Hi Kapper,
Well I've watched just about every YouTube video you have and read most of your TBN posts so now I think I'll just ask for your advice/opinion since you have a lot of real word experience with the two tractors I'm considering.
I have been struggling between the John Deere 3046R cab tractor 45.3 hp, 36.6 PTO hp (formerly the 3720) and the Kioti NX6010. I know there is quite a large difference in these two machines but I can't decide if the JD 3000 series chassis will be big enough or if I should just up to the next size frame. Either way I would go with the largest HP motor for a given chassis, that's why I have it narrowed down to these two models.
Considerations:
1. I live in upstate NY and I'll need to be able to trailer it 4 or 5 times a year to a couple of different location, one is an hour away and the other is 4 hours (In the Adirondack mountains) . I currently drive a fully loaded 2016 Doge Ram 1500 eco diesel that says it's rated to tow around 8,000 lbs, this is one of my main hesitations with the Kioti. I will technically be over weight but I'm sure it can tow it. I think you use an F150, what is it rated to tow?
2. If I go with the 3046R I could put a 72" belly mower on it and mow "most" of my yard in a nice air conditioned cab. I'm not sure how well mowing my yard with a rear finish mower on the Kioti would work??? (I don't think Kioti has a belly mower option) I currently mow with a 60" zero radius mower that is old and beat up but I would keep it to "touch up" around the house and some lower trees. One of my friends says that I won't mow with the JD because it's just to slow and hard to get in tight places but my allergies say otherwise, plus AC sounds nice!
3. I own 30 acres of land and would like to put in a lot of food plots so a tiller is a must have. I also have a lot of trails I would like to maintain (smooth out and mow). Lastly I'm considering buying a larger plot of land in the mountains, my fried just picked up 850 acres with a lake in the middle! I'm sure I'll be using the tractor on his property as well.
4. I'm concerned that if I go with the NX6010 then I'll need to buy all larger more expensive attachments.
5. Potential attachment list: Belly mower or rear finish mower, tiller, brush hog, pallet forks, york rake. Maybe a 4 in 1 bucket, I think this option makes more sense on the larger machine, I not sure if a 4 in 1 on the smaller bucket would open wide enough to make sense???? I like the skid steer quick attach system much better than the JD system, what have you observed while using the two systems? Is one better than the other? Is it worth the significant cost to up grade the JD?
6. Between these two machines the Kioti is much larger and several grand cheaper. The larger size is both a positive and a negative to me, better for earth engaging tasks and worse for transporting the machine.
7. In your opinion how do the kioti cabs stack up to the JD from the aspect of air quality? (think allergies)
I have a fair amount of experience with much larger equipment like dozers and excavators from back in my Army days and now I barrow my friends JD2520 rather often; it's way under powered, just flat out to small for what I would like to do. However I have no experience with the either of these chassis sizes.
All of your videos and posts have helped a lot; I have enjoyed watching and reading them, keep up the great work!!!!
Thanks in advance!
Whew..... OK, here we go... In order... raw HP. You mention that whatever tractor you get you'd get the max HP. This is obviously important to you, as it should be.. I'm not sure if you know but I also owned a Deere 3520, basically the open station of the 3720. For HP I'd pick the Kioti any day of the week. I'll get into that more, but basically you can do more with more HP, period.. There will be guys that argue this til they turn blue, but the fact of the matter is that once you start TAXING a tractor, it's real colors start to shine through. I'm not talking about your everyday mowing a small hayfield and a landscaping gravel project moving one small load of gravel. From what I'm hearing, you are serious about what you want to do with it!
Par 1. towing 4 to 5 times a year. Yes, the Deere is smaller, more narrow, lighter, so in theory, easier to tow. You mentioned your truck, with was one of the ones I considered when downsizing to a 1/2 ton, but the Ford was rated to tow 11,700. The Kioti is larger, and wider, and heavier, so again, in theory harder to tow.. However, with that said, think of the comparisons you are making here... Those very same criteria used for a 'tow friendly' tractor are ALL qualities that you really Don't want in a tractor. With a tractor, especially a compact, Size does matter, more weight IS better (for use) and a wider stance IS better (for use & safety). I nearly tipped over my 3520 several times, which was NOT cool!! And it wasn't doing anything real crazy, just a slight incline is all you need especially a rookie tractor user. I use a regular car hauler to haul the Kioti. The only difference I notice towing (beside gross weight) is that the Kioti only has about 1 to 2inches of clearance on each side by the wheel well of the car hauler. A little practice, follow the center of the bucket up with the center of the trailer and it's a piece of cake. I know this is a consideration, but I don't even like that it is one, when we are talking about tractors, and especially big acreage!! Maybe consider trading in the Dodge!! I bought my truck to fit my TRACTOR, not my tractor to fit my TRUCK! You are in the mountains.... ANY truck will be safe on the highways, but one tractor will be MUCH safer in hill country, the Kioti.
