Compact Tractor Recommendations

army_eod

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Guys. Not guns but I know some of you know about farm equipment, etc.
So I am looking for what seems to be a compact tractor. My requirements, needs are:
Mowing
front end loader to move stuff and move dirt
a tiller for gardens
possible towing a bush hog to clear stuff.

I only have about 1.5 acres cleared but can clear another acre perhaps.
Do not need anything big.
 
From two months ago:


I own a Kubota.
 
Buy a low hours late '70's to early '80's Deere 1050 or similar series with a Yanmar diesel and never speak of Compact tractors again.


Fordson, Deere, Massey late '70's early '80s stuff will run forever. No computers. Mechanical diesel F.I. Small, reliable, three point hitch.

All the modern stuff is dependant on computers, EFI, and a million other things that will never work when you need it.

Sirhr
 
Buy a low hours late '70's to early '80's Deere 1050 or similar series with a Yanmar diesel and never speak of Compact tractors again.


Fordson, Deere, Massey late '70's early '80s stuff will run forever. No computers. Mechanical diesel F.I. Small, reliable, three point hitch.

All the modern stuff is dependant on computers, EFI, and a million other things that will never work when you need it.

Sirhr
You, sir, are either mis-informed, or ignorant of the reliability of some more modern equipment.

I have no problem working on the CAV fuel pump on the Perkins in the heart of my Allis 175. Stone-reliable mechanical, to be sure. Personally rebuilt it.

But owning and/or having operated in the tens of tractors, spanning 80 years of production, for this gentleman, a currentish-production Kubota of 40-50 hp is my vote. Dealer support and less-than-a-week availability of parts is a big deal to a guy that wants to get back to operating the broken-down tractor, rather than fuck with it.

Second largest tractor brand in the world, and WAY beyond the “new kid” thing they once were.
 
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I have a JD 1025R. Its been good but a little under powered at times. Clearing brush and moving rock and dirt kind of stuff. Its a little light at times too. But all said, Ive been very happy mowing 2 acres.

In my area, Kabotas and JD are fairly equal in use but Kabotas are more expensive. I was neck and neck between the two and price won out. A cousin owns a small excavation business and he uses nothing but Kabotas. Swears by them.
 
I have a Kubota and Power -Trac. The Power-Trac is the handiest piece of equipment I've ever owned and it's made in the USA and has no computers. They're strange looking but being articulated, they go almost anywhere and are all hydraulic plus tub is made from steel and near indestructible. Most parts available at auto parts store or hyd shop. https://power-trac.com/ My Kubota is a TLB and has also been great for heavier work.

This is a great forum for all things tractor. http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/index.php
 
You, sir, are either mis-informed, or ignorant of the reliability of some more modern equipment.

I have no problem working on the CAV fuel pump on the Perkins in the heart of my Allis 175. Stone-reliable mechanical, to be sure. Personally rebuilt it.

But owning and/or having operated in the tens of tractors, spanning 80 years of production, for this gentleman, a currentish-production Kubota of 40-50 hp is my vote. Dealer support and less-than-a-week availability of parts is a big deal to a guy that wants to get back to operating the broken-down tractor, rather than fuck with it.

Second largest tractor brand in the world, and WAY beyond the “new kid” thing they once were.
A lot of the modern sub-compacts are fine tractors, to be sure. But they are modern... and crazy expensive to buy and operate.

I live in what used to be working farm country and is now mostly hobby farm country. My neighbors have lots of compacts and they are always on the back of a flatbed heading back to the dealer for the most basic of things. Because most of my idiot neighbors can't even change a lugnut. If the OP can handle maintenance and troubleshooting... no worries.

My 1050, bought new in 1980, never misses a beat... winter, summer, cold, hot, rain, nothing stops it. It's never once failed. The old farmers around here running their 40-year old equipment are always... running. The 3 big farms in the area have modern six-figure equipment and business-level maintenance budgets. They never have issues.

