Buy or rent when needed?

[cobra grover]

We are building a small cabin on 5 mostly wooded acres. It has some mowing, driveway maintenance, dirt work, brush clearing, and firewood hauling to be done. I'm not sure yet how much I really need a tractor. I may be better off just renting what ever I need, when I need it but I'm having fun looking. I think what I need is something in the 30-40 hp range. I would want a front end loader, bush hog, a finish mower, and maybe a post hole digger. A backhoe attachment would be nice but don't think it would be worth the money.
Kubota seems to be the most popular followed by JD, New Holland, Kioti, and Mahindra, in that order. Kubota was my first choice but they seem to be lighter than a similar powered Kioti. I've read reviews of each but everybody has their own horror story about a machine or a dealer.

Which is the most reliable and trouble free? L series Kubota or DK series Kioti, possibly a CK35 HST? Any other suggestions?

Thanks

 

[murphy1244]

What Dealers are in say 50 miles from you?

 

[troutsqueezer]

All major brands of tractors are reliable to a degree. Start with Murphy's question and from there go to budget allowance then finish up with color preference.

Personally, I'd buy, not rent for many reasons not the least of which is the high resale value on any brand.

 

[newbury]

You don't mention $$.
If $$ are tight remember that a tractor BY ITSELF is nothing more than an engine on wheels. What makes it useful is attachments. A rope or chain may be the most simple attachment it would help you move logs around. My most complex attachment is a Woods BH70X backhoe, if you look at my avatar you can see it helps me move logs around also.
The point is be sure to budget $$ for attachments.

Are you buying new or used? I bought used to stretch my dollar.

Are you comfortable with minor wrenching? If you are that's great, often a trip to the dealer involves $$$ for trailering it back and forth.

Do you have a trailer to haul it? See above.

How soon do you need it? If your buying used take your time, if your buying new you might want to do it quick before all the Tier 4 kicks in.

Most major brands in the 30 to 40HP range are pretty reliable. Kioti tends to be heavier than Kubota. John Deere tends to be more expensive than the rest.

Write down ALL the jobs you envision doing and determine what implements you will need and what horsepower they will require.

For example if you want to be able to pick up a 10' long 20" round log you need a lift capacity of about a ton.

If you need to brush hog with an 8' hog you need about 40HP or more.

 

[paulharvey]

Small tractor rent from sunbelt rentals is in the range of $800/month with loader and Either a box blade Or bushhog. If your going to rent one week per year I can see the savings, but if you rent 3/year, you could me making a lot of payments with that money. Just food for thought. By small I mean 35-45hp.

 

[jeff9366]

Have you had previous experience with tractors?

I would not want to learn on a rental, not knowing who had abused it during prior rentals.

Operating a tractor is potentially dangerous.

I am a generous person but in the 2-1/2 years I have owned my Kubota, only the Kubota mechanic and I have operated my tractor.

 

[cobra grover]

I have been watching craigslist for used with something less that 500 hours. It seems they hold their value very well so I might not be saving a lot with used. Kubota is the closest dealer, less than 10 miles followed by JD. The others are around but not quite as close. Minor to medium wrenching is not a problem. No idea what tier 4 is. No trailer yet. The rental thing might be better because of being able to rent a skidsteer, excavator, tractor, etc depending on what specific need I have at the time.
Thanks

 

[redsox1]

If you are going to be living in a cabin in the woods w/ acreage there will be hundreds of uses for that tractor that crop up daily/weekly. Sure you could rent for specific projects, but owning and having one available all the time would be extremely useful. My opinion is that if you are planning to live there full time for an appreciable amount of years you should bite the bullet and buy one.

 

[GManBart]

I think redsox1 hit the nail on the head....living in a cabin in the woods with some land, you're going to find uses for the tractor that you never even think about now. The beauty of modern tractors is that they have essentially 100 years of development by the agricultural community, making them incredibly versatile. If you can think of a task, somebody probably came up with an implement the tractor can run. Need an emergency generator? Get one that hooks up to the PTO. Need to grind stumps? Get a PTO powered stump grinder. Need to....you get the idea. In many cases, a tractor was the only mobile, reliable power on a farm, so they had to adapt it to do anything that needed getting done...hence all the implements and attachments.

