Small Tractor input

RonM · #1 02/25/10, 04:09 PM

I am thinking about getting a small Kubota tractor with a loader, Does anyone have one, how are they, I want bet 23-31 hp 4WD with a loader.... I have a John Deere 950 - 31 hp, no p.s. no loader and is a little higher profile than I need to climb up on... Give me some feedback, thanks in advance.......

Chuck R. · #2 02/25/10, 04:42 PM

I’ve got an L4400 4WD with a loader and HST transmission that I bought new this year. At 45HP it’s bigger than what you’re looking for and has about the max HP for a “compact” tractor. Mine really isn’t much larger than the 28-30 HP size, and is really maneuverable for mowing around trees etc. It’s pretty stable as I use it to mow my 225 yard pond dam and don’t get uneasy doing it.

So far I’ve got 70 hrs on it and it’s been a great machine with zero issues. With it, I mow, disk, and plow two acres of food plots for deer. I also use it for pulling out timber and normal farm type chores. A good friend of mine has a 28 HP and I’ll echo his comment that it doesn’t know that it’s a little tractor.

If yo can swing it, get the HST. You’ll lose some HP at the PTO, but it will make using the loader and mowing tight spaces a lot more enjoyable.

Chuck

HAYSHAKER170 · #3 02/25/10, 04:50 PM

I have a 2004 John Deere 4010 18hp 3 cylinder diesel hydrostatic 4wd compact tractor with a loader and it's great for me. No problems so far. It's approx a 18" step up to get on. Less with belly mower installed. I have been told to get 4wd if you have a loader due to weight distribution and ease of steering.

rambler · #4 02/25/10, 04:53 PM

I find the JD, Kubota, and New Holland/Case compact tractors to be more or less equal. Look for the dealer you like, and the 'creature features' that fit you. Hard to go wrong with any of those, just see if the levers and pedals and features it has suits you.

Myself, I'm too much of a farmer to like the hydro tranny. I just totally lose control & 'feel' of the machine with that funny pedal running it. The clutch makes it much more easy for me to run. But perhaps from farming & driving tractors many 100's of hours a year since I was 8 or 9, my feelings are not 'average'.

I just got a combine with a hydro tranny 2 years ago, and for that specialized operation it works well. So I'm not anti-hydro, just seems like a waste on a tractor, lose power and lose feel of what you are doing. imho

If you are comfortable with a manual tranny on a car or pickup, you will likely prefer a real tranny anyhow.

--->Paul

**Ross** · #5 02/25/10, 05:02 PM

Quote:

just totally lose control & 'feel' of the machine with that funny pedal running it.

I was the same way until we got a Ford 555 backhoe this fall. Mind you its not really the same funny pedal you find of some HST trannies. I think if you're doign alot of loader work you might like the hydro, but for my main work tractor I'll take a synchro every time.

Darren · #6 02/25/10, 09:36 PM

I've got a Kubota L3710 with hydro (30 pto hp). My other tractor is a 60 hp Ford. Both are 4x4. The Kubota gets the workout. I've found the hydro does a great job when I'm running a sickle bar. I've got a bottom that's uneven in one location. the other parts aren't bumpy. I can zip along until I hit a rough stretch, ease off the pedal and slow the tractor then immediately speed up.

Same with running a mower. When stuff gets heavy just back off the pedal to maintain engine speed and keep on keeping on. The hydro makes all the difference running a pto trencher. Until I hit a hard patch, the little tractor has no problem in the bottoms cutting a 5' deep trench. As soon as it gets more difficult, back off the pedal to maintain engine rpm. Same when baling. Just adjust the pedal to maintain engine speed. Unless something changes drastically I don't have to shift speed range.

The Ford has the moxy to drag trucks out of the muck. I also use it with a 9' back blade on occasion. Otherwise it sits in the shed. The Kubota is much more productive. A lot depends on how your property lies. Mine has a lot fields cut up into smaller areas. The Kubota is much more maneuverable and stable because it's lower to the ground. I'll use it places I wouldn't think of running the Ford. I've also used the Kubota with a logging winch to drag the Ford with a loaded construction trailer up a hill.

Harry Chickpea · #7 02/25/10, 11:08 PM

Somewhere on the web there is a whole tractor forum. My brother got a K with loader and backhoe and can't keep his wife off it. Issues, IIRC, are plastic or flimsy fender/skirting and they can fall over when working on uneven slopes with the backhoe and not always shut off, possibly damaging motor and other problems. His land is mostly woodlot and he uses his bigger tractor to keep the drive plowed and such, so I haven't had many other reports on it.

pointer33 · #8 02/25/10, 11:20 PM

Well, my 2 cents: I bought a B7510 a few years ago new....I think they moved on to ther models already. It is 21 HP 4X4 with FEL and cat 1 . The PTO is 17HP I think. I bought the gear drive NOT the HST because I wanted to save what seemed to be quite a bit of money at the time. I bought brand new Kubota as I figured I owuld not be buying another person's problems and hte name brand is of high reputation. Got a 4 foot box blade and bush hog as well. So I like the compact size, go between small gates, trees, etc, it is a light weight tractor so I can not yank heavy items like larger tractors. I routinely borrow larger implements such as a 5ft tiller and 2 blade bottom plow and a 12 inch post hole digger...I am careful and I seem to get away with it even though Kubota recommends smaller sizes. I have used it heavily for about 300 hours, no real problems....my observation is now I wish I bought one of the compacts that is of higher HP and I now feel it would be alright to buy used to save a dime or two. The 4X4 seems very important for this small tractor. This was my first tractor so I have had a lot o learning mistakes! Hope this helps.

hotzcatz · #9 02/25/10, 11:25 PM

Ha! Last summer my darling husband bought me a lovely old Ford 4500 tractor with a backhoe and 3way loader on it and I even let him drive it occasionally, although not often. Since our new farm is on a hillside, most of the tractor work is making roads and making flat terraces to plant on. A backhoe is a hoot to play with. After the rough landwork has been done with the backhoe/loader then I'm hoping my darling husband will find me a cute little 4WD Kubota with a loader and mowing deck as well as a few other attachments, too.

