BX25D-1 vs XJ2025 vs MAX 24 vs eMAX 25 vs CS2410 vs GC1710

[FairwaysAndGreens]

Hello there. My wife and I are looking to buy a little tractor-loader-backhoe that can do a lot of work, a little bit at a time. We bought a short sale on 5 wooded acres that has been neglected. We have big plans landscaping and cleaning the place up. Also we want to keep up a .15mi driveway and run a tiller a few times a year (dad had a tiller to borrow)

Last weekend we rented a BX25. This weekend I'll drive the Kioti and Mahindras around the lot. Next Wednesday I'll test out the XJ2025 at my house. My budget I'm setting for myself is $18,000. I can go up to the $18,800 for the XJ, but I really don't want to. Especially with the ugly ground clearance eating way they mount their backhoe...

Here is where I've negotiated prices to along with many specs, (my most important ones in blue). We have about 4 years of projects to do. If we decide to sell when we you think the LS, Mahindra, and Kioti brands will hold their value like Kubota's do?

Any thoughts on these tractors with their backhoes? Is there anything I'm missing? I've read through all the old threads and wondering if there are any new opinions. Also, with these prices, is there any more room for bargaining?

Thanks guys!

 

[BlackOps]

max 24 hands down ----i did the studying and blew the bx out of the water and liked the max over the emax.

 

[murphy1244]

You are doing the right thing, put your butt in as many tractors as you can and the right one will shine.

 

[FairwaysAndGreens]

The one thing that stands out on the MAX is the wimpy bucket rollback. How does it do holding firewood and materials in the bucket when it's only a few feet off the ground?

max 24 hands down ----i did the studying and blew the bx out of the water and liked the max over the emax.

 

[mguitas]

I agree with Murphy. I also think there is not one tractor in the sub compact that better than another. I really don't.

 

[murphy1244]

The one thing that stands out on the MAX is the wimpy bucket rollback. How does it do holding firewood and materials in the bucket when it's only a few feet off the ground?

With 2000lbs break out the roll back should be good.

 

[FairwaysAndGreens]

Rollback angle... For when you want to use the tractor as a wheel barrel... Shoveling materials out of a low bucket...

With 2000lbs break out the roll back should be good.

 

[MessickFarmEqu]

it always kills me to see a spreadsheet.

It is incredibly easy to "cook the books" when it comes to tractor specs. Your gauge should not be a spreadsheet, it should come from getting your butt in the seat... driving equipment.. and buying what seems to be the best quality tractor from the best quality dealer.

 

[BlackOps]

i move tons - literally - almost a hundred ton of firewood and never had an issue and also mulch/chips!

 

[FairwaysAndGreens]

Just putting a "butt in a seat" on a lot doesn't tell you much. How does it handle hills, pulling, lifting, etc... Unless you can demo them all it does is tell you the ride on flat ground. I'm going to demo 2 and ride 3. Beyond that I have to rely on the spreadsheet.

it always kills me to see a spreadsheet.

It is incredibly easy to "cook the books" when it comes to tractor specs. Your gauge should not be a spreadsheet, it should come from getting your butt in the seat... driving equipment.. and buying what seems to be the best quality tractor from the best quality dealer.

 

[RalphVa]

If one of them (think the Massey) has an Isuzu engine, I'd rank that aspect pretty high. LOVE our Isuzu powered 12.5 kw generator. It's fuel consumption is only 0.2 gph (of course, a generator is not, on average, very highly loaded) and it starts without any diesel clatter whatsoever. So far no problems at around 3 years and about 40 hours.

Ralph

 

[TSO]

it always kills me to see a spreadsheet.

It is incredibly easy to "cook the books" when it comes to tractor specs. Your gauge should not be a spreadsheet, it should come from getting your butt in the seat... driving equipment.. and buying what seems to be the best quality tractor from the best quality dealer.

nothing wrong with comparing specs ... If all else is equal, a spreadsheet will show where one might shine over the other.

