New Purchase

[blue9steel]

Weight and engine power.
I’m actually going to recommend you take a loo at the MX as it’s larger size will help with stability in your terrain, it is larger than the L but not really taller so you’ll also have more stability there, and if you plan on feeding rounds or large squares you’ll have way more confidence moving and stacking with the weight of the MX and the 1065 (~2300lb capacity) fell than you will with the L and it’s 525 (~1100lb capacity). Just because it will lift an object doesn’t mean it won’t prematurely wear out carrying it around and bouncing through a field or down a dirt road.

The MX is certainly a bad ass tractor, but I priced it out and it just doesn't make sense for my budget. We're only planning to have three or perhaps four horses here at the most so realistically we can feed using a two wheel wheelbarrow without too much effort.

I need a tractor, no question since I don't want to use wheelbarrow and shovel to move gravel. That's the biggest must have, but even the ability to move a single wheelbarrow worth in the bucket at a time is plenty of capacity there. (500lbs or so). I think it'll be more cost effective to maintain the driveway myself instead of hiring that out since I already need a tractor for gravel. I need a mower for sure, and bundling that with the tractor seems to make sense given I've got about 2 acres worth of mowing to do. Something like 4 acres worth of pasture.

I am interested in stability on the hillside and making sure I have enough power going uphill. That was the main reason I decided the BX series was likely not the right choice.

Some pictures below to show size and slope. Even more detail here: https://www.redfin.com/OR/St-Helens/32503-Pittsburg-Rd-97051/home/25965190

 

[Cahaba Valley Farm]

The MX is certainly a bad ass tractor, but I priced it out and it just doesn't make sense for my budget. We're only planning to have three or perhaps four horses here at the most so realistically we can feed using a two wheel wheelbarrow without too much effort.

I need a tractor, no question since I don't want to use wheelbarrow and shovel to move gravel. That's the biggest must have, but even the ability to move a single wheelbarrow worth in the bucket at a time is plenty of capacity there. (500lbs or so). I think it'll be more cost effective to maintain the driveway myself instead of hiring that out since I already need a tractor for gravel. I need a mower for sure, and bundling that with the tractor seems to make sense given I've got about 2 acres worth of mowing to do. Something like 4 acres worth of pasture.

I am interested in stability on the hillside and making sure I have enough power going uphill. That was the main reason I decided the BX series was likely not the right choice.

Some pictures below to show size and slope. Even more detail here: https://www.redfin.com/OR/St-Helens/32503-Pittsburg-Rd-97051/home/25965190

View attachment 741562

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It's really interesting to me to see the differences in the way houses are built in other parts of the country. There are no houses out here in my part of the country that look like that. Everything is different and has it's own style and personality.

As far as what you think you will need, it seems to me that you already have a pretty good handle on it. Maybe at this point the best thing for you to do is to pay your nearest dealer a visit and demo some tractors. Show him these pictures of your property as well and see what he says. Let us know if we can be of any further help and report back what you decide to go with.

 

[tradosaurus]

The MX is certainly a bad ass tractor, but I priced it out and it just doesn't make sense for my budget. We're only planning to have three or perhaps four horses here at the most so realistically we can feed using a two wheel wheelbarrow without too much effort.

Originally you stated:

Money is flexible. I can afford whatever I decide on, but it's only six acres, no need to go crazy. I'd prefer to finance rather than pay cash for such a large purchase. My day job is incredibly busy so I'm planning to buy all new. I don't have a lot of time to spend wrenching on something used, at least not right away.

Which is the reason we are finding it so easy to spend your money.

The suggestion to test drive a few models is probably what will decide for you and your wife the size of tractor you will purchase.

I would also suggest having the Kubota salesman go through the process of removing and installing a Mid mount mower to see if that will even be a consideration.

 

[2manyrocks]

IMO, let your lawnmower be a lawnmower and your tractor be a tractor.

Test driving at the dealership might be somewhat helpful, but how is that tractor going to work grading your driveway or moving a manure pile? The important question is how it will serve your intended use.

If you have no prior tractor experience, have you considered renting a unit for a day to try at your new place before you commit to a large purchase?

 

[blue9steel]

Which is the reason we are finding it so easy to spend your money.

The suggestion to test drive a few models is probably what will decide for you and your wife the size of tractor you will purchase.

