First time buyer 35-50 hp and implements

[jsconner1]

I have about 10 acres and am planting it out in Christmas trees. I have gotten by for my first few years borrowing my dad's D19, which is more than I need, but available. I finally am in a position to get my own equipment, and am looking for all the advice I can get.

My anticipated use is 50-100 hours a year split between mowing, running a 4'-5' rototiller, pulling my single seat transplanter, and some FEL work spreading gravel, mulch, etc.

The rototiller and transplanter are only used about 2 days a year when I plant the trees.

So, like I said, I don't anticipate heavy use of this tractor, but I also don't have time to be fixing something that breaks regularly as my day job keeps me pretty busy.

JD has the only dealership in the immediate area, but I have Kubota, MF, New Holland, and IH all within an hour.

I have looked at the rural king tractors, and they certainly seem to be the least expensive. I can get the 37 hp model with FEL, tiller, and rotary cutter for about 30k which is a little less than a similar Kubota L series with just the FEL prices at 33k and way less than the 45k prices I'm getting for comparable JD tractor with no implements.

I know least expensive isn't always the best buy, but it is tempting to go with rural king. That being said I'm leaning towards Kubota as their 0% financing is attractive. I could buy it outright, but I'm also getting ready to build a house, so using someone's else's money is a plus.

Thoughts?

 

[jeff9366]

What is a D19? A Caterpillar crawler?

Have you owned or operated a Three Point Hitch equipped tractor in the past?
Are you aware of how unstable TPH tractors are?

Is your land FLAT or will you operate on sloping ground?

Do you feel qualified to do your own tractor service? (RE: Rural King)





My anticipated use is 50-100 hours a year.

This is the operating hour range when emission control equipment may be cranky. If you can find a good 2012 or older used tractor with 35-50 horsepower it will predate emission control requirements. (DPF = diesel particulate filter + paraphernalia.)


Here are 20 tractors listed on eBay within 100 miles of Muncie, closest tractor first:

Pardon Our Interruption...

 

[jeff9366]

Brand? Models to look at or avoid? Buy new or used?

The design of the Three Point Hitch tractor has been marketed in the USA since 1939 -- 83 years in 2022.

The basic design is generic.

Kubota and Deere have most of the market through 6,000 pound bare weight tractors. But this Kubota/Deere predominance is regional.

The up and coming compact tractor brands are Korean: Kioti, LS and Branson. There are other Korean brands. You have to critically assess dealer stability while shopping minor brands.

Korean manufacturing labor is paid 50% of what Deere pays its union work force. Japanese manufacturing labor is paid 70% of what Deere pays its union work force. Labor costs strongly influence tractor prices.



We have the following brands within an hour of us.

• Kubota
• LS
• TYM
• KIOTI
• Massey Ferguson
• John Deere

I know that a lot depends on the dealer and their willingness to help, but should I stay away from any of these brands?

Start with the nearest dealer and work out.

Transporting a tractor for service is expensive and inconvenient, whether you trailer it or the dealer trailers it.


CREDIT: 'FELIXEDO'

"It has been touched on a couple of times, but not directly as a buying factor.

Every major make has a machine that will do the job(s) you want. Check out your nearby dealers, and go with one you have confidence in.

A great machine with no support nearby is a hassle to repair and maintain.

And a good machine can't make a lousy dealer into a good dealer."

 

[LD1]

A d19 is a 60 year old ag tractor. 70-80hp and almost 7000#

 

[jeff9366]

Is your ten acres FLAT or will you operate on sloping ground?

Do you feel qualified to do your own tractor service? (RE: Rural King/TYM)

 

[LD1]

I have about 10 acres and am planting it out in Christmas trees. I have gotten by for my first few years borrowing my dad's D19, which is more than I need, but available. I finally am in a position to get my own equipment, and am looking for all the advice I can get.

My anticipated use is 50-100 hours a year split between mowing, running a 4'-5' rototiller, pulling my single seat transplanter, and some FEL work spreading gravel, mulch, etc.

The rototiller and transplanter are only used about 2 days a year when I plant the trees.

So, like I said, I don't anticipate heavy use of this tractor, but I also don't have time to be fixing something that breaks regularly as my day job keeps me pretty busy.

JD has the only dealership in the immediate area, but I have Kubota, MF, New Holland, and IH all within an hour.

