Choosing the right tractor

[Mej13579]

I know everybody says go bigger but I still get the 35 hp in a more compact size than the 20 series. If I was cutting hay or doing actual farming this bigger tractors would be awesome. For my applications the smaller should be more nimble for cutting trails in the woods and cutting my way to fallen trees to skid out logs for firewood. I really got I better idea once I went to the dealer and honestly looked at the tractors.

 

[Mej13579]

There are a lot of great branson dealers. I went to Big Tex tractors. I know Waco tractors really helped me on this forum and I appreciated their input on here.

 

[Hermio]

Ok just a update on my thread. I ended up finally on a branson 3515h. I went to Big Tex tractors in caddo mills texas and I would recommend to anyone interested in a branson to check them out if you can. They are about 1hour 45 min from my house in East Texas.
I went to the dealership to look at the tractors and I'm. Glad I did. My original thought was a 4820h but when I looked at it in person it was just too big for my property. With the tasks I need to do it was just too big of a tractor. I have a lot of wooded area. The 3520 same thing. Plus added price with all the implements I need with it I could do it with the 3515h for less money.
I ended up with a 3515h with a FEL, 5' box blade , 5' rotary mower , 5' tiller , and a 3rd function and grapple bucket and that was the top that I could afford. It was a great price for all that.
I am waiting to have it delivered should be about 2-3 weeks. The branson 20 series is nice but price and size were the main factors in getting the 3515h. I will try to post pictures when it arrives.

I had a similar thought when I bought my Mahindra 5035HST. It is a CUT with 49 bare engine Hp, HST drive, 4WD, empty weight about 5400#. With a loader, weighted tires and an 8' dual spindle brush cutter, it weighs almost 11000 lb, and is close to 20 feet long. It was the biggest thing I could imagine using in my woods. I previously had a Kubota B7100HST, which was 16 Hp and about 2200# with FEL and bushhog. It was more maneuverable but not really capable enough. The reasons I chose Mahindra over Kubota of the same power rating this time are that it weighs about 1200Lb more out of the box, has beefier axles, larger tires and more lifting capacity, all for a lower price. So far, so good. I have had it since 2015. If I just did fiel work the Kubota would be fine. But for light logging, the Mahindra is more capable.

 

[Hermio]

My Branson 3725 was huge compared to the Kubota B7100 I had before it. But in the first few months of ownership it got smaller.

I used to have the B7100 also. Great little tractor. I don't think I will outgrow the Mahindra 5035, however. My woods would make a larger tractor difficult.

 

[scootr]

I just bought a 2018 Kubota MX5200 HST for our weed abatement and road maintenance. It is a low hrs machine with 3 way gannon and FEL.
It feels just right. Downsizing from a TEREX 640. Nice to be able to remove the FEL for mowing small areas with obstacles. I'm stoked.
If you are still shopping for 45-55hp tractor the TYM474 is well worth a look.

 

[Torvy]

I just bought a 2018 Kubota MX5200 HST for our weed abatement and road maintenance. It is a low hrs machine with 3 way gannon and FEL.
It feels just right. Downsizing from a TEREX 640. Nice to be able to remove the FEL for mowing small areas with obstacles. I'm stoked.
If you are still shopping for 45-55hp tractor the TYM474 is well worth a look.

Congrats!

I am leaning towards the T494 for a couple of reasons...fuel tank location...above 3pt on 474, near the step on the 494....it also has 2, vs 1, rear remote. The 494 is a size bigger, but price is not that much different. I could add the extra remote, but size and fuel location are fixed.

 

[Hermio]

I know everybody says go bigger but I still get the 35 hp in a more compact size than the 20 series. If I was cutting hay or doing actual farming this bigger tractors would be awesome. For my applications the smaller should be more nimble for cutting trails in the woods and cutting my way to fallen trees to skid out logs for firewood. I really got I better idea once I went to the dealer and honestly looked at the tractors.

Just be careful in the woods. Farm tractors are very vulnerable to damage on the underside from rocks, roots, etc., not to mention your own personal safety.

