Help - Family Needs A Compact Tractor

[Dynasty]

I have been put in charge of finding the right used compact tractor for our family's needs. Budget is around $25,000. Property is just under 10 acres with about 5 acres of field and 5 acres of woods. Some of the work the tractor will see include brush hogging, gravel driveway maintenance, tree moving, earth moving around the pond/home, land grading, possible snow removal and trench digging. Basically, a little mixture of everything.

We have a very local John Deere dealer down the road, so we are only looking at John Deere's offerings.

4WD ,FEL, and HST are required. We are thinking of a grapple for tree moving and a tooth bar for the bucket to start. We can rent the other implements. No cab desired.

We are eyeing the John Deere 3033R model. We like the FEL control location - that is a nice feature.

We are not tractor experts like you guys are on here, so we are looking for guidance. What do you suggest?

 

[Diggin It]

If you can stay at 25 HP or under, you'll avoid the emissions hooey.

Amount of trenching could call for a backhoe.

Ignoring all but green paint may not be the best choice financially.

 

[KennyG]

It would be nice to simplify the emissions, but for your uses, I don't think under 25 HP is going to make it. I think you are right to be looking in the 30 to 40 HP range. If you have a major trenching job, rent a mini-excavator and get it done right.

Yes, you can save money by going to another brand but 10 years from now a few thousand dollars won't mean anything compared to a good dealer and comfortable operating features.

 

[cathy liebchen]

avoiding emissions is no longer an issue. You will need bigger and heavier than a 25 HP to do most of those chores, and hire out the digging

 

[Ricn]

Sounds like you need a good all around heavy utility tractor but NOT a compact one, to light weight and not enough HP IMO- Look at a used Kubota 40-50hp, you will be very happy. One of out neighbors recently bought an L4701 with loader having 320 hrs for close to your target price. He says this tractor is awesome and well above what he had anticipated it would be. The Kubota L39 is also one to look at, a little smaller but great tractor for brush hogging, lifting most things and for grapple work. I have the L2501 with 25hp and while it works for most of what I now do, there are times when I wish it had more PTO hp for brush hogging the heavy stuff. For not much more, I could have had the L39 but was hung up on not having the emission system the higher HP tractors have now. You could look at pre-emission pre computer tractor in 40-50HP range but they are a premium in price if in good condition, at least the ones I see for sale are. I would not buy JD even if the dealer were next door and that is coming from a guy who owned them for years.

Ricn

 

[jeff9366]

Property is just under 10 acres with about 5 acres of field and 5 acres of woods.

Work the tractor will see include bush hogging, gravel driveway maintenance, tree moving, earth moving around the pond/home, land grading, possible snow removal and trench digging.

4WD ,FEL, and HST are required. We are thinking of a grapple for tree moving and a tooth bar for the bucket to start. We can rent the other implements. No cab desired.

We have a very local John Deere dealer down the road, so we are only looking at John Deere's offerings.

The fundamental importance of TRACTOR WEIGHT eludes many tractor shoppers. Heavier tractor weight is more important for most tractor applications than increased tractor horsepower. Bare tractor weight is a tractor specification easily found in sales brochures and web sites, readily comparable across tractor brands and tractor models, new and used.

Within subcompact and compact tractor categories, a significant tractor capability increase requires a bare tractor weight increase of 50%. It takes a 100% increase in bare tractor weight to elicit MY-OH-MY!

Shop your weight range within tractor brands. Budget will eliminate some choices. Collect a dealer brochure for each tractor model in your weight range. I spreadsheet tractor and implement specs, often a revealing exercise. I have a column for cost per pound.

I suggest a tractor with a bare tractor weight of 2,600 to 4,000 pounds.
Deere 3033r is at mid-point.
MORE: deere 333r site:tractorbynet.com - Google Search

TractorData.com provides tractor specs on non-current Deere models.
LINK: TractorData.com - John Deere farm tractors sorted by model

For moving tree debris to a burn pile over ten (10) acres Pallet Forks or towing the trunks behind tractor with chains is a simpler, cheaper solution relative to grapple. PHOTOS
I dedicate myself to keeping everything tractor AS SIMPLE AS POSSIBLE.

Consider a Middlebuster for trenching.
VIDEO: tractor middle buster trenching - YouTube

Around 3,500 pounds some tractors will not longer fit under a standard 84" garage door header even with ROPS down.

 

[Gafn]

Dynasty - this is just an option....

For your price range you can buy a new with warranty for 6 years Branson 3520 series in Hydro or with gears.That is 35 HP 4WD.
I own one - in fact just upgraded to a 2019 3520R.
The Emissions stuff - the new Tier 4 on the Branson's - basically just run it at PTO and get it hot - no issues - just work it
Branson has partnered with Wells Fargo for financing - rates are decent.


Just google packages: $28,499.00 Bit over your budget - but you get the picture - full warranty is nice.

The Branson 3520H Mega Tractor Package Includes:
Branson 3520H 4×4
Branson BL200 Loader
6 Ft. Brush Hog
6 Ft. Box Blade
6 Ft. Tiller
Post Hole Digger
20 Ft. Tandem Axle Trailer

 

[jeff9366]

Sounds like you need a good all around heavy utility tractor but NOT a compact one, too light weight and not enough HP IMO.

I would not buy JD even if the dealer were next door and that is coming from a guy who owned them for years.

