Buying Advice CK2610 vs Kubota

[Adj301]

Hello everyone! I am brand new to the compact tractor market. We have just under 7 acre mini farm. I have been researching different options (Kubota,Kioti,JD). I think I have come down to a Kioti and I'm leaning towards the CK2610 manual transmission. I originally went to look at the 2510HST but after driving both I changed my mind. I will be getting a loader, bush hog, tiller, and possibly a box blade.
When comparing the specs between the 2510 and the 2610 there doesn't seem to be a big difference except for the size. The salesman told me the engine is actually a lot bigger and can be configured to actually get a horsepower in the upper 30's.

- Do you think this is a good size for my needs
- Am I getting a lot more with the 2610 over the 2510?
- I was originally looking at the Kubota B2601....am I gaining a lot with the 2610?

Thanks everyone!

 

[murphy1244]

Welcome to TBN. I thiink you would be happy with either machine. Both great machines but what fits YOU better.

 

[TripleR]

What Murph said, both are good machines, before the B2x01 came out with the position control 3PH, I'd say go with the Kioti. My brother bought a CK27 a few years ago and it's a pretty impressive machine. I'm pretty sure the Kioti weighs more and has a stronger FEL, so it's certainly worth thinking about, added weight can be good or not so much depending on your uses. I'd be happy with either.

If you want gears however, I don't think from looking at the Kubota website they are still offered in a B other than the B2320.

 

[RSKY]

Unless you intend to do large field cultivation I would not get a gear tractor. I use a loader more than anything else and am constantly forward/backward and having to stop, clutch and shift gears would get tiresome. I have done it before on larger tractors but a hydro is just more efficient. For my uses, bushhogging, tilling, moving dirt a gear drive would be a pain in the rear.

RSKY

 

[IslandTractor]

Unless you intend to do large field cultivation I would not get a gear tractor. I use a loader more than anything else and am constantly forward/backward and having to stop, clutch and shift gears would get tiresome. I have done it before on larger tractors but a hydro is just more efficient. For my uses, bushhogging, tilling, moving dirt a gear drive would be a pain in the rear. RSKY

What he said x2. With smallish tractors used for general duty rather than straight agriculture, HST is almost always the preferable transmission. Cost is a factor of course but I'd take a 3 range hydro over gear 99 times out 100.

 

[K man]

I agree with hst over gears for loader work etc but when it comes going up hills the hst sucks. With the gears you can find the right gear for going uphill. Hst you have H, M and Low and I found going up hill in low the best but takes forever to get there. That's me I would like to hear from others about this.

 

[IslandTractor]

I agree with hst over gears for loader work etc but when it comes going up hills the hst sucks. With the gears you can find the right gear for going uphill. Hst you have H, M and Low and I found going up hill in low the best but takes forever to get there. That's me I would like to hear from others about this.

I don't have any trouble going up hills even in high range on the road. Hills vary and there is one section of a field that has a 15 degree grade that I go up in low. Anything less than about 10 degrees is manageable in medium range even with a BH mounted.

My previous tractor was a mighty CK20 whose main, and possibly only real, weakness was a two range HST. Drove me crazy needing to mow in low range when moving up a moderate slope. You absolutely want a three range HST if there are any hills bigger than a very gentle slope.

 

[K man]

I don't have any trouble going up hills even in high range on the road. Hills vary and there is one section of a field that has a 15 degree grade that I go up in low. Anything less than about 10 degrees is manageable in medium range even with a BH mounted.

My previous tractor was a mighty CK20 whose main, and possibly only real, weakness was a two range HST. Drove me crazy needing to mow in low range when moving up a moderate slope. You absolutely want a three range HST if there are any hills bigger than a very gentle slope.

