Help with which Kubota to get

[TX03]

Hey Everyone - brand new to the forum after doing some research into tractors. My wife and I recently purchased a 15 acre spot in the Texas hill country and we're looking for our first ever tractor. I've done quite a bit of research and am leaning towards a Kubota (we have a couple of dealers in the area that seem pretty good). However, I'm having a real tough time figuring out what size tractor we need. We have a small nubian goat herd that will grow to 15-20 or so and then we plan on getting a couple of horses as well (would love a couple of longhorns but that probably won't happen any time soon). Most of our chores will be bush hogging some open areas and under our larger oak trees, pulling out cedar stumps, and mainting our gravel driveway. I think the L series Kubota should be able to handle almost everything we need outside of possibly needing to move round bales in the future. Anyways, would love some insight from you guys or if there are resources handy that you could point me to that would be great as well. Thanks!

 

[Maxify55]

Whatever size you think you'll need, get one size larger and with one size larger engine than you'll think you'll ever in your life need.
It'll last you longer and serve you better 10 yrs from now.
Because in 10 yrs time, you'll be wanting to step up in size to a larger tractor.
Then get all sideways with the dealer when he offers you little to nothing for your used small tractor that you've lovingly cared for
but beaten half to death because you should've bought a larger unit in the first place.
Set aside enough money in the purchase of the land and home building for the purchase of the "Right Sized" tractor to do the job for you farm NOW.
Not trade in a used up small one for the one you should've bought today.

 

[johncanfield]

Hey neighbor, we're also in the Texas Hill Country. You need to step the tractor size to a Grand L60 or even an MX, you would be too limited in lift capacity and PTO hp with the smaller ones. Get a cab model if your budget permits.

Oh, you will be spending a fortune feeding two longhorns on limited acreage.

 

[Roadworthy]

It would be great to have a larger, heavier tractor than you need. I got an L2501 in order to avoid the EPA Tier 4 pollution add ons. I prefer simple and no computers. I mostly mow ten acres and that size works well for me. If I needed or wanted something larger I'd be shopping the used market for something gently used in the six to eight year old vintages.

 

[Jstpssng]

Before deciding which tractor, you should try to figure out what you plan to be using it for. A tractor can be a 25-20 year investment, so you should try to make sure that you don't grow out of it.
Stump pulling is a one time deal, then you're done with it. Do you expect to use it for more than bushhogging once the stumps are gone?

 

[TX03]

Great advise - thank you!

 

[TX03]

Hey John - what part are you in? We're located in Spicewood. Thanks for the advice, I was looking at the MX models but wasn't sure we had enough applications for a tractor of that size. Everyone's responses has me rethinking that now...

The longhorns are more of a pipe dream... maybe one day we'll move to a bigger place

 

[TX03]

We'll use it for a lot of chores - hauling hay around, maintaining our gravel driveway, cutting brush, cutting cleared pastures, removing stumps (we have a lot of cedars that I'd like to remove), and other miscellaneous things that will inevitably pop up

 

[fried1765]

Whatever size you think you'll need, get one size larger and with one size larger engine than you'll think you'll ever in your life need.
It'll last you longer and serve you better 10 yrs from now.
Because in 10 yrs time, you'll be wanting to step up in size to a larger tractor.
Then get all sideways with the dealer when he offers you little to nothing for your used small tractor that you've lovingly cared for
but beaten half to death because you should've bought a larger unit in the first place.
Set aside enough money in the purchase of the land and home building for the purchase of the "Right Sized" tractor to do the job for you farm NOW.
Not trade in a used up small one for the one you should've bought today.

This is the BEST ADVICE EVER!

SAVE TIME & MONEY......imagine the biggest tractor that you could ever need......and then....go one size BIGGER!

 

[johncanfield]

Hey John - what part are you in? We're located in Spicewood. Thanks for the advice, I was looking at the MX models but wasn't sure we had enough applications for a tractor of that size. Everyone's responses has me rethinking that now...

The longhorns are more of a pipe dream... maybe one day we'll move to a bigger place

We're about 30 miles west of Fredericksburg. The thing about tractor size is if you find out it's too small, you will be kicking yourself forever. Something in the 50 horse range is ideal for you in my opinion. Big enough to do serious work and small enough to be maneuverable. I was using a Kubota L2900 (about 30 hp) on our ranch and the lack of lift power was seriously frustrating. And be sure to get a quick connect (whatever Kubota calls it) for the loader.

If you want ranch eye candy, blackbuck antelope are fit the bill The bucks are really striking looking. Right now our herd is about 28, every three or four years we get several darted by our trapper. We share the proceeds 50/50 when sold.

 

[jeff9366]

1) My wife and I recently purchased 15 acres in the Texas hill country. We are looking for our first tractor. I'm having a tough time figuring out what size tractor we need.

