JD vs Kubota...HELP!

ronjhall · Jul 31, 2001

Joyce
Using a 2910 for snow removal is very easy and fast./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif I use a Curtis 6/12' angle snowplow on the front of mine. There was a lot of discussion about using a blower or plow last winter. one and two are just a couple. Using search for snow blower will get you many more.
One item that may be of concern with 2710 & 2910 model with turf tires is clearance for chains. A set of 2" spacer will have to be made to get clearance for them on rear tires. I solved this problem by getting a RB3584 Land Pride Rear Blade. It weighs 500 lbs. I never needed to put chains on.
Some people have put chains on the front tires only. This gives them all the traction that is required in icy conditions.
Good luck with searching this issue out on TBN. There are a lot of opinions that should get your head spinning../w3tcompact/icons/tongue.gif
Attached is a picture of my 2910 with snow blade and rear blade attached last winter.

Bird · Jul 31, 2001

Richard, hay prices vary considerably (as I assume they do in your area also) depending on what type and quality of hay you're talking about. I have one neighbor who sells coastal and Johnson grass hay by the bale; $25 for 5' x 5' bales tied with twine. I have another neighbor who has well fertilized coastal hay fields and also plowed and planted fields. I think most folks around here call it haygrazer, but he mixes milo and some variety of grain sorghum seed. His bales are 4' x 5' with the plastic wrap instead of twine. He routinely takes samples to be tested for protein content and the price varies accordingly. I know he's sold those bales for $30 to $50 a roll to individuals who just want a few, but his main business is contracts to supply dairies and he has his own 18-wheeler to deliver the hay (that's the reason for the 4' wide bales). That hay, is of course, sold by the ton with price based on protein content, but I don't know what he's getting for it.

I would imagine if you came down here to buy hay, you'd pay just as much, or maybe even more, than where you are. However, these neighbors cut and bale hay for other folks who do not have hay equipment and are charging $13.50 to $15 a bale to cut, rake, and bale hay for other people. Neither of them will cut and bale on the halves, although one of them will cut and bale for two-thirds of the hay if he thinks it looks like good hay.

But both of them also own land and lease land, but they won't pay more than $10 to $15 an acre per year; don't have to in this area. There are a lot of really BIG farms in the area, but there's also a lot of land that really isn't being used for much of anything. And one of these guys had 1,100 acres of Corps of Engineers land leased for 4 years ($4 an acre) and now the other guy has it for 4 years (and I'm not sure what his bid was). Another difference is probably the amount of rain you get vs. what we get. Usually, they get two cuttings a year, but a lot of the hayfields are only producing one cutting this year. Very little alfalfa grown around here. Too hot, too little rain, and no irrigation.

Bird

glennmac · Jul 31, 2001

I use a 72" backblade and my FEL on a 300', upsloping, rutted, gravel (mostly gravel-less) driveway. Backblade (driving backwards) works great on paved parking slab. Worked ok on driveway. Had to make several passes in the deep snowfalls, but didnt care cause it was fun.

Ron, do you use your aftermarket front hydraulic ports for the Curtis blade. If not, what are you going to use them for?

ronjhall · Jul 31, 2001

Glenn
I use 2 front ports for angle on the snow blade. I plan on making a Grapple for my FEL bucket soon. This will use one set of outlets. The four quick disconnects at the front and rear are teed off the same valves.

r0GuE · Jul 31, 2001

Quite a red carpet getting laid out here. I don't know that I've ever seen such loooong detailed posts and responses.
Hmmm... What's different ;^)

Rogue

kerr · Jul 31, 2001

T.B.N.-2000 tractor of the year J.D.4300.

Anonymous Poster · Jul 31, 2001

Sounds like a puppet show to me./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

Anonymous Poster · Jul 31, 2001

Kerr-I have to get me a set of those JD jammies too. I bet they give you that warm and fuzzy feelin' inside. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

woodstock · Jul 31, 2001

Gaulie Mam!

I am with you rogue.

I figured they'd flew the coup when the Hubby line was dropped.

Say what!

Winnipeg, Manitoba

2001 BX2200 (20 hrs) All Kubota FEL,Tiller, box blade, blower w/elec shute, 60 mid mt deck, Ag tires.
Grey market B7000 w/Tiller (120 hrs)

Bird · Jul 31, 2001

Richard, I just now talked to the guy I mentioned earlier that sells hay to dairies, and found that some things have changed. All the dairies he had contracts with have gone under and out of business. He still has contracts with a number of breeders of registered stock. In fact, he said he needs to deliver about a thousand bales, but hasn't had time because he's cutting and baling from 5 a.m. to about 11 a.m., then to the hospital for the rest of the day because his dad's in the hospital. Anyway, he said the one cutting looks like all there will be on the haygrazer, but he's doing the second cutting on the coastal now (said what hasn't dried up, the grasshoppers are eating). And he says good hay is selling for $60 to $70 a ton, some $50 a ton, but a lot of 1500# bales are going for $25, so that would be $33.33 a ton.

Bird

Anonymous Poster · Jul 31, 2001

Richard,

I think I need to clarify. When the tractor search started, innocently looking towards a powerful, larger lawn tractor, we quickly went to compact utility, wrongly thinking that we could do more hay chores. Don't know why I thought we could bush hog and bale...guess I've not had the need to know yet. Now I know that I cannot do that. But I still want the ability to bush hog: keeping edges of fields clear from little trees trying to sprout and prickly brush coming in. And I am exploring what good it would do the overall quality to 'feed' the soil with a few cuttings in the year. Not letting the hay get too long, so that it can easily break down into the soil. Would use a bush hog on trails too.

