Deciding on a new tractor

[milnekl]

HI, after a year of debating, I have to buy a new tractor. The Simplicity garden tractor, good as it is, can't handle the work I have on my 5 acre (some hills) property which I've just fenced in and have 2 horses resident. The tractor will be used for bushhogging the pasture, hauling manure off, some snow removal on my 300' driveway, harrowing the field to spread manure.
I am considering a sub-compact or compact. Kioti CK27, Bobcat CT225, Massey-Ferguson MF1528 or GC260. Was considering Kubota LA2800 but have read of problems with backhoe and bushhog damaging the frame after several years . .what about the BX25?
Could use some good advice. Thanks for your help.

 

[TripleR]

Will mowing your lawn be a priority?

 

[milnekl]

I'll be keeping the Simplicity for mowing the lawn. Will need a bushhog for the pasture. Also, since I am a woman who will be maintaining and using the tractor am concerned about ease of operation and maintenance and pricing of course.

 

[dodge man]

Do you need a backhoe? A BX 25 comes with a backhoe. In Kubota, I would look at a BX series, or a smaller B series. I know all the numbers look confusing, but if you get on line and print out the specs, you can get an idea of what each machine will do. A good example would be to look at the lifting weights of the end loaders. Just keep in mind some give the lift capacity at the pins, which would be the back of the bucket, and others give the spec so many inches in front of the pins, which would be a more realistic number of what you can lift in the bucket.

Unless I'm mistaken, Kiota makes the tractors for Bobcat. The only tractors I am familar with are Kubota's, so I can't help you with the others. Kubota has a pretty good reputation on this board. I'm sure John Deere makes a product in the size you want, and they also make a quality product.

 

[DmansPadge]

HI, after a year of debating, I have to buy a new tractor. The Simplicity garden tractor, good as it is, can't handle the work I have on my 5 acre (some hills) property which I've just fenced in and have 2 horses resident. The tractor will be used for bushhogging the pasture, hauling manure off, some snow removal on my 300' driveway, harrowing the field to spread manure.
I am considering a sub-compact or compact. Kioti CK27, Bobcat CT225, Massey-Ferguson MF1528 or GC260. Was considering Kubota LA2800 but have read of problems with backhoe and bushhog damaging the frame after several years . .what about the BX25?
Could use some good advice. Thanks for your help.

Something in the 25 hp range should do you well. There is a lot of difference in the models you are looking at. As for the Kubota, there is the B series in between the BX and L... you might want to look at them. Never heard of a brushhog damaging the frame of any tractor? You can have problems running a 3 point hitch mounted backhoe on tractors. It is always best to have a sub-frame mounted backhoe.

 

[milnekl]

Yes, you're right the damage from the backhoe was because it required a sub-frame. I don't need a backhoe, but I think the problem also occurred with a bushhog which I would be using a lot.

 

[dodge man]

If a brush hog is hooked up correctly, it won't hurt the tractor. I'm not saying it can't happen, and in the past maybe certain models had a problem. Most tractors makers build the 3 point pretty heavy duty as it is expected it will be used and sometime hard. In buying a tractor, problems with the 3 point being a problem wouldn't be something I would worry about. Focus on the size and implements you will need.

Most dealers will let you try them out. Also have them let you try to hook up implements and see if you are able. Sometimes they can be tough to hook up, but they do make quick connects which might be something you want to look at. I have a BX and I'm a big enough guy I can muscle most implements and hook them up, but a bigger tractor and implements can be a pain.

 

[flusher]

HI, after a year of debating, I have to buy a new tractor. The Simplicity garden tractor, good as it is, can't handle the work I have on my 5 acre (some hills) property which I've just fenced in and have 2 horses resident. The tractor will be used for bushhogging the pasture, hauling manure off, some snow removal on my 300' driveway, harrowing the field to spread manure.
I am considering a sub-compact or compact. Kioti CK27, Bobcat CT225, Massey-Ferguson MF1528 or GC260. Was considering Kubota LA2800 but have read of problems with backhoe and bushhog damaging the frame after several years . .what about the BX25?
Could use some good advice. Thanks for your help.

My first tractor was a new 2005 Kubota B7510HST (21 hp engine, 17 hp pto, 4WD, hydrostatic transmission, power steering) with the LA302 FEL (4-ft wide bucket, 800 lb lift capacity). Cost: $12.6K plus tax. I used it on my 10 acre place (flat, pasture) and it handled a 4-ft King Kutter bushhog with no problem.

