1st time buyer - 35 hp comparisons
- Thread starter KBA CPA
- Start date
- Views: 63091
Quickster2
Silver Member
I had an older style Yanmar 336D for several years. Great machine. Needed a bigger tractor for haying on our 10 acres at home and our 167 acre hunting property in KY. Ended up with a Kioti DK45 after a six month research and test drive journey. There are now 4 Kioti's in my extended family. Another DK45, and 2 of the newer CK series. The only issue with any of the machines was a bad ultrasonic weld on my Brother-in-Law's DK45 diesel tank back in 2009. We're lucky in Michigan with Michigan Iron & Equipment as a dealer. My 2 neighbors next to my hunting property have Kubota's. Also great tractors. A used one without the emissions would be a good find in either brand. Daedong (Korea) owns Kioti. Was the world's largest diesel engine manufacturer when I bought mine. Good luck with your search.
Last edited:
WoodChuckDad
Elite Member
- Joined
- Jul 15, 2015
- Messages
- 2,932
- Location
- Free Union, VA
- Tractor
- Kioti RX7320 Power Shuttle Cab, Komatsu PC130-6
I read the first page of 13 (on my phone).
Go bigger if you can. I have 54 acres of foothills. Half wooded. I started looking at 35 hp range. Bought a 73 hp Kioti. It’s been solid, but I often wish I had a bigger one I have never wished I had a smaller one. I own a Ventrac but thats a different animal and I bought that to keep my wife from trying to brush hog steep hills.
I know that money sometimes dictates what we can buy but if you can, go bigger.
Go bigger if you can. I have 54 acres of foothills. Half wooded. I started looking at 35 hp range. Bought a 73 hp Kioti. It’s been solid, but I often wish I had a bigger one I have never wished I had a smaller one. I own a Ventrac but thats a different animal and I bought that to keep my wife from trying to brush hog steep hills.
I know that money sometimes dictates what we can buy but if you can, go bigger.
Hermio
Gold Member
- Joined
- Jul 28, 2014
- Messages
- 366
- Location
- Clarksville, OH
- Tractor
- Mahindra 5035 HST w/FEL and 4-way bucket; Ford 4110
Kubota is excellent. I worked mine really hard and managed to wear it out in 2500 hours. However, if you are doing a lot of lifting and considerable ground engaging work, consider a heavier tractor in that power range. I would suggest looking at Mahindra. At the same engine power, Mahindras weigh more, have higher loader and 2-point lifting capacity and larger tires and axles than Kubota. However, heavier tractors burn more fuel doing such things as bush-hogging, as it takes fuel to move that extra weight around. Also, go for hydrostatic drive. It is safer in the woods and works well with FELs. Just my 2 cents worth.
Hermio
Gold Member
- Joined
- Jul 28, 2014
- Messages
- 366
- Location
- Clarksville, OH
- Tractor
- Mahindra 5035 HST w/FEL and 4-way bucket; Ford 4110
I mowed 1 acres per hour with a 4' bush hog on my Kubota B7100 HST, and 1.5 per hour on the lawn with a finishing mower. That was only a 16 Hp tractor. I now do 5 acres of bush hogging per hour with an 8' dual spindle brush cutter on my Mahindra 5035 HST. That is a 49 Hp tractor. So I find 2 acres/hour to be credible with 35 Hp. BTW, an HST actually can cut faster, because you can speed up when the cutting is easier and slow down when needed. The gear drives tend to be set at a speed that works in the toughest spots.
oosik
Epic Contributor
Unless you have a whole lot of time - you will definitely need something bigger than 35 Hp to work your property.
I bought my Kubota M6040 - brand new - in 2009. It's been completely trouble free for 15 years. My M6040 weighs just a tad over 10K pounds. FEL with grapple - RimGuard loaded rear tires - heavy duty rear blade.
The dealership is 25 miles away. It's a family owned business. They are all farmers and understand the in's/outs of being "out in the country".
I bought my Kubota M6040 - brand new - in 2009. It's been completely trouble free for 15 years. My M6040 weighs just a tad over 10K pounds. FEL with grapple - RimGuard loaded rear tires - heavy duty rear blade.
The dealership is 25 miles away. It's a family owned business. They are all farmers and understand the in's/outs of being "out in the country".
WoodChuckDad
Elite Member
- Joined
- Jul 15, 2015
- Messages
- 2,932
- Location
- Free Union, VA
- Tractor
- Kioti RX7320 Power Shuttle Cab, Komatsu PC130-6
My kioti 7320 is a shuttle shift. They actually call it a power shuttle. You dont touch the clutch to go from forward to reverse. Clutch only for changing gears. Three ranges of gears 1-4 in low medium and high. I have never put it in high range. If I am going from one sidenof the property to the other, on the driveway I will put it in 3 medium. If I’m carrying something on FEL 1 or 2 medium.