The only thing I would say about brands is that all of the ones you mentioned make good machines in the size range you're talking about, but realize that not all make their own machines. Of the brands you mentioned, I wouldn't recommend buying a New Holland Boomer 30/40/50 (or the equivalent Case Farmall B) because you can buy the same machine from the original manufacturer (LS) for thousands less. NH (and Case) put their own, weaker, loader on them, and sells them for literally $6-10K more than if they have LS stickers.

 

[jeff9366]

Budget for enclosed, humidity controlled storage for your tractor. I use a $300 Frigidaire dehumidifier in my garage. Install a door tall enough so tractor can enter with ROPS up. Inside you will be aware of fluid leaks early and can tighten fittings as necessary.

Most implements can be stored outside, under canvas tarpaulins, but it is better to keep the tractor indoors away from rodents and rust free.

Do you have a driveway to maintain? How long? Gravel? Snow?

 

[Gary Fowler]

You have already seen how tractors hold their value. Why not buy a tractor and maybe even a TLB (that's tractor/loader/backhoe) if you need to dig a lot of stumps or rocks etc and whip that property into shape for 3 years or so (ever how long it takes you) then if you don't need a tractor any more sell it. You will recoup a lot of your money, much less money loss than renting the equipment when needed for 3 years. You may even decide that it is good to have a tractor around full time.
I have to agree with GManBart about the boomer NH tractors, why pay thousands more for the same tractor. LS makes fine tractors with longer warranty than most other brands too. I wouldn't put too much weight on buying based on how close the dealer is. There is a likelihood that you wont ever need to go back to the dealer with your tractor if you do some wrenching yourself. Parts like filters, etc. can be ordered online and delivered to your door. Most maintenance items like engine oil changes, HST/Hydraulic oil change @50 hours ( I have heard on TBN horror tales of owners who took their tractor to dealer for 50 hour service and got a $500 or larger bill), greasing can be easily and quickly done by the owner. Not much more needs to be done to tractor till at least 500 hours and then some like my Kubota (and possibly other brands also) need to have the valve lifters adjusted which can also be done by the owner if he has the skill and tools.

 

[newbury]

I have been watching craigslist for used with something less that 500 hours. It seems they hold their value very well so I might not be saving a lot with used. Kubota is the closest dealer, less than 10 miles followed by JD. The others are around but not quite as close. Minor to medium wrenching is not a problem. No idea what tier 4 is. No trailer yet. The rental thing might be better because of being able to rent a skidsteer, excavator, tractor, etc depending on what specific need I have at the time.
Thanks

Tier 4 Standards. On May 11, 2004, EPA signed the final rule introducing Tier 4 emission standards, which are phased-in over the period of 2008-2015 [2786]. The Tier 4 standards require that emissions of PM and NOx be further reduced by about 90%. Such emission reductions can be achieved through the use of control technologie including advanced exhaust gas aftertreatment similar to those required by the 2007-2010 standards for highway engines.

Definitely look at rental for excavator and skidsteer. In my case the nearest rental was going to be a 2 hour drive (about 8 gallons of diesel), I'm retired and like to work when I want to - not in the rain or the heat, so rental was not very feasible.

I also have about 400 acres of woods scattered over 4 parcels in NE Mississippi so I knew trailering was going to be involved. Driving distance is about 30 miles between parcels, no way was I going to just drive the tractor down the road.

If your dealer is near and doesn't charge much for hauling it to the shop or coming out you may not need a trailer. If you buy a Kubota or JD it may NEVER need to go to the shop. Fluid and filter changes are not that difficult, just expensive.

As others wrote you have no idea WHAT you may eventually will want to do so a tractor for even 5 acres makes sense.

As far as CL and auction sites - I've probably spent about at LEAST 50 hours per year since 2009 surfing them (usually while listening to the news or SWMBO) and saved probably $10K on tractors and stuff. But you have to be diligent. I just bought a 5' KK tiller for $800.

New they go for about $2K.

So the deals are there.