2) Most of our chores will be bush hogging open areas and under our larger oak trees, pulling out cedar stumps, and maintaining our gravel driveway.

3) I think the L series Kubota should be able to handle everything we need outside of moving round bales in the future.

1) Of your total fifteen acres how much will you actually work with your potential tractor? What part of the land you will potentially work with your tractor is flat, what part sloped?

Tractors are inherently unstable operating on sloped ground. Tractor rear wheel/tire spread, sometimes adjustable, is a critical factor increasing compact tractor stability working sloped or uneven ground. Rear axle is the tractor component on which rear wheels/tires mount. A 6" to 10" wider rear axle substantially decreases tractor rollover potential. Tractor width is an approximation of rear axle width.

2) Operating a Rotary Cutter depends on tractor horsepower. How many acres do you foresee mowing? Will you mow exclusively dry grass to 30" height (25-hp), dry grass to 48" height and light brush (35-hp) or high grass and heavy brush (40 - 50 hp)?

No Kubota 'L' will pull stumps greater than 3" in diameter. How many stumps do you need to eliminate?

Maintaining a gravel drive should be within capability of any Kubota 'L' if you have plenty of time. How long is your drive?

3) The Kubota 'L" series is highly diverse. It includes tractors from 25-horsepower to 60-horsepower and 2,700 pounds bare tractor weight to 4,000 pounds bare tractor weight.

A 2,700 pound bare weight tractor can transport but not stack nor load/unload 1,200 pound round bales with a Three Point Hitch mounted rear bale spear. It takes a 5,000 pound bare weight tractor to safely move, stack, load and unload 1,200 pound round bales from trailers with a Loader mounted front bale spear.

I suggest considering a 3,700 pound bare weight Kubota MX series tractor in addition to a Kubota 'L'.
If your tractor budget is ample, de luxe Kubota 'Grand L' tractors are tractor nirvana.

VIDEOS (2): Kubota Standard L-Series. L251 L331 L391 L471 features and operation. - YouTube

Kubota Standard L Series VS. Grand L Series - YouTube





The fundamental importance of TRACTOR WEIGHT eludes many tractor shoppers. Tractor weight is more important identifying compact tractor capability than tractor horsepower.

The most efficient way to shop for tractors is to first identify potential tractor applications, then, through consulataton, establish bare tractor weight necessary to safely accomplish your applications. Tractor dealers, experienced tractor owners and TractorByNet.com are sources for weight recommendations.

Bare tractor weight is a fundamental tractor specification easily found in sales brochures and web sites, readily comparable across tractor brands and tractor models, new and used. 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 which cuts through specification clutter. I have a column for cost per pound.

Selling a used tractor is easy. Selling multiple light implements in order to buy heavier, wider implements for a new, heavier tractor requires a lot of time. Depreciation on implements is worse than depreciation on a tractor.

A quality dealer, reasonably close, available for coaching, is important for tractor neophytes. Most new tractors are delivered with a glitch or two requiring correction. My Kubota dealer is six miles away. I feel my local dealer continues to add value to my equipment after seven years. Dealer proximity is less important for those experienced with tractors, qualified to perform their own maintenance.

 

[Frankenkubota]

I bought my kubota tractor about 9 months ago, after lots or research. I got the same advice from all the old timers, get the biggest newest tractor you can afford.

What I found was, used models with low hours are very expensive, that痴 why I bought new and......

For me, buying a tractor was just like buying a boat, a sports car, a motorcycle, a musical instrument etc. etc.

Go iin expecting to spend NO MORE THAN 店

In my case it痴 almost always double.

Good luck

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

I have a L3901 now which I lifted carefully with forks a round bale off trailer and moved short distance to necessary location for feeding mini goats. I doubt I could have lifted the bale and stacked it on another bale. I could easily move a round bale with carrier on 3ph but that limits how high it can lift. Bush hog is easily done with the L3901. Stumps need a backhoe which is great but adds several bucks to purchase price. Rent abackhoe and have someone with backhoe come do your stumps.
Contrary to what some say getting the wrong size up front is not going to bankrupt you. I've bought almost 30 Kubotas in 16 years and for sure payed a usage fee/depreciation cost but not extreme since the price of tractors/RTV/Mowers continues to always go up so the original cost can sometimes be totally recouped but I expect to pay something for a machine I've used for a couple of years just like a car or truck. I bought a Kubota RTV and 8 years later the dealer gave me almost what I paid for it in trade. I also bought another Kubota RTV and used it for a year and a half and sold it for a cash cost of about $100 a month for usage or actually closer to $70 a month for usage. The 0% financing Kubota almost always offers is the killer on resales.
Determine what you will do for years the best you can and buy the machine that will perform those functions but also consider those few jobs that once completed won't be done much in the future and determine whether it will be best time and effort and money wise as to whether they can be farmed out to people with the better equipment and experience and for a fair price, like stumps or steep hillside original grading/landscaping.