I have looked at the rural king tractors, and they certainly seem to be the least expensive. I can get the 37 hp model with FEL, tiller, and rotary cutter for about 30k which is a little less than a similar Kubota L series with just the FEL prices at 33k and way less than the 45k prices I'm getting for comparable JD tractor with no implements.

I know least expensive isn't always the best buy, but it is tempting to go with rural king. That being said I'm leaning towards Kubota as their 0% financing is attractive. I could buy it outright, but I'm also getting ready to build a house, so using someone's else's money is a plus.

Thoughts?

I find it hard to believe a $45k deere and a $33k kubota are similar models.

I am betting one is either bigger frame......or a deluxe vs economy version of a tractor.

Kubota and deere both make deluxe and economy models. So you have to make sure you compare apples to apples. Obviously the more bells and whistles, the more the machine costs.

But I would start by asking how big of a mower you plan on using? Do you want a belly mower (limits the options in the size you are looking at). Or if a 3PH mower.....how big? The tractor has to be both physically large enough to handle/lift the mower....as well as have the HP to use it.

But NONE of the stuff you mention leads me to believe you need a ton of HP. A 25HP machine will run a 4-5' tiller just fine. They will also be fine with a 5' or even 6' mower

Staying @25hp or less stays under the emissions garbage. But under 25HP spans a broad range of tractors. From Small SCUT's like the deere 1-series or kubota BX.....all the way up to the size you are looking at. Like a Kubota L2501 or the deere 3025. Both of those last two are physically larger tractors......they just tune down the engine (or use a smaller engine) to stay under the emissions regulations of being over 25hp.

 

[domains]

Is your ten acres FLAT or will you operate on sloping ground?

Do you feel qualified to do your own tractor service? (RE: Rural King/TYM)

You are a noob trying to act like a pro

 

[2manyrocks]

My thought is 1) kubota sells a lot of tractors with their inhouse finance program and 2) parts availability determines whether you can continue to use your tractor years from now when something breaks.

There is a thread here on Kubota financing worth reading.

One of the recurring problems over the years has been tractor brands that had low prices to begin with, but dealer support was thin. Then the dealer and parts support went away because there wasn't enough margin to sustain the dealers and then the owners were left with orphan tractors with little to no parts availability.

 

[big bubba]

if you are going commercial, weight & power are your friends. i'd be looking at around 60+ hp. more stable too. MX or M series K would be the range i'd be looking at.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

Before Id consider an RK unit, look at TYM, since TYM is the manufacturer of the RK unit. Also, TYM offers a non ECM engine option which is probably a good option to choose. RK does not offer this.

 

[2manyrocks]

Before Id consider an RK unit, look at TYM, since TYM is the manufacturer of the RK unit. Also, TYM offers a non ECM engine option which is probably a good option to choose. RK does not offer this.

This brings up an important consideration. When company A makes a private label tractor for company B, there can be situations where neither A nor B really want to support that tractor later if companies A and B part ways in the future.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

This brings up an important consideration. When company A makes a private label tractor for company B, there can be situations where neither A nor B really want to support that tractor later if companies A and B part ways in the future.

And I’ve read a lot of accounts of RK not having a functioning service dept.

 

[jsconner1]

To answer some of the questions that have been posed to me.

Yes, I rechecked and I had accidentally picked a larger model JD in comparison. The comparable JD is still more expensive but only about $2500 more than the Kubota and they are offering 60 months at 0% as well.

My ground is flat, generally a max of about 2% slope, just like about everything in central Indiana, but it is hard. It was really poorly managed and the higher areas have very little organic matter so they get really hard.

As far as mower size, I think a 5' should be sufficient. I would mainly be using it to mow off cover crops I'm using to try to raise my organic matter. And I want it to be 3PH

I feel competent to do basic maintenance on my own, fluid changes, filter changes, etc. I could tackle something more than that, but don't have the time or desire.

I would love to be able to go with the mid 20s hp models, but I wouldn't think it would handle tall thick grass with a 5' mower. I mean my 42" zero turn has 19 HP and it slows down with anything over 6” tall. I realize rotary cutters and mowers are different animals, but still...

