Can't make up mind on which tractor

[rickyb01]

I got one acre of land my house sits on and I need a small tractor for fel and back hoe. I also have a deer lease that I need to bush hog lanes and food plots. When I look at the 3901 I think heck go with the 4701 and then I think heck go with the mx5100. Just can't mke a decision that feels right. Went to dealership and they had 3901 and 4701 side by side and I liked the 4701. see my dilemma. Light for lawn and heavy for deer lease. Now I will not be mowing yard with this tractor. I got a zero turn for that

 

[100 td]

Only you can decide, without giving out more info. 1 acre to mow, zero turn, backhoe and fel on 1 acre, do you really need it, or hire someone to come in and get everything done at once and finish. Deer lease, how many acres all up will be bush hogged, food plot, how big in acres, are you tilling or what? Seems a BX25 would do the job with hog/tiller/plow on the back, but no enough info about the rest because a 5100 is a lot bigger so you must have a lot of acres to hog? Can't use the two tractors you already have?

 

[jeff9366]

Maumelle is an affluent city in Pulaski County, Arkansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 17,163. The city is located northwest of Little Rock, bordering the opposite shore of the Arkansas River and is part of the Little Rock metropolitan area.






I can understand people new to tractors wrestling with your decision ~~~~~ but you have two tractors now. You have more tractor experience than most contributing here.

If you intend to PTO roto-tiller food plots the L3901 will be ample.
L3901 can spin a 60" Rotary Cutter.

If you intend to Disc Harrow food plots an MX model will be superior. An MX can pull a Disc Harrow with 20" or 22" diameter pans.
A normally aspirated MX can spin a 72" Rotary Cutter. A turbo MX can spin a 84" Rotary Cutter.

 

[sea2summit]

Where do you park all these tractors on one acre

What kind of backhoe and loader work do you want to do? Weight and depth requirements may help you decide. If you're not getting the 4800 and gonna do turbo I'd go 5800...but I'm bias

 

[rickyb01]

Ok I need to update my address. I live on the banks of the Arkansas River and yes I have one acre but I also maintain the corp property between me and the river which is in a flood zone and it's about 1/4 acre. I also own with my siblings 150 acres which is where the ford 4630 and deutz is housed. The 4630 is to big to trailer to deer camp and my house. It is only a two wheel drive also and my deer lease is very rugged hilly terrain. The deutz is a two wheel drive with no fel and is very antique. A day bush hogging with that wii wear you out beyond belief. I will also sell the deutz but I am in partners with the ford so it stays when I purchase a tractor. I need to move lot of dirt here on one acre to level up yard. Bring in a lot of rock for flower beds and work on slope of corp land to river to mow with zero turn one day. I need to reroute water runoff at my moms house to and will use a backhoe on tractor to do that. All of this I can do with a small tractor but when you hook up a disk or a bush hog it's nice to have some weight and power which is what is making my decision very hard. Hope that helps. Ricky

 

[bdhsfz6]

How much do you want to spend? There is quite a price difference between the L3901 and MX. Also, how are you going to transport the tractor? There is also a big weight difference between the two.
The overall width of the MX series is close to 72" with R4 tires and may be too wide if you have smaller implements.

 

[Rmart30]

You have enough backhoe work to do to justify buying it for that small amount of acreage? A full size backhoe rents here for about $1500-1800 a month. Can get a whole lot done with one in a months time. A mini X rental would be even less. I have a L4600 and for a hunt club tractor a MX gets my vote for more ground clearance, wider, heavier etc.

 

[Wormwood]

Living in Little Rock I can tell you might wanna skip the L3901 & either step up to a Grand L series or stick with the BX series. Consider this, within Kubota their culture considers working on the BX series tractor a premium job. Similar to how GM engineers would consider working on the corvette design team. I have more faith in the BX tractors than any other model, they can do anything you ask them to do even in our rocky dirt, it’ll just take a little longer.