Whatever you end up buying, I'd recommend you get one of the several types of quick attach rigs for your 3pt hitch. There are several advertised on TBN. Makes hooking up 400 lb implements easier. Otherwise, get yourself a 5-ft steel digging bar to lever your bush hog into position when you want to attach it to the 3pt hitch.

 

[TripleR]

I grew up farming, but I am teaching my newly retired wife to operate equipment and it can be a daunting task to learn how to do what so many of us take for granted. She has learned to operate the smaller tractors, but is pretty intimidated by the larger ones and as has been mentioned, hooking equipment up can be very frustrating especially PTO driven implements. Sliding PTO shaft collars or pushing pins often require more strength than would be imagined and can be difficult for some women. The myriad controls on tractors and equipment can also be confusing and will be located in different places, so look at the layouts when evaluating a tractor. My wife and I both prefer the Kubota controls over JD, but others will vary.

While our favorite and most often used machine is our BX2660, for your uses, I would be inclined to go with a little bigger tractor such as the B Series and equivalent in other brands. The will be big enough to handle the tasks at hand yet not big enough to be intimidating or too expensive to operate.

My mobility is becoming pretty limited thus necessitating that my wife learn to operate our equipment at times, but now I sometimes have trouble getting her off of the Kubota. Once she learns to operate the Case with AC, I will be in big trouble.

Do lots of research and climb on and off a lot of different tractors and you will find the right fit.

 

[wallace]

HI, after a year of debating, I have to buy a new tractor. The Simplicity garden tractor, good as it is, can't handle the work I have on my 5 acre (some hills) property which I've just fenced in and have 2 horses resident. The tractor will be used for bushhogging the pasture, hauling manure off, some snow removal on my 300' driveway, harrowing the field to spread manure.
I am considering a sub-compact or compact. Kioti CK27, Bobcat CT225, Massey-Ferguson MF1528 or GC260. Was considering Kubota LA2800 but have read of problems with backhoe and bushhog damaging the frame after several years . .what about the BX25?
Could use some good advice. Thanks for your help.

Were ya from I am practically giving tractor away at my cost just to keep things going.

 

[wallace]

I'll add another thing here...I have a couple of Massey 15 series on my lot that are going to get the 0% for 60 months AND THE 5 YEAR PARTS AND LABOR WARRANTY ON THE DRIVETRAIN!!

 

[KU Gator]

We live on 3 acres and have an additional 12 acres that is recreational and eventually a cabin. We bought a JD Garden tractor from previous owner of the house. When we bought the additional property, mowed it a couple of times with the garden tractor while deciding on something bigger. We ended up with a Kubota B2920. Tried it, a BX and a B7800. Bought it with a loader and belly mower and then also bought the Rough cut brush hog mower.

Only negative I have for B series Kubota is when using the rough cut mower, the front of the mower will not stay set at a specific height. It will gradually drop as you mow, so you have to look back and bump up the height. This is because the 3pt hydrolic system uses a 1/4 valve system instead of a position control system. But once we had mowed the property several times and I got the rocks picked up, I mow it with the Belly mower. It can be set to a specific height and will stay there. So it is no more of a big deal than running your lawn tractor. If your pasture is in pretty good shape, and no brush to get under control and not a bunch of rocks, you might find a tractor with a belly mower or a rear finish mower (rfm) works better for you. Even if you needed someone else to brush cut it the 1st time. The rough cut mower will throw anything it picks up (sticks, rocks, horse apples) with a lot of force so make sure horses and people are not around.

The belly mower on ours is the drive over style like JD and it takes about 5 minutes or so to hook it up or take it off (hugely easier than the garden tractor). Biggest advantage is you can get around obstacles easier with the belly mower. The RFM is cheaper than a belly mower, not specific to the tractor make, so more choices and hooks to the tractor easier than a belly mower, but not as easy to get around obstacles.

My wife likes driving our tractor. My only complaint about that is it leaves me doing the real work. As has been stated try out different sizes, brands and dealerships, and it will become more clear.

 

[milnekl]

I am in Linville, Virginia . . . just outside of Harrisonburg in the Shenandoah Valley. Like to have your take on what might work for me.

 

[milnekl]

Would be interested in hearing about the Massey's . . pricing, cost for shipping, attachments, etc.

Thanks.

 

[wallace]

Sent ya a pm

 

[woodlandfarms]

Milneki. I am sure you have read it here, but it is not about the tractor, it is about the Dealer... And not so much the dealer but the service department. What is your level of comfort with repair? Not to be sexist, but I have seen repeatedly in the LA area male dominated industries (ie car repair) taking unfair advantage of women do to the lack of knowledge.

Hope this little nugget of advice will help in your quest.

Carl