Looking at a LS tractor, do you have experience?

[BJK]

I'm aging and surprise! My body of today is NOT the body of even 10 years ago. I need help and I'm thinking mechanical help. Plus, I figure I'll put some $ into something material before the $ inflates (blows up is more like it).

I'm looking at a LS (S' Korea) MT225E/HE (I think the HE is the hydrostatic one which would be mine, but I don't know for certain). It's a 25hp model and that's all that I want. What caught my eye was that the bucket will lift 1600# at the pins, and that's 400# more than anything else in the hp range that I saw. It will also come with a backhoe. What I initially have planned for it is light logging (firewood), digging, hauling dirt, snowbanks, and maybe snow "plowing", later rototilling, and I just don't know what else. I'll figure it out.

Mine will have a Yanmar engine (I think).

If you have LS tractor experience I'd like to know the experience was for you. Great? Good? Alright? Bad? Horrible?

Anything else that you'd like to add would be appreciated.

TIA

[Froogal]

No experience with that particular brand, but the big thing to determine is if the dealer is a reputable dealer that has been around for awhile, and will parts for that tractor still be available in 5 years? 10 years?

[06ackley]

I looked at them when I was looking at tractors. I ended up buying a Kioti and love the tractor. I'd make sure its a reputable dealer above all else no matter what the brand. I looked at the green ones also and dealer rubbed me the wrong way. Kioti dealer let me go into the shop and talk with the service guys and they answered every question I had. Good luck with the purchase. I bought the ck3510.

[alfadan]

I have a kioti ck25. Very similar. There'll be no digging with the FEL but overall very pleased.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Another Kioti owner here. Mine is a CK20H. I'm the 2nd owner. No complaints.

DG

[rockrat]

I bought a used JD850 about 30 years ago. About the same HP I think, with FEL and small backhoe. It has saved me soooooo much work over the years. Think its about the best thing I have bought. Last year I bought a set of small bolt on forks for the FEL and wish I had done that many years earlier.

Yeah, make sure you can get parts for it such as seal kits for the hydraulic cylinders on the FEL and BH. I have a Yanmar on my JD. May have to re-do the starter this year (1000 hrs on the tractor), but thats about it (except for the leaky hydraulic cylinder seals)

[sparky45]

I have no experience with the LS, but this fella has: DEEP SOUTH HOMESTEAD. They have several videos on utube and a review of the LS they owned.

[farmbif]

ive been looking seriously at sub compact 4wd diesel tractors too since I recently sold my big backhoe. there is a local dealer that has the ls , Yanmar's and kioto's
the local rural king has a couple rk24's but the rk25 loader has about 500 lb more lift capacity than the rk24.and none of the rural kings seem to have an rk25 in stock. then there are the Mahindra tractors of which the max26 has the best lift capacity loader. then there is Branson tractor but for me the closest dealer is at least 150 miles down in Georgia .
I'm kind of hesitant to spend so much money on something unless I'm sure of it and that parts and service if needed are readily available
which has me most interested in just shooting the works and go for broke and get a Kubota which is the only one besides John Deere or new holland that will retain its value even if I have to get a used one with a couple hundred hours on it. I really need to start mowing my orchard this year and one of these compact 4wd tractors with a belly mower might be just the ticket, plus a functional loader is always very useful. I refuse to buy a John Deere with electronics just because the way they won't let anyone have the software to diagnose problems, you have to take it to dealer if it has a problem.
if I don't get a Kubota it will probably be one of the tractors that uses a Yanmar engine, they are very reliable and parts are easy to find.

there are a whole bunch of videos on youtube about all of em but most of em I've seen are just some guy bragging about his shiny new tractor. and showing off some work he did with it.

regardless I will still get the old farmall 140 I found online if it is still available.

[farmbif]

I might add ive been running small tractors(less than 100 hp) pretty much all my life and farm tractors will not move dirt anything like a machine that was built to move dirt. the loaders might have the load capacity but the frames are not built strong enough to drive bucket into a hill and take a scoop. they are basically built for moving loose materials like manure from the barn. when I was much younger I broke a loader frame right in half on a real good size 80hp 4wd tractor trying to dig dirt with it. it took a whole bunch of welding to put it back together.

[TimD]

I would compare the overall weight of the tractors you are looking at.

1600# of lift is great, but not so great if it does not have the overall weight to handle that much up front.

