Home Use Tractor decision

[Txcowboy52]

Spend the money on a Kubota and never look back , I have a 50 horse with a front end loader , the most useful piece of equipment I own. I bought mine with 0% financing for 5 years and my son recently bought one with the same. His is smaller with a front end loader and a belly mower, he absolutely loves his .

[white cloud]

I am in TxCowboy's camp. We bought a new Kubota L2501 about six years ago. I take good care of it but it gets used a lot for a lot of different things. It has been flawlessly reliable and amazingly capable considering 25 HP.

[samari46]

I had a JD sub compact with a belly mower. Seems everytime I went to use it,something needed repairs, In the short time I had it. I spent well over 2K on repairs. Sold it and bought a Kubota L3800 which they don't make any more. No repairs needed in 4 years. Just routine stuff. JD, wouldn't buy one if you paid me. The solenoid switch for the belly mower was jammed with a chip of metal. You'd think the mechanic who worked on my tractor would have found it. *** if you ask me. Frank

[rbuck351]

About 6 ears ago we moved to a rural 13 acre place in MT. I knew I would be needing a piece of heavy duty equipment doing multiple jobs.
I found an older JD 500 series BH FEL ( about 16,000lbs, 88 hp diesel). It has a 1 1/4yd bucket on the front and will move a lot of dirt, snow or what ever quickly. Being a mechanic I'm not concerned about it's age 1978. I have pulled several fairly large stumps with it and it does a fairly good job. I have about a half acre of lawn and use and older Craftsman 18hp riding mower for that. Unless you are mowing large open fields, I would have a riding mower and a real tractor with a three point hitch for farm type work. Then rent a BH or mini excavator for stumps

[dverna]

HP is not that important unless you are using things like blowers, tillers, bushhogs etc.

A tractors best friend is weight. Weight is where the traction comes from. It is one reason I had my rear tires filled. A ballast box is also a good addition to make lifting safer.

Lastly, if you buy used, make sure you get a FEL with SSQA so you can swap out attachments. Pin type loaders are not very handy to use. My most used FEL stuff are pallet forks and a grapple.

[gmsharps]

I've got a Kubota 5040 which is too big for your use but for me it is perfect. It has a 1/2-yard bucket a bush hog and forklift blades for it. Had it since 2008 and have only had to do regular maintenance on it. Works great for me.

gmsharps

[georgerkahn]

The BX25D Kubota I bought has proved to be the best, ever, addition! Two criteria for me at the time of purchase were monthly payments (I reckoned I could do <$250/mo -- and bion this one came out at $247.50!) and 2ndly, maneuverability. E.g., camp is 13 miles distance, and I wanted something i could easily pull to and from camp --primarily for work (fun!) there in summer and moving snow (which, bion, I also enjoy on BX25D) at home during winter. I bought a CarryOn trailer which pulls ever so nicely behind my little Toyota Tacoma! For most all bigger tractors I'd have needed a larger trailer and would have exceeded GVWR ratings (6,000 lbs) for my truck -- this weight is total of trailer PLUS whatever's on it!
I have an articulated snow blade on front; the front end loader; 54" belly mower; a LandPride back blade; a LandPride wood chipper, a LandPride Grapple, a couple of boom poles, a mid-buster, and a box blade for it. Changing from one attachment to another is quite easy -- even for me with one leg which doesn't work very well at all .
Since I've gotten it, I had on a very few occasion wished I'd bought a bigger machine -- but, you know, that I have to take 27 bucket loads with the BX25 I have versus, say, 21 bucket loads instead with a bigger machine...not, to me, thaaat significant. (If I was working for $$$ -- that might be a consideration, however) The backhoe is awesome, as are other attachments! And the grapple...wowsers -- I am in awe with all this tool does... the apple tree piece in photo weighted enough to almost lift rear tires off ground -- I needed 4wd to move tractor with it!
PLUS -- the Kubota service has been ALWAYS super-inexpensive and SUPER-good! I'd not even think of an alternative!
geo

[MT Gianni]

If you are mowing more than an acre, fence it up and sheep it off. Hair sheep are almost trouble free and have no lanolin so taste way better than the wool breeds. With the banks as they are having food handy can be a nice thing.