 

[HillStreet]

Rental costs can really add up, and you get your best value by keeping it moving during the rental period. Sounds like your site will need ongoing maintenance/upkeep as the years go by, and an owned machine will always be available to you. I am in favor of owning because you always have that asset to sell when you no longer need or want it.

 

[GManBart]

If you buy a Kubota or JD it may NEVER need to go to the shop.

If you go off the problems reported in all the various brand sub-sections here, the same could be said of any brand mentioned in this thread. You can find problems, or horror stories, reported with any of the big brands, but they're pretty uncommon across the board.

There have been enough significant problems reported for both JD and Kubota that it doesn't appear they have any significant advantage in reliability....just a few minutes reading in those sections will prove that.

 

[bigbull338]

yes you can rent a tractor when you need it.but itll be lost money to you.an youll find that you need a tractor more than you think.so go ahead an buy the tractor rigged the way you want it.you will be money ahead.the brand is up to you.but you need to drive the tractors your considering an pick the 1 that best fits you an your needs.

 

[ultrarunner]

Renting has been very problematic for me both in time wasted and cost.

After a lot false starts trying to rent a Dozer... I finally decided I was tired playing games and bought my own CAT D3.

It was a great decision... I could use it on my timetable when the soil conditions were just right and easily sold it for a price where it only cost me fuel...

Posted last week about a stump grinder I had reserved... went to the yard paid the $200 3hr rental and as the yard was hooking it up to my truck the employee said they could not let me leave the yard because I did not have a 2013 license sticker on my truck... it was stolen and I already paid for my 2014 plus I had my registration... not good enough...

I've also posted about another yard that refused to rent to me because my full size Silverado with a 5.7 v8 was not 3/4 ton and was deemed to small for a 3,000 pound trailer with surge brakes... my truck as a 7500 pound load equalizing hitch and electric brakes.

My recommendation, if you have a secure spot to store, is to look for a Tractor Loader Backhoe with 4wd and hydro...

I have a Kubota BX23 that I use all the time... and a larger Deere 110 that I use sometimes...

If I only could have one... it would be the little Kubota.

 

[cobra grover]

Thanks for all the input. I hadn't even heard about the LS brand. The only tractor I have looked at was a Kubota B series and the step seemed to flex when I stepped up on it. I wasn't expecting that but I know Kubota's are pretty reliable. Is it safe to say they are the "Toyota" of tractors? Although I know the Korean brands are proving to be very reliable too. There is a lot to think about. For now I'm trying to get windows in and siding on before winter comes.
Thanks again.

 

[TripleR]

Thanks for all the input. I hadn't even heard about the LS brand. The only tractor I have looked at was a Kubota B series and the step seemed to flex when I stepped up on it. I wasn't expecting that but I know Kubota's are pretty reliable. Is it safe to say they are the "Toyota" of tractors? Although I know the Korean brands are proving to be very reliable too. There is a lot to think about. For now I'm trying to get windows in and siding on before winter comes.
Thanks again.

Full disclosure, my primary tractors are Kubota though we own several brands. My brother bought a new Kioti a few months ago and it's a really nice tractor. I am not an engineer, metallurgist or expert in any related field, but of the top brands, I view build quality pretty much the same with no clear winner as far as quality. I like some models and dislike others.

If I buy another tractor, I will consider them all with decent dealerships.

 

[GManBart]

The only tractor I have looked at was a Kubota B series and the step seemed to flex when I stepped up on it. I wasn't expecting that but I know Kubota's are pretty reliable. Is it safe to say they are the "Toyota" of tractors?

I wouldn't worry about the step flexing...that seems to be pretty common. I don't think I've even see anybody mentioning a step failing, but I guess it could happen. Calling Kubota the Toyota of tractors probably isn't too far off...they are known for reliability and good customer service.

 

[paulharvey]

If I where you, I would make as list of chores you will be doing, options you must have, options you would like, and try to find something that can do 90-95% of that. If a one time job or chore will up your requirements greatly, consider getting a rental for that job, or even hiring it out. If you have a weeks worth of tree clearing and then all small work, consider renting a full sized back hoe for a week.