Newbie needs a tractor

[Kevin 73]

My fiance and I are about to purchase a new (to us) house on a 3.6 acre lot in Denison TX. I will also be moving my part of the family business into the outbuilding on the property, which will sometimes require a forklift for unloading and loading pallets from freight trucks.

I will need a tractor for mowing, moving rock/dirt, repair/maintenance of the gravel driveway, and to double as a forklift to move pallets (up to ~1000 lbs). I would rather stick with a mid mount mower deck since I will be mowing around fences, driveways, flower beds, and a pond.
I also think I will probably have to buy a rear forklift attachment like this to handle the weight of the pallets:
(Sorry, I haven't reached my 3 post limit to post links)

I have been researching equipment on the internet, and have narrowed my choices down to either the Kubota B series, or John Deere 2 or 3 series. Hoping to find something used rather than brand new, I'd rather not finance if I can avoid it.

Am I on the right track?
Any suggestions will be appreciated.

Thanks

 

[cat fever]

I don't know to much about the tractors you mentioned, I have a kioti.

But welcome to the forum.

 

[Kevin 73]

I don't know to much about the tractors you mentioned, I have a kioti.

But welcome to the forum.

Thank you.

 

[jbrumberg]

Kevin- Welcome to TBN!!!!

You are on the right path. From what your posted needs I would think a B series Kubota ~30HP should meet your needs.

There are a lot of Kubota and JD owning members who can be of greater help than this smurf blue tractor owner/operator.

Good Luck.

 

[Kevin 73]

Kevin- Welcome to TBN!!!!

You are on the right path. From what your posted needs I would think a B series Kubota ~30HP should meet your needs.

There are a lot of Kubota and JD owning members who can be of greater help than this smurf blue tractor owner/operator.

Good Luck.

Thanks, I am leaning towards a Kubota. Several people have told me that the Kubota are a better choice than JD for under 40hp tractors. Plus, I like orange better than green.

 

[Kevin 73]

This is the forklift attachment that I think I would need:
TX79 3-Point Forklift by CM • Tractor Tools Direct

 

[cat fever]

Unless you need to go straight up/down that seems like overkill to me. Why not get pallet forks for the tractor FEL? I have Titan's 42" that work great. But, I also have a self leveling loader.

 

[daugen]

From what you describe I would look for a used L series Kubota with a FEL, don't think a B series will pick up that weight safely.
A self leveling FEL would be perfect, you don't have to look behind you to operate the tractor, suggest you pick a tractor (tractordata.com is a great guide) with 50 percent more lift capacity than you expect, and make sure you have rear tires filled plus rear ballast. Alternatively, you would have to add a lot of suitcase weights up front on your tractor to balance out a heavy rear load with that fancy fork lift attachment.

Most folks here have found that buying a separate lawn mower/zero turn works out better than trying to get a do everything tractor that also mows. You may like the simplicity of one machine but functionally, a separate lawn mower usually results in a happier owner.
I also suggest you get a model with a hydrostatic transmission for doing loader work, less jerky and much easier learning curve.
Good luck and welcome to the forum.

 

[Tractorable]

1000lb FEL lifts + B series = not a good idea

Recommend 2500lb+ bare tractor weight with loaded rear tires and counterweight. Kubota L series, Kioti CK series, Yanmar YT2 series are all good options and provide the weight you need.

Recommend separate mower for the lawn; cheaper, faster, and non-proprietary.

 

[Kevin 73]

The pallets I will be moving will be stacked with IT equipment (routers/switches), and the packing/strapping on the pallet(s) is often just barely adequate for riding in the truck. They need to be held as perfectly level as possible to avoid damage. My plan for ballast was to load the FEL bucket with ballast when needing to lift heavy pallets (probably only 2 or 3 times a month). A separate mower is out of the question. I can justify one or the other to the fiance, not both.