John Deere or Kubota?

[Surfer69]

G'day Cobber and welcome to TBN from Tassie.

I agree with the majority recommending a 40+ hp tractor... and you're going to require a counterbalancing implement or ballast box to use the 4in1 bucket.

Sorry to hear that your local dealerships are a bit 'shakey', here in Tassie reputation is king and word gets around the paddock quick-smart as to how an owner is treated.

When I went to look/buy, the word in the pub & over the fence pointed me towards the JD dealership (there's only one dealership per 'colour' [manufacturer] in our wee State). I even took a local Mate & tractor owner with me and, short story is that they listened to what I needed a tractor for (all of my tasks) and then sold me the tractor that I truly needed. I've had it for 10 years now.

Unfortunately, the 4105 (bare bones) isn't made anymore but that's not to say that something 'previously owned' isn't available.

Hi there and thanks for the warm welcome.
Yes, ballast box will be needed. Today I went to look at a friend's JD3038, it's a couple of years old. FEL and slasher he has. He showed me some of the large logs he's pulled out with it, more than I want to do. He said it was very painless. His only complaint is he sometimes could use a bigger bucket. I drove it around for a while and mucked about, 37HP. I was impressed.
Thanks again.

 

[ericm979]

The trees are all eucalypts, about 20" max diameter and 60 to 80 foot tall. I'll be cutting them into pieces perhaps 10-15 feet long and pulling them out into a cleared area for further cutting. Using chains.

You might consider a three point forestry winch. With chains you need to have a space for the tractor to run to make the pull, and it has to be in line with the direction you want to pull. With a winch you park the tractor and pull the log towards it. With a snatch block you can redirect the pull using a handy tree, and with a self-releasing snatch block you can do it without having to stop and detatch the cable from the block.

Once you get the logs to the winch you can use the winch to drag them off. Or what I do is to cut them to 8' and carry them with a grapple on the front of the tractor. That way they don't damage my roads. There are a lot of videos on youtube showing how they work.

If you want to pick logs up with a loader you need a machine with a good loader capacity and one that is heavy enough to counterbalance the weight. You can and should add implements or weight boxes to the back as a counter balance but if the machine is heavier to begin with that's even better.

My land is really steep and mostly forest. I got my Branson set up with slightly smaller diameter tires for a lower center of gravity, spacers on the rear wheels to increase track width for stablity, and had the rear tires filled with beet juice. It's a heavy beast, 6000 lbs with loader. But it works well on slopes. I still need to be careful but it's far better than the Kubota B series I had before.

 

[DerMann]

What angle indicator did you buy?

Sorry, I don't remember - that was 11 years ago.

 

[Surfer69]

You might consider a three point forestry winch. With chains you need to have a space for the tractor to run to make the pull, and it has to be in line with the direction you want to pull. With a winch you park the tractor and pull the log towards it. With a snatch block you can redirect the pull using a handy tree, and with a self-releasing snatch block you can do it without having to stop and detatch the cable from the block.

Once you get the logs to the winch you can use the winch to drag them off. Or what I do is to cut them to 8' and carry them with a grapple on the front of the tractor. That way they don't damage my roads. There are a lot of videos on youtube showing how they work.

If you want to pick logs up with a loader you need a machine with a good loader capacity and one that is heavy enough to counterbalance the weight. You can and should add implements or weight boxes to the back as a counter balance but if the machine is heavier to begin with that's even better.

My land is really steep and mostly forest. I got my Branson set up with slightly smaller diameter tires for a lower center of gravity, spacers on the rear wheels to increase track width for stablity, and had the rear tires filled with beet juice. It's a heavy beast, 6000 lbs with loader. But it works well on slopes. I still need to be careful but it's far better than the Kubota B series I had before.

Thanks very much for your thoughtful response. You obviously have your situation very well thought out.

 

[GreenTime]

Really look at the hydrostatic pedals. Big difference in layout between JD and Kubota. I have both brands and really prefer the JD pedals

 

[Williy]

Yanmar tractors have a 10 year warranty
and a rebate from $2,500 to $5,000

willy

 

[bandit67]

I ran my B3000, a 30hp compact TLB setup (4,800 lbs, loaded rears with spacers) on a 2.5 acre mountain property with more sloped ground than flat. Used it to re-grade parts of the property, fell trees, process firewood, move snow, etc. No way I could have done the work with anything smaller. I now live on a 2 acre flatter property on a lake, and initially thought it might be too much machine and that I'd end up trading down. BUT, I keep adding implements and continue to further customize it, and regularly finish a task thinking I'm so glad I did not downsize after the move.

