just select forward or reverse with the control lever. The nice feature about it was once you got into your work gear you hit a button that set that as the "gear". If you hit a really tough spot it automatically downshifted like a automobile. Then upshifted when the pull eased up. Come to the end to turn and drop down a couple gears and then hit the button after you were headed back and it upshifted automatically. It was a track type tractor which was a whole new ball game for me.

[Perry Hilbert Jr]

My first tractor was a really old Ford 8n (1947) older than me. Did great for about ten years with it, but not big enough for most farm work and subject to all the fuel and ignition problems of gasoline engines. The had a 55 horse Ford 4000 (1973) for 15 yrs. I did everything I needed, but wasn't 4wdr and was still a gasoline tractor. The 4000 had a front end loader, but couldn't dig dirt. It could handle loose gravel and manure and snow. Then I got a 1980's, John Deere, 210C back hoe & loader. Diesel. That thing is awesome, digs dirt, trenches, has a heavy duty industrial construction. the loader arms and booms are made from metal twice as thick as ag equipment. When I retired from my day job, Mrs. got a brand new Mahindra 55 hp ag tractor with loader and cab. Althogh it is the same horsepower class as the JD back hoe, it is an ag tractor. made for pulling equipment, not for digging. The FEL is much lightr weight. the bucket is only one third as big in volume, the metal is very thin. The front axle casting is also 4 wdr, but not nearly as beefy as the yellow JD. Buy an ag tractor for ag duties. any front end loader won't be a digger, but fine for carrying loose gravel or manure, scooping up mulch etc. The back hoe will be painfully slow and unfit for rocky soil. The hydraulic pistons are only half the size and power of yellow machines. The frames of ag machines are not made for digging and carrying. If you live in southern Delaware where everything is sand, you may be fine, but try digging in West VA and an ag machine won't last 2 years before something breaks or bends.

[Jim Becker]

I'll add just one thing about safety. The roll over bar (ROPS) is deadly if you aren't wearing your seatbelt. If you think hydrostatic drive is nice you should try out Kubota's Grand L line (the 40 and 60 series). They have a 2 speed lever so you can switch driving speeds (like changing between low and high) without actually stopping or even letting off the go pedal. For example you drive up to a pile of dirt in the middle gear, flick the lever and suddenly you are in low to get extra pushing power, then flick it again to drive back to where you want the dirt in M.

It's a nice feature to not have to stop to change the high and low range...I absolutely have to do that with my wee BX-22. The grinding noise is, um...awful...if one doesn't stop. LOL

And yea, you are spot on about the ROPS and seat belts. That applies to any tractor, ZTR, etc., that has the rollover protection.

[John K Jordan]

I'll add just one thing about safety. The roll over bar (ROPS) is deadly if you aren't wearing your seatbelt. If you think hydrostatic drive is nice you should try out Kubota's Grand L line (the 40 and 60 series). They have a 2 speed lever so you can switch driving speeds (like changing between low and high) without actually stopping or even letting off the go pedal. For example you drive up to a pile of dirt in the middle gear, flick the lever and suddenly you are in low to get extra pushing power, then flick it again to drive back to where you want the dirt in M.

That sounds useful. My L3830 will switch easily between hi, med, and lo range but I usually stop although it doesn't seem necessary. I seldom use hi but often switch to low for extra power. There's a foot lever to lock the differential too, handy when slippery, but I suspect they all have that. It's hard to get the thing stuck. I've gotten the skid steer stuck several times and pulled it out with the tractor.

JKJ

[Alex Zeller]

Kubota's (and I think some NH) high low system uses a 2 speed hydraulic motor to drive the tractor. A switch controls a solenoid valve that directs the oil flow to high or low speed part of the motor. Like most things in life, if you've never had it you most likely will not miss it. The wife thought the seat heaters in the car were a stupid idea, then came the first winter. Now if the temp is below 60 she turns hers on.

[Jerome Stanek]

My Ford 1720 has a 16 speed shuttle shift tranny. nice for loader work

[Jim Becker]

Kubota's (and I think some NH) high low system uses a 2 speed hydraulic motor to drive the tractor. A switch controls a solenoid valve that directs the oil flow to high or low speed part of the motor. Like most things in life, if you've never had it you most likely will not miss it. The wife thought the seat heaters in the car were a stupid idea, then came the first winter. Now if the temp is below 60 she turns hers on.
It seems my older Kubota (~2002) has an actual gearing change involved for high/low range, even though it's a hydrostatic drive.

[Ronald Blue]

Kubota's (and I think some NH) high low system uses a 2 speed hydraulic motor to drive the tractor. A switch controls a solenoid valve that directs the oil flow to high or low speed part of the motor. Like most things in life, if you've never had it you most likely will not miss it. The wife thought the seat heaters in the car were a stupid idea, then came the first winter. Now if the temp is below 60 she turns hers on.

