Selecting tractor size for vegetable farming with greenhouses

[farmerarty]

Hi all - this is my first post, thanks for giving it a read and helping out! :cool2:

We own and operate a small-scale vegetable farm in Ontario, Canada and are in the market for a tractor to help us with farming tasks and property maintenance. The property is 7 acres, fairly flat with no wooded areas and we farm on 1.5 acres of that with a couple of large 30x100' greenhouses. I've never owned a tractor before (we currently do all our farming tasks with a walk-behind BCS) and I'm struggling with what size and HP of tractor to buy with the wide range of tasks we need it to do and for getting in and out of greenhouses.

These are the tasks we're looking to do with the tractor:

• tillage in fields and greenhouses
• 400' gravel driveway maintenance
• under-cutting root vegetables in clay soil using cutter bar
• moving and turning compost
• vegetable bed-shaping
• re-grading land/soil
• brush-hogging 2-3 acres of tall weeds/grasses
• clear snow from driveway in winter months

In terms of implements we're looking for: tiller, box blade, under-cutter bar, bed-shaping discs, FEL, forks, bush-hog

With everything listed above, what size tractor (HP and frame/weight) would you recommend? I worry about getting too big of a frame as I'll need it to be fairly nimble for maneuvering in the greenhouses. Any suggestions? So far I've been looking at Kubota (L2501 HST) and Kioti (CK2510 HST) as they seem to be smaller in size but am open to other brands and sizes as well. Will those be enough HP for what I'm looking to do?

I appreciate any help and advice you can give. Thanks in advance.

 

[Egon]

I’d suggest a field try to see if the disk & cutter bar can be pulled easily.

 

[jeff9366]

Buckeye Tractor in Ohio, USA, makes a large variety of dedicated vegetable implements.
Buckeye's web catalog makes power requirements pretty clear.

BUCKEYE TRACTOR: Buckeye Tractor Co -- Online

 

[jeff9366]

So far I've been looking at Kubota (L2501 HST) and Kioti (CK2510 HST) as they seem to be smaller in size but am open to other brands and sizes as well. Will those be enough HP for what I'm looking to do?

Both these compact tractors have good reputations, ground clearance and good tractor weight for your tasks.

Most of your applications involve PULLING implements.
You will probably want R1/ag tires all around, with the rear tires filled with liquid or possibly year-around chains rather than liquid filled rear tires. Chains can be rubber or steel. Possibly tire ballast AND chains.

Your three engine power-hungry applications are:

• brush-hogging 2-3 acres of tall weeds/grasses
• vegetable bed-shaping
  [*]under-cutting root vegetables in clay soil using cutter bar

Three acres will not take long to mow with a 60" Rotary Cutter.
If you had 10-15 acres to mow I would recommend a 72" Rotary Cutter and a 39 to 45 horsepower tractor.

I have no experience shaping vegetable beds. Refer to Buckeye Tractor recommendations.
Buckeye Tractor Online Catalog Page 03-06 Bed Shapers

I have no experience with Bed Lifters. Refer to Buckeye Tractor recommendations.
Buckeye Tractor Online Catalog Page 16-02 Rippers-Bed Lifters

 

[Roadworthy]

Kioti and Kubota are both good choices. I have a Kubota L2501 - the dealer is about twenty miles away. The Kioti dealer is 130 miles or so. I'm quite pleased with my purchase - I maintain ten acres.

 

[RalphVa]

Jeff's usually really good, but I beg to differ with him on this. You have to be careful of taking the bull into the china shop.

I had a JD 4010 (like a JD 2019E, if they made them today) as my first tractor with turf tires. It was a real bear doing snow work and would pull an old JD soil ripper with the tines pretty much dunked in soil. I tore up my big garden that I had at that time. Could hit the turning brake and spin it around to the next row(s) at the end of each row, too. It's about a 1200 (raw tractor) # tractor. I had an FEL on it, which added another probably 400# and filled rear tires with wiper fluid. Plenty of traction and power for what you want to do, e.g. more like a Kubota B2301.

I put some big opposed discs onto the soil ripper bar in place of the tines and did raised rows. Would be very much like your row shaping you want to do. Pictures attached.