I would also suggest having the Kubota salesman go through the process of removing and installing a Mid mount mower to see if that will even be a consideration.

Fair point. I could buy an MX if I really wanted one but I don't think it would be a good use of funds, lots of other stuff to buy around here. The tractor itself is reasonable but when you throw in implements it got over $70k. Not mention I was already in sticker shock over the smaller sizes given that I've never bought a tractor before. I was just trying to point out that it's not going to be a "work" tractor in any sense of the word. Also, I need to park the darn thing somewhere so that's a consideration. Haven't really got a clue what I'm doing yet, just doing a lot of reading and watching videos. I've basically been thinking what's the smallest tractor that would do the job, then go one size larger. I appreciate all the feedback.

Can someone explain how I should be thinking about stability given the slope? Is that just a factor of weight and wheel base or is there more going on there?

 

[sea2summit]

The MX is certainly a bad ass tractor, but I priced it out and it just doesn't make sense for my budget. We're only planning to have three or perhaps four horses here at the most so realistically we can feed using a two wheel wheelbarrow without too much effort.

I need a tractor, no question since I don't want to use wheelbarrow and shovel to move gravel. That's the biggest must have, but even the ability to move a single wheelbarrow worth in the bucket at a time is plenty of capacity there. (500lbs or so). I think it'll be more cost effective to maintain the driveway myself instead of hiring that out since I already need a tractor for gravel. I need a mower for sure, and bundling that with the tractor seems to make sense given I've got about 2 acres worth of mowing to do. Something like 4 acres worth of pasture.

I am interested in stability on the hillside and making sure I have enough power going uphill. That was the main reason I decided the BX series was likely not the right choice.

Some pictures below to show size and slope. Even more detail here: https://www.redfin.com/OR/St-Helens/32503-Pittsburg-Rd-97051/home/25965190

View attachment 741562

View attachment 741563

That's a nice looking place, yeah I'm not seeing 200' elevation change in those six acres but always hard to tell from pictures. If you have no intention of hauling rounds then a B or L is probably what you need. BX could work but it will be sooooooo slloooowwwww, it travels about walking speed so gonna take you a few minutes just to drive across your yard which is a real pain if your moving gravel or something 200 lbs at a time.

 

[sea2summit]

Originally you stated:


I would also suggest having the Kubota salesman go through the process of removing and installing a Mid mount mower to see if that will even be a consideration.

Two things I will never have for a tractor again, mid mount mower and rear finish mower. Such slow/painful/not that great of a cut mowing.

 

[sea2summit]

Fair point. I could buy an MX if I really wanted one but I don't think it would be a good use of funds, lots of other stuff to buy around here. The tractor itself is reasonable but when you throw in implements it got over $70k. Not mention I was already in sticker shock over the smaller sizes given that I've never bought a tractor before. I was just trying to point out that it's not going to be a "work" tractor in any sense of the word. Also, I need to park the darn thing somewhere so that's a consideration. Haven't really got a clue what I'm doing yet, just doing a lot of reading and watching videos. I've basically been thinking what's the smallest tractor that would do the job, then go one size larger. I appreciate all the feedback.

Can someone explain how I should be thinking about stability given the slope? Is that just a factor of weight and wheel base or is there more going on there?

Tractors are very unstable on anything other than level ground, the center of gravity is very high compared to something like a car or four wheeler. Lots of folks have died in tractor rollovers (I don't think there is a modern tractor available without ROPS? Which I don't trust for a full roll over but maybe it would slow the tractor down enough from going all the way over you could escape). The narrower the tractor the worse it will be, especially if there are any potholes or obstacles, so you want a very wide stance for stability.

 

[blue9steel]

IMO, let your lawnmower be a lawnmower and your tractor be a tractor.

I've been thinking more in terms of a Swiss army knife given my limited needs.

Test driving at the dealership might be somewhat helpful, but how is that tractor going to work grading your driveway or moving a manure pile? The important question is how it will serve your intended use.

If you have no prior tractor experience, have you considered renting a unit for a day to try at your new place before you commit to a large purchase?

I hadn't, that's an interesting idea.

