What To Get?

[IslandTractor]

My grandpa keeps telling me that the 3130 is too big for my needs, but I think thats because he wants me to get a smaller model with a backhoe attachment so he can dig a trench for water pipes.

Your Gramps is right. 2 acres is too small for any 30hp tractor. Even occasional use on a 5 acre foodplot could be done efficiently with a 20-25hp CUT. I'm using a 21hp CUT TLB (CK20) and find it more than adequate for pasture cutting and clearing on a 5 acre plot. Put the extra $$ towards the BH instead of unneeded horsepower.

 

[Croomrider]

Buy what YOU want, or you'll never be happy!

CR

 

[jbrumberg]

Croomrider:

Welcome to TBN ! I agree with you as to getting what you think/feel you need in order to be happy. There is a lot of "HP Envy" evidenced within TBN. I maintain the same hilly and obstructed 12.5 A's with a NH TC29DA (29HP/23+ PTO HP) and a White 1650 (16 HP) that I used to maintain with a Ford 1100(13/11) and the White. It now easier and quicker with the new tractor. I will add the the old Ford had a lower center of gravity (also less ground clearance) relative to the NH so it would handle slopes better. Jay

 

[Timber]

Well you can't blame a guy for wanting the 30 horse tractor. I personally feel if it is in your budget and you have a mind for it you'll be fine on your 2 acer spread. A Hoe is a great attachment when you need 1 but they are a lot of money

 

[indianaEPH]

So far I've got the following price quotes:

B7800HSD-F WITH R4 TIRES AND FOLDABLE ROPS IS $11799.00
LA402-1 LOADER IS $2700.00
B1617 60 BUCKET IS $425.00
FREE BLOCK HEATER
GRAND TOTAL IS $14924.00

L3400HST-F WITH R4 TIRES AND FOLDABLE ROPS IS $13699.00
LA463FL FRONT END LOADER WITH BUCKET IS $3149.00
FREE BLOCK HEATER
GRAND TOTAL IS $16848.00

SUPER SPECIAL ONLY ONE LEFT AT THIS PRICE SER 55329
L3130HST-F WITH R4 TIRES AND FOLDABLE ROPS IS $13999.00 SER 55329
LA723 LOADER WITH VALVE AND BUCKET IS $3799.00
DEDUCT ANOTHER $250.00 OFF DISCOUNTED PRICE FOR INSTANT REBATE
FREE BLOCK HEATER
ONLY $17548.00

The Kioti CK30 was around 17600. Right now I'm leaning more towards one of the Kubota models. My grandpa keeps telling me that the 3130 is too big for my needs, but I think thats because he wants me to get a smaller model with a backhoe attachment so he can dig a trench for water pipes.

The Kubota prices seem very good. I've been getting over $1k above your prices, though I have not done any real bargining (central IN.).

 

[LBrown59]

BigEd:
You are going to drive yourself crazy during your research and purchase phase of tractor ownership.
=========

That's right and it don't get any easier or better just because you've done it once before.
I'm going through the same thing right now trying to select a lawn or garden tractor that I did when I bought my BX23.

 

[coasterez]

I've you seen the specials Kioti is offering on the 1914? A whole lot of tractor for under $10K. But, hurry, they are going fast.

Of course a 20 HP machine is plenty for 2 acres. But, I have only 2.5 acres, and I bought a kioti CK25. A bigger machine will do more faster, and will do some things just not possible with a smaller machine. Get what you want. I bought small at first and regretted it. Ended up spending a lot more in the long run. I have a backhoe - absolutely awesome. But, they do cost alot.

