JD 2210, Kubota BX2230, or NH TZ24DA

[akoliver]

Greetings,
I'm new to this sub-compact tractor market and need advise. I have 5 acres, most of which will just need finish mowing, but I also need to plant a few dozen trees, do some minor grading and landscape work, and drag some dead trees off. I'll also have to push a little snow in the winter.
I think I've narrowed it down to the JD 2210, Kubota BX2230, or NH TZ24DA, mainly because the dealers are nearby and the machines all should probably meet my needs. One of my biggest concerns is with the limited cat 1 hitch. I'll probably get aftermarket blades/augers etc, so is this an issue?
Also, are these tractors too small to do any meaningful backhoe work? I'll probably have to do some small pond maintenance, so a backhoe might eventually be a player, but for the money, I might just rent something when the time comes.
The dealer prices are very close, and from what I've heard they all are good tractors. What are things I should be considering? Is one better than the other, or is it basically color preference?
Thanks for the input.
AKO

 

[KiotiJohn]

I think you'll find most of them are excellent tractors, and that it matters more which one you like and feels right for you. I know people who use the sub CUTS just fine for properties larger than yours. I preferred a small CUT rather than a sub though because I wanted it to be able to handle more than the 2, 4, and 5 acres I'm doing now.
I've since decided to add a larger (45HP) tractor to my 21HP tractor loader backhoe that I have now as there are times I want to do much bigger jobs.
I have a backhoe, and it does the things I want to do, but you may decide that those larger jobs you mention will just be too slow using a CUT backhoe. They're def. good for stumps, planting, digging out some rocks/boulders (or so I'm told as I don't have any of those), and other basic jobs, but for really large jobs, I think most people prefer to rent something larger or have it done.
I guess it depends on where you are as to which is a better priced machine, but probably the NH will be the bargain, and their loaders generally lift more than many others.
Check out my album if you'd like to see some backhoe shots doing some stumps.
John

 

[ByronBob]

I'll speak only for the 2230. I have it and it's a very nice machine. You can't get a BH for it from Kubota but a Woods BH is available now (just reciently).

If your primarily mowing and the other things are in addition to you may want to consider the BX1530. As for snow removal and the like how much are you talking about?? How much driveway ect.... The more you explain the better it is for us to help answer your questions

 

[MikeFromVA]

I was looking at those very machines 2 months ago. After much consideration, I actually stepped up to the 4110 because I wanted a full Cat 1 PTO and positional control on the 3PH. I didn't know all of that until I drove all three of the ones you are looking at. My lot is about the same size as yours. The 4110 uses the same engine as the 2210 and I can vouch for its power. Just want you to be sure to evaluate all of your needs before you narrow your search to a subCUT.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

First, I am a beliver in renting backhoes, the Great Bend unit that sits unused and is occasionally attached to the B2910 is pretty worthless for "real" work. And that unit is MUCH larger than any of the units you might consider attaching to any sub-CUT. For under $250 I recently rented a mini-excavator that had something like a 16' reach, it was delivered on Saturday at noon, picked up Monday morning. I did more work with that in 5 hours than the Kubota/Great Bend combo could have done in 2 or 3 full weekends.

For planting bushes and trees I like to use a post hole digger with a 12" auger bit, drill 3 holes in a triangular pattern adjacent to each other for the larger plants and scoop out the soil in the middle. It is fast and easy.

As for your 3 choices of machines, all are good. None are availabe with a factory backhoe if I remember correctly. You might want to do a search of these machines using the search function on this website. There has been quite a bit of debate about them and quite a bit of discussion about the 3pt hitches, the NH is supposed to have a real 3pt, the other two are supposed to be limited. I've played with all 3 but never hooked up an implement to any one of them. The NH is probably a little bigger, the Kubota has been around the longest, none are bad, all should be reliable.

As for PUSHING snow, you might want to seriously consider a snow blower, none of these are big heavy machines and if you get more than a few inches you may find that you are spinning your tires on your driveway if you push it. The best way I have found to push snow is to get a blade on the back, spin it around so it is facing backwards and push in reverse. I did that a couple times with success on fairly light snows. Trying to pull snow yielded frustrations and forced the tractor to skid sideways in the opposite direction of the way the blade was angled.