We also wanted to go as large as a compact for other PTO reasons, like the post hole digger.

Did I forget to mention that we also have an old 1952 Farmall 140? I think it has HP in the low 20's...not sure. Among the implements that it has, there is a snow plow that does not have enough power to plow much more than a 4 to 6" storm, depending on how wet the snow is. Pretty useless.

The Farmall also has a sickle bar (5' I believe). We use that now where I would use a bush hog...IF I had one. I can't say that I would want to tackle the 25 acres with this because it seems as though the pitman arm likes to break at least once per season. My husband keeps extras on hand that he makes for such occasions! He has more patience than me...I tend to want to turn the key and go /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif.

As our 'ideal tractor' kept getting larger (still thinking hay), we turned the corner and went back down in size. We had made it up to a 4400. Then back down to a 4200, which is around the time that my husband suggested that I compare JD with Kubota...he had friends who had good luck. (Even one who traded his JD for an orange.)

When we turned the corner on size, I knew that we should stay with the PTO and a fair amount of size...I KNOW that I will use it, but I don't want too big. I also realized that haying would be a serious investment. In my way of thinking, if it is not crucial that we 'have to have it today', then we can take our time, and be ready if a good deal comes down the pike on used equipment. You'll all know, because I'll be back here at TBN asking MORE question /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif. Now, if balers are the constant fix it camp that you talk about, I'll pass that problem on to my husband...remember, he's the patient one in this relationship. And much handier with the tools than I am. ...Joyce

Anonymous Poster · Jul 31, 2001

Re: Gaulie Mam!

Is the photo a for sale item or a personal treasure? Not sure.

Anonymous Poster · Jul 31, 2001

Rogue,

I don't know what kind of baggage folks are carrying around in this forum, beyond the obvious. I'll try my level best to use this forum to educate myself as best I can to buy a tractor that I will be happy with for many years to come. Any help I can get from anyone who has honest to goodness experiential based information, is welcome to share it, as far as I am concerned. I really don't care what 'camp' it comes from. Personally, I kind of like the color purple...just kidding /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif. Seriously though, it's pretty tough to rely on the information that the dealers provide.

I love this site, and I'm glad that help is being offered at the place I am at with regard to what I understand about my tractor search so far. No judging, etc. I respect that.

Joyce

woodstock · Aug 1, 2001

Re: Gaulie Mam!

It's like a wedding ring. I am telling all the JD people my heart is taken by my Kubota BX2200.

Winnipeg, Manitoba

2001 BX2200 (20 hrs) All Kubota FEL,Tiller, box blade, blower w/elec shute, 60 mid mt deck, Ag tires.
Grey market B7000 w/Tiller (120 hrs)

kerr · Aug 1, 2001

Re: Gaulie Mam!

O Your just still mad about yer finger !L.O.L.I think your in lust,not love.How is yer nose picker anyway?

woodstock · Aug 1, 2001

Re: Gaulie Mam!

The boo boo is all better thank you.
and the JD is going into the Buy & Sell on Thursday.
Hopefully its Bye Bye by the weekend.
Thanks for asking kerr

Winnipeg, Manitoba

2001 BX2200 (20 hrs) All Kubota FEL,Tiller, box blade, blower w/elec shute, 60 mid mt deck, Ag tires.
Grey market B7000 w/Tiller (120 hrs)

GlueGuy · Aug 1, 2001

Personally, I kind of like the color purple...just kidding 

My dealer sells both NH and Kubota, and I noticed a couple of "odd birds" on his lot when I was getting my B7500. He laughed, and said that even though there are "standard colors", they will paint things "any color the customer wants". Seems that a lot of his customers have preferences about keeping things "consistent".

In fact, CalTrans (Cal. State Road Maintenance Dept.) has orange as their "standard" color. Just saw a JD painted orange out by Los Banos the other day. Sort o' caught my attention, as I am more "tractor aware" these days.

So, if you really do like purple, you can get it (some places).

Likewise, if your main task really is mowing, a BX is not that far outside the realm of possibility. Especially if you have hills to negotiate. And I don't own a BX. I am a firm believer in getting the "right size".

The GlueGuy

Bird · Aug 1, 2001

if balers are the constant fix it camp that you talk about, I'll pass that problem on to my husband

They most definitely are; balers, cutters/conditioners, and to a somewhat lesser extent, even the rakes./w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif The guy I've talked about in this thread who is full time in the hay business buys a new baler every two years to minimize downtown, and I'll bet he still spends 20% of his time working on it.

Bird

DVerbarg · Aug 1, 2001

Balers are a strange lot. My Dad always buys his equipment used. His first baler was too cheap to pass up, a 1960 something NH square baler. Always working on it. Then bought a late 80s NH baler. Needed some initial work and like Bird mentioned was fixing it every cutting -- until he, my Dad, did all the driving of the baler. Now he is only fixing it once or twice a year instead of the 4 to 8 times a year with alot less stress. These balers seem to have the ability to destroy themselves if they are not handled properly. Wish I knew more about them but probably won't get much hands-on experience anymore, Dad would rather drive more often then fix... /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

DaveV