 

[IslandTractor]

I understand the "more is better" philosophy is appealing but for someone who has never owned a diesel compact utility tractor it may also be confusing. A 20hp CUT is a very capable machine, not to be compared in any way with a gas powered garden tractor of similar horsepower. 2 acres is simply not a lot of land folks. A 20 hp class CUT is more than adequate for almost anything you'd want to do in that area. Yes, a bigger tractor will do it faster. And a D9 Caterpillar will do it faster than that. Consider the foot print of the tractor as well as the speed that jobs can be done. Also consider that with only two acres to mow you are going to spend only 10 or 15 minutes longer mowing with a 4ft rotary cutter than with a 5ft or a 5ft finish mower compared to a 6ft mower. The larger tractor is harder to store, uses more fuel to do the same job and is harder to transport. Most 20hp CUTs can be transported on a 7000lb trailer. Most 30hp CUTs require a 10K trailer with a larger tow vehicle. There are exceptions to these points but there IS a downside to more HP.

Check out a few accomplishments of a 20hp CUT before you buy bigger. For the same price that you'd pay for the extra HP you can buy implements that will make the job go lots faster. I paid less for a grapple than 5 or 10 extra horsepower would have cost.

 

[coasterez]

Island,

Once again you and I don't share identical views when it comes to size. But, mostly I agree with you. A 20 HP machine is very adequate and capable. You and others have done some amazing things with your CK20's.

HP is over emphasized, but is very important for PTO utilization, if that is integral to one's primary tasks. Though, I think you'd save more than 15 minutes by using a 1 foot larger deck, the time savings still may not be enough to justify the cost and other differences you point out, both good and bad. So, I agree. The extra HP alone doesn't buy you much on 2 acres.

However, a bigger machine isn't just about HP. It's also about hydraulic pump capacities, weight, and frame size, and the associated capabilities that come with them. A big deciding factor for me was that I was looking for a digging machine. So the much greater pump capacity and heavier weight of the bigger tractor made a big difference. I don't mow or till with it, so HP wasn't so important. But, the size and reach of implements was (is). I've done many tasks that have pushed my CK25 to the limit. Some of them I don't believe the CK20 could have accomplished, no matter how much time spent. And, I know that being able to do these tasks myself rather than hire them out has more than offset the cost difference. It really isn't about the size of the lot, exactly. It's about the size of the tasks, and how many there are.

So, my 2 cents to the poster: It's the nature of one's tasks that should determine what to buy (notwithstanding the green to buy it). If you think you'll have tasks that exceed the limits (reach, lift, power, etc.) of a smaller machine, buy a little bigger, especially if the price differential isn't great. You'll rarely, if ever, think "I wish I had a smaller tractor". On the other hand, smaller can have advantages, as pointed out. If you think the "too big" tasks (if they exist) don't justify the cost and size "burdens" of the larger machine, buy smaller and find another way to get the "too big" tasks accomplished.

The really good thing is that there are many choices out there, few of which will be truely wrong.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

BigEd, while I am normally a big fan of small tractors, I have to disagree with some of the advice you are getting here on the thread. In my mind the tractor size you are looking at is larger than you can really use on a 2 acre lot, but you stated you also have other lots, up to 5 acres, where you will be planting. The key to the answer is your implement choice, you are looking at implements that REQUIRE a fairly large amount of PTO horsepower, and suggest that the MINIMUM size tractor you can use with the implement is a 30hp tractor.

So while I think that most 30 horsepower tractors are too large for your needs, there are 2 that I know of that are very small 30 hp tractors and I would recommend those to you. They are physically small, so they will work well mowing your 2 acre lot. They offer the horsepower at the PTO that you need to run the implements you are looking at.

Those 2 tractors that fit the needs that you lay out are the Kubota B7800 and the deluxe version of the same tractor the B3030. Both tractors are not much heavier than the CK20 in weight, and are much smaller than the L3130 in both size and weight. They are very capable for doing what you want to do, and they offer the horsepower that you need to power your implement. You would be able to mow the 2 acre lawn, fit in between your gates and around your wifes rose bushes, and you'd be able to churn up the ground with PTO powered equipment that requires far more PTO HP than any other smaller tractor puts out.

Being that the B7800 and the B3030 are lightweight, they are also very easy to tow. One of my tractors is a B2910, which is the older version of the B3030. It can be easily hauled on a typical 7000# trailer, with a typical 1/2 ton pick-up or SUV and still with plenty of capacity to spare.

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