New Compact / sub Compact Tractor Purchase

Bricklin · Oct 14, 2005

I am new to this site, so thanks to the people that are running it!
I have a whole 1/2 acre property that I will be re-landscapping over the next couple of years. I have a large patio that I will be installing, regrading the yard, droping some trees and clearing brush.

I know it is probably overkill to purchase a tractor for these tasks, but I am not a firm believer in renting equipment since it forces you to be on a set time frame to complete tasks.

I have looked at what I believe to be the top 5 brands of tractors with front end loaders. JD, Massey, Kubota, New holland, and Cub Cadet. The JD and the Massey seem to be the better of the sub Compacts, looking at the JD 2305 and the Massey GC2300. They are both about the same price at 12000.

What I am asking for is some advice on the different tractors in my list, do you think that the cheaper Kubota 2300, and Cub 5234D are good enough for what I want to do? They are about 10,500 compared to the JD and Massey at 12000. I have pretty much taken the New Holland Tz series off my list because it is more expensive and can not use the same amount of potential attachments as the other tractors.

Since I have never had a tractor and did not grow up using them I am a complete newbie to this. Any advice that anyone would like to give me would be greatly appreciated. I was also wondering about the book on this web site for sale and if it was worth looking into purchasing.

Thanks again for any help.
Kurt

Bird · Oct 14, 2005

Kurt, I got Muhammad's book a long time ago, and yes, I think you'll find it worth buying. As for the tractors you mentioned; that's kind of like asking whether you should buy a Ford, Chevy, GMC, or Dodge pickup. They're all good; buy the one you like best, or buy from the dealer you like best, or buy the one your wife likes best, and I'll bet you'll be happy with it. Chances are you'll need little, if any, service from the dealer, but I like to buy from a dealer that has decent service and parts departments, just in case. Otherwise, I'd go for the one with the best price.

thcri · Oct 14, 2005

( I have pretty much taken the New Holland Tz series off my list because it is more expensive and can not use the same amount of potential attachments as the other tractors.
Thanks again for any help.
Kurt )

As far as it being overkill for 1/2 acre, absolutely not. If you want one get it.

All of the above tractors will do the work you want, including the New Holland TZ series. I don't understand your statement as it not being able to do what the others can do. I beleive it can do anything the others can do.

If I was you, I would start looking at dealers and pricing. I think you will find most here put more emphasis in dealer than color or brand. Once you have a dealer you know you can trust and will take care of you after the sale, that is the brand I would go with. Which one do you feel the most comfortable on and yes your budget. To answer your question, all will work just fine. Options, Horsepower will dictate that time it takes to do a task.

murph

gamble77 · Oct 14, 2005

If you could post where you are located then that would help many of us give you and idea of whether or not the pricing you have recieved is in line...good luck shoping!

tracdoc · Oct 14, 2005

You may want to take a look at an alternative to the mainstream units. It's called the Power Trac {HERE} They are made in the USA (Tazewell, VA) by a company that has been making articulated mining equipment for years. These units are tough--- no plastic or flimsy sheet. They are made almost entirely of plate steel, and can withstand rugged use. Many of the smaller models are used daily by professional landscapers.

For projects of the type as you describe and 1/2 acre, one of the first three models (180, 422 or 425) could be a sweet fit. They have awesome quick-attach implements, and PT makes some 30+ attachemnts for most models. All the attachments go up front where you can see them as they are working-- just like a skid steer.

Check out the Power Trac Forum on TBN, too. You'll find a bunch of happy owners who have done some incredible projects with their machines.

Happy hunting!

Bricklin · Oct 14, 2005

Thanks for all the input, I am in Albany NY.

RedRocker · Oct 14, 2005

Buy the tractor you like then buy more land till it fits. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Seriously, a good dealer is more important than brand usually, if it's a tossup, go with the dealer you like.