[Handloader109]

I've close to 4 acres that I mow. Half is really pasture, rest is lawn. I bought a 25hp cabelas branded TYM back in 2016 just about the time that bass pro bought them out. Got it with end loaded and belly mower was discounted, and then a tiller at about half price. I've mowed the grass since then, and while it work, it is hard to get in corners and really close, especially if the end loader is on it. I just bought a zero turn last fall that I'll be using for better mowing. The tractor is ok, but not the best. And it is TYM and Mahindra mower (25hp pretty much identical, TYM was building Mahindra model up to last year) the zero turn just mows better.
And you can't till at all with the mower on the tractor. And using any 3pt attachments moved mower deck up and down too. (My blade) So without the mower, it is a decent tractor. Beung a scut it's small, but I move a lot of stuff around with it. Look at everything close to you. LS, Branson (TYM now owns) Mahindra. I would NOT even consider the Tractors that Tractor supply or any of the farm supply stores sell. Think of Warranty and just service work. I've struggled with the cabelas branded as TYM WONT work on them and it's just up to me. I bought with the expectation of cabela servicing as they had at the time a true mechanic and service center 10 miles from me... which is now only a boat repair.....

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[ascast]

I think I would go with the Kubota. The few I have seen hold up well. The JD's seem to have things break for no reason at all. And repairs are overly expensive. I think the backhoe on those little toy tractors are kind of a waste -they work, but any job takes 2 or 3 times longer. You might better rent for weekend. When pulling stumps, are you talking christmas tree sized stuff or 150 year old maple? French drains-how long and deep? These kind of jobs will separate the chaff and wheat rather quickly. I have about 250 acres, mostly firewood and Christmas trees. I mow my lawn with a 1970 JD 112. Everthing else sees a Farmall M or International 300,330, or 350 Utility, or a JD 1010 dozer. Well good luck, I need more coffee.

[GregLaROCHE]

My question is how much more than mowing do you need the tractor for? There are a lot of new types of mowers these days that make the job easier than with a tractor. If you have stumps to remove or other significant dirt work to be done, consider hiring a professional. In the long run it could save you a lot as well as making your mowing a lot easier.

[georgerkahn]

My question is how much more than mowing do you need the tractor for? There are a lot of new types of mowers these days that make the job easier than with a tractor. If you have stumps to remove or other significant dirt work to be done, consider hiring a professional. In the long run it could save you a lot as well as making your mowing a lot easier.

GregLaROCHE made a very good point! As much as I adore my BX25D Kubota, that it IS a tractor versus a dedicated lawn mower -- or even those called "lawn tractors" -- I have both a Kubota and a John Deere riding (dedicated) mower for that task! The tractor is too high to get under most tree branches, and it's turning radius is such that steering about trees and similar becomes a challenge. Third, albeit I have Industrial tires -- a compromise from "Ag" or R4 tires to do less harm to turf -- just that one wants all the weight one can get on wheels for tractor traction is contra-indicative to desiring being gentle on the turf.
As a thought -- a rider PLUS the tractor (Kubota ) may be the way to go? A last benefit would be your not needing to put on / take off the mower deck.
geo

[GhostHawk]

Backhoe attachment brings a whole new level to "Shoot, shovel, and shut up"

I would be inclined to seperate the mowing from the other jobs that need doing.
A good mower will cost you less in fuel and upkeep compared to a larger unit.

Front loader + bucket, rear scraping blade and backhoe lets you tackle all kinds of big jobs.

Dad plowed the snow in the village I grew up in for 40 years with a smaller John Deer tractor.
Of course it was a losing proposition. It cost more in fuel and upkeep than he got paid.
But he was keeping out little village alive.

[Handloader109]

Oh, most folks who have paid the extra $5k or 6k or more for a backhoe have said that it was more economical to go rent a real trencher for the few times most of us will dig a trench and it will either sit in the corner or be in the way in the tractor. And you won't be mowing with both the fel and the bh on it.

