Sub, Compact, Utility, 4x4, tractors - advice needed

[steve123]

It was super hard to find any tractors in AZ that I could get a deal on. Since the supply is low and demand is high they won't budge on price either.

As mentioned, a few tractors I was interested in on Facebook and craigslist were scams. Some others weren't quite what I wanted.

So I decided to buy a new tractor.

The Local JD and Bobcat dealer weren't budging on price but Bobcat was giving a rebate on one accessory. However after seeing some video reviews on Bobcat tractors made by Kioti, and Kioti tractors, that were unfavorable because of breakdowns, and dealers not getting them fixed right, I decided to stay clear of them.

I went to Prescott AZ and was seriously interested in the Kubota 3310C TLB and when I asked the salesman about it he said it was already sold so out of curiosity I inquired about a few other tractors sitting on the lot. Ha they were sold too?? I had him send me a quote on that first tractor. Man it was $55,000 plus tax!

Called a Yanmar dealer in Phoenix. The YT235C TLB was out of stock and they didn't seem to want to give any kind of serious discount on the price. The salesman said it'd be around $53,000 not including tax.

Searched on the web and called Tractor Bob's in Oklahoma city because he had what I was looking for. The salesgirl and I did the back and forth on price a little bit but it took most of a week to do because there was a farm show going on at the time as well as a tornado had damaged the home of the owner of the company.
That owners name is Neal. He called me personally the day after the tornado had struck and right off he reminded me of a good friend I have who is a very likeable person.

Turns out I didn't have to pay sales tax which was a great thing to find out and one more reason to buy from Neal! So we made the deal at $46,615 shipped to my house for the The Yanmar YT235C TLB, including a boxblade, and the driver is to spend as much time as I need to familiarize me with the tractor.

I'll get some pics up next week.

SH guys, thanks for the advice!

 

[steve123]

Oh I forgot to mention that Flagstaff is at our 2nd highest snow fall amount in over 100 years. 140" right now and winter isn't over with yet. Only 13" to go until we break that record.

I got my 4x4 truck stuck twice and my wife's 4runner stuck once in our driveway in the last 3 weeks! We were basically snowed in because drifts were as high as 3 feet.

 

[packratt]

Go with one of the major brands that is close to you.

I've got jd, new holland and massey.

JD is 20 min away good service. New holland hour away good service. Massey 20 min away and a bunch of fuck heads.

 

[Alpine 338]

@steve123 glad you found a good deal.

I've been a happy user of a Bobcat skid steer. Blower attachment and blade for snow removal. Root grapple, forks, and bucket for the Summer stuff.

But this is the first time in 16 years I wish I had something bigger, like this...

Like you, this has been a tough snow year.

 

[SHEEPDOG1]

In 2006 I was in need of a tractor but was low on funds. A fellow I know told me he had bought a piece of property 20 years prior with a tractor on it. Said I could have the tractor so I had it towed to my house and began to tinker with it. Got it started and it runs to this day. Its' an International Rhino. Made in China in the 80's. That tractor takes all kinds of abuse and just won't quit.

 

[Tactical one]

Living out of town on 4 acres I got snowed in this year when it fell about 2ft and a few times in years past so I'll use it for this when it snows more than 5" or so.
Also have a dirt road/s to start maintaining.
Rocks to remove on those roads as well.
Been leaving the property unmowed because I don't own a riding mower but would like to do it once or twice a year.
Sometimes I would like to move heavy stuff around - getting old and putting stuff in the back of the truck is harder.
Holes to dig, been putting that off.
I might even take on a few smaller jobs using the tractor eventually.

I finally can afford a tractor now, new or used.
The problem is I don't know crap about them.
Worried about buying too small a one with low clearance to the ground and then struggling to move snow. Too big a tractor gets expensive.
Buy used and worried about taking somebodies problem off their hands and spending more to get it fixed.
Used tractors are not very common around here.
Buy new and pay taxes. I did learn by watching videos to buy a tractor that has good dealer support in my area. Problem is there's no farming where I live so no matter what I'm gonna have to travel approx 100 miles to get that support, or for that matter buy a new or used tractor.
Best accessories??
Most reliable brands??
John Deere tractors are so expensive and so are the accessories.
Leery of the new chinese tractors. Saw some videos of people complaining of warranty support and parts availability.

So far I'm leaning towards new YanMar because of my perceived value of it, lower cost, and warranty??? Not sure how good they are??
Not sure on size of tractor either.
Dealer 100 miles away.
Sub $50,000 and hopefully much less.

The experienced please comment.

