Buying Advice Tractor choice? Share your wisdom!

[JeepHead]

Personally, I would look at the Kubota Grand L 6060 or the MX6000 over the JD.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

That's a little disingenuous. They have adapters they sell. Those add weight and length, robbing you of more capacity if you use them.

And that is no different than any other utility tractor. The SSQA robs lifting capacity from them all vs a direct pin on attachment.
That is one of the pluses of the JD QA, it robs less capacity. There is always a trade-off of some type, no matter what you choose. JD just gives you more choices.

 

[IndyIan]

That's pretty much my tractor job list too for my 100 acres. 1/4 mile hilly gravel driveway and we get 4x5 rounds which may get to 900lbs? I don't have any issue with them at all, even the odd time one is frozen to the ground, but on side slopes I do want some decent ballast on the back if I'm lifting them much off the ground. A big wide heavy grapple would be too much for my tractor though.
If you aren't plowing fields or needing 50-60-70 pto hp, maybe had a look at the biggest HST tractor in your favorite colours. I pull a 1100lb 7' box blade, but another 1-2000lbs of tractor would require less planning to use it well. The HST is nice for doing tight or odd delicate jobs, but my place is all slopes so I am always going slow and wiggling through tight spots. Depending on your woods and trails, a bigger tractor maybe hinderance, but a trip through the trails with a polesaw every year can solve that.

The 5 series Deere's are still made in India, don't know how the latest ones are, but in the early 2010's I found there was lots of them for sale used quite cheap with only 50-250 hrs on them as I don't think they quite lived up to what some people expected for a Deere, but the new ones may be much different? Try a few anyways, $60k should buy something pretty nice!

 

[Torvy]

And that is no different than any other utility tractor. The SSQA robs lifting capacity from them all vs a direct pin on attachment.
That is one of the pluses of the JD QA, it robs less capacity. There is always a trade-off of some type, no matter what you choose. JD just gives you more choices.

Nope. To get SSQA, you have the JDQA, plus another add-on. Not the same as others who use SSQA. You can get adapters to go SSQA to JD, too.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

Nope. To get SSQA, you have the JDQA, plus another add-on. Not the same as others who use SSQA. You can get adapters to go SSQA to JD, too.

Soooo, this SSQA is connected to the proprietary JD quick hitch?

I can't make it out. The picture is of a JD 5075e.
Maybe on the smaller tractors?

 

[KenBike]

If thinking Kubota
If you want Hydrostatic get the L6060 over MX series, add 3 rear remote with Hyd top link and a third function valve on the loader for a grapple. R4 tire with 180 lb of weight in each tire, no fluid filling the rears it will ride terrible if you fill them.

If gears go with M7060 HD with the 12 speed transmission same options and tire R4 or tractor lug.

A interesting third option for gear is a M5-111 low profile. It can be fitted with loader and tire choices are R4, tractor lug, or my pick flotation lug. This tractor is wider than the others and low so it fits under trees, easy to climb on and off and the best option for slopes. I have a L6060 and thinking of trading for the M5-111 narrow because of the slopes on my land. This tractor has a great transmission and could easily pull a 12 or 15 ft mower. My choice would be a 12 ft batwing woods mower not so heavy as a 15 and cuts my 15 ac horse pasture in a few hours and does an excellent job.

If Deere look at the 5 series.

 

[kneedeep]

Any brand you are comfortable with in a utility machine 50-60 hp size would be easy to fit with proper sized equipment.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Frankly, both brands are overpriced, IMHO, but it's your money we're spending, not mine.

One thing to consider, the JD has its proprietary loader connector. That reduces your options on front end attachments. Fewer options tends to add cost for the same utility.

It's NOT proprietary to Deere, it's the "Euro mount" and it's much stronger.

I have tractors with that mount (not deere) and the tools haven't been any harder to get, and when I do get them, like my pallet forks, they are ones rated to carry heavier loads.

SR

 

[Milo]

Nope. To get SSQA, you have the JDQA, plus another add-on. Not the same as others who use SSQA. You can get adapters to go SSQA to JD, too.

Deere offers the adapter to add to give you SSQA, but since it adds more weight and moves it out a bit I opted for actual SSQA ends that replace the Deere Quick Attach. Deere offers this as well.

 

[fishheadbob]

Whenever someone asks opinions about a tractor purchase, in this case a Deere or a Kubota, there are always guys who say " You really should get whatever I just bought..." which is never a Deere or Kubota. Good that the responder is content with his purchase, but to me it's as much a case of "tell me I made the right choice in buying this Nortrac or whatever junk" than an answer to the original poster.

 

[wolc123]

Unless you get a John Deere, you will always be left with regrets, and a feeling of wanting or “what might have been”. That said, I have owned several other brands, and still have a couple (a Ford and an IH). The best thing those other brands have and still give me, is more appreciation for John Deere.