Without having a schematic in front of me my guess is that it's a dual chamber drive motor. It runs in series and when you flip a switch it goes into parallel mode which cuts the speed in half but doubles the torque or doubles the speed depending on which way it goes. Low to high or high to low. They could be using a regenerative circuit too but that's just a guess on my part. I seldom use anything but 2nd gear on mine. I rarely need to run over 12-14 hundred engine rpm for what I'm doing. If I was running a mower then it might be more beneficial. But honestly a tractor doesn't ride well enough that I care to be running faster. But if that appeals to you then by all means get it. I'm sure Kubota has made it reliable.

Unless there is no gear changes involved any longer as Jim mentions. No high or low range or 1st, 2nd, 3rd depending on the tractor.

[John K Jordan]

Kubota's (and I think some NH) high low system uses a 2 speed hydraulic motor to drive the tractor. A switch controls a solenoid valve that directs the oil flow to high or low speed part of the motor. ....

That sounds like the way my Kubota excavator works (KX-033). A button on the grader blade control lever lights up a little green rabbit symbol on the display indicating the high speed mode. Of course, on that machine "high speed" is relative, it switches from 1.9 mph all the way to a blazing 2.9 mph! :)

JKJ

[Jeff Heil]

470084470085

I agree with the other comments, its all about the dealer relationship and service. I did a lot of research online and in person before I bought my compact tractor. The dealer that won my business had an experienced salesman that helped me set up a tractor for my needs and with some extra features that really made a difference in the user experience. I went to several other dealerships and had many different experiences. At the green dealership 15 miles away the salty, condescending salesman told me what I needed without listening to me and told me what he thought I could afford. He lost a $40K sale as I had researched and was ready to buy a green tractor that day. I was dressed casually in jeans and flannel shirt (after a morning clearing trees and on my way to get some chainsaw blades sharpened) and he had no idea of my budget or income, but made a quick decision about what he thought I needed or could pay for. He obviously made an incentive on the dealer financing as he pushed that hard and wanted to know what payment I could afford. I wanted to pay cash and he tried to talk me into financing a tractor as it was a "better deal." In comparison, the orange dealer sales guy asked me what I wanted to do with the tractor, what my property was like (hilly and wooded) and told me about his experience with his own tractors and listened to my questions. He did not have the tractor I went it to buy in stock, but had one size larger available and I was happy to know it could have my new tractor in 2 weeks or so (March 2021) vs waiting on the supply chain for a smaller unit. He also had a delivery guy that he promised would spend 5 minutes or 5 hours at delivery at my property showing me how to remove or attach implements and use the tractor. The delivery guy was great, patient, and knowledgable. I am confident I would be happy with any brand of tractor with that level of support. I am happy with my 31 hp Kubota LX3310, its the perfect size for my property. I am confident a John Deere 2038R would also have met my needs. I wanted to buy and be set for the next 10 years and valued the knowledge and honest conversation about my needs and goals with a good dealership.

[Lawrence Duckworth]

470096.....closed cab because the grasshoppers around here will knock you out of the seat!..

[Jim Becker]

.....closed cab because the grasshoppers around here will knock you out of the seat!..

ROFLOL! Those are some mighty aggressive grasshoppers!!

[John K Jordan]

ROFLOL! Those are some mighty aggressive grasshoppers!!

I like the cab because of yellowjackets and hornet nests. And because of the heat and air since i’m elderly and feeble. When I trade in my skidsteer the new one will have cab.

My Kubota dealer told me a lot of industry and municipal purchases are with cabs, not for comfort but for the health benefits of the reduced exposure to harmful dust.

[Jim Becker]

Yea, if I was in the position that I needed a new machine (not going to happen) I'd go at least the next step up so I could get the cab for weather, insects and yes, dust. Very practical in the long run and also gives opportunity for better forward lighting for night frolic.

[Jerome Stanek]

For those that have the cab are they heated and air conditioned. When I was working for a crop service his tractors all had AC as it would get unbearable in the summer working 16 hrs a day

[Jim Becker]

For those that have the cab are they heated and air conditioned. When I was working for a crop service his tractors all had AC as it would get unbearable in the summer working 16 hrs a day
That's usually an available thing...and I agree it's desirable. The cabs are like a fish bowl!

[Ronald Blue]

Trust me you don't want a cab if you don't have functioning A/C. Years ago you could open windows and make it bearable. Most if not all factory cabs these days are made as a "pod". This is to allow better sound proofing and dust control. The flip side is that if you don't have functioning climate control it quickly becomes a sauna.

[John K Jordan]

Trust me you don't want a cab if you don't have functioning A/C. Years ago you could open windows and make it bearable. Most if not all factory cabs these days are made as a "pod". This is to allow better sound proofing and dust control. The flip side is that if you don't have functioning climate control it quickly becomes a sauna.