Ralph

 

[farmerarty]

Three acres will not take long to mow with a 60" Rotary Cutter.
If you had 10-15 acres to mow I would recommend a 72" Rotary Cutter and a 39 to 45 horsepower tractor.

Thanks for the Buckeye links - those are very helpful and they aren't too far from me either.

In terms of the rotary cutter, are you saying the tractors I mentioned (L2501 and CK2510) have sufficient HP for a 60" rotary cutter?

Based on what Buckeye is saying, a bed lifter may require more HP though - so I'll have to weigh my options there. I'm hesitant to go with a bigger tractor due to maneuverability for turning around in my small fields and the greenhouses. I saw in another forum someone mention the Kubota B2601 and it has decent ground clearance (12.8) and is a bit shorter in length (94.9) compared to the larger framed ones I mentioned (106-109 length and 13.4 ground clearance).

Could anyone tell me if the B2601 would be a good fit for what I'm looking for?

Also - I noticed the Kioti CK2501 only has two ranges compared to the Kubota's having three, would this be a critical difference for my applications?

Thanks!

 

[farmerarty]

Those opposed discs are likely what I'll be going with for "bed shaping". Thanks for the pics.

Can you explain the concept of liquid filled tires to me? This is a foreign concept to me. Is it just for added weight on the back of the tractor? Would this be needed no matter what type of tire I go with? I was leaning towards Ag tires on the front and back.

 

[jeff9366]

farmerarty

In terms of the rotary cutter, are you saying the tractors I mentioned (L2501 and CK2510) have sufficient HP for a 60" rotary cutter?

Yes. Enough power for a light to medium duty RC cutting dry grass to 30" high.

Not enough power for longer dry grass without cutting in 1/2 swathes. Not enough power for wet, heavy grass. Not enough power for brush, which will pound a light duty RC.

L3301 and L3901 are same tractor as L2501 but with more horsepower and addition of Tier IV emission controls.

Based on what Buckeye is saying, a bed lifter may require more HP though - so I'll have to weigh my options there. I'm hesitant to go with a bigger tractor due to maneuverability for turning around in my small fields and the greenhouses.

L3301 and L3901 are same tractor as L2501 but with more horsepower and addition of Tier IV emission controls.

The small front wheels of tractors and non-existence of restrictive fenders allow tractors to turn very sharply. Kubota uses higher cost beveled steering gears in its compact tractors so Kubotas turn sharper still. (I do not know about Kioti, other than Kioti's high reputation here.) I have been operating tractors 250 - 300 engine hours per year for eight years. I remain amazed at how maneuverable compact tractors are.

I suggest making a telephone call to Buckeye tractor. BT knows their equipment better than anyone else. You know your conditions better than anyone else. Get together. You won't find that optimal combination here, as much as contributors try to help.

In another forum someone mention the Kubota B2601 and it has decent ground clearance (12.8) and is a bit shorter in length (94.9) compared to the larger framed ones I mentioned (106-109 length and 13.4 ground clearance).

Could anyone tell me if the B2601 would be a good fit for what I'm looking for?

Tough to answer. You know your conditions better than any of us. I suggest researching the Kubota B2650 as well as the B2601. Pose your question to Buckeye Tractor.

VIDEOS (2): Kubota B-Series vs Standard L1 Series - YouTube
Kubota B261 VS Kubota B265 - YouTube

Also - I noticed the Kioti CK2501 only has two ranges compared to the Kubota's having three, would this be a critical difference for my applications?

Yes. From what you have posted you REQUIRE the lower-low of a three (3) range HST transmission.
Kioti makes a competitive model with a three range HST.

For maneuvering in your greenhouses and HST transmission is the only choice. One slip with a L2501 clutch and gear and you could knock down the structure in one heartbeat.


Have you browsed Kubota/Canada's web site?

LINK: Kubota | Tractors - Sub-compact, Utility, Agriculture, Compact Tractors | Kubota Canada

 

[jeff9366]

Here is another multi-purpose garden implement option.

Tractor 3 Point hitch Garden Bedder raised bed making attachment

VIDEO: everything attachments videos garden - YouTube


And another:
Keulavator™ Frame, 3-Point Cultivator

Braber in Canada:
Braber Equipment - Whole Goods

General Implement Survey:
https://www.lsuagcenter.com/~/media...aa214276e14dacb/pub2917tractorimplements1.pdf