 

[kneedeep]

I have owned John Deere , yellow & green, several Fords, Long (loved Perkins motor), IH, CaseIH and Mahindra.
I like the Mahindras as much as any of them. I bought them to do some work, and work they did.
Established dealership is very important as well.

 

[EddieWalker]

I have Deere, Case, New Holland, Century and Massey Ferguson. They all have their place, and none of them where bought based on what brand they are. I bought based on price, features, and what I needed to get done.

I like the 5065E Deere. It's 2wd, open station, manual transmission. I hate the gearing on it. Three speed with a three way splitter. None of the gears are right, it's either too low or too high. I leave it in mid range and use first or second gear the most, but neither is right. I do like the parking brake feature being in the gear box!!! I didn't think I would, but moving round bales around, it's really easy to lock it in Park when getting off to open and close gates. Having said that, I doubt that I would buy another Deere.

As mentioned before, the Massey is my newest tractor, and it's night and day nicer then anything else that I've seen out there. More features, bigger tractor, heavier and best of all, it cost less then the other big name brands.

Kubota is the brand that I've always thought of as number one in small tractors, but every time I go to the dealer, I walk away disappointed. I'm sure it's a great tractor, but there are other brands with more features for a lot less money with the same HP.

 

[hayden]

And that is no different than any other utility tractor. The SSQA robs lifting capacity from them all vs a direct pin on attachment.
That is one of the pluses of the JD QA, it robs less capacity. There is always a trade-off of some type, no matter what you choose. JD just gives you more choices.

I think there is a little more too this. I'm not an expert by any means, but I have been looking pretty hard at tractors in this range and a bit above.

My understanding is that Deere has 3 different loader attachments, or "carriers" as they call them.

On smaller tractors (I think 4000 series and smaller) they have a proprietary carrier as others have said. If you want SSQA, you have to get an intermediate adapter that pushes the attachment forward several inches and reduces load capacity.

On the 5000 series, the loaders are available with your choice of carrier, so you can get Deere proprietary, SSQA, or Euro/Global standard. Your choice doesn't impact the loader's capacity.

If you get into bigger loaders, I think they start to be available only in Euro/Global because that's the stongest mechanically so can be used with larger loaders. I'm not sure exactly where the transition point is for Deere's offerings. I have only looked closely at the 5000 series loaders.

Massey is similar for the 4700 models, offering your choice of SSQA or Euro coupler. However I discovered that the loader for the 5700 models is Euro only. If you want SSQA, you have to install a 4700 series loader at reduced capacity compared to the normal 5700 loader. This killed the 5700 for me.

 

[Milo]

I think there is a little more too this. I'm not an expert by any means, but I have been looking pretty hard at tractors in this range and a bit above.

My understanding is that Deere has 3 different loader attachments, or "carriers" as they call them.

On smaller tractors (I think 4000 series and smaller) they have a proprietary carrier as others have said. If you want SSQA, you have to get an intermediate adapter that pushes the attachment forward several inches and reduces load capacity.

Just to be clear that is not the case. If you want SSQA on a Deere 3 or 4 series (probably others too) you don't have to use an intermediate adapter, that is just one option. I considered that, but for the reasons you mention I chose the other option which was to fit mine with Deere SSQA carriers.

 

[Williy]

Just for your peace of mind I would sujest that you try out
a Yanmar Yt359C

• 58.9 horsepower
• 2,500 lbs front lift capacity
• Cab with heat & air
• the transmission is like two tranys in one
• 10 year warranty
• now have rebates

willy

 

[jyoutz]

Just for your peace of mind I would sujest that you try out
a Yanmar Yt359C


View attachment 1610023

• 58.9 horsepower
• 2,500 lbs front lift capacity
• Cab with heat & air
• the transmission is like two tranys in one
• 10 year warranty
• now have rebates

willy

Willy, the OP said that he had only JD and Kubota dealers in his area.

 

[wolc123]

Willy, the OP said that he had only JD and Kubota dealers in his area.

Well at least he will get a Yanmar engine if he goes with a small enough Deere.

 

[EddieWalker]

My 5065E Deere has the Deere type loader, my Massey and New Holland have the Quick Attach system.

The Deere has a bucket and hay spears, but the bucket is so small that I never use it. I just keep the hay spears on it since that's the main use for the tractor.

For the Massey and New Holland, I have buckets, hay spear, pallet forks and a grapple. So far, I haven't installed the parts needed to use the grapple on the Massey. I'm not sure if I will, it's just a matter of spending the money, but the loader on the New Holland is so much stronger then the others, that I don't see the need. Same with the bucket, the New Holland has the biggest bucket, so that's what I use when moving dirt.

Having both systems may seem odd, but since the tractors are for different uses, it's not an issue with what to attach to them.

The best thing is being able to remove what's on the loader when mowing. Not having anything on there is so much nicer when going through the woods, down trails, and even out in the open areas.