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Compact Tractor Recommendations
- Thread starter army_eod
- Start date
We have a Kubota BX2360 that we bought new in 2012. Zero problems. Still on the original battery.
Needed a bigger tractor to go with it for some additional property. Kubota MX6000 will be here tomorrow. Never even considered anything else.
If I had to replace the little tractor today, it would be another Kubota B or BX.
Needed a bigger tractor to go with it for some additional property. Kubota MX6000 will be here tomorrow. Never even considered anything else.
If I had to replace the little tractor today, it would be another Kubota B or BX.
I have a 1957 farmall cub, it has all implements and the under neath bush hog which i prefer cause i hate getting hit with shit in the back of the head. If i didnt allready own it i would be looking for one.
No, sir, open station. Would have preferred cab, but the larger implements I wanted consumed the budget.
We have 12 acres to take care of and I really liked the Kubotas but they were out of my price range at the time. I bought a 1964 Massey Ferguson 135 with a locally made aftermarket front loader, and it is the most reliable machine I've ever owned. Parts are easy to get locally (I am in working farm country) or online, and as long as it is maintained, it is not depreciating as there is a huge market for these machines. It doesn't mow the lawn around the house (we have a modern JD lawn tractor that anyone can drive for that). I have a tank with AG tires for heavy work and an easy to use lawn mower for less than half the price of a new subcompact.
A neighbor who is a working farmer told me there was an old bush hog 205 buried in the weeds at the edge of one of her fields and that I could have it if I pulled it out. It is not pretty, but works perfectly. She does occasionally ask me to come over to hog places she doesn't want to use her hay mowers on.
I had a task here a few years ago that required a smaller machine with a backhoe. I rented a Kubota BX25 for a week. It is a stout machine, did what I needed and was a lot of fun to use. Ms Stadium is afraid of the MF135 but loved the Kubota (until she found out what they cost).
Newer tractors are much easier to run. I've never heard anyone say they had too much horsepower, and I suggest a Category 1 three point (as Spdy also mentioned). Consider a 2 machine solution. It opens up your choices in the heavier equipment.
A neighbor who is a working farmer told me there was an old bush hog 205 buried in the weeds at the edge of one of her fields and that I could have it if I pulled it out. It is not pretty, but works perfectly. She does occasionally ask me to come over to hog places she doesn't want to use her hay mowers on.
I had a task here a few years ago that required a smaller machine with a backhoe. I rented a Kubota BX25 for a week. It is a stout machine, did what I needed and was a lot of fun to use. Ms Stadium is afraid of the MF135 but loved the Kubota (until she found out what they cost).
Newer tractors are much easier to run. I've never heard anyone say they had too much horsepower, and I suggest a Category 1 three point (as Spdy also mentioned). Consider a 2 machine solution. It opens up your choices in the heavier equipment.
To me, tractors are one of those things that folks usually don't sell unless they are unhappy with it. That usually means mechanical issues unless you get really lucky. I grew up running a Ford 901 Powermaster with a tricycle front. It's a miracle that nobody ever got hurt or killed on it. Dad bought it used, and we were always fixing something on it, as it was old when we got it.
I hate working on equipment when I need to be using it. My buddy, who has an older tractor, recently had to wait 2+ weeks trying to get the right part for his late 60's Massey.
Things like that, combined with my philosophy on free time vs. money, pushed me to buy a new tractor that I will use for 20+ years and expect to have virtually no issues.
This doesn't even consider the safety and comfort features that you get with a new machine.
Nothing negative about someone's decision to buy a used machine, it's just not the path I personally wanted to take.
I hate working on equipment when I need to be using it. My buddy, who has an older tractor, recently had to wait 2+ weeks trying to get the right part for his late 60's Massey.
Things like that, combined with my philosophy on free time vs. money, pushed me to buy a new tractor that I will use for 20+ years and expect to have virtually no issues.
This doesn't even consider the safety and comfort features that you get with a new machine.
Nothing negative about someone's decision to buy a used machine, it's just not the path I personally wanted to take.
free slave labor I mean cheap labor isn't that the only reason to have kids . lol
I buy tools to work with. If I wanted to work on tools I would have a different occupation.