But I agree that butt-in-seat time is a better way to find which one you functionally like better.

Looks like the XJ seems at or near the top in most categories.

 

[s219]

Where the Max models have fallen short is the loader controls -- they are very crude compared to other brands in this price range (or for that matter, larger Mahindras). The loader valves they put on the Max models lack any sort of finesse, and it is very apparent if you compared to other tractors. The other issue with the Max models is the stock seat is lousy -- worse than what's on my mower -- but that is easily remedied for a few hundred bucks, so I wouldn't let it be a showstopper. Just budget for a better seat if you care about that sort of thing.

Any reason the Deere 1025R is not on the list? They are generally not the best value, but some dealers will cut good deals on them.

 

[s219]

And I agree with others, do not buy based on specs. Some of the worst tractors I looked at had the best specs on paper. There is so much more to it than that.

 

[FairwaysAndGreens]

Thanks for the info on the Max. I'll pay attention to the seat and loader controls. Do the Max's backhoe controls have the same issue?

John Deere dealers aren't willing to budge and are 19,500+... Also when I watch their videos it's a bunch of "Look how easy our mower and bucket come off. Look at how nice our arm rests are!" Not the class leader I'm looking for...

Where the Max models have fallen short is the loader controls -- they are very crude compared to other brands in this price range (or for that matter, larger Mahindras). The loader valves they put on the Max models lack any sort of finesse, and it is very apparent if you compared to other tractors. The other issue with the Max models is the stock seat is lousy -- worse than what's on my mower -- but that is easily remedied for a few hundred bucks, so I wouldn't let it be a showstopper. Just budget for a better seat if you care about that sort of thing.

Any reason the Deere 1025R is not on the list? They are generally not the best value, but some dealers will cut good deals on them.

 

[s219]

I have never run a Max with a backhoe, so I don't know, but I believe other folks have posted about that here, so it may turn up in a search.

When I was shopping for a smaller tractor years back, I could get a larger Kubota B for the same price as a 1026R (which is now the 1025R). So the Deere wasn't the best value and fell off my list. However it was clearly a good subcompact, and Deere did their homework on many of the features. I would at least check it out.

 

[12Bravo]

May I add one that isn't in this comparison, Kioti CK2610. Only reason I bring it up is because I did all the same comparison shopping and this is the only tractor that had a comfortable operator platform. Not cramped and has higher lift capacities and stronger Backhoes than what is being compared. With about the same price point. Way better than the CS2410 and larger than the CK2510. The only tractor that is even close in comparison is the LS tractor.

Just food for thought.

 

[murphy1244]

Rollback angle... For when you want to use the tractor as a wheel barrel... Shoveling materials out of a low bucket...

Must of misunderstood you, sorry

 

[FairwaysAndGreens]

The CK2510 looks awesome. I can't find one for less than $20,000 though.

May I add one that isn't in this comparison, Kioti CK2610. Only reason I bring it up is because I did all the same comparison shopping and this is the only tractor that had a comfortable operator platform. Not cramped and has higher lift capacities and stronger Backhoes than what is being compared. With about the same price point. Way better than the CS2410 and larger than the CK2510. The only tractor that is even close in comparison is the LS tractor.

Just food for thought.

 

[varmint]

If you have time, why not pay attention to the used tractor market? It is fairly easy to get a very clean, nicely maintained machine for a lot less money than new would cost. At least around here- I've done just that three times in our quest for the "right" tractor for our specific needs.
In meeting the seller/owner, you can get a quick sense if they share values with you, or are just users who don't know or care about their tractors. Until you actually use one, I think you are hopefully guessing about what will best suit your requirements, and taking the hit of buying new and selling used would discourage learning by doing. In our case, cost of ownership was minimal, once the initial investment was made. Used Kubotas hold their value very well (again, around here, anyway) so we were able to sell for what we paid, basically, minus the time to service and "improve" the tractors with lights and such.