In the market for a tractor in the 55-60hp range. Been in a sharing situation for a little while, sold my last tractor and regret not having one at my full disposal. Have owned or operated a pretty wide range over the years, I work in underground construction and most of them feel like toys or are disappointing as far as hydraulics, speed etc. That being said, better than doing it by hand, and/or destroying my property with heavy equipment. I own an 84” rotary mower, grapple rake, 5’ rototiller, and a 72” land plane, along with some smaller drags and field tools. Will also be buying a swing out or side shift flail mower for pond/ditch banks etc. General use all over the board, tree/firewood work, moving logs for milling, brush hogging, moving bunks of firewood, food plot planting and maintenance, rototilling, some yard work (placing mulch and stone etc.) some snow plowing. Must haves, cab with heat a/c radio, true 3rd function, 2 rear remotes, 4x4, hydrostatic or true power shuttle.
Past tractors I have owned or used extensively, started off years ago on Oliver 550, several older 4 series Deeres, several Kubota L series, had a Branson 3520 for a bit.
After lots of looking and prior experience here is my thoughts and where I’m at. Deere is out of the picture, mostly on cost, and I feel their 3 point and loaders are a bit under built. Hydraulics and hydrostatic are top notch but no longer that much better to justify the cost.
Kubota, have lots of hours on them, I really don’t like the hydrostatic pedal. The Grand L one is ok/tolerable but an
L6060 with all the accessories is too much money, and the MX6000 pedal is a deal breaker for me. I have some nerve issues in right foot from lower back injury, that coupled with being taller/bigger I cannot get my leg into a position to use it correctly. Most of these tractors are a set up for shorter people anyway, seats are too short, will not hold a bigger person up (and I’m not that heavy).
So started looking at other brands, ones with nearby dealer/support. Drove a fair amount of them around the yard but hard to make a real impression without actually working or loading them.
LS MT357. Hydrostatic seemed pretty smooth/quick. Loader seemed a little slow compared to some. 3 point setup seems to be middle of the road size/build wise. Small, turbo engine (not my favorite setup) seemed fairly strong and smooth. More electronic stuff than some of the others with associated possible issues. I like that it had wider front tires for yard work flotation. Fit and finish ok, seems a little behind some of the others. Cab ergonomics and lever placement not bad. Loader not quite as heavy built as some. Cheapest tractor set up with all the wanted items, had R14 tires that I have been wanting to try.
Kioti NS6010. I wasn’t expecting a lot and this one surprised me. Loader was fastest of the bunch. Hydrostatic was very well balanced. 3 point setup seems pretty beefy. Small 3 cylinder turbo again. Loader build quality seems pretty good. Nice cab, good ergonomics and lever placement. Exterior paint and fit/finish lacking though.
TYM. I was hesitant to try them, my Branson was kind of a problem child. Tried out the T574, was not impressed with hydrostatic or loader function. Ergonomics/lever placement not great. That led me to this, which I had only seen online, one came in recently.
TYM 4058PC. Nice very smooth 4 cylinder engine. Really heavy specs in lift on both ends. Very nice cab and ergonomics, some nice functions and features. True power shuttle. Very heavy duty loader, axles, 3 point. Minimal engine electronics . I really liked it except for a couple deal breakers. Too tall for a couple buildings I need to go in. And while I liked the power shuttle, the brakes are on the right side next to the throttle pedal, so for real loader work, on slopes or in tight quarters, no way to brake and throttle up to for good loader function. Needs a throttle up button on stick. Loader was slow as molasses unless you had good rpm.
Yanmar YT359. Larger 4 cylinder non turbo (like this), I did like the transmission for the little bit I ran it. Loader speed is nothing to write home about. Really nice cab and ergonomics (other than seat too short like most), throttle up button on stick. Great warranty. Negatives, 3 point looks a little lighter than the rest, no true 3rd function from factory, front axle and loader seem slightly less heavy built. Price way above the rest.
So far none are standing out, I really wanted to love the TYM but those couple things put it out of contention. Kioti maybe in the lead but their fit/finish and rust started in small spots kind of put me off. LS maybe close second but I didn’t love it either, would need a good endorsement from other users. That dealer has a good rep. I want this to be a one and done deal, getting to the point I know what I want and can take one to the end with good care and service. Any input on the above or other suggestions welcome.
