Home Use Tractor decision

[metricmonkeywrench]

My best gal and I have been contemplating purchasing a tractor for home use on our 2.4 acres of property. As I'm getting older some chores/projects are becoming a bit of work. My basic initial requirements are Loader, Belly mower and Backhoe. Additional implements will likely come with time.

Of course 80% of the time it would be used for lawn mowing duties, with plenty of dirt/gravel movement for home improvement projects and the occasional Virginia Blizzard/hurricane cleanup. The first "at hand" project is stump removals followed by some grading/leveling and potentially a french drain or two. The property is sloping (I have almost flipped the rider in a few spots while learning the yard) and we do have some trees/obstacles to maneuver around. My fear is wishing I had more power (of course) with the downside of having something too big that is overkill after the first initial use (wase of money?). This is something i plan on keeping to the grave (mine or its) as an investment for our future property uses and the kids/grandkids move away and i don't really want to deal with all the ins and outs of rental equipment.

My search has taken me to 2 models to choose from equipped with my desired equipment and are roughly the same size, though they are not quite apples to apples comparison, the JD is classified as a Sub-Compact and the Kubota is a Compact. As equipped the Kubota is $3k more than the JD. I will consider other Mfgrs recommendations I just don't know what else is out there.

1. John Deere 1025R (the 2xxx Series seemed too big and doesnt seem to have a belly mower option)
2. Kubota B2601 (the BX series seemed to small)

Both models seem equally capable and oddly enough they both have about the same engine Hp with an edge to the Kubota as it is a "real" tractor and the 3 point hitch will be compatible with any full size attachments

I have looked on the secondary market around here and anything worth having is either used up or priced like the wheels are made of gold. I also don't want to spend a lot of time fixing other peoples problems, i make enough of my own...

Thoughts and recommendations?
Thanks in advance

[HWooldridge]

Problems with a belly mower: You can't stick it in corners like a tail mounted shredder, and the dust/debris level is worse because it's right under the operator. Upside is that it makes for a more even cut on the grass.

My neighbor has a small Kubota that's about 25 years old and he's never had a lick of trouble with it. You might also look at Mahindra - they make a very good general purpose tractor, but a lot of the decision should rest on your local dealer support. An established distributor with a good reputation can provide useful guidance.

[crappie-hunter]

I have a Kubota BX2660, 26hp , 60” belly mower, loader, no backhoe, you would be surprised at what it will do. However if I was buying another Kubota it would be the B series, only because it has two hydraulic pumps, mine is a 2013 model and that year the BX series only had one hydraulic pump, thus slow motion loader unless you run it full throttle which is a little crazy for moving 6” of snow. One pump for hydrostatic and loader

I’m not trading at 81yrs, but if I was I would look seriously at a Kioti,I’m told two hydraulic pumps even on the sub compact, one pump for hydrostatic drive and another for loader and backhoe

[Reg]

The back hoe is a rather pricy option that in reality will see limited use, I would just rent as needed rather than just having it set for long periods of time. A three point mounted back blade with a front bucket is the handiest combination. A three point mounted mower in my book is a better mower for large areas but for nice lawns you can’t beat a zero turn mower in a smaller size for getting around trees, shrubs and general landscaping.
We have a Kabota but there is nothing wrong with the John Deere. Both are excellent small tractors each with their own good points.

[dverna]

For what you will pay for a belly mower (MMM) you can nearly buy a zero turn. The ZT will cut your grass twice as fast. For real tractor work you will be removing the MMM and it is a pain to do....and then you need to store it where you can get at easily. Then you have to put the MMM on to cut grass. It gets old real quick. Before going with a MMM go to your dealer and make them show you "how easy it is". Then ask your gal if she can to it if you get hurt.

The "toy" tractors you are looking at (no offense meant but they are toys) are next to useless for stump removal. You need to add a lot of $$$ to get the backhoe and it is weak. Yes, you can pull stumps, but it will be either painfully slow and/or you will damage the tractor/BH. I have 20 acres and have had $600 of BM work done over the last 10 years. BH's are nice to have but a poor investment IMO. BTW, you will need to take it off and store it when using a grader blade, landscape rake or box blade etc. You should not store it outdoors.

When I upgraded from the old JD I went with an LS tractor. I got a lot more machine for the money. I would look at TYM tractors as well if you have dealers not too far away. Green and Orange tractors are good machines, but you are paying a lot for the colors.

Make up a list of tasks. Over buying either in size or attachments (like a BH) is not worth the investment for rarely done tasks.

[buckwheatpaul]

My best gal and I have been contemplating purchasing a tractor for home use on our 2.4 acres of property. As I'm getting older some chores/projects are becoming a bit of work. My basic initial requirements are Loader, Belly mower and Backhoe. Additional implements will likely come with time.