I also find it hard to believe they would handle a 5' tiller very well. I realize this was 50 years ago, but my dad still talks about how they always figured you needed 1 HP for every inch of tillage equipment. I realize most people now figure 5 PTO HP per foot which seems reasonable to me but I don't want to skimp on the HP and regret it later.

 

[LD1]

It depends on the tillage equipment.

A bottom plow...1hp per inch is about right. But I can assure you, you don't need a 84hp tractor for a 7' disc.

The larger frame compacts that are sub-25hp....like the bota L2501 or Deere 3025 will both handle a 5' tiller and 5' rotary cutter just fine.

I used to run a 6' cutter on an L of the same size but a little more lower.

The beauty of the HST is you can slow down easily if the engine starts laboring.

 

[2manyrocks]

I would love to be able to go with the mid 20s hp models, but I wouldn't think it would handle tall thick grass with a 5' mower. I mean my 42" zero turn has 19 HP and it slows down with anything over 6” tall. I realize rotary cutters and mowers are different animals, but still...

Can't speak to the tiller situation, but my 25hp diesel tractors will cut my fields with a 5' cutter without issue where a gas ZTR will choke. Some of it has to do with a rough cut mower being more open to throw out material instead of trying to fine cut it like a lawn mower deck.

A hydrostat will eat up some of your cutting power; however, the hydrostat also makes it easy to adjust ground speed to cutting conditions.

The local county government put a nice looking Kubota L3200 HST and loader with 560 hours out for auction. It sold today for $12,000 as I recall. 30 HP. Stealership would have priced it a lot higher.

edit: Depending on how thick your vegetation is, a 35hp tractor would handle a 6' cutter which would speed up cutting.

 

[Yander]

From the uses you described you'll put more than a hundred hours a year on it.

Get something with at least 30 PTO horsepower. I would stay away from rural King for now.

You haven't told us what your budget is.

Where is the nearest Yanmar dealer from you? Take a trip and look at them

 

[Hoobie]

You are a noob trying to act like a pro

Really necessary?

 

[mred2]

Branson is owned by TYM. No more new Branson.

 

[jeff9366]

I have about 10 acres and am planting it out in Christmas trees.

My anticipated use is 50-100 hours a year split between mowing, running a 4'-5' rototiller, pulling my single seat transplanter, and some FEL work spreading gravel, mulch, etc.

The rototiller and transplanter are only used about 2 days a year when I plant the trees.

My ground is flat, generally a max of about 2% slope, but it is hard.
It was really poorly managed and the higher areas have very little organic matter so they get really hard.

As far as mower size, I think a 5' should be sufficient. I would mainly be using it to mow off cover crops I'm using to try to raise my organic matter. And I want it to be 3PH

I would love to be able to go with a <26-hp model, but I wouldn't think it would handle tall thick grass with a 5' mower.

I also find it hard to believe they would handle a 5' tiller very well.

My anticipated use is 50-100 hours a year.
This is the operating hour range when emission control equipment may be cranky.


Using a <26-horsepower tractor you might have to occasionally cut a partial swathe, say 50", in tall, dry grass with a five foot rotary cutter but not very burdensome on ten acres, mostly occupied by trees.

A 5' Roto-Tiller will be within the capacity of an <26-horsepower tractor to power tilling MOIST soil. Consider a Middlebuster or a Bucket Spade in lieu of other attachments for tree planting. A Middlebuster is also a good tool for breaking very hard ground when a breaking plow is not wanted.

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=tractor+middlebuster

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=tractor+bucket+spade

FEL work spreading gravel, mulch, etc.

Kubota L2501 Attachments​

Kubota LA525 Loader
Height (to pin):	94.3 inches 239 cm
Lift to full height (at pin):	1131 lbs 513 kg
Lift to 1.5m (at pin):	1490 lbs 675 kg
Lift to 1.5m (at 500mm):	1182 lbs 536 kg

Normally I preach BUY ENOUGH TRACTOR, but as your land is flat, stability will not be a major issue. Consider the benefits of a HST tractor without Tier IV emissions paraphernalia.

 

[IndyIan]

My buddy does his 4' rotary cutter with a 25hp kubota gear'd between his Xmas trees in 3' grass quite fast. He has a new turbo one so it holds rpm pretty well. He also used to run a "stump smasher" kind of a HD 2' rotary cutter, but it breaks PTO shafts in the tractor eventually.