Mowing; I've never used a belly mower. I'd much prefer a 3 pt, or as you have a zero turn. Your friend is right that a belly mower on the Deere will be too slow for you. I use the BH26, which is a HD mower, yet with sharp blades it will mow a lawn nice and neat, once you get the nuances down.. And seriously, in the country, what kind of mowing are you talking about? Do you have an expensive home with a manicured lawn? Either way, you will keep the zero turn, which would seriously compliment a 3 pt mower, the bigger the better, and a 6' mower would be easy peasy on the Kioti, and probably OK on the Deere (light duty, not HD)... Remember that HP thing? Honestly, light duty mowing would be just fine on either, but on super thick nasty stuff you will wish you had the extra 15 hp of the Kioti.. The AC is Better in the Kioti... Just sayin'.... 100% for sure. I've had them both and know this to be true. I've sweated MANY, many times while running the AC in the Deere once it gets 90 plus... Never a problem in the Kioti..
Now, here we go.. a LOT of food plots... Tiller is a must... Either one will run a tiller. But either one won't run a 6 foot, Heavy duty tiller.. Go big (HD vs standard) or go home... A 6' tiller is better than 5, or 4, but any will get the job done, but obviously, will take longer. If you are concerned about your time mowing, your time plotting then should be just as important right? Hence, the 6' tiller would be best. Again, I think the Deere will max out but might run a 6' HD, but bog down a lot. And get into heavy, virgin sod, and you'll be wishing you had the extra 15 hp... (hmmm, where have we heard this before..
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Maintaining trails; A) Safety and stability.. You are in mountainous terrain. That extra 6 or 8 inches of wheelbase, lower center of gravity, and beefier frame/weight all speak for themselves when it comes to safety on hilly terrain. 'Smooth out and mow' trails; Basic, minor smoothing and mowing could be done with either. Mowing, again though, consider if you use a 5' vs 6' deck. Noticeable difference in getting more work done faster. If you are talking more than minor 'smoothing,' once again, HP, width, lower center and power reign supreme here... Filling your tires is a MUST no matter what tractor you get. But hands down, this one is Kioti.. Oh, and your friends 850 acres.... Seriously man, you will be sorely disappointed with the lower HP and narrow stance. Trust me, I owned that tractor! Then the 4720! Then the Kioti!
'Larger implements' ; The higher HP can run any SMALLER implement, but NOT the other way around. If you have implements, you could continue to use them. If you are acquiring new ones, the choice is simply up to you. the larger Kioti WILL NOT require you to buy bigger implements. Only if YOU want to. I have broken, bent, cracked all kinds of implements over the years (and tractors..
. I have found that If I am buying a new implement that the extra few hundred dollars to go HD, or even medium duty, is well worth it. And if you are a smart shopper, man you can find good used stuff all over the country side. I have shopped every implement and have bought several from states far away, where it was still cheaper to have it shipped than to buy local! All of those implements you list could be used with either one though. A 4 in 1 bucket to ME is a MUST have when you live in wooded country, or in farm country. Not so much with smaller farms, or hobby stuff.. You could get a 4 in 1 for the Deere, but as you mention, it will have to be a little smaller, because it has to be lighter, so will have more limited use. I stuck with a Medium size, because the weight of a larger 4 in 1 is WAY too much, even for the Kioti.. I know this because the dealer ordered me the wrong one and it was sick heavy, and felt like I had a load of wet sand just riding around empty! So, I traded it back to him for the proper one for the tractor, most all 4 in 1 manufacturers have them in category slots for tractor size. But yes, you will be more limited with the Deere. The quick attach system is LIGHT years ahead of the Deere setup. Deere is just pricing themselves out of business here... You can get virtually ANY kind of implement out there these days for a skid steer quick attach. Oh, and resale for implements...? Skid steer has many, many more options. Now if you buy NEW loader attachments, most makers will make you John Deere mounts. But overall I think the skid steer quick attach is much, much better.
Air quality ?? Again, the Kioti. The Kioti has 2 large air filers on the cab, the Deere only has one. Simple math, and more attention to detail. I too have tons of allergies and take permanent meds for them..
I think you summed it up on your last paragraph about when you borrow the Deere 2520 being way underpowered for 'what I would like to do.' I am guessing that if you've seen my videos, there is a lot of that stuff that you would like to do...
In summary, my vote goes to the Kioti, man and it's not even close. Not even in the same stratosphere... And for the same price??? C'mon man... The ONLY thing that I do not have experience with is Re sale (On the Kioti).. Many guys have pointed this out to me (as opposed to trying to point out that they've done the same things with a similar Deere) that I may suffer greatly upon resale of the Kioti. This, I can't confirm. But I'll say this, I lost my ***** on selling my only 2 year old Deere 4720... Just sayin'... Maybe I'd lose even more on the Kioti, but I'm not too concerned right now.. I've got 425 hours on it so far, and it has been excellent. I did recently bend the grill guard, and the step up to the cab, but thankfully I didn't catch anything else! Now, I am going to be making a skid plate and maybe put a mesh grill on the grill guard. But the dents I've got in the steel screen on the hood show that I hit something nasty, and I'm pretty sure that it would have broke through the plastic hood mesh guard on the Deere...
That is my opinion, but based on facts that I have personally experienced with BOTH tractors. I'm also pretty sure that I have done a much wider variety of tasks with a tractor than the average user.. Oh, and BTW I don't get jack sh*& from anyone for any kind of advertising (Man, I sure wish I did as I've helped Kioti sell many tractors already!). This is JUST ME, and MY REAL WORLD PROPERTY MANAGING EXPERIENCE! GOOD LUCK...