I don't have time for tools that don't work.
I have a Kubota bx 22hp, a Kubota 2650 26hp, and a New Holland 75 hp. They all have their place. For you, I would recommend a ZT for your yard and edging your driveway and a B model Kubota for loader work, tilling, and light brush cutting. The bx sub compact doesn't have enough ground clearance, doesn't have position control, rides like a angry bull, and is tight in the 3 pt hitch area (but it mows great with a mmm). The B compact size gives you big tractor clearance, takes full size implements, has position control, rides much, much better and will pull a 4 or 5 ft brush cutter (I pull a 5' with mine). It's also small enough to get into tight places. However, it doesn't mow yards that great b/c it's too big to curve around landscaping. That's why you need a ZT and a tractor. I've had 3 Kubota tractors. They are like buying custom guns, expensive. But they last a long time, my bx is over 20 now, and it's never been in the shop. That's not to say I haven't had to work on it, but they are little tanks. Lastly, I'd get turf tires if you plan to use it in the yard as a wheel barrel moving mulch, rocks, debris, spreading fertilizer, etc. A final thought: All the newer compacts are narrow. It's like the designers never saw a hill. Be careful operating on hills with a compact.
Hire out the clearing work. The right equipment can do in one day what will take you months with the wrong equipment.
Hire out the clearing work. The right equipment can do in one day what will take you months with the wrong equipment.
Get a small diesel tractor. Kubota is good. Make sure it doesn’t have too many electronic things on it like @sirhrmechanic said. Those get expensive quick and a lot of the new stuff requires proprietary equipment to work on it.
1959 General Motors Detroit Diesel and still going great.
1959 General Motors Detroit Diesel and still going great.
That's a nice equipment package you got there.
Did you add ballast to the rear tires? And who made that tiller?
Did you add ballast to the rear tires? And who made that tiller?
I've got all Kubotas. 4701, 7060 and a 7610. From about 20 years old to 4 years old and 24 -70hp all bought used. Gotten great service out of all of them. The Yanmar John Deere units in that hp range are reliable good tractors as well and the Kiotis are good as well. In the mid range size ya'll are talking about be sure to get HST....much handier loading hay, using the bucket and mowing. Get a front end loader and get the mid sized chassis units with 5-10 more hp than you think you need now. I think the sweet spot is 35-48hp or so for utility, big enough to bigger stuff and small enough to use around the house.
Looks like a nice heavy duty tiller. The pallet forks, bucket, and possibly the grapple are made by Land Pride for Kubota, who are now owned by them.
Kioti is S Korean and fits in the market about like Kubota did 25 years ago. I have never owned one but they have good warranties and are generally regarded as good compact tractors. A lot of them get hard chicken house use around here and do just fine. The Japanesse and S. Korean stuff is good....just like the Japanese motor John Deere units
I've had the unpleasant experience of working on them at my work and they aren't and never have been anywhere near the quality of Kubota. Same with LS, and TYM.
@Major Wader That's a good looking tractor. I bought a new kubota last yr. Hated the idea of a new built/emissions tractor but been really pleased so far.
Daedong is the parent company of Kioti. Same company owns Bobcat. Not saying anything towards quality, or lack there of. Just food for thought.
LS is the subcontractor who makes all the New Holland tractors up to T4 Powerstar size. Use to have some web assembly plant picture showing both rolling off the same assembly line.
Parent company of Case/New Holland Steiger is Fiat.
Seems like everything is owned by engulf and devour corporate conglomerates now.
There are several good small, utility tractors out there. My fist choice would be Kubota, which is expensive, but has a fantastic track record! However, don’t ignore the Kioti, Mahindra, New Holland. Obviously, there are some other good ones, but IMO you pay a pretty high price for the name! memtb
Fuck mahindra! We are a dealer. They are junk. And parts are expensive. $1200 for a starter. Axle seals that constantly get replaced. Hydrostatic linkage that breaks. Parts UN available. Fuck mahindra!