Thanks

Massey Furgison 4700 series. You can buy one brand new for the damn near the same price as the used ones. They have awesome finance options too.

 

[GUNNER75]

Have been extremely pleased with our Kabota L3240. We have beat the snot out of it doing all sorts of jobs. Getting ready to by another bigger one with a Cab this summer for larger projects and property maintenance.

 

[steve123]

@steve123 glad you found a good deal.

I've been a happy user of a Bobcat skid steer. Blower attachment and blade for snow removal. Root grapple, forks, and bucket for the Summer stuff.

View attachment 8089895View attachment 8089896

But this is the first time in 16 years I wish I had something bigger, like this...

View attachment 8089886

Like you, this has been a tough snow year.

Thanks.

Wow, that's real snow and serious equipment!

 

[stefan73]

Good to hear you got a deal and it sounds like a good business to work with. Good support is key!

I am running a Kubota M6060 for my little setup and I have had a little Kubota BX that I stored, maintained and used for a friend.

We don't have the snow problems you do down here, we just get tornados and hurricanes.

 

[steve123]

You can see the fence posts back behind the table and chairs so about 2 feet from both storms in my back yard there.

Already got my tractor muddy but I used it yesterday and got my roads cleaned up.

My garage faces north and that's where the snow likes to makes big drifts as well which were 3.5 feet after the last storm. The snow is removed as of yesterday!

Backing up a bit it took me hours before I got somewhat fluid operating the bucket and ram but I'm way better now than when I hopped into the tractor yesterday.

Then today I brought a load of firewood down from the woodshed. It was nice putting the bucket sticking into the front porch and at the right height which saves my back from getting stiff.

I like it, cool little tractor.

 

[stefan73]

I need to give my tractor another bath. I keep it well greased and might over grease a little. I have to replace a couple of grease fittings because two of them wouldn't take grease.

 

[GarrettRipcordIndustries]

Went through a similar situation myself when I was looking to get one for my place. The whole new vs. used debate can be tricky. I leaned towards getting something reliable without breaking the bank, which meant a lot of research and talking to folks who've been there.

Ended up getting a used model after a bunch of back-and-forth. It was about finding that sweet spot between size, power, and price. Definitely, consider what attachments you'll need because they can be game-changers for snow, mowing, or moving stuff around. For me, making sure I had access to parts and service, even if it meant a bit of a drive, was key.

Heard some good things about Yanmar for value and reliability, so your leaning might be on track. Just make sure whatever you choose fits the majority of your needs without overkill. If you're looking for options, https://www.wickhamtractor.com/ could be a place to start. They've got a range of equipment and might help you get a sense of what's out there without feeling like you're just getting sold to.

 

[Lawless]

Kubota makes the toughest most reliable compacts.

Some compact Deere models have aluminum rear axle/trans housings which to me sounds sketchy.

I admit I am biased but I spent a year being sure between the 2 brands. Was going to be a Deere R or Kubota L.

 

[ZiaHunter]

We run John Deere tractors and pickers on the farm for all planting, tillage and harvesting operations. Just sold a worn out 310 backhoe and will be replacing it with a Kubota.

 

[roostercogburn98]

View attachment 8348167View attachment 8348168Kubota makes the toughest most reliable compacts.

Some compact Deere models have aluminum rear axle/trans housings which to me sounds sketchy.

I admit I am biased but I spent a year being sure between the 2 brands. Was going to be a Deere R or Kubota L.

Just replaced the battery in our 2014 1025R. It was the original dated 2013! I wish I had some grapple hooks like yours though, would come in handy tearing out thick brush.

 

[sakoguy21]

Kubota! I bought a b2650 with cab and HVAC 5 years ago and not one issue. Mow with a 72", move snow with the loader and 58" blower, have a tiller and road blade. Get one a size larger than you think you need. Mine will move alot of snow (ND) but it takes awhile and I do abuse it sometimes....

Skidders are in a different league, faster working, heavier, they punch higher than their weight class. But also more expensive.

 

[nikonNUT]

Bobcat skid steer with a mulching head would be my choice. If I was after a tractor proper it would be a Kubota/Kioti. Lots of attachements, easy to fix the hydraulics on, and great aftermarket support. There was a local place that was doing a 20-ish HP Kubota with a front end loader, a small backhoe, and a trailer for sub 30K but that was a few years ago.

 

[Milf Dots]

Updated: Bobcat is now a Chinese Korean owned company (Doosan Heavy Industries) with manufacturing plants in China, Czech Republic, and USA.