 

[Bullwinkle123]

More seasoned people than me have weighed in here, but I bought a Kubota this year, so here's my 2 bits.

Your brush hogging and driveway grading should be handled nicely by any L series, but as Jeff said, perhaps is sensitive to how thick the brush is and how wide a cutter you want to use. A general guideline is 5 PTO HP per foot of cutter. The gravel stuff is straight forward from a loader/bucket standpoint, but you'll want to think hard about what 3PH attachment you get for ditching or grading the gravel. I bought a blade, and of all my attachments it's so far been the hardest to master (ironic, because you think a blade is simple!).

The stump pulling is the most problematic thing you talk about. Tractors and stumps aren't the best fit, but we all dig at them with the tools we have. If it's one time clearing might be better to rent something that will make short work of stumps. If you're going to do things where what you're pulling is pulling back at you (skidding, stumps, and the like), then definitely think more about tractor weight.

I'm assuming your land is flat, but if you have hilly terrain and stability is a concern (and it should be), then you may want to look hard at tractor width and wheel spacing options. This was one of the things which drove me from an L series to an MX5400, which was 20% wider than the L3901. I'm very happy with my purchase, the MX5400 is all kinds of awesome and a reasonable incremental price increase from the L series. My favorite tool is my grapple for hauling off trees/brush.

Other than that, only thing I might suggest is whether you want a cab. I'm in the cooler north, and I still don't want to use my tractor in the noon-day sun, because when I get out of the seat to adjust the blade, 30 seconds later the black seat has become a griddle to fry my *** and back.

Good luck!

 

[mikester]

We'll use it for a lot of chores - hauling hay around, maintaining our gravel driveway, cutting brush, cutting cleared pastures, removing stumps (we have a lot of cedars that I'd like to remove), and other miscellaneous things that will inevitably pop up

Get a tractor big enough to move your bales of hay. AG tractors are more like all in one tools made to do a little of everything but not exceedingly well at any one thing.

Clearing pastures and removing stumps is hard work, Id suggest getting on older used construction TLB, let it take the abuse and sell it when you are done likely for the same amount of money you paid for it.

Keep the tractor for long term, add on front remotes to operate a grapple and rear remotes for utility.

 

[TX03]

We're about 30 miles west of Fredericksburg. The thing about tractor size is if you find out it's too small, you will be kicking yourself forever. Something in the 50 horse range is ideal for you in my opinion. Big enough to do serious work and small enough to be maneuverable. I was using a Kubota L2900 (about 30 hp) on our ranch and the lack of lift power was seriously frustrating. And be sure to get a quick connect (whatever Kubota calls it) for the loader.

If you want ranch eye candy, blackbuck antelope are fit the bill The bucks are really striking looking. Right now our herd is about 28, every three or four years we get several darted by our trapper. We share the proceeds 50/50 when sold.

Beautiful area out there! Definitely looking at a quick attach loader and I'm now leaning towards the MX 5400 (54 hp) after some of these suggestions. I like the idea of wider wheel base and more weight as our property has some pretty unever terrain. Is your place very hilly? If so, how is it operating the tractor around some of the steeper parts?

I would love to have some blackbuck - unfortunately our place isn't high fenced. Add it to the wish list!

 

[TX03]

1) Of your total fifteen acres how much will you actually work with your potential tractor? What part of the land you will potentially work with your tractor is flat, what part sloped?

Tractors are inherently unstable operating on sloped ground. Tractor rear wheel/tire spread, sometimes adjustable, is a critical factor increasing compact tractor stability working sloped or uneven ground. Rear axle is the tractor component on which rear wheels/tires mount. A 6" to 10" wider rear axle substantially decreases tractor rollover potential. Tractor width is an approximation of rear axle width.

2) Operating a Rotary Cutter depends on tractor horsepower. How many acres do you foresee mowing? Will you mow exclusively dry grass to 30" height (25-hp), dry grass to 48" height and light brush (35-hp) or high grass and heavy brush (40 - 50 hp)?

No Kubota 'L' will pull stumps greater than 3" in diameter. How many stumps do you need to eliminate?

Maintaining a gravel drive should be within capability of any Kubota 'L' if you have plenty of time. How long is your drive?

3) The Kubota 'L" series is highly diverse. It includes tractors from 25-horsepower to 60-horsepower and 2,700 pounds bare tractor weight to 4,000 pounds bare tractor weight.

A 2,700 pound bare weight tractor can transport but not stack nor load/unload 1,200 pound round bales with a Three Point Hitch mounted rear bale spear. It takes a 5,000 pound bare weight tractor to safely move, stack, load and unload 1,200 pound round bales from trailers with a Loader mounted front bale spear.