So, I bought a brand new Deere quite recently. I needed two tractors, one bigger and one smaller. I took a Deere and a compact good tractor from https://www.heming-engineering.co.uk/tractors-and-machinery/siromer-small-tractors since one thing was clearly missing. I sold my old Kubota as it has already outlived its usefulness and now I am enjoying my two cool tractors.
By the way, I now really want to buy attachments for my tractors, for lawn, or for pulling something out. I know where to buy it, but I do not know what exactly I need. So you can advise me what attachments are interesting to work with!
Thank you all in advance and I hope you will not break your equipment! Haha
By the way, I now really want to buy attachments for my tractors, for lawn, or for pulling something out. I know where to buy it, but I do not know what exactly I need. So you can advise me what attachments are interesting to work with!
Thank you all in advance and I hope you will not break your equipment! Haha
Attachments depend on what you do. For me, a harley rake and a snow blower are my go to. You can weld up forks to clamp to your bucket. If not, forks are a biggie too.
Flame me if you must but two serious recommendations. DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT get a Ford 8N or 9N. They are killers waiting to happen. Mine went over loading it on a trailer, one more quarter turn, and I could have been buried in a large flat file folder. (Literally, the damn thing was chasing me down a hill, as it rolled over and over)
Second, Get a modern tractor, preferably with an internal overrunning clutch or a multistage clutch. External overrunning clutches are ok when they are ok, but without regular care, they could well lock up. A tractor, such as a 8N Ford with a rotary mower and no or improper overrunning clutch is literally driven by the rotary owner. Its an issue you don’t want to deal with.
We had a JD 950 for many years. Did all we needed. had a roll bar and seat belt, and mounts for front weights which we used and made a big difference. Nothing more relaxing, then hanging a cooler filled with cokes on the roll bar and mowing pastures all day.
As a caveat, our farm was in the hill country and without care it would have been easy to turn a tractor over. Turning a tractor over is not something you want to do. (It is a good way to have a come to Jesus meeting, with JESUS.).
Second, Get a modern tractor, preferably with an internal overrunning clutch or a multistage clutch. External overrunning clutches are ok when they are ok, but without regular care, they could well lock up. A tractor, such as a 8N Ford with a rotary mower and no or improper overrunning clutch is literally driven by the rotary owner. Its an issue you don’t want to deal with.
We had a JD 950 for many years. Did all we needed. had a roll bar and seat belt, and mounts for front weights which we used and made a big difference. Nothing more relaxing, then hanging a cooler filled with cokes on the roll bar and mowing pastures all day.
As a caveat, our farm was in the hill country and without care it would have been easy to turn a tractor over. Turning a tractor over is not something you want to do. (It is a good way to have a come to Jesus meeting, with JESUS.).
What ever you get, weld chain hooks on the top of the front end loader bucket. Weld one on each end, a few inches from the side. I welded a 4 inch square piece of 1/2 flat steel with the hook on top of that to spread out the load.
I've hook chains to those more often than not to lift logs and equipment using the loader.
I've hook chains to those more often than not to lift logs and equipment using the loader.
Did you not read any of the prior comments before your necro posting. The whole thread is discussing compact and light utility tractor usage. Think we understand it’s not just for mowing the grass.
Now for something actually useful and content relevant. Kens Bolt on Hooks work really good. https://www.boltonhooks.com/ Mount them inline with the loader arms for better support and less possibility of bending your loader arms. Tractor loaders are not skidsteers and don’t like any kind of twisting force.
Buy a large skid steer on tracks and a large zero turn mower. Skip the whole small tractor thing. You will thank me latet.
There are lots of skid steers on online auctions. You just need to be diligent in shopping. You could probably get it done for under half of that.
OK, let's be honest... How many people have 1) mechanical knowledge of heavy equipment, 2) A well stocked large shop where a piece of equipment can be brought inside for repairs, 3) A budget to afford parts and maintenance and the ability to weld, machine parts and service a piece of equipment.... I possess all of the above.... The last place I would buy a piece of equipment would be at an auction (online or otherwise). I buy equipment frequently that someone thought they could fix and after a few tries they sell it as a "Parts Machine"..... The old saying about a boat being a hole in the water where you throw money goes double for any type of equipment.