 

[paulfun9]

My advice would be to consider getting a tractor and a zero turn mower. I mowed for years with a tractor. It was a crappy way to mow. It took about 3-4 hours to mow 5 acres, with a 5' rear mount finishing mower. And I had to go back with a push mower for the tight spots. My ZTR gets the whole job done in less than 90 minutes. So, I would get that to mow your lawn, and a 25-30 Hp 4WD tractor for the rest. That size tractor could handle a 5' bush hog, a 5' roto tiller, a 5' rear blade. It could probably pull 4000# in a cart on level ground and may be able to drag 1500-2000#. If equipped with a loader, it could probably lift 1000# or so. My preferred brands on the tractor would be Kubota or Mahindra, but there are other good tractors out there. My ZTR is a Bad Boy, but there are many good brands for them. But get a fabricated steel deck. The stamped ones will not hold up. The cheapo ones usually go for about $3000. Bad Boys go for about $5000. Pro models by Kubota, Exmark, etc., can go for $10-15K. Main difference is cutting speed. The bad boy mows at about 5 MPH. Most pro models can do 10 MPH or faster. The Dixie Chopper can mow at about 17 mph, if your ground is smooth enough to tolerate such a speed!

I won't argue with your cutting time except to say it must be very dependent on how much you pay being relevant to how fast your zero turn can mow.
I purchased a gravely zero turn this year but honestly my cutting time for the 5 acres around the house did not decrease nearly as drastically as many others seem to report.
What I noticed is unless your spending the amount needed to buy a zero turn with a cutting width the same as your tractor or you have lots of obstacles and your top speed isn't a lot more your cutting time may not improve as much as others seem to report.
Yes my cut time did improve slightly but I didn't seem to gain all that much and I needed to trim trees and arrange other things to enable the zero turn to get under things the finish mower did
just by backing it in.
All said and done I cant get any closer with the zero turn than I was able to with our tractor, just doing it differently or a different direction of travel.
I did however find it more convenient especially when I don't have time to cut everything and don't feel as bored cutting.
Time saved I would have to say about 20 minutes maybe 25 minutes but I lost cutting with and although I have not confirmed it hubby says that this zero turn isn't going that much faster. He claims it only feels faster because your on a small machine.

Janet

 

[paulfun9]

Best I can tell, Kubota and Yanmar (both 100+ year old Japanese companies) are the only purebreds in the compact tractor world that build the entire tractor, including the engine, under their own name. No rebranding, rebadging, outsourcing, or trade names to obfuscate what you’re purchasing.

I would have to say if Dadong owns Kioti that means they also fit criteria.

Janet

 

[paulfun9]

It comes down to what you will be using the tractor for (what implements you will need), your topography and soil conditions, and proximity to dealers. I went through this process using a spreadsheet earlier this year. Decision came down to Kubota L4701, Massey 2850M and Kioti DK4510. I was able to get the DK4510 with loader; added rear remotes, air ride seat, telescoping link kit, third function, grapple, 84" dual spindle rotary cutter, and rubber floor mat for less money than the other two with just the loader. I already have a box scraper and post hole digger. Easy choice.

A lesson that learned from my previous tractor; MF1250, 34hp, smaller and lighter; it did "mostly" what I needed to do for 27 years but always wished I had gone bigger (read "heavier"). I corrected that with the DK4510.
View attachment 726036View attachment 726037

My husband also settled on a Kiioti DK last time shopping new and was very pleased. We have had no issues other than me leaving it dirty for him to clean every once in awhile

 

[paulfun9]

Ok just a update on my thread. I ended up finally on a branson 3515h. I went to Big Tex tractors in caddo mills texas and I would recommend to anyone interested in a branson to check them out if you can. They are about 1hour 45 min from my house in East Texas.
I went to the dealership to look at the tractors and I'm. Glad I did. My original thought was a 4820h but when I looked at it in person it was just too big for my property. With the tasks I need to do it was just too big of a tractor. I have a lot of wooded area. The 3520 same thing. Plus added price with all the implements I need with it I could do it with the 3515h for less money.
I ended up with a 3515h with a FEL, 5' box blade , 5' rotary mower , 5' tiller , and a 3rd function and grapple bucket and that was the top that I could afford. It was a great price for all that.
I am waiting to have it delivered should be about 2-3 weeks. The branson 20 series is nice but price and size were the main factors in getting the 3515h. I will try to post pictures when it arrives.

Congratulations!

Talking with Hubby on other phone while I read this and he said he would recommend looking at Branson in today's market.