Of course 80% of the time it would be used for lawn mowing duties, with plenty of dirt/gravel movement for home improvement projects and the occasional Virginia Blizzard/hurricane cleanup. The first "at hand" project is stump removals followed by some grading/leveling and potentially a french drain or two. The property is sloping (I have almost flipped the rider in a few spots while learning the yard) and we do have some trees/obstacles to maneuver around. My fear is wishing I had more power (of course) with the downside of having something too big that is overkill after the first initial use (wase of money?). This is something i plan on keeping to the grave (mine or its) as an investment for our future property uses and the kids/grandkids move away and i don't really want to deal with all the ins and outs of rental equipment.

My search has taken me to 2 models to choose from equipped with my desired equipment and are roughly the same size, though they are not quite apples to apples comparison, the JD is classified as a Sub-Compact and the Kubota is a Compact. As equipped the Kubota is $3k more than the JD. I will consider other Mfgrs recommendations I just don't know what else is out there.

1. John Deere 1025R (the 2xxx Series seemed too big and doesnt seem to have a belly mower option)
2. Kubota B2601 (the BX series seemed to small)

Both models seem equally capable and oddly enough they both have about the same engine Hp with an edge to the Kubota as it is a "real" tractor and the 3 point hitch will be compatible with any full size attachments

I have looked on the secondary market around here and anything worth having is either used up or priced like the wheels are made of gold. I also don't want to spend a lot of time fixing other peoples problems, i make enough of my own...

Thoughts and recommendations?
Thanks in advance

We are a Kubota family with three tractors and a zero turn mower. Have had John Deere and New Holland (Ford) and all were good. I personally would take the compact over the subcompact tractor as stump removal will be easier on the compact vs. the subcompact. My neighbor had a Kubota "B" series and it was a good machine. Our smallest tractor is a Kubota L3400 (34 HP) and it is a gem dandy. I like the heavier frame on the "L" series and frontend loading and backhoe applications will be easier on the "L" series. We bought the L3400 with 94 hours on it and it came with a frontend loader and turf tires with a total of 94 hours and it has been a wonderful machine. Buying slightly used brought the machine below the "B" series and if you look you will find a gently used machine from and individual that has been garage kept with low hours and you will like it better than a subcompact or compact tractor and it will serve you better IMHO.

Enjoy the hunt and get 'er done! Paul

[MUSTANG]

I have a John Deere 3005 Tractor with numerous 3 point hitch attachments, from loader, and Backhoe I use on the Nevada and Montana properties. This is the smallest tractor I would consider.

[thxmrgarand]

I've had a small Yanmar 4WD tractor for about 20 years. It was made for the US market. I bought it at a government sealed bid sale when it had 600 hours, with a trailer for transporting it, for $2,000. I knew the shop foreman and was not afraid of the machine. I have replaced the FEL hydraulic valve, and front tires, and that's about it. It came with BH & FEL. I have picked up a brush hog and 3 Pt Hitch finish mower over the years. Like my brother who has had larger Kubotas and Yanmars over the years, trading up as opportunities arose, I find the back hoe to be the handiest implement. It's frame mounted, and I would be afraid of a 3 Pt Hitch backhoe. I haven't done anything that made me wish I had more than the 16 horsepower, but I have to realize this is a light machine. At the same time it's only 46 inches wide so it can get in and out of any space. It's great at moving snow (with rear chains, of course), but now I have a very nice Bobcat skid steer and the warm heated cab it has would make me very sad to go back to plowing snow with the Yanmar. Also, the Bobcat has lights second only to a Boeing 737. The nearest Yanmar dealer is probably 900 miles away, but there is a Bobcat dealer 5 miles away. A dealer is important but I live in a remote place. The Yanmar is old enough that there is no computer, and since the huge parts and mechanics manuals are so good I think I can continue to get by without a dealer. The skid steer on the other hand is all computerized, but I am so far (85 hours I have put on since I bought it) very impressed with Bobcat (this one has a Kubota engine, 59 horsepower). I can watch someone do to the Yanmar and to the Bobcat on Youtube most anything, even watch a girl in a bikini put a new clutch in my model of tractor! Don't need a new clutch but have watched the video 3 times just in case. You might search a site like tractorbynet.com for experiences with each model you are considering. I would worry a little about a Tier IV machine but that technology is improving. A private sale on a low-hour machine at a really good price is where I look for stuff, and I like to buy machinery that has been kept out of the weather. I've used the Yanmar BH to dig out almost countless USTs, move a hot-tub, lift a V-8 out of a Thunderbird, and be a sky-hook for lots of neighbors' projects. Hope this is helpful to you.