The yuppies with their orange, green, red, yellow-and-white, etc. compact tractors... are basically playing with lawn tractor power and 8-series BMW electronics budgets....

So I don't discount modern high-tech tractors. But just be prepared to treat them like a Prius with dealer maintenance and trouble shooting and circuit boards, not engines. Not a piece of hard-working farm gear. But for some, they are just the ticket.

Sirhr

Sirhr
 
You, sir, are either mis-informed, or ignorant of the reliability of some more modern equipment.

I have no problem working on the CAV fuel pump on the Perkins in the heart of my Allis 175. Stone-reliable mechanical, to be sure. Personally rebuilt it.

But owning and/or having operated in the tens of tractors, spanning 80 years of production, for this gentleman, a currentish-production Kubota of 40-50 hp is my vote. Dealer support and less-than-a-week availability of parts is a big deal to a guy that wants to get back to operating the broken-down tractor, rather than fuck with it.

Second largest tractor brand in the world, and WAY beyond the “new kid” thing they once were.
Oh and I'll add one more thing... the old stuff does take maintenance too, if it's going to keep running. Filters, zerk fittings, fluids, etc. So you are also right on that if turnkey is the goal... then older stuff is not everyone's cup of tea. I started maintaining that tractor when I was 15. So it does take attention. But 40 years later... it's still going strong!

Will today's sub compacts do the same? Or do we care?

Cheers,

Sirhr

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Few features that make life much more enjoyable. True suspension seat. Only suspension a tractor has is the tires. Unlike a riding lawn mower, any compact tractor is capable of 10+ mph across the yard. So the slightest hit is going to go right into you.

Good tires with proper inflation. R4 industrials are all the rage with compacts, they are meh. Get some good radial R1’s or Goodyear’s R14’s hybrids. Unless your mowing a nice lawn, If that was the case you would be asking about zero turns and not a tractor. Compact tractors aren’t heavy enough to really tear stuff up if you drive and turn within reason.

4wd. Loader work needs traction. If you have soft ground it can be the difference between getting it done, or towing it out.

Position/draft control. This keeps the rear three pt hitch at a constant height you set it at. Other wise you have to keep manipulating the hydraulic lever.

As many extra hydraulic remotes that you can option out. It opens up all kinds of new possibilities like a top n tilt kit. https://www.fitritehydraulics.com/


More goodies for hooking chains. https://www.boltonhooks.com/

I’ll add more later, gotta run.
Edit: correction the phone auto mis-corrects
 
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Few features that make life much more enjoyable. True suspension seat. Only suspension a tractor has is the tires. Unlike the riding lawn mower, any compact tractor is capable of 10+ mph across the yard. So the slightest hit is going to go right into you.

Good tires with proper inflation. R4 industrials are all the rage with compacts, they are meh. Get some good radial R1’s or Goodyear’s R14’s hybrids. Unless your mowing a nice lawn, If that was the case you would be asking about zero turns and not a tractor. Compact tractors aren’t heavy enough the really tear stuff up if you drive and turn within reason.

4wd. Loader work needs traction. If you have or soft ground it can be the difference between getting it done, or towing it out.

Position/draft control. This hole the rear three pt bitch at whatever height you set it. Other wise you have to keep manipulating the hydraulic lever.

As many extra hydraulic remotes that you can option out. It opens up all kinds of new possibilities like a top n tilt kit. https://www.fitritehydraulics.com/


More goodies for hooking chains.https://www.boltonhooks.com/

I’ll add more later, gotta run.
A great point here.... depending where you live, 4WD is worth every penny and then some.

That's the one thing I wish my old man had sprung for... but he was cheap.

Sirhr
 
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Kubota is everything the reputation is. So's the price.
Yanmar has owned the Deere brand for awhile. With Deere, you pay more for the paint and name than what you get in the tractor.
First, just as mission drives the gear, the job is going to drive the HP. Once you have that down, go from there.
Put me in the camp that likes the all mechanical rides from the 80's. Crue, Poison, Van Halen and all that.