The incline has too be over 15 degrees. I mean I was coming full throttle in High and got up about 1/4 of the hill and the dam thing almost stalled on me and of course I went and put the clutch in to shift it to M and it started rolling backwards lol Slammed on the brakes and change to M and starting going up again but it still was bogging down so I put it in L and climbed her. Like I said it took forever to get home. My home sits at about 1500 ft and the hill is up in increments and is 2 km long. Now I stay on the property and will go down to the village with a cherry can to get my diesel.

 

[IslandTractor]

15 degree slope is steeper than most any road. There are usually warning to truckers at about 7-8 degrees. 15 is steep enough that most of us get pucker factor when turning a tractor around on such a slope and I therefore now up and down.

 

[Amvcane]

K man, not sure if you know so I will ask. The hst treadle is not like a throttle, stomping it to the floor when the tractor starts lugging will not make it go faster, letting off it slowly will give you more power and keep you moving.

 

[K man]

K man, not sure if you know so I will ask. The hst treadle is not like a throttle, stomping it to the floor when the tractor starts lugging will not make it go faster, letting off it slowly will give you more power and keep you moving.

Thanks for the advice I will try that someday on a hill and see what happens but guarantee you it will not be on the big hill lol

 

[paulfun9]

I agree with hst over gears for loader work etc but when it comes going up hills the hst sucks. With the gears you can find the right gear for going uphill. Hst you have H, M and Low and I found going up hill in low the best but takes forever to get there. That's me I would like to hear from others about this.

I like HST for around the house small jobs that require little to no travel. For anything that has me going out threw the fields and traveling a distance from one point to the other I prefer the gear/power shuttle. One of the biggest factors in that is how poorly HST handles any hills

 

[K man]

15 degree slope is steeper than most any road. There are usually warning to truckers at about 7-8 degrees. 15 is steep enough that most of us get pucker factor when turning a tractor around on such a slope and I therefore now up and down.

There is no truckers on my road it is a side road from the main highway to my house which is 2 km long. The County snow plows come up here in the winter and they seem to be ok with it.

 

[IslandTractor]

I like HST for around the house small jobs that require little to no travel. For anything that has me going out threw the fields and traveling a distance from one point to the other I prefer the gear/power shuttle. One of the biggest factors in that is how poorly HST handles any hills

Did you see Amvcane's post earlier today? There is simply no reason that HST should have any more difficulty going up hills than a gear transmission. Yes, you lose perhaps a couple of HP to the tranny compared to gear but there is nothing about hills and HST that is different than gear. What does happen a lot is that folks treat the HST "go" pedal the same as an accelerator pedal in a car...doesn't work that way. Backing off on the "go" pedal actually the best way to climb or descend a hill. Back off just a bit as you start to climb, yes the tractor will slow but will keep going. Mashing the pedal to the floor is kind of like upshifting to 6th gear in your car when you hit a big hill.

Another reason to prefer HST if you are in hilly country is that HST is MUCH safer for descending hills. You control your speed easily with the go pedal. The first reaction of most folks when going too fast in a gear vehicle is to put in the clutch...that can be a disaster with a geared tranny on a hill. Likewise, I would only change range on an HST on a hill after coming to a complete stop with foot brake on. Moving from one range to another takes you through neutral.

 

[K man]

Hey guys appreciate your feed back cause I learn something today about HST and hills. Thanks really appreciate it. Love this forum cause you are always learning something new.

 

[TripleR]

Pick the wrong gear and you will stall and need to change gears, pick the wrong HST range and you will need to change range. Learn to operate either properly and it will serve you well. I can construct scenarios in which either will work better, but I operate both and both work well overall for what they are designed.

 

[paulfun9]

Did you see Amvcane's post earlier today? There is simply no reason that HST should have any more difficulty going up hills than a gear transmission. Yes, you lose perhaps a couple of HP to the tranny compared to gear but there is nothing about hills and HST that is different than gear. What does happen a lot is that folks treat the HST "go" pedal the same as an accelerator pedal in a car...doesn't work that way. Backing off on the "go" pedal actually the best way to climb or descend a hill. Back off just a bit as you start to climb, yes the tractor will slow but will keep going. Mashing the pedal to the floor is kind of like upshifting to 6th gear in your car when you hit a big hill.