[MrWolf]

Listen to what Don Verna said. I have the Kubota bx loader, backhoe, but no mower. I much prefer using my cub cadet for that. My machine is way underpowered for a lot of things, especially if you try stumps. WAY WAY UNDERPOWERED. Mine fits the bill of being able to fit in my fenced in yard and do the things I need done as I am also unable to do physical work. I snow plow with mine (simple plow attachment, take off loader, real easy) If we don't get more than four inches, no plowing. Get the most powerful machine you can, you will, not regret the extra power. My brother is a service manager at a JD. After speaking to him and the lousy feeling I got at my local JD, I got the Kubota. Good luck
Ron

[Shawlerbrook]

Love my NH Boomer 40 but I have 120 acres to tame.

[BNE]

Stumps are very difficult. And the type tree it was also matters. I have a Mahindra 6065. With water filled tires and the grapple and the scarifier, it weighs in close to 10,000 pounds. Some trees can just be pushed over and then I can grab the root ball with the grapple and pry the whole tree out of the ground. Cedar and wild cherry tend to be easy up to 8” diameter. Gum trees? Forget it. They fight back!

My vote would be to go as big and heavy as you want to afford. And pick a known brand that has the closest dealer near you.
BNE

[pworley1]

I don't have any experience with anything that small but there are many times when my old John Deere 310 four wheel drive backhoe is not enough. Have you thought about getting a small loader backhoe and a zero turn mower?

[Eddie Southgate]

I use a JD 955 Diesel with a 72" belly mower because it was on the mower when I got it. I as some of the others much prefer a rear mounted finish mower . For more serious work I have two old Fords , a '63 2000 34 HP gas job and a 801 that's rated at 47 HP both are good tractors and normally are found cheap compared to modern tractors. Both are manual shift which I prefer over the Hydrostatic of the 955. The 955 however is MFWD and has modern and better working brakes . The 955 is in the low 30's on HP and about 27 at the PTO. Loaders are easier to find for the JD but can be found for the Fords for not too much. Gas tractors are usually cheaper to fix but in my mind the same sized Diesel does more work . For two acres I'd buy an older and cheaper small tractor for dirt and garden work and a small zero turn for mowing.

[Alstep]

JD, NH, MF, & Kubota all have a pretty good reputation.
My neighbor had a Mahindra and it was all trouble right from the start. After 2 years of constant fixing, he traded it in for a MF. It was the only dealer who would take it in and he barely got anything for it. Lots of low hour Mahindras for sale at low prices, but their reputation is so bad nobody wants one around here.

[nannyhammer]

We currently mow about 4.5 acres about every 8 to 10 days so we bought a JD 3032E several years ago. I added on the 72" finish mower the second year and it beat the crap out of the riding mower but was hard manuever around obstacles and in corners. Last year we picked up a 60" zero turn and it's actually significantly faster to mow with than the finish mower. They both have their place on our land.

[Gator 45/70]

JD, NH, MF, & Kubota all have a pretty good reputation.
My neighbor had a Mahindra and it was all trouble right from the start. After 2 years of constant fixing, he traded it in for a MF. It was the only dealer who would take it in and he barely got anything for it. Lots of low hour Mahindras for sale at low prices, but their reputation is so bad nobody wants one around here.

Same with one of my cousins, His Mahindra is always acting up and in the shop. Never again he says will he buy another one.

[Ickisrulz]

I have a Kubota BX25D and really like it. It came with a backhoe, of course, and I added a MMM, rototiller, flail mower and rear blade.

We mow 2.5 acres and have another 2.5 acres that are wooded with trails running through it.

It is not as powerful as the larger machines, but I get a lot done at a slower pace. No, I don't dig out stumps with the backhoe, but it does get used.

[Mk42gunner]

Stumps are a lot harder to pull, and harder on a tractor, than people tend to think.

If you get a belly mower, you will do jobs that can be done with it on, or not do them. They do a good job, but severely limit the tractor for other uses. I know; I have a Woods L59 under a Kubota L175. I use my old WD that Grandpa bought new for any real tractor uses.

Honestly for two and a half acres, I would get a good lawnmower-- zero turn or rider, and rent the other equipment.

Robert

[ulav8r]

Have used my BIL's Kubota BX23?, mostly the backhoe and FEL. Other than being just barely powerful to be useful my next largest problem with it is the small diameter tires. They make it harder to move over rough ground and less stable when working with the implements. It could also benefit from liquid filled rear tires.

[trails4u]

I have a Mahindra 1635 that I've been really happy with so far. It's shuttle shift, 4wd and 36hp. We're working it pretty hard on 10 acres and so far, within reason, it's done everything I could ask of it. I also agree with the post above re: backhoe attachment. They are so rarely used by the average homeowner....I'd think twice about spending that money.

I chose the Mahindra because of the relatively small footprint for a 35+hp tractor. It's pretty dang compact but still has the HP to do what a sub tractor won't. If I had to come up with complaints....it's light in the back so you need weight on the 3-pt if you're doing heavy loader work. And because it's narrow....it's not as stable as a large tractor. Not too hard to get some wheels off the ground, particularly with a load on the front. I have zero regrets and would recommend one to anyone for homeowner/small homestead use.