Good point.

Fortunately my excavator has great AC, almost too good! It also has a good side sliding window, the side entry door that latches open, and my favorite feature for nice weather - by pushing thumb levers and pulling up the entire front window panel rides up on tracks and parks just below the ceiling - good visibility and fresh air, a joy in good weather. The new skidsteer I'm saving up for seems to have a similar feature front window feature which doubles as the entry door. A friend bought one a few months ago and loves it.

[Lawrence Duckworth]

ROFLOL! Those are some mighty aggressive grasshoppers!!


yes...grasshoppers the size of Florida Mullet.

Seriously though, if you do any spraying, the cab is the way to go. I use a 250 gallon boomless sprayer for herbicide and liquid fertilizer.

[Ronald Blue]

Good point. Fortunately my excavator has great AC, almost too good! It also has a good side sliding window, the side entry door that latches open, and my favorite feature for nice weather - by pushing thumb levers and pulling up the entire front window panel rides up on tracks and parks just below the ceiling - good visibility and fresh air, a joy in good weather. The new skidsteer I'm saving up for seems to have a similar feature front window feature which doubles as the entry door. A friend bought one a few months ago and loves it.Excavators are the exception to this. They usually have a front glass that lifts out of the way and often a sliding glass in the door. Backhoes also have a rear glass that lifts away as well. Plus many have a right door that can be opened. Cranes also often have a windshield that opens and a glass in the roof that can be opened. There use is a little different though and needs are different. While backhoes can be moving a lot when using the loader when they are digging it is often necessary to communicate with workers on the ground. Same for an excavator.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

I have a saved search at Purple Wave Auction, hoping for a newer tractor with a loader. There are several tempting Woodworking tools among the current auctions.

[Steve Demuth]

I think I'm the odd man out on this conversation. Last tractor I bought, I searched high and low to find one that had an actual transmission, rather than hydro, wasn't loaded with electronics, and didn't have a cab (when I'm working outdoors, I want to be outdoors,). I did find a nice Deere built in about 2010 that met all these and was sized to suit my needs (which is at the high end of what anyone would consider a compact tractor, because I need it to be able to load, unload and move 2000lb hay bales and similarly sized logs). I wouldn't trade it for anything newer, although I admit that as I get older, the idea of a cab in winter appeals, and having had a run in with hornets disturbed by my machine last summer, I totally understand John's point of view on that issue.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

Here is what I have been working on with the Ford 1600. No hydro stat., no 4 WD, no power steering, no remote hydraulics, no loader.


https://youtu.be/nTlZoJ81ufU

[Bill Dufour]

I like the tool box on top of the hood. or is it part of the hood?

[Maurice Mcmurry]

I like the tool box on top of the hood. or is it part of the hood?

Thanks. It is just a wooden box held on with rubber bungies. It holds the chainsaw and Pulaski axe. I hope the tractor is not humiliated by my home made "improvements" The front end weight gets in the way of opening the hood all of the way. The rear tires and rims are a hack I feel OK about, $500.00 for the pair on eBay. I had to re-create the bolt circle. Pouring rain here today for the first time in several weeks. We have had a great fall and winter for getting things done outside. Happy New Year, Maurice

This is long and a bit off topic. It has Tractor content that I like a lot.


https://youtu.be/dbm9XJSx7q4

[John K Jordan]

Thanks. It is just a wooden box held on with rubber bungies. It holds the chainsaw and Pulaski axe. …


I like that, I think I’ll make one for my tractor.

I need to devise something like that for my excavator to carry chainsaw, gas. and oil. In cleaning up deadfall and clearing around the farm I can take down and pick up and move a good-sized tree but just making a cut or two once on the ground would make things much easier. (It’s tricky to move a 50’ tree in a tight spot!) These machines don’t provide space to carry anything more than a grease gun and a couple of wrenches! As it is I have to walk back to get the little UTV with the tools then again after returning it - a 1/4 mile up the hill from where I’m working now.

I’m conflicted as to where to mount a carrier. The cab roof is too tall - it could get smashed by tree limbs, too easy to get knocked of off sides or back when working in tight spots. An easily removable crate on the front just behind the dozer blade might be best, removed after transport, but would need care to prevent crushing between the dozer arms and the boom. Or maybe a vertical rack/box fastened low to the left of the front windshield? There are threaded studs there for mounting a window guard.

Anyone devise a useful carrier for a fairly small trackhoe? It’s a Kubota Kx033.

JKJ

[Perry Hilbert Jr]

470647

This is my snow mover, dirt digger, wood hauler, Horse burying, gravel spreader machine. Driveway is 980 ft from road to porch. I can clear the driveway in 15 minutes. if the snow is under 14 inches. If higher add ten minutes per inch. The 55 hp Mahindra is for farm work.