compact tractors

[collectorruger]

anyone got any suggestions i,m looking for one to mow about 10a both yard and set side for my bees. so far i've looked at a john deere 2025r 25 horse with a loader, brush hog, 5ft drive on quick attach belly mower, tiller, and box blade. pretty good price and 0% fin. and a good dealer about 6 m from house.

 

[Uncle Howie]

Sounds like you may have found what you need.

I have a Kubota subcompact that I bought in 2005, perhaps comparable to what you’re looking at(?). Mine is a Kubota BX2230, 3-cylinder diesel. IIRC it has 23 hp 3-cylinder engine, w/16 hp PTO output. I use it with a loader, 60” belly mower, and 50” rear snoblower.

Realizing that mine is a “toy tractor” by agricultural standards, it’s still an awesome machine. It performs work way beyond what I expected, and has been trouble-free for 15 years.

We looked at John Deere at the time, but our local dealer had zero inclination to “talk price” with us. “Green paint is expensive.” For that matter, our local Kubota dealer wasn’t any better, at the time. I don’t think either of them took me seriously.

I don’t buy a lot of vehicles (currently own a 19 year-old truck, 19 and 23 year-old motorcycles), and I dislike negotiating “games.” Found a deal on a year-old “leftover” tractor an hour up the road, for about 10% off. Took that info to local dealer, laid it out, gave him the opportunity to see what he could do. Explained I wanted to buy locally, but 10% was a lot of money. Didn’t expect him to match 10% off, but wanted to know what he could do for me, on price. He used his brochures, invoices, books, adding machine, AND calculator... “Sorry, can’t do anything on price.” OK, thank you for your time.

I drove up to the other dealer, and bought his tractor. Meanwhile, as I was literally driving past my house (3 miles from local dealer) on my way to buy the tractor, the local dealer is leaving a message on my land line (no cell at that time). He had “done some more checking,” and suddenly wanted to talk price. :roll:

When I told him that I bought a tractor up the road, he got all indignant that I hadn’t bought locally. Hey... I gave you EVERY chance, and you wouldn’t give me a NICKEL off your sticker price. Tough luck! :evil:

I bought the blower from my local dealer the next year. He took me seriously the second time around, and I bought the blower on the spot! See how easy that was? :idea:

I had a similar deal when I bought my pickup. Local dealer was outright hostile to me, for reasons relating to my job and his apparent inability to follow the law. So, I bought a new truck eighty miles up the road. That dealer asked why I hadn’t bought locally, so I said that the local dealer was an... (expletive). With a faint smile, she said, “We sell a lot of trucks to folks from your town.” :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

Long story short, I don’t think you can go wrong with John Deere OR Kubota. “You pays your money, and you takes your chances.”

 

[Kevin]

When we buy vehicles, we usually have our financing done before going to the dealer.

The last time I bought a truck, I went with the Dodge Ram, partly because the dealer was so close, at about 10 minutes away. And while we had financing in place, they countered and came back with a better interest rate, so we used their financing.

 

[hittman]

. pretty good price and 0% fin. and a good dealer about 6 m from house.

Seems like that pretty well nails it.

Deere is expensive and some day you WILL care about resale value.

 

[bnewberry]

I will follow along on this one as I am starting to really need a tractor as I get older. I need something that will move round bales (600-800 pounds) and a brush mower would be welcome.

 

[Dave P.]

anyone got any suggestions i,m looking for one to mow about 10a both yard and set side for my bees. so far i've looked at a john deere 2025r 25 horse with a loader, brush hog, 5ft drive on quick attach belly mower, tiller, and box blade. pretty good price and 0% fin. and a good dealer about 6 m from house.

Good machine but you might want to move up to a 2032r due to engine power.
The 2025 is about 17pto hp and the 2032 a bit over 24hp.
If you go with a common sized five foot rotary cutter ( brush hog ) or even a 4 footer
in heavier weeds you would like the extra power.
Don't know the price difference but if it's maybe $4000 or so It would be worth it
to me. I always felt under about 25 pto hp with a rotary cutter were "dogs".
If the dealer has a demo lot with some decent brush or weeds to try one in
it would be worth doing.
You're buying something you can keep basically forever....
Don't forget the Imatch hitches
Dave

 

[Robb Barnes]

I bought a Kubota B3030 years ago with a 5" Land Pride rear mower and quick install backhoe attachment. It has been a real workhorse and has saved my back san shoulders many times over. I went with it rather than one of the smaller BX units just so I could use the bigger mower when I had to mow the 8 acres but I know the smaller BX series with the belly mower are great units too.