44trxfun · Oct 14, 2005

Sounds like you're getting good advice here. I've had my Massey GC2300 for a little over two years. No problems with it, but check my posts for a little of my "buyers remorse"--most (but not all) not the usual type but the type that comes from not thinking of all the things I'd want to do with it. Time after time, I wish I'd gotten something with a backhoe. At that time, the GC2310 wasn't out. Good luck, and feel free to PM me if you have any specific questions about the GC2300.

frank_f15 · Oct 14, 2005

have you actually sat on the seats and tried them out? best to do so then pick the one that fits you est. they are all good machines.

jim_wilson · Oct 15, 2005

The first thing that I would recommend doing is to try and come up with a good list of exactly what you plan on doing to the property and what attachments on the tractor you think you will need to do each one. For instance you can pretty much guarantee that you will want a loader on the tractor. But if you are thinking of planting trees (IE digging holes) you could accomplish that with either a post hole digger - or a backhoe. Putting in any drainage ditches - you would need a backhoe. You mentioned putting in a patio - are you in an area that has big rocks? If so you will want a backhoe to get the rocks out of the ground - the FEL will not always work.

Like you I also have just a 1/2 acre lot - last year I bought a Kubota BX23, and I have used the tractor a LOT since then. I have put in a new driveway and this summer's project was to dig out a foundation hole to put in a new garage. So far I have about 330 hours on the tractor. I have also used it for clearing the snow of the driveway last winter (we got a lot), digging a pit to put in a slab for a set of new front steps, digging up a number of stumps from trees we cut down (backhoe job),and digging some trenches for drainage. I even used the backhoe to bury one of our pets who passed away this spring.

Like you I have gone the rental route before and decided against because my time is limited and the rental costs add up quickly if you can't use the equipment to it's full capacity while you have it. In my opinion you should consider what I believe to be the top three in the SubCUT line:

Kubota
John Deere
Massey Ferguson

If you think you want a backhoe the Kubota BX23 and the Massey GC2310 are the only ones that come from the factory with a backhoe attachment. You can get a John Deere 2305 and put a Woods Groundbreaker backhoe on it and get a very similar setup with equal capacity and convienience of changeover. I am a little bit biased for the BX because I have one but when I went looking I seriously considered the GC2310. For me the JD 2210 was out because there was no backhoe available at the time. The JD 2305 (2210 replacement) has one big advantage over the other SubCUT's that you might conside - the FEL bucket has a quick attach feature on it. What this means is that you can swap a set of forklift arms, a snow plow, different buckets, etc. onto the FEL instead of being stuck with just the standard bucket. The other SubCUT's do not have this. If you can wait for a little while Kubota is also coming out with the latest updates to the BX line. There is a new BX1850 and a new BX24 in the works - updates include curved loader arms, increased capacities, a curved backhoe boom on the BX24, industrial tires will be available now, etc.

I never had a tractor before either and I did not grow up around them - keep posting your questions here, you will learn a lot.

jpr62902 · Oct 15, 2005

The subCUT class of tractors is probably where you find the most parity among brands. Each one has a small advantage or two over the others in different areas, so it's just a matter of putting your butt in the seat of each one available to you and figuring out which is the best fit for you. Of course, you also need to balance that with dealer and price considerations. Unless you get a lemon (not likely) or have an obnoxious dealer, you will most likely be very happy with the performance of any of these units.

JimMorrissey · Oct 15, 2005

( it forces you to be on a set time frame to complete tasks. )

This might be a good thing /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

BX would be a good choice if you don't mind the $$. Sure makes for an amazing lawn mower when you're done with your project. You could negotiate the deck price as a package and buy it when your project it complete.

JimMorrissey · Oct 15, 2005

BX24 sounds like an awesome little unit. I'd wait and see what it looks like and see how it's priced before you buy anything.

TCBoomer · Oct 15, 2005

I'll throw in my .02 worth...something else to consider no matter what you buy.

Since this is your first Cut/SCut purchase, don't just assume that it will be your last. Once the tractor/implement bug bites you, you'll want more...like a bigger machine or maybe even a smaller one. Just buy what will suit the tasks you want to do now. It sounds like a FEL and BH are going to be part of your needs. Once you have them, you'll be suprised at how many things you CAN & WILL do with them.

