New 25hp tractor purchase

[JeepHead]

No doubt, Kubota does have great value. I have 2 right now, the little B7100 with FEL (the one I'm replacing) and a B6200HST my dad bought new in 1989. Both have performed well and considering their age and abuse, have required very little repair. I paid 5K for the B7100 about 10 years ago and I'll probably sell it for at least that. I suspect it cost about that new (it owes me nothing). Just not sure the $8k premium will translate for me. I'll likely own this tractor past depreciation, probably well into retirement and pass it to my son. I guess what I'm saying is resale isn't my top priority.

If this is your plans for the tractor, I really think Kubota is your best option simply because you know that support and parts will be there for many years down the road. Kubota & JD sell 10X the amount of compact tractors as the other ones do. My brother in law operates a very large independent tractor repair facility and has dealt with all brands of tractors. I initially started looking at TYM, Kioti and a few others but he strongly urged me to go either Deere or Kubota. He said he had really struggled getting parts for the Korean tractors. If I planned to keep a tractor for decades, I think I would want to go with one of the big 3. I purchased my tractor with the intentions of having it until I die, I didn't want electronics or emissions crap, and I wanted to know parts would be there for years to come. There is 5 large Kubota dealers within 90 mins of me so I am pretty confident I will always have access to parts.

 

[gstrom99]

Kubota & JD sell 10X the amount of compact tractors as the other ones do. My brother in law operates a very large independent tractor repair facility and has dealt with all brands of tractors. I initially started looking at TYM, Kioti and a few others but he strongly urged me to go either Deere or Kubota. He said he had really struggled getting parts for the Korean tractors.

+1
Not sure it's 10 times, but it sure is A LOT more. There's a good reason for that.

 

[paulsharvey]

So, what in your mind is the big 3? I would think the major brands are atleast big 4; of not 5. John Deere, Kubota, Massey-agco; CNH-New Holland; and maybe Mahindra?

Mahindra hasn't impressed me. They dont always price that well, for what they are, IMO

 

[paulsharvey]

With JD and Kubota in tractors, and CAT in equipment, Part of their market share is about them being banks, and also selling equipment. Thats not a negative, as although they may cost more, they can do creative stuff at times; sale, lease, lease to sale, ect. Kubota owns their own insurance company, so thats a tool.

Honda power sports is like that; You use their bank, they wave insurance requirement for the loan. So, maybe the $ on the price tag is higher, but the actual cost per month for 60 months is lower than a competitor.

Edit: I did say Part, not all, and im not even saying most. They have to start with good equipment, and that other stuff is tools to make the sale work

 

[dodge man]

I personally would go with the Kubota or JD machines. That’s what’s near me and what I think are the best. My next choice would be Kioti. I just couldn’t do the RK, Summit or other newer brands. I realize they are often made by an established company but I keep thinking of Montana and some other brands that didn’t make it.

 

[paulsharvey]

+1
Not sure it's 10 times, but it sure is A LOT more. There's a good reason for that.

A Google search says JD, Case, Agco, Kubota, and Kioti combine to sell 90% of all tractors 20-60 hp in the US. As a note, when I worded the search differently, it said 90% were sold by JD, Case-NH, Agco-Massey, Kubota and Mahindra; so that that as you want. It seems Google has trouble deciding if Kioti or Mahindra is the 5th brand, and it likely changes if you include all sub 100hp; vs sub 50hp; ad i think Mahindra has a stronger 75hp-100hp line up, of small, but Ag machines than Kioti; and Kioti probably beats Mahindra in the 25-60 range?

 

[helmdog25]

Hi all, so I took a bit of time to do a bit more research and think about things. Right now I think I'm down to 3 choices: Kioti CX2410H, Kioti CK2620H and RK25. All are within my needs and price range.