Best bets are a Yanmar of that vintage and a Kubota which will cost more but easier to find.

And oh yeah, you will require 4wd.
 
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Buy American. Keep the money at home.

Nothing runs like a Deere....except a Caterpillar and I dont think they make what youre looking for.
 
I have had a number of different JD compact and subcompact. Have 2025r now. I live in timber, rock, hills and some grass. I found a good used skid steer and a sub compact for tilling, mowing and grading a 1/2 mile drive. Skid steer is much better for loader work and safer. If a bobcat toolcat wasn’t so damn expensive I would think that might be the best all around machine. Loader, mower, plow and snowblower. Depend on your needs and budget the 1025r is a fine machine but like the above posts you pay for green.
 
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Just finished running the brushhog on about 2 ish acres on the back of the property. I use a JD 1025R. It gets plenty done for what I truly ask of it. The bucket gets small real fast and sure feels funny when you start bouncing the rear end if you accidentally overload it. A 48 inch cutter runs good on the PTO end though. Occasionally I use a box blade, 60 inch rake, post hole digger, and a set of pallet forks on the 3 point. About due for my 200 hour service that will be completed at home.
 
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you pay for green.

Having shopped JD and Kubota recently thats really not true anymore...

All the big brands are all in the same price range. I could have bought a 1025R for LESS than a Kubota BX25. If you look at MSRP to MSRP, yea the JD is probably more expensive, but the discounts all seemed to be higher on JD...at least in my neck of the woods...

For me, at the end of the day, I went with a Gravely zero turn and will pick up a walk behind tiller like a Troy Bilt Horse or Pony.

I had about the same desires as the OP but my main use was mowing an acre... the sub-compact tractors all had poor reviews on the mowing quality due to how the deck mounted to the tractor(not a floating deck, no anti scalp wheels, etc...). Then i looked at the tiller setup and I would have been in a tiller for 1800-2000 for a 48" tiller... for the 2x a year I would have used it seemed crazy. The FEL would have been cool, but my guess is, for me it would have sat in the garage 99% of the time...for 4500 bucks...

So I broke down how much I was going to use each thing and talked to the local equipment rental place... skid steer with loader bucket for $300 a day and the guy will deliver and pickup for free. They rent tillers if I want to do that for like 100 a day...or I can borrow my buddies.

At the end of the day I couldnt justify spending almost 20k dollars on a 1025r, FEL, mower deck, and tiller... along with the other things I was going to buy(I will also buy them for use with my zero turn.
 
I'm a farmer/rancher. I agree with some of the older style JD's being good, reliable platforms. Full disclosure... Most of my tractors are green & older. I would go with Kubota in the small hp tractor size. I would stay away from the off brands, Mahindra etc. Something to consider, I have a Kubota svl 75-2 skid steer for clearing, bucket work, small area mowing(under trees etc.), material handling etc. I find the skid steer ALOT more convenient and versatile for the work you describe.
 
JD 790, 27HP, ours has a loader and runs a 5' finish mower(use a zero turn now for grass). My brother's does the same. You can usually find these with low hours.

I have a JD 310E also, you will want something like for clearing anything bigger than 2" saplings.
 
John Deere.... Just go to your nearest JD place and kick a few tires and talk to the customer's coming in for parts or service. Yes, parts are priced at a premium.... However all through this pandemic there has always been a JD rep to listen to my tractor issues or a parts person going the extra mile to get a special part when I needed it....

Oh, and did I mention the JD parts are expensive ? You have plenty of "after market" JD parts out there to choose from.

Hobo
 
My neighbor is the biggest dairy in the county. When I asked him about JD vs Kubota he recommended JD, so I picked up a 2032. Am amazed at what this compact has done: moving huge piles of dirt, rototilling 5 acres of foodplots, moving snow. It starts every time here in brutal Wisconsin winters. No issues.
 