I suggest considering a 3,700 pound bare weight Kubota MX series tractor in addition to a Kubota 'L'.
If your tractor budget is ample, de luxe Kubota 'Grand L' tractors are tractor nirvana.

VIDEOS (2): Kubota Standard L-Series. L251 L331 L391 L471 features and operation. - YouTube

Kubota Standard L Series VS. Grand L Series - YouTube





The fundamental importance of TRACTOR WEIGHT eludes many tractor shoppers. Tractor weight is more important identifying compact tractor capability than tractor horsepower.

The most efficient way to shop for tractors is to first identify potential tractor applications, then, through consulataton, establish bare tractor weight necessary to safely accomplish your applications. Tractor dealers, experienced tractor owners and TractorByNet.com are sources for weight recommendations.

Bare tractor weight is a fundamental tractor specification easily found in sales brochures and web sites, readily comparable across tractor brands and tractor models, new and used. 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 which cuts through specification clutter. I have a column for cost per pound.

Selling a used tractor is easy. Selling multiple light implements in order to buy heavier, wider implements for a new, heavier tractor requires a lot of time. Depreciation on implements is worse than depreciation on a tractor.

A quality dealer, reasonably close, available for coaching, is important for tractor neophytes. Most new tractors are delivered with a glitch or two requiring correction. My Kubota dealer is six miles away. I feel my local dealer continues to add value to my equipment after seven years. Dealer proximity is less important for those experienced with tractors, qualified to perform their own maintenance.

A concern I have now is the uneven terrain of our place. As I learn more and more about tractors, I'm liking the idea of a wider, heavier tractor.

Of the 15 acres, I plan to work about 12-13 of it. 1 acre around the house will be taken care of by my riding lawn mower and there are a couple of areas that are too steep to take a tractor. Our property has 3 shelves - the top shelf is where our house sits and then it slopes down to a fairly flat area of about 4 acres, then another slope down to another area of about 5 acres.

Our place has pretty hard soil so we won't be mowing a ton of grass but more brush like small trees and bushes.

We have quite a few stumps that we need to remove. These are cedars (ashe juniper) which are smaller trees - most being shorter than 15 ft

Our gravel driveway is about 350 ft

 

[TX03]

I bought my kubota tractor about 9 months ago, after lots or research. I got the same advice from all the old timers, get the biggest newest tractor you can afford.

What I found was, used models with low hours are very expensive, thatç—´ why I bought new and......

For me, buying a tractor was just like buying a boat, a sports car, a motorcycle, a musical instrument etc. etc.

Go iin expecting to spend NO MORE THAN 店

In my case itç—´ almost always double.

Good luck

How have you liked the MX 5800? I'm starting to lean towards the MX series over the L series

 

[TX03]

More seasoned people than me have weighed in here, but I bought a Kubota this year, so here's my 2 bits.

Your brush hogging and driveway grading should be handled nicely by any L series, but as Jeff said, perhaps is sensitive to how thick the brush is and how wide a cutter you want to use. A general guideline is 5 PTO HP per foot of cutter. The gravel stuff is straight forward from a loader/bucket standpoint, but you'll want to think hard about what 3PH attachment you get for ditching or grading the gravel. I bought a blade, and of all my attachments it's so far been the hardest to master (ironic, because you think a blade is simple!).

The stump pulling is the most problematic thing you talk about. Tractors and stumps aren't the best fit, but we all dig at them with the tools we have. If it's one time clearing might be better to rent something that will make short work of stumps. If you're going to do things where what you're pulling is pulling back at you (skidding, stumps, and the like), then definitely think more about tractor weight.

I'm assuming your land is flat, but if you have hilly terrain and stability is a concern (and it should be), then you may want to look hard at tractor width and wheel spacing options. This was one of the things which drove me from an L series to an MX5400, which was 20% wider than the L3901. I'm very happy with my purchase, the MX5400 is all kinds of awesome and a reasonable incremental price increase from the L series. My favorite tool is my grapple for hauling off trees/brush.

Other than that, only thing I might suggest is whether you want a cab. I'm in the cooler north, and I still don't want to use my tractor in the noon-day sun, because when I get out of the seat to adjust the blade, 30 seconds later the black seat has become a griddle to fry my *** and back.

Good luck!

Our terrain is fairly hilly - we have 3 distinct shelves of relatively flat area but each one drops down from the next. I'm starting to lean towards the MX 5400 more for the stability than anything else. Definitelt looking at a grapple - I think it will be one of the implements I end up using the most. Thanks!

 

[4570Man]

Pulling trees is hard work unless they’re small like 2-3”. How many and how big are the trees you plan on removing?