A utility grade tractor for five (5) acres of field and family use, presumably wife and teen children???

Why not Deere?

 

[Rebeldad1]

Around 3,500 pounds some tractors will not longer fit under a standard 84" garage door header even with ROPS down.

I dont know if I have ever seen a 3500ish pound tractor that was 84" tall without a ROPS or cab?
What brands are these?

 

[jeff9366]

Around 3,500 pounds some tractors will not longer fit under a standard 84" garage door header even with ROPS down.

Kubota 3,600 pound L3560 open station is 90" tall with ROPS folded.

I own one, purchased January 2013.

 

[LS Tractor Owner]

My LS xg3025 weighs in at a hefty 4022 lbs with the loader /bucket and BH subframe mounts attached. It's a whopping 5657 lbs with the BH / bucket on the tractor. These weights were taken on a drive on truck scale. Tires are not filled.

The height is at 91" with the ROPS up. Fits in the 8' garage door just barely.

 

[KennyG]

Lots of weight and 40 or 50 HP are great, but remember we are only talking about 10 acres here. I'll stand by my 30 to 40 HP recommendation.

 

[dieselcrawler]

I doubt you 'need' a bigger tractor... not saying it wouldn't be nice, but you can do quite alot with a smaller one.

In 2013, we bought what we could afford for our 117ac of hillside... JD 3005, 4x4, loader, brush hog, and box blade, for about $18k... whopping 27hp Yanmar diesel, run hard, and racked up a little over 500 hours. Its brush hogged bushes and saplings... pulled logs out of the holler... loaded logs with forks mounted to the bucket... leveled ground for a (someday) new barn... run a post hole augers for fence posts... even pulled and run dad's old Massey Ferguson #12 hay baler last summer adequately.

Could I use a 50-75hp machine? Absolutely, a used, larger tractor is in the plans within a year or so. But my lil green machine has served me well, and will have a place to live here beside it's bigger future friend.

 

[dodge man]

I think the tractor you are looking at is a good choice. If it痴 used make sure it is setup for a grapple or figure that in the cost. You need the hydraulic hook ups for a grapple. Like already mentioned a grapple is an expensive option a with a limited budget you might want to wait. Like Jeff said, forks work well for hauling brush.

People will often recommend their favorite brand, JD makes good tractors if your heart is set on one, German one.

 

[nards444]

I got a B2650, weight does matter, tractor bare is around 1800, not sure what cab weighs, but with loader and filled tires Im guessing the tractor is around 3500lbs or so. With that said I could have gotten the B3350 but it only weighed 100lbs more and provided 9hp more or so. So for added cost and dealing the emissions I really dont think it was worth it. Id thinking highly about finding a tractor at the 25hp mark, im not sure something around the 30-33 mark is going to give you a marked difference.

 

[Gafn]

. Like Jeff said, forks work well for hauling brush.

Well now... Forks WORK for hauling brush, they don't work WELL.

I recently upgrade to a 2019 35HP tractor and went all in on a 66 inch grapple, and there is a huge amount of goodness in a grapple...

1) When working alone, without getting off the tractor you can load the large amount of brush - on the fly, just scoop, clamp and go
2) Brush falls off the dang forks all the time - you will need to take an ATV out and pick up the trail of brush bits... Does not happen as much with the Grapple clamped down on the brush
3) Cleaning up in snake country - your in OK so you will have snakes, loading brush on the fly and not getting into the mess to clean up - simply avoids the little biters, as your safe on the tractor
4) Firewood - picking up logs - grapple is a HUGE helping hand to securely hold logs while you cut your rounds, with forks you have to add in chains and straps - just extra work
5) Firewood - while cutting rounds - you set the height of the log - saves you back - seeing how you retired from the Marines (Semper Fi) I am sure your back will thank you
6) Other trash pick up - the grapple can grab sheet metal from an old barn, or leftover construction scrap, regular forks simply can not, you have to get off tractor and load the forks
7) Don't forget it is a Root Grapple - you want to clear out some woody brush - the root grapple rips that like it was designed for it - maybe it was...

Anyway - I am still a rookie tractor guy - having had a 35HP now for about 4.5 years.
If I could do it over - I would have had a grapple form day ONE, this is my lesson learned.... let the equipment do the work, and you stay in the tractor seat as much as possible

 

[Shaneard]

Like Jeff said, forks work well for hauling brush.

Forks work better than nothing for hauling brush. Grapple works 100 times better than forks. Forks are all I have now, had a grapple on a skidsteer. There is no comparison.

 

[Rebeldad1]

Kubota 3,600 pound L3560 open station is 90" tall with ROPS folded.

I own one, purchased January 2013.

Is yours a factory ROPS?
With the ROPS up it would be around 10 feet or more tall Any pics?
My Kioti with the ROPS up is about a inch too tall to go through a 8' garage door opening.
Never measured it down but guessing 6' give or take.

 

[AllByteNoBark]

Kubota 3,600 pound L3560 open station is 90" tall with ROPS folded.

I own one, purchased January 2013.

Jeff, you sure on the height? When researching I have notes that show the L3560 with ROPS folded was 85" tall which makes a pretty big difference. Maybe I was told wrong.

 

[Diggin It]

This says 97" with it up. Pretty sure more than 7 inches folds over.

TractorData.com Kubota L356 tractor dimensions information