Buying Advice 1023E Buyer Concerns

[Adamski]

Guys,

I'm planning to buy a new subcompact tractor to replace my aging 445 JD garden tractor. The JD 1023E seems about the right size for my small, residential estate (no animals or raw land; just grass and concrete driveway) but I'm concerned about all the plastic fenders and floorpan. I am also concerned about the high 3200 rpm speed to reach rated hp as Mahindra reaches rated hp at just 2600 rpm.

Have any owners experienced any issues with these or other aspects of the 1023E/1026R tractor? Thanks for your imput.

 

[rsewill]

Modern plastics are pretty tough.

 

[clarityconnect]

THe plastic is very durable and tough, plus it will never rust.

 

[Martian]

I've owned both (plastic/metal). I use, not abuse my machines. If you take care of your machines, the plastic is easier to take care of. This modern plastic will take a lot of damage and won't rust. It takes being hit very hard for it to crack. I'd compare a piece of plastic being dented to about a 6" diameter deep dent in the metal. My plastic fender tractors have came out of the same things looking new that a metal would be all dented up. When it comes down to it. I would really consider it a non factor.

As far as the higher RPMs. The average homeowner using that tractor ~100 hours per year will never know the difference.

 

[s219]

The plastic is tough and takes a lot of abuse. Hopefully they have a good material that won't fade too bad. It will crack with a hard impact, but hopefully that's not common (the same would dent the heck out of metal).

To me the real downside is that the plastic on the 1023/1026 looks and feels cheap. That was one of the reasons I wasn't completely happy with those models. I went and sat on an all-metal Kubota B series for the same price, and that helped knock the little Deeres off my list.

I think if the 1023/1026 had a better-looking body construction and a real fuel gauge, it would definitely help improve the image. They could still use plastic body parts if that was the best choice, but should make the fit/finish/feel more inline with the asking price. Heck, my old Deere LT-150 has a better quality plastic hood than the 1023/1026.

 

[PapeCAT]

I'm looking hard at the new Mahindra MAX series as well. Prior to the MAX those Mitsu rebadged tractors still had the same grille going back into the 90's. I just found a 1995 mitsu for sale and thought to myself - "hey that looks familiar" the MAX is a great addition. Not sure why the little diesels need to be roaring at 3200 RPM either for PTO HP...

Mitsubishi MT185 4WD Tractor w/ Rototiller ****** VERY CLEAN ******

Notice all the similarities of that Mitsu to the new Mahindras. They couldn't even replace/update the plastic "h" gated shifter piece on the fender. (see it on the shuttle shift MAX 28XL)

 

[tractchores]

For me that was one of the reasons i have an orange tractor in the next size up. After having read about cracked hoods etc i wanted something different for my $. Metal can be repaired and repainted, plastic can't.

 

[jcdogfish]

The 1023/26 are pretty nice small tractors. I didn't look at the hood hinges and I hope they are better design than the lawn tractors. That would be something to look at.

 

[Adamski]

Guys,

Thank you very much for your helpful and prompt replies. You guys are great! I have checked out the BX series Kubota, the Mahindra Max 22, the Massey Ferguson GC2400 and the John Deere 1023/1026 subcompact tractors. I'm sure any of these would nicely replace my current John Deere 445 tractor with 48" loader bucket and 54" mid mower deck. Today, I'm leaning toward making an offer on the 1026 with 60" mid mower deck and 53" loader bucket. I like the low center of gravity of this model as most of my grass is on a 30 degree slope down to the lake.

Is anyone using a tractor with the industrial tread tires for mowing landscape grass? If so, are there any issues that I should be aware of? My current tractor has the turf tires but the industrial tires would be better for plowing snow and moving dirt.

Any advice on what kind of discount off suggested list I might ask for?

Thanks again for all your advice and help. I'm sure I'll be coming back to this website time and time again.

Larry

 

[s219]

Larry, the best price I got on a 1026 with H120 front loader was $14700 (in December), and I think the best people have reported here is about $14400. So maybe figure out what kind of discount that is and then apply to your package. They are probably still running a rebate when you buy two implements, and the front loader counts as one of them.

The industrial tires are probably only really preferred when doing a lot of loader work or driving over rough terrain. In the snow, industrial and turfs are going to be about the same -- it's 6 of one to a half dozen of the other when you look at the tradeoffs in snow for each tire type, and chains may offset the problems either way.

I have industrial tires on my Kubota, and they have been fine on my turf-type tall fescue as long as I am in 2WD. However, they do tear up the field grass behind my yard in 4WD or 2WD, so I'd suspect they'd do the same on a fragile or well manicured lawn. If mowing is the priority, followed by snow removal, then turfs may be the best option. I went with industrial tires because my tractor is spending a lot of time skidding logs out of the woods and does a bunch of loader work. I don't use it to mow at all (keep a smaller Deere for that).

Good luck!