Just finished running the brushhog on about 2 ish acres on the back of the property. I use a JD 1025R. It gets plenty done for what I truly ask of it. The bucket gets small real fast and sure feels funny when you start bouncing the rear end if you accidentally overload it. A 48 inch cutter runs good on the PTO end though. Occasionally I use a box blade, 60 inch rake, post hole digger, and a set of pallet forks on the 3 point. About due for my 200 hour service that will be completed at home.
what brushhog do you have? what is the largest thing it will cut?
 
Lots of misinformation being told here.

Most any tractor under 25hp is still mechanical, I know for a fact that the Kubota LX 2610, B2650, and all of the BX tractors are mechanical injected diesels. No power train computers, no emissions.

Yan Mar diesels are junk, period.

Kubota is the largest non-automotive diesel manufacturer in the world. They have equipment manufacturing plants in the USA, Japan, Germany, and Italy. The only non Kubota engines you will see are gasoline, they use Briggs and Stratton, Koehler, and Kawasaki in the gas powered zero turn and lawn tractors, and Subaru in the XG850 Sidekick.

A L2501 (25hp) tractor will run a 60" mower, a L3560 (35hp) will run a 72" mower. The engine is bigger so it has more torque. Neither engine has a turbo and we are at 6000ft above sea level. They do fine except in super thick brush, but just slow your travel speed down and let the implement work. That's the nice thing about a hydrostatic transmission too.

There's a reason Kubota dominates the compact tractor market. And it isn't by a small margin.
 
I've had subcompacts, small compacts and large compacts. I looked at small ag tractors but they didn't come with a hydrostatic transmission I wanted so everyone in the family can use it. Hard to comment without knowing more:
How much area do you want to finish mow? Do you want a golf course finish or is a more rural cut OK? Lots of tight turns?
How much and what kind of stuff do you want to move? Do you need to load into a truck or trailer?
How big is the garden you want to till?
How much area do you want to brushhog and what is growing there?
So, total 2.5 acres with 1.5 finished?
steep hills? snow? mud?

Some general comments.
Tractors are like Swiss Army knives. The tractor is just a power unit and you change out the front, middle and rear attachments for the job you need to do. Specialized attachments are expensive and difficult to find used. General attachments are less expensive (still not cheap) and much easier to find used. Things like a skid steer quick attach SSQA and cat 1 three point hitch are generally universal and make the tractor more versatile.
Tractor loaders are much weaker than people believe. A Kubota BX subcompact only lifts 400-500 pounds. My Kubota large L is only about 2000 pounds. A subcompact loses a lot of lift capacity with a SSQA. Using the loader means you MUST have rear ballast (weight) on the rear. Lifting without ballast is downright dangerous.
There are 3 types of tires; turf, industrial and ag. Turf is the least aggressive but easiest on lawns. Ags have the best traction off road but tear up the ground. Industrial are a middle of the road compromise. Changing tires is expensive and may not be possible without also changing expensive rims. Choose carefully based on what you need to do most.
If your stuff includes logs, branches, larger stones you will want a grapple to replace the bucket. That means you will also need 3rd function hydraulics to the loader.
Big tractors are harder to maneuver than small tractors. If you need to get into tight places a large tractor may not be the best choice.
The smaller subcompacts have little in the way of electronic controls, mostly safety switches. The larger Tier 4 engines have emission controls that vary by brand. So far my larger Kubotas have had no emission/electrical problems in 1400 hours of combined use. Hope I don't jinx myself :)
Tractors are fun!
 
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I've had subcompacts, small compacts and large compacts. I looked at small ag tractors but they didn't come with a hydrostatic transmission I wanted so everyone in the family can use it. Hard to comment without knowing more:
How much area do you want to finish mow? Do you want a golf course finish or is a more rural cut OK? Lots of tight turns?
How much and what kind of stuff do you want to move? Do you need to load into a truck or trailer?
How big is the garden you want to till?
How much area do you want to brushhog and what is growing there?
So, total 2.5 acres with 1.5 finished?
steep hills? snow? mud?

