B7510 vs. B7610

[luvbug]

moosetracks, Welcome to the club. For my 2 cents, I would go with the 7610. You get a little bit bigger tractor size over the 7510, more hp. both pto and engine and a more comfortable seat (very important /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif). About the FEL, I personally would go with the LA 352, it's a better loader, capacity size and overall lift rating, and for only a little bit more money. If you want to save some of the money go with a Woods brand backhoe instead of the Kubota brand. It has the same output ratings as the Kubota brand and is $1,000 cheaper in price, not quality. With more hp. you can also get better results with your brush cutter. It won't bog down in really tall and or wet brush or grass. Plus you can cut down a little larger size brush with it. I would also think the larger hp. would held with the tiller if your land is really rocky or heavy clay based. Either way Good luck with your decision and let us know which way you went with tractor size. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif John

 

[WayneW]

Was considering the same 2. I chose the B7610 because of the larger loader (LA352) and the 3 extra HP. Thought the extra HP may come in handy with a snow blower and getting a 5 ft rotary cutter to work efficiently. (4ft cutter I think would be too small for me...take too long to cut)

It essentially was a $900 difference betweeen the 2. That was for the tractor upgrade and the loader upgrade (from LA302).

I realize perhaps that it could be argued that it may not be money well spent if you dont need more lift capacity with the FEL (and a slightly larger bucket) and won't NEED the extra HP. (right, like who doesn't?) But my thought was IF I ever did need either, $900 seemed like cheap insurance. My whole purpose of buying a CUT was to make my life easier and less stressful.

-good luck

 

[Bob_Skurka]

Not to throw fuel on the fire, but I generally have come to think that the Kubota loaders are pretty wimply. And since I use a B2910 with a LA402, I am slinging mud on myself!!! But I also have a TC24D using a 12LA loader, which is the same size as the B7610.

Here are some things to consider with loaders:
Kubota 352: 925# lift, 1336# breakout, vertical lift 5'8"
Kioti 120: 1064# lift, 1511# breakout, vertical lift 7'4"
NH 12LA: 1090# lift, 1720# breakout, vertical lift 7'1"
JD 410: 800# lift, 2130# breakout, vertical lift 6'2"

All of the above loaders are for 21hp to 24hp tractors.

For 21hp machines, the Kioti CK20 is often a bargain price compared to the other machines. The New Holland TC21 is typically slightly more than the B7510. The NH TC24 is typically pretty competitive with the B2410 and typically slightly more money than the B7610. I have no idea if the Kioti engines are smooth, but they are featured filled tractors. I've got about 70 hours on my NH without any problems, but I have a lot more than that on my Kubota without any problems either.

My mid-frame B2910 with its 402 loader is larger with 6 more HP than my TC24D, but the 402 loader is actually weaker than the small frame TC tractor. The visibility of using the curved arm loaders is also amazingly better making loader work faster/easier.

It strikes me that when buying a tractor, price is a major consideration, but I also put a lot of weight on the dealership I buy from. I am lucky to have NH, 2x Deere, 2x Kubuta, Cub Cadet, Branson all in under 10 miles from me. I have relationships with a couple dealers now and know I can count on them to hold my hand if I break something. They have excellent service departments. They also have fully stocked parts departments. I personally would not buy a Deere, but their tractors sure look nice. My bias against Deere is a personal one against the closest dealership that, on 2 occasions, left me feeling unwanted and unappreciated as a customer. When I spend $15,000+, I wouldn't mind if they smiled when they took my money! But again, my problem is with the dealership not with their tractors.

So Moose. . . as a potential buyer, I would strongly suggest you look beyond color of paint and consider the dealership, the features of the machines, etc. Any properly sized quality brand machine will do the tasks you need, and do them for 20 years, but will your dealership support you with a smile or will they grudgingly show up after they take care of their bigger customers?

 

[moosetracks]

I really want to thank everyone for taking the time to respond to my question. Still don't know what I'm going to do yet but I guess I'll do it soon!! I think any tractor I get will beat the heck out of shoveling gravel out of the creek into a truck then shoveling it back out onto the road. It's hard to get past that perspective so I think no matter what I'll be happy. I just want to be really happy!! Ditto for the tilling. Seven years with a gravely walk behind. I love the work but I ain't getting any younger (I recently found out that my dad was actually one of the first gravely dealers in our area so it must have been in my genes). So it's back to the dealer next week with more questions. Thanks everyone for the help.

Moosetracks

 

[DanR67]

Hi moosetracks -

I'm a bit late to the dance - but here's my 2 cents:

Since it appears that you have more "work" (ie moving gravel & logs / firewood) in mind as opposed to "mowing" tasks - I'd also heartily recommend the B7610 / LA352 combo over the B7510.

That being said - if you really plan on "lots" of gravel & logging - you might want to go even one "size" bigger - like a B7800 / B2910. These would surely be better suited for the "heavy work" tasks - but then a bit "overkill" for mowing. Granted - either of these would challenge your $20K budget if you are going with the backhoe - but they might be a better match for your needs - your Bio says you have 62 acres to work - better suited for a bigger machine I think?

My "needs" when I was considering a tractor were primarily "mower replacement" - so I know I wanted to stay in the CUT range. But I also knew I had some occasional "heavy work" (ex. moving firewood / wood pellets / yard rocks etc.) - so I wanted something more powerful than a subCUT. I think I've found the perfect match for my needs in the B7610 - it exceeded my mowing expectations (better looking / almost no "striping") and met my "power" expectations - contrary to Bob S's opinion - I do NOT think this is a "wimpy" FEL!

Hope this helps & happy shopping!

Dan