Another reason to prefer HST if you are in hilly country is that HST is MUCH safer for descending hills. You control your speed easily with the go pedal. The first reaction of most folks when going too fast in a gear vehicle is to put in the clutch...that can be a disaster with a geared tranny on a hill. Likewise, I would only change range on an HST on a hill after coming to a complete stop with foot brake on. Moving from one range to another takes you through neutral.

I know how to operate a HST tractor I have had one for a very long time. Your statement about there being no reason why a HST should have no more difficulty than a gear remains to be seen. I have had both gear and HST tractors with the same engine and frame and the gear is always the better choice for any travel and always excels on the hills compared to the HST.
When going down hills I have no problems at all with a gear tractor. Which is safer? I really don't care because I have not yet had a problem with a gear tractor and its been a really long time since I first sat my butt on the seat for the first time.

Everyone has their opinion but I will keep using my gear tractor more than the HST as it does indeed handle the hills better than any HST machine I have ever driven and that includes the fancy HST+ that one of the locals has that couldn't keep up with me last week.

 

[PhysAssist]

Did you see Amvcane's post earlier today? There is simply no reason that HST should have any more difficulty going up hills than a gear transmission. Yes, you lose perhaps a couple of HP to the tranny compared to gear but there is nothing about hills and HST that is different than gear. What does happen a lot is that folks treat the HST "go" pedal the same as an accelerator pedal in a car...doesn't work that way. Backing off on the "go" pedal actually the best way to climb or descend a hill. Back off just a bit as you start to climb, yes the tractor will slow but will keep going. Mashing the pedal to the floor is kind of like upshifting to 6th gear in your car when you hit a big hill.

Another reason to prefer HST if you are in hilly country is that HST is MUCH safer for descending hills. You control your speed easily with the go pedal. The first reaction of most folks when going too fast in a gear vehicle is to put in the clutch...that can be a disaster with a geared tranny on a hill. Likewise, I would only change range on an HST on a hill after coming to a complete stop with foot brake on. Moving from one range to another takes you through neutral.

Exactly- we have nothing but hills, and I can go up and down all day long in Med or High as long as I don't have my loader bucket full of boulders or wet heavy top soil, otherwise even towing a trailer full of logs, it's no problem. And we just have a little B2320 HST.

Except that we don't HAVE to go through neutral to change gears (like you always have to on geared tractors), at least not on our tractor, it's (from front to back in the range shifts) H N M L. So from med to low or viceversa, no neutral shift is needed, only if you go from them to high or back.

Thomas

And as for longer trips, set the cruise and go.

 

[IslandTractor]

I know how to operate a HST tractor I have had one for a very long time. Your statement about there being no reason why a HST should have no more difficulty than a gear remains to be seen. I have had both gear and HST tractors with the same engine and frame and the gear is always the better choice for any travel and always excels on the hills compared to the HST. When going down hills I have no problems at all with a gear tractor. Which is safer? I really don't care because I have not yet had a problem with a gear tractor and its been a really long time since I first sat my butt on the seat for the first time. Everyone has their opinion but I will keep using my gear tractor more than the HST as it does indeed handle the hills better than any HST machine I have ever driven and that includes the fancy HST+ that one of the locals has that couldn't keep up with me last week.

To what engineering principle do you attribute the superior hill climbing ability of gear over HST? We all acknowledge the few HP penalty for HST but I doubt that 32 vs 30 hp delivered to the wheels is noticeable. Do geared cars climb better than CVT equipped cars?

 

[paulfun9]

I didn't know I was required to attribute it to anything other than Experience with both! But if you need more then simply show up in the morning with your tractor and we can test them while you help me get some work done.