The last couple weeks the tractor has been used to box blade a road that was getting rough, carry tote cages of firewood, use root grapple to move debris piles, boxblade a field that was too bumpy for comfort dump and spread buckets of gravel on shared road to fix the rough spots, move and dump lime. Move, create raised beds for garden, consolidate/ smooth the dirt left over after burning stumps and debris piles. I need to put the 8 foot rotary cutter on and do some crazy cowboy stuff on the back field and in the mountain laurel forest near my tool shed.
Once you have a tractor you will discover many things that you need/want to do with your land that you simply didn't dream were possible before. If you are married your wife will come up with a lot of things for you to do also.
stancel
New member
I've owned about all of them at one time or another. Couldn't care less about emblems, paint color or corporate names. Times are changing fast and lots of the new comers are offering higher quality for the same or less money than the brands with a loyal following.
All that being said, I recently traded my Kioti CX2510 in for a CK3520. I got the HST SE. My Kioti was flawless and I loved it, but I still shopped all the brands over again. Came down to Mahindra and Kioti. In the end, the build quality and features Kioti offered for the same money or less decided it. I only have about 50 hours on my new Kioti but man I love that machine.
Those big brands spend a fortune on advertising and creating customer loyalty. All that money is wasted on me, but it obviously works. I would rather a manufacture that spends all that money on their products.
All that being said, I recently traded my Kioti CX2510 in for a CK3520. I got the HST SE. My Kioti was flawless and I loved it, but I still shopped all the brands over again. Came down to Mahindra and Kioti. In the end, the build quality and features Kioti offered for the same money or less decided it. I only have about 50 hours on my new Kioti but man I love that machine.
Those big brands spend a fortune on advertising and creating customer loyalty. All that money is wasted on me, but it obviously works. I would rather a manufacture that spends all that money on their products.
4x4moses
Member
First of all, welcome to the forum! When anyone asks me what size tractor they should buy, I repeat the advice of my brother-in-law (who has EIGHT tractors). He recommended I buy "as much tractor as you can afford." And I agree whole-heartedly! I was looking for a 35hp model to maintain my 80 acres of fields & forests. When it came time to buy, I decided 45hp was even better. I've never regretted that decision. In fact, I've never heard anyone say they wish they'd bought a smaller tractor!
As for brand recommendations, most major brands are dependable. Availability of service and/or parts is a BIG consideration. I compared design/features/specifications/price on (in order) John Deere, Mahindra, Massey Ferguson, Kubota, and Kioti. In the end, the choice was between Kioti and Kubota. Good vibes from the dealer (and price) swung the pendulum toward Kioti. After almost 6 years I still love my DK4510!
As for brand recommendations, most major brands are dependable. Availability of service and/or parts is a BIG consideration. I compared design/features/specifications/price on (in order) John Deere, Mahindra, Massey Ferguson, Kubota, and Kioti. In the end, the choice was between Kioti and Kubota. Good vibes from the dealer (and price) swung the pendulum toward Kioti. After almost 6 years I still love my DK4510!
Last edited:
kjack1960
New member
The video of the NS loks to me like Kioti took Bobcat upgrades and added them to this line at least . Bobcat is just a rebranded Kioti and they did this to Bobcat back arournd 2012 and forced Bobcat out of the tractor bussiness for a few years . If you go back to those years you can see that Bobcat made 500 upgrades to the Kioti or at least they claim they did . The one thing I can say for sure is that the front end on the Bobcat in those years was built way heavier than the Kioti .
varmint
Elite Member
- Joined
- Mar 17, 2003
- Messages
- 2,578
- Location
- Northern Maryland
- Tractor
- Kubota B8200, then a Kubota L3130 HST, now a Kubota L3400 HST
I only have 1.3 acres, but I am surrounded by much more wooded land, and can harvest firewood at will from fallen trees. I first ever tractor was a Kubota B8400 gear drive tractor with turf tires, bought used with 600 hours, in very good shape, because I needed to clear snow. I used it for that, and installing fence posts with an auger. For loader work, I discovered that gear drive was not what I wanted. My next tractor was another used Kubota, a Grand L 3130 with 1200 hours and R-4's, which was a great tractor, but too big and heavy for driving over our property. It had size and weight, just not the power to do things quickly. It also came with calcium chloride loaded rear tires, and I was afraid that was a time bomb for the steel wheels. The Goldilocks tractor is a Kubota L3400 with 550 hours and turf tires. The previous owner had used it for mowing pastures, and he'd added extendable rear links, rear remote hydraulics, and just before selling it to get a larger, cabbed Kubota, he installed a new Kubota loader with SSQA. It has a 60" bucket, and for a lot of things, I miss the 72" bucket (and lift ability, of the L3130).