Pricing wise it seems like the B, LX and L are all within a reasonable range. The issue is that with the L I'd have to use a pull behind mower or buy a separate mowing machine. I'm not confident my tractor driving skills are sufficient to use something like a rotary cutter in the area around the house. If we throw in a separate mowing machine then the total package price goes up.

 

[2manyrocks]

There are many factors that come into play when trying to use a tractor on a slope. One thing that can kill you quickly is having a load in the front bucket high in the air on the wrong slope. You also have varying terrain under each of your wheels which can radically affect the stability of your tractor. NO quick turns on a slope. Don't go fast on a slope. This is not something to learn by trial and error.

There are a lot of threads here that go into more details. This is probably the #1 tractor safety issue you need to educate yourself about. #2 is to be extremely careful with the PTO because a spinning PTO can snag hair or clothing and rip off body parts in a second.

Happened to read an accident report study yesterday. They said that one of the problems is people in the accidents couldn't judge the severity of the slope they were trying to work on. They were actually worse at judging severe slopes.

None of us really know what slopes you actually have. There might be an app for your phone that will tell you the degree of slopes you have. Or you can buy a Husky digital level at Home Depot that works pretty well. 205999357

 

[Bill Guenthner]

Fair point. I could buy an MX if I really wanted one but I don't think it would be a good use of funds, lots of other stuff to buy around here. The tractor itself is reasonable but when you throw in implements it got over $70k. Not mention I was already in sticker shock over the smaller sizes given that I've never bought a tractor before. I was just trying to point out that it's not going to be a "work" tractor in any sense of the word. Also, I need to park the darn thing somewhere so that's a consideration. Haven't really got a clue what I'm doing yet, just doing a lot of reading and watching videos. I've basically been thinking what's the smallest tractor that would do the job, then go one size larger. I appreciate all the feedback.

Can someone explain how I should be thinking about stability given the slope? Is that just a factor of weight and wheel base or is there more going on there?

I was in exactly the situation you are now 14 years ago. There’s very few places on my property where it wouldn’t be easy to roll a tractor. A sub compact tractor is going to be more stable than a compact on the side of a hill. There’s all kinds of places I can go with my lawn tractor where my compact tractor would roll over. There’s nowhere that I can’t go with my zero turn mower, which has a very low center of gravity and a steering wheel so it sticks to very steep slopes. If I had a $30k budget and your property, I’d rather have a $20k tractor and a $10k Cub Cadet ZTR (which is what I use to keep up with 52+ acres) I mow with the mower, the tractor is for bush hogging, fixing the driveway, etc. A larger, more expensive tractor wouldn’t do anything that I can’t already do. I’m maintaining a nice looking property, I’m not logging, digging giant holes, etc. The ZTR will mow the roughest pasture imaginable as long as I don’t let it go completely, and if I do then I can bush hog it.

 

[2manyrocks]

Haven't priced the Kubota mid mount mowers, but my recollection is that a person could buy a
ZTR for the price of one of the JD MMMs.

 

[blue9steel]

That's a nice looking place, yeah I'm not seeing 200' elevation change in those six acres but always hard to tell from pictures.

Yeah, it doesn't really show in the Redfin pictures but it's definitely on a slope. The contour map I posted probably does a better job of showing it.

If you have no intention of hauling rounds then a B or L is probably what you need. BX could work but it will be sooooooo slloooowwwww, it travels about walking speed so gonna take you a few minutes just to drive across your yard which is a real pain if your moving gravel or something 200 lbs at a time.

No need to haul rounds, we don't use them. Gravel most definitely is in the plan though, going to be moving that frequently. If we do something huge like re-gravel the driveway I'll hire it out, but general mud abatement around the property I plan to do myself. The BX loader specs do seem pretty low but the B, LX & L all seem like they'd be more than capable.

 

[deezler]

6 acres is not tiny. Especially if the entirety of the property needs ongoing maintenance, like yours will. A lot of guys here with 5-10 acres really only have 2 acres of "yard" or hobby farm, myself included. And yet I needed a 35HP Kioti to get my own basic tasks done.

Your driveway is long and steep. Looks like a majority of it is actually easement through your neighbors property, but surely they dont want to maintain it for you. If you get an atmospheric river of rain, you'll have some serious re-grading to do.

A B or BX series Kubota is going to leave you frustrated at times. An L seems smart to me. MX is a big ass machine - some people make it work for smaller lots/properties, but c'mon guys.