 

[roostercogburn98]

Bobcat is now a Chinese owned company.

Probably be sold at walmart soon. Sitting pretty in the lawn and garden center next to the plastic garden tools

 

[roostercogburn98]

And before anyone gets all up in arms cause I mashed on their foreign owned bobcat, lettuce not forget that Ford, Case, and New Holland ALL had tractors or ag equipment made by Shibaura in the late 70s and 80s.

Take that “well your John Deere has a Yanmar motor” comment and stifle it!!!!!

 

[steve123]

View attachment 8348167View attachment 8348168Kubota makes the toughest most reliable compacts.

Some compact Deere models have aluminum rear axle/trans housings which to me sounds sketchy.

I admit I am biased but I spent a year being sure between the 2 brands. Was going to be a Deere R or Kubota L.

I want a grapple for that same reason!

 

[steve123]

It was awesome getting my road fixed, literally tons of big rocks dug out and moved to the back of the property, and cinders spread out, all done by yours truly. Probably would have cost me $10,000 to get that all done if I'd hired someone. Also did all kinds of other stuff with it including removing snow the last few storms when it snowed about 8" each time.

The big thing for me was having AC in the summer and heat in the winter! So nice!

I did the 50 hour maintenance myself a few months ago so that's over with.
Also had to do a regen.

It's now got 65 hours on it.

I do see what you guys mean by saying that the work goes faster with a bigger tractor because mine only goes about 10 MPH and also the buckets don't operate the fastest.

No mechanical problems and definitely happy enough with it. Sure beats not having one!

 

[remaction]

My back sure likes my use of the grapple to saw logs at waist height also.
You mentioned maintaining a dirt road in your first post. I bought a TR3E property edition implement from ABI. https://www.abiattachments.com/product/tr3-e-property-driveway-road-grader/
It does a great job on our gravel driveway and I also bought the discs and was able to break sod and work the ground for planting a food plot (on a Kubota 3901). It allowed me to buy one implement instead of two.

 

[ggmanning]

Ive got a ZD323 mower, 7610, 4701, 7060 and an RTV. To say they have been very reliable is an understatement. They see hard use except for the 7610 that only mows hard to reach tight spacing fence line, spraying gravel drives and cultivating the garden. It's had 19 years of light use compared to the others. I do buy Super UDT2 in 5 gallon pails which sucks but hard to beat the service they provide.

 

[steve123]

My back sure likes my use of the grapple to saw logs at waist height also.
You mentioned maintaining a dirt road in your first post. I bought a TR3E property edition implement from ABI. https://www.abiattachments.com/product/tr3-e-property-driveway-road-grader/
It does a great job on our gravel driveway and I also bought the discs and was able to break sod and work the ground for planting a food plot (on a Kubota 3901). It allowed me to buy one implement instead of two.

Wow I need one of those. Thanks

 

[Lawless]

And before anyone gets all up in arms cause I mashed on their foreign owned bobcat, lettuce not forget that Ford, Case, and New Holland ALL had tractors or ag equipment made by Shibaura in the late 70s and 80s.

Take that “well your John Deere has a Yanmar motor” comment and stifle it!!!!!

I had an actual Shibaura tractor, a grey market SD1540B. Tough as heck, I did a lot of things that defied its size. 2 cyl diesel, 2 spd PTO, 2 speed axle.

 

[Lawless]

I want a grapple for that same reason!

Mine is made by Construction Attachments right here in NC.

I cannot imagine how much work it has saved me. It rips brush out like play. Grabs logs and such like Paul Bunyon. It will rip out sod and roots with the teeth. Just get one.

A grapple and Top n Tilt for the 3point is a total game changer.

If you’re looking to buy, get skid steer quick attach style loader and go ahead and put front hydraulics on it (grapple or not)

Hooks on the bucket and Pat’s links are something everyone needs as well.

 

[remaction]

Mine is made by Construction Attachments right here in NC.

I cannot imagine how much work it has saved me. It rips brush out like play. Grabs logs and such like Paul Bunyon. It will rip out sod and roots with the teeth. Just get one.

A grapple and Top n Tilt for the 3point is a total game changer.

If you’re looking to buy, get skid steer quick attach style loader and go ahead and put front hydraulics on it (grapple or not)

Hooks on the bucket and Pat’s links are something everyone needs as well.View attachment 8348587View attachment 8348588View attachment 8348589

What brand are this hooks? Are they steel or cast?

 

[nikonNUT]

Updated: Bobcat is now a Chinese Korean owned company (Doosan Heavy Industries) with manufacturing plants in China, Czech Republic, and USA.