Whatever you do decide to buy, enjoy it and learn from it. You may only have a 1/2 acre...So What!! You can always sell or trade it after your major work is done. All of the rigs you mentioned are good, you'll be fine with any of them. Just don't let price alone be the determining factor. No different than Snap On or Craftsman tools... they both will do the job, but one might have more bells & whistles than the other.

Good luck

RalphVa · Oct 18, 2005

When I was looking almost exactly a year ago, JD prices on their web site were up around $12k for the 2210 and 4010. Got a new 4010 for a little less than $10k. A 2210 was $300 more. A 4110 (takes a BH) was $2k more.

Love my 4010. Got nearly 100 hours on it now.

Ralph

Bricklin · Oct 18, 2005

Thanks for all the responses, I believe I will be trying to get a BH and a loader with the tractor I purchase. Since nobody seems to particular I am probably going to look seriously at the Cub 5234 since the dealer seems excellent and the price is better for the same or better specs. The Kubota's FEL weight capacity seems to be much lower than everybody else or that might be the front runner. I believe I am going to basically go to each of the 5 dealers and let them know whoever gets me below 15K will get my business. Not sure if that is realistic or not, but I believe it to be a fair price for the equipment I will be getting.

Thanks Again! I will post later and let you know what I ended up getting.

tracdoc · Oct 19, 2005

Please....Don't dismiss the Power Trac just yet. At least go to the Power Trac forum here on TBN. You can see a list of owners in your State {HERE}

If you send 'em a PM, I'm certain any of the owners would be happy to show you their machine. My neighbors, all with mainstream CUTs, are incredulous as to the versatility and capabilities of the PT machines.

kevincook · Oct 19, 2005

Bricklin,

Welcome to TBN. I have just two comments for your consideration. First, when selecting a machine you are probably better to err on the side of too big than too small. There are many stories of new owners wanting larger machines after they figure out what they can do with them. There are a few owners that wish they bought a smaller machine but there are many more that wish they bought a bigger machine. The second thing to consider is resale value. Depending on what is most popular in your area some brands will have better resale than others. Around here the JD and Kubota machines have better resale values, in your area it may be different. New Holland would be third, the Cub Cadet resale values would be lower here. So if your looking at the total cost to own then the least expensive machine may not be the least cost.

Good Luck,
Kevin

P.S. Above all else, find a GREAT dealer. It will be worth it.

Bricklin · Oct 19, 2005

Kevin,

Thanks for the post. Definitely some stuff to think about. I would just get the Kubota, but it looks like the specs on the loader are beaten easily with the Massey or the JD. It probably will be between those 3 with Massey at the top because of the dealer here. The Kubota dealer is let say unattentive to be nice. The Massey dealer really went through every aspect of the purchase and the different specs that I should be considering. Every other dealer basically just took me out to the one tractor on the lot and said here it is, any questions? Just does not feel like they really care if they get my business, and the funny thing is that the Massey dealer is the largest of all of them and sells the most large equipment. You would think out of anybody that they would not really care.

Again thanks to everyone that posted, it is making my decision easier, and making think of many things I probably would not have on my own.

One other thing. The massey has the single toggle type peddle and the others have 2 pedals, one for forward one for reverse. Since I won't be able to get a feel for it before I buy does anybody have an opinion? Thanks

73jeep · Oct 19, 2005

I just talked to a dealer yesterday that sells both Kubota and Massey. He personally likes the Massey better. He gave an interesting example that he shows people. He starts up both the BX23 and the GC2310 side by side and has the throttle all the way back to idle. With both tractors at (lowest rpm) idle speed the Kubota won't lift the loader, and the Massey picks it straight up. I don't know if this means anything or not about capabilities, just thought it might be an interesting point to consider.
Another thing, the MF GC2300/2310 is rated @ 2600rpm compared to other SubCUT's 3000rpm.
Also consider the AGCO-allis ST22a, as it is the same tractor as MFGC2300.