Being a tinkerer, I have added LED lighting, (as I did also with the first two tractors), a tooth bar, and Kubota rear wheel extenders for more stability on hills. I bought ladder chains for the front and rear tires, but have only used them one winter.* With just a weight box, I have no traction problems in mud or normal snow. I had a 78" snow plow I bought when I got the L3130, so with the rear remote, I was set to plow. Of course, with global warming, snow plowing is a thing of the past, mostly. I wish I had a cab when plowing, but when gathering logs or drilling a fence post hole, a cab would be a problem. All three tractors were dead reliable, with zero things that required any service beyond fluid changes, and minor adjustments. The L3400 still has the battery that was in it when I bought it in 2015! A battery maintainer is plugged in when it sits for weeks or months.
My semi-relevant advice: get a used, 50-60 hp cabbed tractor. The cab because mowing in Louisiana in anything other than the "winter" will be hot and miserable, IMHO. If size and weight isn't an issue with driving over grassy lawns, then bigger is almost always better.
I will add that the two used tractors both sold for what I had in them, or more. They were stored in a barn, and not abused. It's a great way to "invest" your money, if you buy clean used machines for a fair price. Just like cars and trucks, buying new is fine, but the value quickly drops to a more stable, intrinsic value. In other words, what it's basically worth as a useful machine.
* a lot of this stuff I got simply because I ran into a guy who had owned a Kubota dealership, sold it, and still had a lot of goodies stored in a shed. Chains, tooth bar, rear track extenders and some other useful accessories were 25 cents on the dollar. I had fun poking around to see what he had that I could use.
Being a tinkerer, I have added LED lighting, (as I did also with the first two tractors), a tooth bar, and Kubota rear wheel extenders for more stability on hills. I bought ladder chains for the front and rear tires, but have only used them one winter.* With just a weight box, I have no traction problems in mud or normal snow. I had a 78" snow plow I bought when I got the L3130, so with the rear remote, I was set to plow. Of course, with global warming, snow plowing is a thing of the past, mostly. I wish I had a cab when plowing, but when gathering logs or drilling a fence post hole, a cab would be a problem. All three tractors were dead reliable, with zero things that required any service beyond fluid changes, and minor adjustments. The L3400 still has the battery that was in it when I bought it in 2015! A battery maintainer is plugged in when it sits for weeks or months.
My semi-relevant advice: get a used, 50-60 hp cabbed tractor. The cab because mowing in Louisiana in anything other than the "winter" will be hot and miserable, IMHO. If size and weight isn't an issue with driving over grassy lawns, then bigger is almost always better.
I will add that the two used tractors both sold for what I had in them, or more. They were stored in a barn, and not abused. It's a great way to "invest" your money, if you buy clean used machines for a fair price. Just like cars and trucks, buying new is fine, but the value quickly drops to a more stable, intrinsic value. In other words, what it's basically worth as a useful machine.
* a lot of this stuff I got simply because I ran into a guy who had owned a Kubota dealership, sold it, and still had a lot of goodies stored in a shed. Chains, tooth bar, rear track extenders and some other useful accessories were 25 cents on the dollar. I had fun poking around to see what he had that I could use.
Last edited:
Shady oak
Silver Member
I bought a JD955 some years ago. Non DEF, simple mechanics, idiot proof, Yanmar 33 HP engine. Loader, hydrostatic, 540 PTO. Does everything you seem to need. For about 1/3 of a new one!
Tractor2011
Member
I bought a Kubota L3940 back in 2011 and it has been fantastic. Before deciding on a size (horsepower) of a tractor I'd recommend first determining which PTO accessories you need for your property size, as that will determine the PTO horse power you're going to need. As you may already know, PTO horse power is normally less than the engine's rated horse power.
I have a 1983? Kubota B2150 HST I bought used. Has over 4K hrs and still runs, starts and drives great! I’m a fan of the older tractors, JD, KB, YM, no experience with any of the others so I’m partial to those. I also recommend getting hydro. For the $ the Kubota is the Best Buy IMHO and if I were to do it again that’s where I would go, used KB.