Nothing ground breaking. Deere has plants in the USA, India, South America, Africa and China while their BIG machines are really Samsungs. Mahindra is, well, you get one guess. Kubota is japaneese... or are they? Rumor says Kioti came about because the Korean company that was building for Kubota finally timed out on their contract and started making orange tractors that start with a K and look suspiciously like Kubotas. Cat? Lotta Mitsubishi and Kawasaki parts in some of them if not the whole machine.

 

[roostercogburn98]

I had an actual Shibaura tractor, a grey market SD1540B. Tough as heck, I did a lot of things that defied its size. 2 cyl diesel, 2 spd PTO, 2 speed axle.

View attachment 8348582View attachment 8348583

My brother has an early 80s Ford with a Shibaura motor. It locked up on him about two months ago and rebuild parts are tricky to find and pricey these days. He says he will more than likely just go grab a Kubota, my BIL sells them I believe and sweets by them as well.

 

[n2ishun]

Got a reasonable spread here.
Have a few old massey fergusons from the late 50's, they run like a polish watch....heh, they run perfectly just kinda clunky to operate with very obsolete controls, they are more collector toys than anything.
Have a Kubota and I wanna say it's a 4340 ? has enclosed cab, hydrostatic, all the bells and whistles, 4x4 etc, but it is a bit underpowered to be completely honest but it will get er done.
Just got a newer 4 wheel steer bobcat L85 thang.
Kinda a cross between a skid loader and a tractor.
It's funky to put it mildly, but runs well and has a shit ton of power for it's size.
Haven't used it enough to have a real opinion of it yet but I can sat it clears snow really well.....but that's a relatively easy job no matter how deep it is.
I'll let you know when some real work comes in for it.
4 wheel steering takes some getting used to but thankfully you can set the wheels to 0* turn and then flip off the rear wheel steer and turn it into a normal 2 wheel steering.
I did say it was funky, right ?

 

[Milf Dots]

Nothing ground breaking. Deere has plants in the USA, India, South America, Africa and China while their BIG machines are really Samsungs. Mahindra is, well, you get one guess. Kubota is japaneese... or are they? Rumor says Kioti came about because the Korean company that was building for Kubota finally timed out on their contract and started making orange tractors that start with a K and look suspiciously like Kubotas. Cat? Lotta Mitsubishi and Kawasaki parts in some of them if not the whole machine.

It's not a big deal that Bobcat is Korean owned. But CHINESE owned is a whole different story- because "CCP", "Wuhan virus", and "stolen industries, I.P., patents".

 

[Milf Dots]

If I was in the market for a tractor I'd do what many of you have done and buy a Kubota or Yanmar. It sounds like JD is even more money.

 

[fpgt72]

The real thing when looking at these machines is get the one sized for what you want to do.

If you go to home depot and buy that bottom end riding mower and think you are going to mow 20ac for the next 20 years, it is not going to make it. The machine will just fall apart. It is not built for that.

If you are wanting to clear trails through the brush and you have a belted monster tractor, well that is going to be a little too large for what you want to do. The Clarkson guy buying the tractor comes to mind. You can get them just too big. You need to know the job you want to do.

Right now it seems to me with the prices of the used machines, it would be hard to justify to myself not to buy a new one.

 

[Hetzer]

I don't know of any Deere/Samsung relationship. What "big" models are you referring to?

Nothing ground breaking. Deere has plants in the USA, India, South America, Africa and China while their BIG machines are really Samsungs. Mahindra is, well, you get one guess. Kubota is japaneese... or are they? Rumor says Kioti came about because the Korean company that was building for Kubota finally timed out on their contract and started making orange tractors that start with a K and look suspiciously like Kubotas. Cat? Lotta Mitsubishi and Kawasaki parts in some of them if not the whole machine.

 

[Lawless]

What brand are this hooks? Are they steel or cast?

Steel from Lowes

 

[nikonNUT]

I don't know of any Deere/Samsung relationship. What "big" models are you referring to?

My bad... It's actually Hitachi. I can't keep the mergers and acquitions straight any more.
"
Who makes John Deere excavator?


John Deere will continue to manufacture Deere-branded construction and forestry excavators currently produced at the three Deere-Hitachi factories."

Volvo bought Samsung Heavy Industries among MANY others!

 

[Lawless]

Another aspect between Deere and Kubota that folks get worked up about is the difference in the hydro pedals.

Deere is side by side vs. rocker style for orange machines.

Lots of opinions on it for such a seemingly small thing but people argue about it for sure.

I have this 424 as well