Anyone know tractors? Deere 300 backhoe on CL

[John K Jordan]

I agree with Jim - a good dealer is so valuable. There are many great brands but I almost always by Kubota for one big reason, I've known the dealer and service manager for about 15 years and trust him completely. When that Kubota place was sold I followed him to a different dealership out of town rather than go with the new local owners. Makes all the difference.

I do almost all my own mechanical work even replacing a broken front axle on my 4wd tractor, but they were there with advice and support as well as supplying the right parts.

JKJ

Jay, I think that's a good plan. Knowing who sells and services what in your are is very important as you seem to get. Even if you are doing all your own work as a mechanic (and honestly, I do my own work on my Kubota most of the time and I'm no mechanic at all!), availability of parts, advice, etc., is a good thing. You might check out an online forum called "Tractor By Net" as it is, like SMC is for woodworking, a great resource for tractors of all sizes and brands.

Which reminds me...I have a hydraulic hose to my backhoe that needs replaced...

[Tom M King]

If you are in farming country, get the brand you see most of the farmers using. Around here, it's JD, and the dealer is great.

If you want to shape dirt, I highly recommend a Category 2 tractor. Anything will move dirt/rock/sand, in varying quantities, but if you need to shape dirt, a Category 1 tractor is not really built for the job. I built our farm with the John Deere 2640, a low end Category 2-the same tractor model Kevin Costner used to built the "Field of Dreams". There are many newer, better models that you can find for your budget, and I would recommend getting one of them instead of one as old as my 1979 model.

If budget comes between size, and age, I'd go the size route though.

I do my own work too, most of the time. I'm getting ready now, to split that 2640 to rebuild the forward clutch pack. It's done about 2,000 hours work since that clutch was rebuilt the last time. Tractors are really pretty easy to work on. It helps a lot to have a shop where you can leave it sitting, and work on it as time becomes available.

[Perry Hilbert Jr]

Some one above said any tractor will move dirt and soil. WRONG. An Industrial tractor may share a few characteristics with an ag tractor, but Ag tractors are made for pulling and powering attachments. Industrial tractors have heavier frames, heavier axles, and heavier castings where the hoes attach. They are made heavier in the places that let them lift and carry. Compare a FEL on a 50 HP ag tractor to a FEL on an industrial tractor. Yellow industrial machines have heavier frame, heavier axles, heavier mounting, heavier steel on the bucket, larger hydraulic cylinders, heavier cylinder rods. etc. Do the same comparison to the back hoe attachment between an ag tractor and an Industrial tractor. Heavier everything. In addition, the hydraulic pump on an industrial tractor is much heavier duty. Yes you can take the hoe off of an industrial tractor, but there is a slim chance (actually almost none) that you will find a PTO in the back of an industrial tractor. nor will you find a place for a 3 point hitch. They are not made to power attachments like ag tractors do (grinders, balers, hay cutters, etc.) Don't let any one hoodwink you into believing an ag tractor can move dirt the same way as an industrial tractor can. My wife got a new Mahindra ag tractor for me in 2018. I go on the Mahindra owners forums and see the twisted FEL's and bent hydraulic cylinders caused by overloading the ag machine while trying to do an industrial tractor job. Both my Deere backhoe loader and the Mahindra are 55 hp. The Deere FEL mounting pivot points are twice the diameter of the ones on the Mahindra. The lift arms on the Deere are much heavier steel. The Mahindra fel bucket is tiny by comparison. The deere bucket steel is three times thicker and the bucket is four times the volume. In addition, a backhoe loader bucket digs so well because it has teeth mounted on the bucket. Mounting teeth on an ag front bucket with it's thin steel will normally result in a mangled bucket within a few hours of use.