I have a Kioti RX 7320 and it has been a great tractor. About 400 hours now. Not close to a dealer and so far that has not been a problem. I was going to get the next size smaller tractor, but they had this one on the lot and gave me the same price as the smaller tractor would have been since they didn't have to special order one and could move their inventory. I originally narrowed it down to Kioti, Yanmar, and TYM (Rural King). I got a price on a Kubota just for grins and it was much higher in cost. I really liked the Yanmar except the hydraulics were a little too exposed for me as I drive over a lot of brush and in the woods and thought they would hang up on something and get torn off. Dealer was only 5 miles away, but I decided that was a deal breaker because I know myself well enough to know what would happen. I liked the TYM, but no dealers or Rural Kings nearby. The Kioti also does not use DEF. Good strong engine and good hydraulic flow and lift capacity. I have the cab with heat and a/c and its great! Great turning radius. Cost in mid 2020 was 38K with a loader. They usually have some kind of deals going on. Have had some other tractors and would say you should get something in the 45hp and up. Of course if you need to transport, the size and weight may make a difference. There are needs for a smaller footprint at time to get into my garden and such, but overall the extra hp makes a big difference. Engine hp and Pto hp do make a difference, so be sure to look at that when doing comparisons. I have some equipment that an extra 5hp wlll make a difference in whether the tractor can run the equipment or not. The only thing I'm not so keen on is the filters for the radiator. They don't keep enough stuff out and the radiator needs to be blown out and kept clean or the tractor will run hot with larger equipment.
I can only report personal experience, not brand or horsepower comparisons. I bought a Kubota L3400 in 2007 to maintain 70 acres and a homestead. The terrain is hilly (160' elevation difference between low and high spots). I've got about 10 acres of fields I brush hog once a year; 2+ miles of woods roads I maintain; a 1/4 mile driveway with 120' of elevation that I grade with a 5' box blade and snowplow with an 8' back blade (we get a fair amount of snow in VT). I borrow a tiller attachment now and again to break sod and create gardens. I've moved a lot of dirt and rocks, pulled hundreds of invasive honeysuckle, hauled logs out of the woods, and lots of other uses. I've got over 500 hours on the tractor and haven't yet found it to lack power for any of the jobs I've used it for, though a heavier machine with a FEL that can handle more than 1,100 lbs would have made some jobs faster and easier (I have loaded rear tires and use v-chains in the winter). If you're pulling stumps or big rocks or digging lots of compacted dirt, a heavier tractor would be wise. As for durability and repairs. I've had no problems and do some routine maintenance myself and have had the dealer out to do a comprehensive service twice. Best of luck to you.
TheOldHokie
New member
- Joined
- Apr 3, 2021
- Messages
- 3
- Tractor
- L3901
I have a 3 year old L3901 and its been great. Plenty of HP but for 100 acres I would want something about 1000 pounds heavier and with a stronger loader.
Dan
Eodjeep2000
New member
- Joined
- Jan 29, 2024
- Messages
- 1
- Tractor
- Kioti CK2610
The 35 horse modern tractors seem to be kind of the worst of modern tractors. You have all of the emissions equipment headache but not much actual power.
In this case I would rather have my Kioti CK2610 and just turn it back up without the emissions headache or I would get a tractor with a little more HP.
FWIW l, my CK2610 has been a solid tractor and I live in an area that is hard on tractors and tractor drivers. (Pacific NW, hilly terrain, construction, light logging and light mowing...) I had a Japanese made compact Mahindra that was also sold under Bobcats name before this tractor and it was far less capable.
In this case I would rather have my Kioti CK2610 and just turn it back up without the emissions headache or I would get a tractor with a little more HP.
FWIW l, my CK2610 has been a solid tractor and I live in an area that is hard on tractors and tractor drivers. (Pacific NW, hilly terrain, construction, light logging and light mowing...) I had a Japanese made compact Mahindra that was also sold under Bobcats name before this tractor and it was far less capable.
Wesleyoats
New member
- Joined
- Jan 6, 2022
- Messages
- 4
- Tractor
- Kioti 3510 HST
I own Kioti CK3510, have 40 acres, only need to mow about 10 a few times in summer. A lot of snow moving with blade and thrower. She's pretty stout and comfortable, I would recommend. Kubota dealer I found was not very responsive to questions while the Kioti (and Yanmar) dealer has been great. Have had JD but they've become a mishmash of non USA parts. Kioti is assembled in North Carolina.
OP
KBA CPA
Member
- Joined
- Jan 5, 2024
- Messages
- 33
- Tractor
- TBD
Implements I plan to use are: box blade, land plane, tiller, disc plow, and maybe a log splitter (might just get a separate machine for this rather than a PTO one).