 

[tinman]

I have a 1961 MF gasser which makes about 33 hp. and weighs around 3600 lbs. I use it with a scraper blade, flexible harrow, 5 foot shredder and to haul a carryall platform with a 500-600 pound Lincoln GenSet/Welder around the property.
My neighbor has a 1984? 4x4 Kubota diesel with a front end loader which is rated at 26.5 hp. and weighs about 2400 lbs. So, it is a lighter tractor than mine, but with the loader attached is probably close to what mine weighs alone.
He runs all of my implements as well as a 5 foot roto tiller, 6x6 disc and post hole digger.......well, he does if I'm not borrowing it for one of my tasks...... :roll:.
I will freely admit that his 4x4 Kubota 26 hp. diesel will run rings around my gasoline fueled 33 hp. MF .... and do so using less than half of the fuel that mine burns.
I looked at new tractors a few years back. And (because it did not require DEF and was a heavier construction) just about bought a 35 hp Mahindra set up similar to yours. But since I got an actual brother-in-law deal on the MF....and had access to the neighbors Kubota....... decided that I did not need a new one right then.
With sub-compact tractors keep in mind, for any serious dirt work, like the tiller and box blade, more tractor weight gets more usable HP to the ground....and lug tires work better than turf or industrial tread for that task.
Ya might try to connect with someone who already has what your considering and ask his likes/dislikes......then.... Happy shopping! 8)

 

[GLGAR]

Most if not all compact tractors are made in Japan or South Korea painted and branded with US names. I have owned three, a Deere by Yanmar, a Ford by Shibauru and a Mahindra by Mitsubishi. All gave great service with very little maintenance. Several other brands are probably just as good.

 

[Mobuck]

I have to careful in these discussions of "compact tractors" but I've got my "be nice" cap on so here goes: Kubota picked up a lot of business in my area through one dealer whose goal was to undercut the Deere/IH/FORD trifecta. "Boters" have several good features and as many "why did they do that" features as the other guys. I've put several hours on "Boters" mostly in the medium horsepower range and honestly, there's not much difference when compared to the "rebranded" Jap/German utility tractor market.
Looking at a new tractor with a dealer within 5-10 miles---just pick the one that has the best seat. I look at value retention, brand history, dealer access, cost of maintenance, and user serviceability in a farm tractor(and no way in hades can I afford a new farm tractor). Son's FIL bought a low hour used "Boter" to replace his JD after a serious highway collision destroyed the JD. The "Boter" was $12-15K under a JD direct replacement and all his FIL uses the tractor for is hay field and loader work. Personally, I wouldn't take a Kubota to the field to do heavy tillage/high load work but for light to medium duty, they seem to get the job done.

 

[6GUNSONLY]

I have a "brand new" 1967 Ford 3000 gasburner. Ha.

 

[Mobuck]

"I have a "brand new" 1967 Ford 3000 gasburner. Ha"
Three years ago, Son informed me I "needed" a small loader tractor to use around the barn and for shop projects involving things too heavy to lift easily. We found a somewhat rough looking Ford 2000 that ran great and had a good loader mounted. Unfortunately, the loader was just too heavy for the little 2000 making it helpless except on hard surfaces. I got quite a bit of use out of it as a moveable hoist but sold it after we swapped a loader onto a Ford 4000(Dad bought new in 1967). Those old Fords just keep going and going.

 

[prairieviper]

A few years ago, I needed a compact tractor for loader, rotary cutter, blade work and other small chores around the farm. I bought a new John Deere 3038E in 2015. The Deere is turbocharged, rates at 36.7 hp and does everything I have called on it to do. I would give this advice. Buy a bigger tractor than you think you will need because size does matter and pay attention to the small stuff. I admit I am a John Deere fan but I owned a B series Kubota at one time and liked it fine.

One example of small stuff was the two pedals vs the Kubota treadle pedal on the hydrostatic transmission models. I despise the treadle, so that was just one thing in favor of the John Deere. I also like John Deere's iMatch Quick-Hitch system for attaching implements, live PTO, tighter turning radius and the steering components behind the front axle instead of exposed in front.

To be fair, there are pros and cons with each. CaseIH, New Holland and Massey-Ferguson all have compact utility tractor versions as well. You may want to check them out.

Here's a link to the John Deere site showing the tractor I own.
https://www.deere.com/en/tractors/compact-tractors/3-series-compact-tractors/3038e/

 

[Muley Gil]

I would love to have a nice 4WD Kubota with a loader, etc. However, I shook the piggy and I guess I'll have to make do with my '49 Ford 8N. I have a 4" bush hog, a scraper blade, a box blade and a breaking plow. The old 8N does most of what I want a tractor to do on my 20 acres.

 

[A.J.]

For years my wife and I had an ancient, beat to hell Massey Ferguson tractor. The maintenance costs became ridiculous so we got rid of it and bought an equally ridiculously priced, brand new John Deere. It only has 40 hours but I completed more in 4 months of ownership with that tractor than I ever got done with that crappy Massey Ferguson.

If I were just gonna cut grass I would go with a large zero turn mower. Once you drive one for 5 minutes you will be a convert for life. There is no comparison to any other mower. They are the best!