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[georgerkahn]

Oh, most folks who have paid the extra $5k or 6k or more for a backhoe have said that it was more economical to go rent a real trencher for the few times most of us will dig a trench and it will either sit in the corner or be in the way in the tractor. And you won't be mowing with both the fel and the bh on it.

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Very well said, and some good points! My BX25D came as a package -- FEL, MM Mower, and Back Hoe as the "special". Advertised was you pay for two of these attachments, and the third is "free" -- plus 1/2-off on additional. My unit's total price was soooo attractive for what I got, I never thought re continual year after year use of the back hoe. I sure did use it the first couple of years -- God must dust my 18 acres with rock seeds, as they sure seem to grow over the winter and come up high enough to get hit by or, at the least, scrape mower blades. However, I have not had the 'hoe on in the past two years -- BUT -- I definitely have to dig some rocks -- quite a few in size larger than a basketball! -- this summer. Plus, I bought a 5' x 10' dog kennel and have hopes to use it as a deer and critter deterrent for a small veggie garden at camp, too -- the chain links might slow them down. I'll definitely be using the back hoe as an excavator, followed by the FEL to move top dirt in, and the front blade to level it.
Yes -- I am mixed if the back hoe really was a "good" investment -- but, I'll tell you I sure am HAPPY that I have it. Local John Deere rental gets $350.00/day plus $75 clean-up fee (one fee, regardless of how many days) and $135.00 drop-off pick-up fee. Hey -- the $1,360.80 they exact for three days' use -- is not too much below 1/2 of what I paid for mine -- to use whenever I wish.
geo

[perotter]

.......

Yes -- I am mixed if the back hoe really was a "good" investment -- but, I'll tell you I sure am HAPPY that I have it. Local John Deere rental gets $350.00/day plus $75 clean-up fee (one fee, regardless of how many days) and $135.00 drop-off pick-up fee. Hey -- the $1,360.80 they exact for three days' use -- is not too much below 1/2 of what I paid for mine -- to use whenever I wish.
geo

And you likely could sell the backhoe for 1/2 of what you paid for it if you decided you'd never need it again. More times than not, if a person really needed a piece of equipment, one comes out ahead buying it.

[Thin Man]

Before you buy either machine you have to learn how close the high quality repair shop is located that can repair any issues with each tractor - for both brands. My hunting camp is located in the heart of John Deere country but my tractor is a Massey Ferguson 35. When I ask any repair parts vendor near that camp for simple repair parts for a Ferguson 35 they lean their head to the side and ask "Whaaaaaaaat???" This is the sound of experience. If they are equal, then the decision is yours with no regrets. Some guests at the camp ask why I keep so many repair parts there but they soon learn.

[snowwolfe]

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.

I use my backhoe as much, if not more than the FEL. If you plan on digging out stumps, ditch the box and buy a blade for the backhoe

[Finster101]

Reading a lot of these comments I might as well throw in my two cents. I have 2 acres that I bought from my next door neighbor. He was renting his house at the time and had a DT4000 tractor that he threw in with the land. It was great while I needed to clear brush and bush hog till we built a house, then it was basically too big. With the house, a shed and polebarn it just became unhandy. I sold it and bought a John Deere 2025 compact with a FEL and belly mower and use it way more than the bigger Kubota. I realize some think bigger is always better, but I have found the right size tool for the job makes life easier. Kubota makes a fine compact model as well I just stumbled on a smoking deal on the John Deere. I cut my neighbors pasture in the summer with the belly mower because it gets tall really quick and the tractor has a bit more oomph. For my personal yard I use a zero turn mower cleaner cut and faster.

[GregLaROCHE]

My neighbor had a mower without a steering wheel. It was steered like a Bobcat with two levers. He could spin around in the same spot and easily cut close around objects. It’s the best thing I’ve ever seen for mowing around a home with a few acres. It’s perfectly engineered for one particular job. Swiss Army knives can do a lot, but if you want to cut a lot of something, a straight bladed knife is best.