The L series are based around economy & even though they are impressive on specs. They don’t have the mass they need to work the dirt around here at least not the way I do. At 40 hrs. I needed the whole FEL replaced bent bucket, bent FEL arms, & most every joint/hinge was showing wear. I traded it in right after the 50 hrs. service & bought the M62. Still even now, I miss my BX though....

An MX series would be a step up from the L series, but I have no idea why you consider an MX if are on any budget...


Wormwood

 

[jeff9366]

I have more faith in the BX tractors than any other model, they can do anything you ask them to do even in our rocky dirt, it will just take a little longer.



The L series are based around economy & even though they are impressive on specs. They don't have the mass they need to work the dirt around here at least not the way I do.



At 40 hrs. I needed the whole FEL replaced bent bucket, bent FEL arms, & most every joint/hinge was showing wear. I traded it in right after the 50 hrs. service & bought the M62.

A little longer? Four or five times longer for most ground contact tasks than an MX.


"at least not the way I do". This is the relevant phrase.

When newbies inquire about tractor reliability, new or used, I contend the most important consideration is the experience and prudence of the operator.

If anyone is going to work a tractor HARD there is no substitute for thick steel = greater tractor weight.


It is inconsistent that you recommend a BX weight tractor but dismiss heavier L series tractors. However, each of us have unique tractor experiences. Perhaps, after the BX you did not buy ENOUGH TRACTOR with the L, until buying your M62.

I have owned three tractors. A used Deere 750 'learner'. A new Kubota B3300SU tractor-loader package and my existing Kubota L3560. The B3300SU was not ENOUGH TRACTOR. Had I discovered T-B-N I would have known to step up from 1,700 pounds to 3,600 pounds in one step.

 

[Tractorable]

Ok I need to update my address. I live on the banks of the Arkansas River and yes I have one acre but I also maintain the corp property between me and the river which is in a flood zone and it's about 1/4 acre. I also own with my siblings 150 acres which is where the ford 4630 and deutz is housed. The 4630 is to big to trailer to deer camp and my house. It is only a two wheel drive also and my deer lease is very rugged hilly terrain. The deutz is a two wheel drive with no fel and is very antique. A day bush hogging with that wii wear you out beyond belief. I will also sell the deutz but I am in partners with the ford so it stays when I purchase a tractor. I need to move lot of dirt here on one acre to level up yard. Bring in a lot of rock for flower beds and work on slope of corp land to river to mow with zero turn one day. I need to reroute water runoff at my moms house to and will use a backhoe on tractor to do that. All of this I can do with a small tractor but when you hook up a disk or a bush hog it's nice to have some weight and power which is what is making my decision very hard. Hope that helps. Ricky

So if I'm reading this right, you need a tractor to maintain a 1.25 acre lot and also a hunting property that's very rugged and hilly? A key component of this being a tractor that is easily trailerable?

What size truck and trailer do you have? How many acres is the hunting property? What kind of work do you need to do at the hunting property? Where do you plan to store this tractor when not is use?

 

[rickyb01]

I will start from scratch on implements because all of the cat 1 stuff is very old and worn out. Other implements are cat 2 and are a 10' bush hog and six foot disk, My implements for new tractor will consist of a very good bush hog and a back hoe in the future. Maybe a breaking plow and a disk i am buying a dual axle trailer with 5400 pd axels and trailer brakes. Will upgrade to a 3/4 ton if needed but have a couple of friends that have them to borrow for now. I want the mx5100 for the deer lease but think it's overkill for work with back hoe and loader work in the yard. i keep going to the 4701 but think for 500 pounds you get a turbo in the mx5100. Can handle the already heavy disk I have and I could get a medium duty bush hog for deer lease. I don't know how the weight of the 5100 would treat my lawn or if it would tear it up. It would be like driving finish nails with a 2 pound hammer. anything I'm missing in the grand series that would bridge the gap?

 

[Michael Aos]

I think it’s a pain to switch between my Land Plane / Grader Scraper (LPGS) and (PD10) post-hole digger.