I keep thinking a new fringed sunshade for the tractor and perhaps painting a few bright colored large festive flowers on it to brighten up the yellow industrial paint on it would make it look more cheerful.

Ron, have you looked to see which of the tractors you are considering have the better service in your area? I've noticed in our area, there seems to be a lot of Kubotas, so I'd suspect there would be a lot of places to get parts and service for them when necessary.

duckidaho · #10 02/26/10, 01:19 AM

I have the Kubota 7510 and i love it. It is the smallish 23 hp, 17 hp at the PTO. I like the maneuverability. We've had to make sure to get implements that it could pull, like a 48 inch roto-tiller instead of the bigger heavier 53 or bigger tiller. Yes, sometimes I wish i had a bigger tractor, but a lot of times I'm glad I don't. No problems at all with the Kubota.

foxtrapper · #11 02/26/10, 05:25 AM

You'll find yourself in heaven, coming from what you work with now.

I've hardly ever heard someone complain about having too much tractor, but lots of folks do complain about having too little tractor. Nothing inherently wrong with a 23-31 hp range. Just make sure that is a good range for you.

RonM · #12 02/26/10, 11:37 AM

Thanks for all the Kubota input. I help some friends in farming and I drive big tractors like the JD 9400 articulating pulling a 36 ft disc, I just need to replace this JD I have with a small loader tractor that I can use for firewood , pushing snow. I have 6 ft rear blade, 6 ft spreader box, 5 ft bush hog, that I used when I was seeding lawns. so I need tos tay in a HP range so I can use what I already have. I have K dealers all around me , closest being 4 miles away...

oceantoad · #13 02/26/10, 11:48 AM

I have a 4wd Kubota that is a 28 or 29 HP. It has a box blade, shredder, and front end loader that are all 5 Fft.

I use it to shred about 13 acres which takes a while and have used it many times to mow my back yard. I am able to maneuver it around trees and such without breaking anything, so far.

I put two chains around the bucket and put s hooks on them. I attach 2 chains to rail road ties and move them where I need them and have loaded a bunch of them in the back of a pickup truck.

Have also used the bucket to lift people up to the roof and dug numerous holes to bury critters. Have dug a large hole 40X30 ft to bury cactus in. The bucket has also been used by various chickens as a nesting box.

Have carried a friend standing up on the shredder down to my shooting berm.

Yes, have done things which are not safe to do.

I wish that I had bought a front end loader years ago, maybe my back would have been in better shape now then what it is.

My tractor will not lift a round bale of hay, but it will push one. Yep, I should have bought the 35 HP, but my wife didn't think that we would need it.

**highlands** · #14 02/26/10, 12:17 PM

I have a JD4700 which is 48hp.
I would like more power and strength.
I don't want a larger turning radius or size.
It's a trade off.
What you'll need to do makes a big difference.
I move 800 lb round bales.
I can move 1,600 lb round bales but the tractor is straining.
My most used tool is the bucket loader followed by the backhoe and forks close in seconds.
If you're plowing, haying or other high PTO use a lot you might need more power.

Wis Bang 2 · #15 02/26/10, 12:42 PM

Visit Tractorbynet.com for general and brand specific tractor talk.

ksfarmer · #16 02/26/10, 12:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wis Bang 2

Visit Tractorbynet.com for general and brand specific tractor talk.

Ya beat me to it! Tractorbynet.com is a good place for lots of info and discussion about compact tractors.

**highlands** · #17 02/26/10, 01:09 PM

-------dup

gottahaveagoat · #18 02/28/10, 11:26 AM

Our business sells Kubota and other brands as well. Kubota is by far the best in my opinion. They are expensive but they last forever. If you need anyone to answer any questions for you, feel free to call toll free or send us an email, we are happy to help with no pressure. http://www.boothmachinery.com/

ronbre · #19 02/28/10, 12:06 PM

we bought a new holland, used, a few years back and it was the best inveestment that we have ever made in our 39 years of marriage.

it has a loader, a few back blades and other attachments and we have rented attachments and borrowed them that use the 3 pt hitch..son has also jerryrigged tools to use on it like a long beam to put things up high..like on 30' poles and on the roof..

he even stood in the bucket to roof the garage..and put up the rafters...what a wonderful thing

Wolf mom · #20 02/28/10, 01:38 PM

I 've had a 1986 Kubota B8200 4WD with bucket and box on the rear for about 4 years.

I am the third owner with all paperwork. The prior owner listed every time the oil was changed, any repairs, etc. since he bought in it 1990. A lot more obsessive than me, but it sure helped in my decision to buy it.

I love my tractor & would recomment it in a heart beat.

The guy that sold it to me bought a new John Deere & says he's had nothing but expensive ("everything's expensive") repairs...Wishes he'd kept the Kubota.