• Kioti CX2410H - I like the size of the tractor, but has the smallest wheels & tires. Not quite as many creature features as the RK25
• Kioti CK2620H - Heaviest and most capable of the 3. A few less features, but has the most important ones. I like that it has the larger motor (detuned), bigger wheels and more weight. My biggest hesitation is the size. I seem to find myself in tight areas sometimes, where even my little B7100 just fits. However, I am moving to a larger property and that might become less of an issue. I also see a future when I no longer have the big loader/backhoe and/or forklift. At that time, the higher capability would be handy.
• RK25 - For me, this seems to be the perfect size. It has the most features, but least capability. However, it's capability does meet my requirements. I've also been told support & parts supply isn't as good as Kioti. But RK is very close & convenient.

A couple notes on brand choices. My choices are Korean based manufactures. It's been suggested that parts are a bit less available from Korea, but I just don't think that's a big enough issue in itself. I also considered some India made models, namely the Solis. I finally decided they are not quite established enough yet, and parts will be even harder to get. I did see that Home Depot is advertising what looks to be a re-branded version of the Solis H24+ under the Summit name, so maybe that could change.

If budget wasn't a concern, resale was, or my business was dependent on the tractor, I would get a Kubota, hands down. Sorry JD fans, I really think there is a high premium simply on their name. I saw something about someone saying you don't see everyone wearing orange hats, but let's face it, the hat isn't doing the work. But it does prove that JD certainly has brand loyalty. I even had a green JD hat once.

There is a couple differences in my choices that I wan't sure how to weigh. I noticed CK2620 has a "live" PTO vs an "independent" PTO. I think I understand the difference, just not sure of the importance, at least to my needs. When/why would this make a difference?
Both Kioti tractors have a single brake and a clutch, whereas the RK has left & right pedals, but no clutch. I know in my backhoe and forklift I use the brakes to assist in steering, not a lot, but it does come in handy sometimes. In my small tractors, not so much (likely because the brakes were in bad shape). Should this be a consideration?

I appreciate everyone's input so far. It's great to have a resource like this forum to get advice.

 

[aba4430]

Check out the Yanmar SA425 also (I am biased). Other than the plastic hood it is one hell of a tractor. Here are a couple of pictures of mine:

 

[Shawn T. W.]

I'd take and independent PTO over a live everyday! The live is generally much harder to use ... If your driving with PTO engaged, you have to also clutch or stop moving to also stop the PTO ...

I'd take a Kioti over a RK everyday, and twice on Sunday! I'd get the bigger of the two ...

Have looked at Massey Ferguson? I've been very happy with my SCUT ...

Is the "25 HP" to get around emissions?

I understand the allure of a new tractor, I bought one! But since "warranty" doesn't seem to be a big issue ... Why not look at older, pre-computer, and no emissions? That's what I did!

A older Kubota Grand L has quite a few creature comforts that the standard L's don't ... That's what I ended up getting, was smaller than I originally wanted, but I'm happy with it now that I got the Kubota Grand L 5030!

 

[paulsharvey]

So, not trying to sway you; because my replacement journey kinda started with the RK25. The price was low, it looked capable, 25 hp is 25 hp, ect. When I took a more in-depth look; 2 things worried me. 1) 2 speed hydro trans; maybe I was unneeded worry, but my concern was, is it Low and High, and not medium? Meaning, my Kioti is 95% in medium, and maybe 2.5 low and 2.5 high. Low is very very low; high is pretty high.
2) When I really pulled its skirt up; I was looking at the 3 point arms on the RK25 (or TYM 226? TYM T25? whatever it is), the the lift arms were, less than reassuring.... Like it was an upsized garden tractor. Not something I would feel great about hooking a 6 ft box blade or 5 ft bush hog too.

With that; I will be up front; when I bought the CK2610, I was on 2 acres, and nearly talked my self into a SCUT. Since then, I am now on a bigger piece, with more dirt moving and such. So... if I knew, I would have paid the $2.5k or so upgrade to go to the CK3510. It really wasnt a large price increase, and it probably works out to be less than $25/month increase.