Are you dead set on Kubota? Lots of other brands out there.

 

[blue9steel]

Tractors are very unstable on anything other than level ground, the center of gravity is very high compared to something like a car or four wheeler. Lots of folks have died in tractor rollovers (I don't think there is a modern tractor available without ROPS? Which I don't trust for a full roll over but maybe it would slow the tractor down enough from going all the way over you could escape). The narrower the tractor the worse it will be, especially if there are any potholes or obstacles, so you want a very wide stance for stability.

That makes sense, any easy way to estimate which tractors are more stable than others? I've seen some folks talking about wheel spacers or filling the rear tires as possible mitigation.

 

[blue9steel]

Two things I will never have for a tractor again, mid mount mower and rear finish mower. Such slow/painful/not that great of a cut mowing.

What do you use instead, and how much area are you mowing?

 

[sea2summit]

That makes sense, any easy way to estimate which tractors are more stable than others? I've seen some folks talking about wheel spacers or filling the rear tires as possible mitigation.

Anything to add weight down low, since the tires are on the ground typically thats the easiest way. Tire weights are similar but the weight is slightly higher. Everyone talks spacers but not many talk adjusting the tires! Many tractors have adjustable tires, if you don't have to put it on a trailer or fit them through a gate there's not a good reason not to adjust them out. Once you add spacers you may or may not be within the design specs and could start to see premature wear on the machine...maybe.

 

[sea2summit]

What do you use instead, and how much area are you mowing?

I got my midmount when I had one acre and kept it until I had three acres. Got a big rear finish mower to do the Church's six acre parking lot. Don't have a lawn any more but I mow hundreds of acres a month during the summer...but that's with 9' disc mower for hay.

 

[blue9steel]

6 acres is not tiny. Especially if the entirety of the property needs ongoing maintenance, like yours will. A lot of guys here with 5-10 acres really only have 2 acres of "yard" or hobby farm, myself included. And yet I needed a 35HP Kioti to get my own basic tasks done.

About 4 acres of it are in Horse pasture, main task there is putting in gravel on the muddy spots, the horses do the rest.

Your driveway is long and steep. Looks like a majority of it is actually easement through your neighbors property, but surely they dont want to maintain it for you. If you get an atmospheric river of rain, you'll have some serious re-grading to do.

Yeah, it's an easement. They use the same driveway through most of the steep portion. In the past the owners shared that expense/work, but we bought this place and the other one is going up for sale shortly so we'll have to negotiate that with the new owners once they're moved in. So far rain hasn't seemed to damage it much but folks driving up either using 2WD or carrying a heavy load seem to chew it up some. It's more of a dirt road with gravel on it than a gravel drive so we're going to have a contractor come in later in the year and re-work it properly but it will still need maintenance.

A B or BX series Kubota is going to leave you frustrated at times. An L seems smart to me. MX is a big ass machine - some people make it work for smaller lots/properties, but c'mon guys.

Are you dead set on Kubota? Lots of other brands out there.

Not dead set on Kubota, but they are the only dealer in town, anything else is 45min+ away. I'd have to drive up to Longview, WA or down to Portland. Not impossible but since I don't have a preference it didn't seem like it mattered unless I go to the dealer and don't like them.

 

[blue9steel]

I was in exactly the situation you are now 14 years ago. There’s very few places on my property where it wouldn’t be easy to roll a tractor. A sub compact tractor is going to be more stable than a compact on the side of a hill. There’s all kinds of places I can go with my lawn tractor where my compact tractor would roll over. There’s nowhere that I can’t go with my zero turn mower, which has a very low center of gravity and a steering wheel so it sticks to very steep slopes. If I had a $30k budget and your property, I’d rather have a $20k tractor and a $10k Cub Cadet ZTR (which is what I use to keep up with 52+ acres) I mow with the mower, the tractor is for bush hogging, fixing the driveway, etc. A larger, more expensive tractor wouldn’t do anything that I can’t already do. I’m maintaining a nice looking property, I’m not logging, digging giant holes, etc. The ZTR will mow the roughest pasture imaginable as long as I don’t let it go completely, and if I do then I can bush hog it.

That's a great explanation thanks! I hadn't thought about it quite that way.