Some general comments.
Tractors are like Swiss Army knives. The tractor is just a power unit and you change out the front, middle and rear attachments for the job you need to do. Specialized attachments are expensive and difficult to find used. General attachments are less expensive (still not cheap) and much easier to find used. Things like a skid steer quick attach SSQA and cat 1 three point hitch are generally universal and make the tractor more versatile.
Tractor loaders are much weaker than people believe. A Kubota BX subcompact only lifts 400-500 pounds. My Kubota large L is only about 2000 pounds. A subcompact loses a lot of lift capacity with a SSQA. Using the loader means you MUST have rear ballast (weight) on the rear. Lifting without ballast is downright dangerous.
There are 3 types of tires; turf, industrial and ag. Turf is the least aggressive but easiest on lawns. Ags have the best traction off road but tear up the ground. Industrial are a middle of the road compromise. Changing tires is expensive and may not be possible without also changing expensive rims. Choose carefully based on what you need to do most.
If your stuff includes logs, branches, larger stones you will want a grapple to replace the bucket. That means you will also need 3rd function hydraulics to the loader.
Big tractors are harder to maneuver than small tractors. If you need to get into tight places a large tractor may not be the best choice.
The smaller subcompacts have little in the way of electronic controls, mostly safety switches. The larger Tier 4 engines have emission controls that vary by brand. So far my larger Kubotas have had no emission/electrical problems in 1400 hours of combined use. Hope I don't jinx myself :)
Tractors are fun!
Great questions. Let me address.

How much area do you want to finish mow? Do you want a golf course finish or is a more rural cut OK? Lots of tight turns? finish mow about 1.5 acres. rural and not real pretty.
How much and what kind of stuff do you want to move? Do you need to load into a truck or trailer? move compost piles, dirt, some driveway stones. would maybe want to load trailer to move it around the area. Not excavation.
How big is the garden you want to till? probably several gardens 30 ft x 50 ft. not big.
How much area do you want to brushhog and what is growing there? mostly new mimosa some two inches easy. I really cannot bushhog them. more like push them with a blade or something?
So, total 2.5 acres with 1.5 finished? 1.5 finished. 2 wooded and very steep in places. even the finished areas are rather rough and steep. In Alabama so no snow. I will add some photos.
steep hills? snow? mud?
 

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A subcompact tractor (Kubota BX or Deere 1000 series) would work but I agree with JMGlasgow that a small compact is a better starting point. They'll handle a 5 foot finish mower, a 4 foot brush hog, a tiller and a loader. The small compact will have more ground clearance and a longer wheelbase than a subcompact. They'll have a cat 1 three point to take standard rear attachments and newer models may have a SSQA on the loader. Some may have a mid PTO for a mid mount mower. You can go bigger than a small compact on tractor frame size but there are compromises when you go too big.

If your only moving compost, dirt and small stone a bucket works. If you need to move brush or logs a grapple is better. Cutting the fields in the pictures should be no problem with four wheel drive. Cutting dense 2 plus inch trees is going to be pretty hard on a brush mower and tractor. A slip clutch on the mower helps absorb some of the abuse. I'm not familiar with Mimosa but pushing over 2 inch trees will be also tough. If the land clearing is something you will do once or infrequently consider hiring it out or renting heavier equipment for that project.

Good used tractors can be found if you take your time. The tractorbynet forum is a good resource for models, options and reviews. Clean, low hour Deere or Kubota used tractors hold their value and sell pretty quickly around here.

You're going to need parts and maybe service. Check if the are dealers nearby for the brands you're looking at.

