Need a little direction

[MESSMAKER]

I am planning the purchase of a compact tractor and I have it narrowed down to a couple. The price and features are the same. One is 2000lb 22hp and one is 3000lb 27hp. I am torn as to the best deal. I was leaning toward the larger but I worry that it will end up being unhandy due to size. With a FEL and a box blade, I will be scaring 4000lb. That is a lot to be running around back yards(smaller is better). I am using this to back fill ditches,tilling lawn prep and some use of a rotary mower(I know I would like the big tractor for this). With a few tools, I could end up pulling 5000lb and that is the limit of my current truck.They both have pluses and minuses. Which will make me the most money? What would you guys do and why?

 

[irvingj]

Have you considered the "compromise " of a 2000-lb subcompact in the new series? Both Kubota & Massey have new models that have the same chassis but more hp (26) than their predecessors (22). Just a thought--

 

[IslandTractor]

Sounds like you are looking at the Kioti/Bobcat CK/CT series. The 22 hp machine is really very capable and compares in ground engaging and
FEL tasks to bigger machines. If you are working commercially in backyards I'd say the smaller tractor will be just fine. I owned one and would say they are perfect for working on 2-3 acres plots. It will pull a 5 foot finish mower with no problem and lifts half a ton.

The lighter Kubota B series are very nice too but much more expensive and give you less lift capacity to boot. If you are primarily mowing though it is tough to beat a light weight machine.

 

[newbury]

<snip> Which will make me the most money? <snip>

A great deal depends on your business, more details are needed. For "running around back yards" you want something you can get into the back yards. If you've got to tear out a fence to get there it'll be a pain. If you've hills and slopes there's different models.

 

[MESSMAKER]

It will be backfilling septic lines. Moving mulch and gravel. Light grading. I will also be tilling and more than a little Bushogging.

 

[flusher]

It will be backfilling septic lines. Moving mulch and gravel. Light grading. I will also be tilling and more than a little Bushogging.

Kubota makes lightweight, powerful tractors in the 20-30 hp range (their B-series). I had a 2005 B7510HST (21 hp engine, 17 hp pto) with the LA302 FEL (4-ft bucket) that I used to do landscaping (plowing with a middle buster, rototilling, box blade work), materials handling (soil, sand, gravel, mulch, etc), and mowing with a 4-ft brush hog rotary mower.

One drawback was limited lifting height on that LA302 FEL. Couldn't lift a load high enough to get it over the side of a standard size dump truck. Could be a problem for you when doing jobsite cleanup work. Of course, you could rig up some type of ramp to elevate the front end of the tractor 12-18" and solve this problem.

 

[MESSMAKER]

Kubota makes lightweight, powerful tractors in the 20-30 hp range (their B-series). I had a 2005 B7510HST (21 hp engine, 17 hp pto) with the LA302 FEL (4-ft bucket) that I used to do landscaping (plowing with a middle buster, rototilling, box blade work), materials handling (soil, sand, gravel, mulch, etc), and mowing with a 4-ft brush hog rotary mower.

One drawback was limited lifting height on that LA302 FEL. Couldn't lift a load high enough to get it over the side of a standard size dump truck. Could be a problem for you when doing jobsite cleanup work. Of course, you could rig up some type of ramp to elevate the front end of the tractor 12-18" and solve this problem.

I was at first leaning toward a Kubota as they are very popular in my area but I can buy a new tractor as cheap or cheaper than a 5 year old Kubota. The CT122 is perfect except the pto hp is a bit low at 16.2(I have read that this is a conservative number and it could be as much as 18) but I have to believe it will be enough.

 

[IslandTractor]

I was at first leaning toward a Kubota as they are very popular in my area but I can buy a new tractor as cheap or cheaper than a 5 year old Kubota. The CT122 is perfect except the pto hp is a bit low at 16.2(I have read that this is a conservative number and it could be as much as 18) but I have to believe it will be enough.

The CT122 is a very capable tractor. It will easily do the tasks you outlined. You would need to add quite a few HP (past the sub 30hp Kubota B series tractors) before you could step up in bush hog size from 48 inch to 60 and you can easily run a 5ft finish mower or 5ft flail with the CT122. For loader and ground engaging tasks the CT122 is easily the match of the B series sub 30hp group. The B series would have an advantage as a lawn mower but otherwise I don't see what the extra many thousands would buy you.

 

[LAWALLSTRACTOR]

I was at first leaning toward a Kubota as they are very popular in my area but I can buy a new tractor as cheap or cheaper than a 5 year old Kubota. The CT122 is perfect except the pto hp is a bit low at 16.2(I have read that this is a conservative number and it could be as much as 18) but I have to believe it will be enough.

What are you doing that will require a lot of HP? Most of what you have talked about is ground engagement work and requires weight more than HP. Operating PTO equipment requires HP and the more HP the larger equipment you can run. Have you looked at any of the Mahindra models, which are Mitsubishi made and very reliable tractors. It might be worth your while.

 

[whistlepig]

I am planning the purchase of a compact tractor and I have it narrowed down to a couple. The price and features are the same. One is 2000lb 22hp and one is 3000lb 27hp. I am torn as to the best deal. I was leaning toward the larger but I worry that it will end up being unhandy due to size. With a FEL and a box blade, I will be scaring 4000lb. That is a lot to be running around back yards(smaller is better). I am using this to back fill ditches,tilling lawn prep and some use of a rotary mower(I know I would like the big tractor for this). With a few tools, I could end up pulling 5000lb and that is the limit of my current truck.They both have pluses and minuses. Which will make me the most money? What would you guys do and why?

If you are going power verses weight transfer to the ground no one does this better than Kubota. In a light tractor their transfer of power to the ground is second to none. As far as pulling 5,000 pounds with a 3,000 pound tractor you may have the tail wagging the dog. For sure going down a hill. Gravity is an unforgiving teacher.