Also, you might want to fill out your profile, by telling us where you are and what type of land you have we can give much better advice because it gives us an idea of the weather conditions you might have, terrain, is the driveway asphalt, gravel, etc. I'm getting to the point where I don't even answer many questions from people who don't fill out at least some of their profile because the information we are forced to provide must be vague because we don't know what to recommend.

 

[jfdlaw]

Like MikefromVA I looked at all three of these last month. Ended up deciding that the BX was too cramped for me (6ft 250lbs), the 2210 seemed like more tractor than the TZ and I was ready to buy until I visited my Kubota dealer one last time and drove a B7610. Ended up with a B2410. Its only a little larger and heavier than a 2210, but it has a full Cat. 1 three point hitch and more loader capacity. I was also looking at the Deere 4115, but just liked the kubota better.

All are great machines and should do what you want.
Don't fall into the trap I got caught in by over analysing the machines. Choose the one you like best and go with it. I agonised for months until the financing deadlines forced me to choose. I wish I'd just chosen one earlier.

 

[Henro]

<font color="blue"> I actually stepped up to the 4110 because I wanted a full Cat 1 PTO and positional control on the 3PH. </font>

MikefromVA has given good advice here.

Being new to sub-compacts you may not realize this point, and it could be a thorn in your side later if you bought without understanding the limitations of the 3PH.

There are a number of threads here directed at this issue on the Kubota BX, you may want to do a search and see what you come up with...

As for color, try them all, get a feel for the dealer, and buy where the combination feels the best.

And just for kicks, you might look at the next size up, and compare features and price. Many lawns are cut by tractors larger than sub cuts and turn out looking quite nice.

A rule of thumb with tractors seems to be each time you move up a step in size, you seem to get a lot more value for each dollar spent.

Good luck in your decision. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Bob_Skurka]

<font color="red"> A rule of thumb with tractors seems to be each time you move up a step in size, you seem to get a lot more value for each dollar spent.
</font>

To add to Henro's point, if the same basic tractor is offered with a smaller and a larger engine choice, typically the cost to move up to the larger engine choice is minimal, but moving up to the largest engine on that frame will also allow you to use a larger implement. Examples of this would be the JD 4110 versus the 4115 or the New Holland TC21DA versus the TC24DA. These are all small tractors, only one step up from a sub-CUT but are very capable little machines, good for mowing and more capable for larger tasks.

 

[bandit67]

First of all, with 5 acres, you need to sit down and seriously think about what you may decide to do with the property once you do have a capable machine. If you're talking about a machine with a loader, rear implements, possibly a backhoe, then you will end up doing a lot more "improving" of your property, mainly because you will now have a machine that can make all that work a whole lot easier than if you didn't have a tractor.

I bought my Sub-Compact a few months back for a 1 acre fixer-upper (property and house). If I were going into 5 acres, I would have very seriously considered a larger CUT. My little sub does plenty of work, and I just figured a CUT was a bit too large for that size property, but I can see that if I end up with a larger (5-10 acre) property, I will want to upgrade to a larger machine (not because the Sub is not capable, but a CUT will do all the work a lot faster). If I do that, I can still keep my rear blade, landscape rake, and tiller to use on a larger CUT, as I have a true CAT 1 3ph.

If you have a Case dealer nearby, I would suggest looking at the DX24E, as it is the twin to the NH, just with different paint and grille and headlights. See my pics below if you want to see what that one looks like.

I chose the Case New Holland machines because of the 3ph, and the curved loader arms. I have spent time, as recently as this week, using a Kubota BX22 for the backhoe. A Woods backhoe is available for the other machines you're looking at, and Case New Holland will be introducing a beefed up Sub tractor-loader-backhoe unit to compete with the BX23 in early 2005. I don't expect to ever buy the Woods unit for my Sub, or use the BX22 for larger tasks - I will rent a larger backhoe, as the small one is very slow, and digging out even small tree stumps is quite time consuming. I will be planting more than a dozen larger trees over a weekend, and will be renting a larger backhoe for that work. For occasional planting of smaller root ball trees, the BX22 backhoe has done the job fine for me so far.

The one thing I think you should spend a lot of time and consideration on is a Sub with a true CAT 1 3ph. The Case & New Holland units are the only ones in the group you're looking at that have that feature.

 

[Ledgemere Farm]

First, I am a beliver in renting backhoes <font color="blue"> </font>

Amen to that Bob.