I don't know your experience level so no offense - but think safety. ROPS working and up; ballast the tractor for the job; keep the loader just off the ground when moving; stay in 4wd when going downhill with a load (tractors only have brakes on the rear axle); don't turn on hillsides; stay away from a running PTO shaft.
 
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Kubota L-series, L-3301HST, 4WD and never look back.


I have the last gen of this tractor, pre-emissions crap. 60" brush mower, box scraper and back blade, 66" QD bucket, Industrial tires and a set of bucket teeth and bucket forks. I have 2.5 acres at the house and 120 acres of private rifle range to maintain. It works perfect, 5 years of use, maybe 150 hours, zero issues.

And, if you do Kubota, 0% 72 month finance you can buy Kubota insurance, better than a warranty, they fix anything that breaks for the life of the loan.


Kubota factory reps man the Kubota forum or they used too when I bought mine.
 
The L3301 has always had a DPF and emissions. You have an older 33hp L series which depending on year could be an L3200 which was made until 2014.

Also, finance programs change monthly and by division so a person needs to check with the local dealer. Discounts and rebates also change frequently.
 
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A subcompact tractor (Kubota BX or Deere 1000 series) would work but I agree with JMGlasgow that a small compact is a better starting point. They'll handle a 5 foot finish mower, a 4 foot brush hog, a tiller and a loader. The small compact will have more ground clearance and a longer wheelbase than a subcompact. They'll have a cat 1 three point to take standard rear attachments and newer models may have a SSQA on the loader. Some may have a mid PTO for a mid mount mower. You can go bigger than a small compact on tractor frame size but there are compromises when you go too big.

If your only moving compost, dirt and small stone a bucket works. If you need to move brush or logs a grapple is better. Cutting the fields in the pictures should be no problem with four wheel drive. Cutting dense 2 plus inch trees is going to be pretty hard on a brush mower and tractor. A slip clutch on the mower helps absorb some of the abuse. I'm not familiar with Mimosa but pushing over 2 inch trees will be also tough. If the land clearing is something you will do once or infrequently consider hiring it out or renting heavier equipment for that project.

Good used tractors can be found if you take your time. The tractorbynet forum is a good resource for models, options and reviews. Clean, low hour Deere or Kubota used tractors hold their value and sell pretty quickly around here.

You're going to need parts and maybe service. Check if the are dealers nearby for the brands you're looking at.

I don't know your experience level so no offense - but think safety. ROPS working and up; ballast the tractor for the job; keep the loader just off the ground when moving; stay in 4wd when going downhill with a load (tractors only have brakes on the rear axle); don't turn on hillsides; stay away from a running PTO shaft.

My experience level is zero. So that is why I am asking questions. Thanks
 
Looking at the photos, I'd hire someone with a skidsteer with a heavy rotary cutter or mulcher head to clean those spots up. Hard to tell from the photo, but the area by the driveway may be a little iffy for a farm tractor. Also looks like a good spot to get eat up with yellow jackets.

A little constructive criticism; those brace assemblies need to be tied taut with wire. If you need info, welcome to pm.
 
Looking at the photos, I'd hire someone with a skidsteer with a heavy rotary cutter or mulcher head to clean those spots up. Hard to tell from the photo, but the area by the driveway may be a little iffy for a farm tractor. Also looks like a good spot to get eat up with yellow jackets.

A little constructive criticism; those brace assemblies need to be tied taut with wire. If you need info, welcome to pm.
You mean the stones!
 
John Deere 3038e.

38 HP, front wheel assist, bucket and no center pro. I'll never use it.
Owned mine for 12 years, had a fuel shutoff fail at 155 hrs, nothing else.
Very stout compact tractor when you start looking at usable power.

It even has a very cute little hair dryer.
 
Second what @eddie102870 mentioned. With the FEL and 2048 cutter on the back, I can just squeeze it on a 17/18 foot trailer. Hauled it to NC from Georgia on a 20 footer and had room for everything except the post hole digger and augers, which when in the bed of the truck.