Moral of the story? Heed the advice of all the others to look at bigger machines. My machine is bigger and more powerful than the Kubota you are considering, and I don't think mine would be near big enough for your property.

 

[Redlined0002]

I have (2) Kubota MX5100 for sale. One is hydrostatic and the other one is manual transmission. Hydrostatic has 600 hrs and manual has 730 hrs. Located in Waynesboro Tennessee. I can possibly deliver. 904-813-4740 John

 

[Torvy]

I have (2) Kubota MX5100 for sale. One is hydrostatic and the other one is manual transmission. Hydrostatic has 600 hrs and manual has 730 hrs. Located in Waynesboro Tennessee. I can possibly deliver. 904-813-4740 John

OP is in Australia. Shipping may be a bit steep.

 

[pills991]

As many have said , bigger is usually better. I have a similar property and I bought a lightly used Kubota B2910 30hp tractor. If I had more money at the time I would have probably gone 45hp but the B2910 is more maneuverable through the forest to pull out trees and build cart roads. I've cut and hauled a ton of big oak and hickory trees and well as moved huge rocks. I don't have a ton of experience with other tractors but I've had this one now for about 18 hrs and it owes me nothing. Never taken it back to a dealership for anything. It will lift and haul/drag WELL ABOVE the listed specs. I built a setup for the 3 point hitch to lift and drag several logs at a time, I also use a weight box to counterbalance the loader or forks on the front. I have thought about trading in for a bigger machine but now that the roads and house are built I really don't NEED anything bigger.

 

[massey 165]

I recomend the widest spacing for wheels with balast, and with open lugs
For better griping. Also a clamshell bucket is very heavey and help with gravel cleanup. Look at grappels and a log arch to move 20" log. Test hydrostatic tractors on the hills first.
Stay safe

 

[olenjohn]

Hi, just joined and first post. I have a 25 acre property, some steep slopes and mostly forested.
I'm wanting to buy a new smallish tractor with 4 in 1 bucket to do the following:
Moving rocks and soil
Pulling cut down trees out for firewood and lifting them into stacks
Grading/maintaining gravel tracks and maintaining existing ones
No slashing required. I'm sure I'll find other stuff to do as well.

Here's where I'm at: I'm thinking either a JD 3038(36 HP), or a Kubota B2601(26HP) They are similarly priced, both 4x4, but the JD has a 10yr/1,000 hours warranty. The Kubota is 2yr/1,500 hrs. Lifting capacity on the JD is 615kg and 820kg on the Kubota. I'm having trouble deciding.

I'm curious about the lifting difference given the JD has more claimed HP? I'd actually like something a bit bigger, but these will fit in my current machine shed.
Any thoughts or suggestions please?
Thanks very much.

Either tractor will do the job. Shop the dealerships. Go with then one that makes you most comfortable.

 

[FERLING]

All good above ^

My advice is to buy the biggest 4WD tractor you can afford. IMO, the models you are looking at are too small for the work you plan to do.

If these are the only tractors you can afford now, take it SLOW and learn as you go. Take care of the machine to preserve it's trade in value because you will most certainly want a bigger tractor in the future.

You can't go wrong with either Kubota or JD, but also consider the dealer. Which is closer, which is larger, and which has the best parts / repair facilities. The friendliness and knowledge of the people you deal with are also factors.

Welcome to the forum and good luck with your choice!

 

[FERLING]

For dragging logs and saving roll overs on you tractor.

 

[needmoredirt]

My concern is for your life. Most novice operators of loader equipped Three Point Hitch tractors are surprised a how unstable they are are on both flat and sloping ground. Tractor rollovers with novice operators are common.

Additional tractor width and additional tractor weight add stability.

If you are new to Three Point Hitch tractors I recommend a tractor of at least 3,700 pounds bare tractor weight and a width of at least 66". A good Kubota choice would be one of the MX series, which has adjustable rear wheel (width) stance built in.

You cannot enjoy your tractor if you are dead.

BUY ENOUGH TRACTOR


​

I spent 6 months studying safety and how not to die. Much respect is needed, especially for a noob.

I got more tractor than I need, 2501 with spacers, 66" of total width. I still have places I simply wont go near.

Believe it's 3.5K - 4k lbs w/FEL and 3pt ballast, again, a bit much for what I do, which isn't much, but when you need a tool, gotta have one.