Janet

 

[Hermio]

I won't argue with your cutting time except to say it must be very dependent on how much you pay being relevant to how fast your zero turn can mow.
I purchased a gravely zero turn this year but honestly my cutting time for the 5 acres around the house did not decrease nearly as drastically as many others seem to report.
What I noticed is unless your spending the amount needed to buy a zero turn with a cutting width the same as your tractor or you have lots of obstacles and your top speed isn't a lot more your cutting time may not improve as much as others seem to report.
Yes my cut time did improve slightly but I didn't seem to gain all that much and I needed to trim trees and arrange other things to enable the zero turn to get under things the finish mower did
just by backing it in.
All said and done I cant get any closer with the zero turn than I was able to with our tractor, just doing it differently or a different direction of travel.
I did however find it more convenient especially when I don't have time to cut everything and don't feel as bored cutting.
Time saved I would have to say about 20 minutes maybe 25 minutes but I lost cutting with and although I have not confirmed it hubby says that this zero turn isn't going that much faster. He claims it only feels faster because your on a small machine.

Janet

The times I reported were my actual experience. It made a huge difference to me. Since the ZTR is lower to the ground than a tractor, it can get under most trees. But I cut branches of if need be to allow it to get under. But it really did cut my total mowing time by hours. The only problems I have had are inability to cut when very wet (compared to a $WD tractor) and difficulty on slopes.

 

[DaBear3428]

I'm just wondering what the most reliable cost effective 40 to 55 hp tractor that I can get with the implements I need.

have you looked at the Mahindra 5100 series? 5145 or 5155 are good, heavy no nonsense high end of the CUT segment, and reasonably priced (5145 == 30K with FEL). the LS MT342 is also a good package in that segment.

 

[LS Tractor Owner]

have you looked at the Mahindra 5100 series? 5145 or 5155 are good, heavy no nonsense high end of the CUT segment, and reasonably priced (5145 == 30K with FEL). the LS MT342 is also a good package in that segment.

He already purchased a Branson 5 months ago......

 

[DaBear3428]

He already purchased a Branson 5 months ago......

yep saw that after i posted

 

[Raul-02]

The 3 tractors I'm seriously considering to aquire in about 2 months are the massey ferguson 2850e, kioti dk45se, or the kubota l4701.

I favor Kioti, they have great hydro flow and more reach than a kubota. I'd get more HP than you are looking at maybe the FK 55.
You say "by the time the field dries the grass gets 2-3 feet tall."
I'm wondering how much vehicle weight the soggy ground can handle if you are hoping to get on it before it dries. Or do you want to cut it when it's tall? A Flail would do that.

"a pond that needs cleaned up around the edges and cleaned out when it gets low."
Hmmm, you planning on driving a 4000-pound tractor into a pond and expect not to have to hire someone to rescue it? Is it possible to clean a pond with a tractor? I ask because I don't know, it just sounds sort of dicey to me. Maybe a dredge bucket you will haul on a chain? I've never cleaned a pond.

"nimble enough to navigate in the woods."
You can do what the christmass tree guys do and mount your wheels in closer but that makes it more tippy. Take a tape measure and figure how narrow it's gotta be.
on my Kioti if I split the brake pedal, it will come about like a Zero turn by applying just the one brake pedal. but the turn radius on the Kioti is damn tight to start with check the web site for the specs of whatever tractor you like. I'll have all that plus PTO power & lift capacity, wheel stance, height of tractor. weight without the FEL, Fel reach & weight limits, and all kinds of useful info.

 

[paulfun9]

The times I reported were my actual experience. It made a huge difference to me. Since the ZTR is lower to the ground than a tractor, it can get under most trees. But I cut branches of if need be to allow it to get under. But it really did cut my total mowing time by hours. The only problems I have had are inability to cut when very wet (compared to a $WD tractor) and difficulty on slopes.

I wasn’t actually questioning your results just pointing out some things that I think might need to be considered if someone decided to look into them.

So far we I haven’t had any issue with our slopes. Just as with any mower if conditions are not Ideal some traction loss forcing me to only go down hill in spots.
When traction is good the wheelies are fun and add some excitement to the day. Saddly if the front gets too high the cut suffers but it’s still fun.

Janet