I sure wouldn’t want to switch between a backhoe and a bush hog.

 

[rickyb01]

So if I'm reading this right, you need a tractor to maintain a 1.25 acre lot and also a hunting property that's very rugged and hilly? A key component of this being a tractor that is easily trailerable?

What size truck and trailer do you have? How many acres is the hunting property? What kind of work do you need to do at the hunting property? Where do you plan to store this tractor when not is use?

You got the jest of it. The tractor will be stored at the 150 acres land because it's about right smack in the middle of my house and deer lease. When needed at house I can store it here for a couple months then take it back to homestead. I built a nice 30x 40 pole shed with one side and for the new tractor will add another side to store it.

 

[zzvyb6]

People who can't make decisions should ask their spouse. Then it will be done.

 

[BX23S-1]

I think it痴 a pain to switch between my Land Plane / Grader Scraper (LPGS) and (PD10) post-hole digger.

I sure wouldn稚 want to switch between a backhoe and a bush hog.

If you had a BX23s, you wouldn`t mind it at all. I do it all the time... Kubota dosen`t build a more simple tractor than the new BX23s.
I can change anything on my BX23s in seconds, not minutes or hours...seconds.
The FEL even comes off WITHOUT ever leaving the tractor seat.

The backhoe takes a couple extra minutes because i have to put the 3point hitch on after i drop the hoe off.
But its far easier and faster than you think, on a BX23s.

 

[sea2summit]

A little longer? Four or five times longer for most ground contact tasks than an MX.

Not quite accurate, could be up to 30 times as long

When I got my MX I was digging out stumps from a planted forest with my BX. Took 2-3 hours because it the movement is slow and I'd constantly have to reposition the BX. MX was doing the same job and averaging 6 minutes per stump and I was able to pull 25-50 a in day with the MX compared to 1-2 with the BX.

 

[sea2summit]

I will start from scratch on implements because all of the cat 1 stuff is very old and worn out. Other implements are cat 2 and are a 10' bush hog and six foot disk, My implements for new tractor will consist of a very good bush hog and a back hoe in the future. Maybe a breaking plow and a disk i am buying a dual axle trailer with 5400 pd axels and trailer brakes. Will upgrade to a 3/4 ton if needed but have a couple of friends that have them to borrow for now. I want the mx5100 for the deer lease but think it's overkill for work with back hoe and loader work in the yard. i keep going to the 4701 but think for 500 pounds you get a turbo in the mx5100. Can handle the already heavy disk I have and I could get a medium duty bush hog for deer lease. I don't know how the weight of the 5100 would treat my lawn or if it would tear it up. It would be like driving finish nails with a 2 pound hammer. anything I'm missing in the grand series that would bridge the gap?

With R4's my tires don't leave a mark on my grass until I turn and then it's pretty minimal unless I have something really heavy in the loader.

 

[rickyb01]

My financial obligations are coming to an end. This is freed me up to make a decision on buying a tractor. Do I have to have it well no but I think I would use and use the front end loader a lot at the home. It makes little since but I could change out the tires on the tractor if at the home the thread would hurt the grass. I don't think R4 tires would work on the deer lease as well as Ag tires would but they would be a benefit at the home. Any other brands and models that may fill the gap better?

 

[jeff9366]

My Kubota L3560/HST is 5,400 pounds with air filled R4/industrial tires.

I work in an upscale residential development. I run over lawns in 2-WD mode daily, without creating damage. Our soil is sandy-loam. It drains perfectly. Never mud.

You can always add steel or rubber chains to R4 tires for additional traction in your food plots. My 5,400 pound tractor has only 37-horsepower. My R4s never lose traction though I pull a two bottom 12" Moldboard Plow and a 960 pound Tufline Tandem Disc Harrow with 20" diameter pans.

Had I a 50-horsepower to 60-horsepower engine in my tractor traction would be less certain with considerable throttle. So tractor horsepower indirectly effects tractor traction.

Kubota MX series are Cat I/Cat II.