I have used a JD 5310, weighs 6800#, and the rear end would come off the ground when handling 800# round bales if you were not careful. My JD 6415, weighs 10,000#, no problem moving bales, dirt, manure, snow, or most anything else.

Overall weight is what makes the biggest difference when working. Traction is key and weight is key to traction and stability.

I have a friend in Maine who has a Kioti. He is very happy with it.

[Smoke4320]

Farmbif is very correct on the FEL . I have a ford 1910 Model (not year Model) 35 horse (iirc) I purchased in 1987
It has been the best farm purchase I ever made see use it weekly
have moved alot of dirt even built a motorcross track with it. Took many days. hard packed soil will be a bear to dig. Most of the time you will send time loosing it back and forth then you can scoop.

[BJK]

I might add ive been running small tractors(less than 100 hp) pretty much all my life and farm tractors will not move dirt anything like a machine that was built to move dirt. the loaders might have the load capacity but the frames are not built strong enough to drive bucket into a hill and take a scoop. they are basically built for moving loose materials like manure from the barn. when I was much younger I broke a loader frame right in half on a real good size 80hp 4wd tractor trying to dig dirt with it. it took a whole bunch of welding to put it back together.

Thanks for the heads up. I'll use the backhoe to loosen things and scoop up the loose dirt.

On dealers... Yup, that's one of my concerns (service/parts) but I don't know of any small tractors that are made domestically. At least the LS isn't made in China. That would be a deal breaker. I remember a tractor brand made maybe in Romania years ago (Long?). I don't see any dealers anymore.

[jim147]

There are a bunch of them around here. I don't have one I have an old Harry Feguson, before Massey.

I've worked on a couple a/c's but nothing on the rest of the tractor.

The most important thing to me is can you get parts if something fails?

[Mk42gunner]

ive been looking seriously at sub compact 4wd diesel tractors too since I recently sold my big backhoe. there is a local dealer that has the ls , Yanmar's and kioto's
the local rural king has a couple rk24's but the rk25 loader has about 500 lb more lift capacity than the rk24.and none of the rural kings seem to have an rk25 in stock. then there are the Mahindra tractors of which the max26 has the best lift capacity loader. then there is Branson tractor but for me the closest dealer is at least 150 miles down in Georgia .
I'm kind of hesitant to spend so much money on something unless I'm sure of it and that parts and service if needed are readily available
which has me most interested in just shooting the works and go for broke and get a Kubota which is the only one besides John Deere or new holland that will retain its value even if I have to get a used one with a couple hundred hours on it. I really need to start mowing my orchard this year and one of these compact 4wd tractors with a belly mower might be just the ticket, plus a functional loader is always very useful. I refuse to buy a John Deere with electronics just because the way they won't let anyone have the software to diagnose problems, you have to take it to dealer if it has a problem.
if I don't get a Kubota it will probably be one of the tractors that uses a Yanmar engine, they are very reliable and parts are easy to find.

there are a whole bunch of videos on youtube about all of em but most of em I've seen are just some guy bragging about his shiny new tractor. and showing off some work he did with it.

regardless I will still get the old farmall 140 I found online if it is still available.

I've got an old Kubota L175 with a Woods belly mower on it. It does well for a lawn mower, not so well for anything rough or over eight inches tall. At least it did until the injection pump went bad, replacement cost was more than half of what I found another tractor for. Now I just have to move the mower under the new(ish) tractor, and fix all of its electrical problems.

I think the 140 will do better and last longer. I was really looking for an Allis Chalmers B went my buddy traded into the Kubota.

Compact farm tractors with a three point attachment backhoe aren't nearly as good at digging as a real backhoe, but they beat a shovel all to heck.

Robert

[MrWolf]

Get the biggest you can afford. I have a Kubota BX23 with backhoe, loader and forks. Barely lifts the 600 lbs rated for. It has saved my back and I got it to fit inside my fence gates for around the yard and such. Lifting screened topsoil is a strain at times. I bought a cub cadet for grass cutting vs belly mower. Look at the extras like an enclosed cab. I went with cheaper vinyl? cover with plastic shields. No regrets for the money I spent as it does what I need it to when plowing. Got a good plow for it also, manual. Can get fancy later. Nice toy but not a real machine for real work. I am looking for a used backhoe/loader for larger work I want done.. Good luck.
Ron

[Finster101]

I have a Kubota. I'm not going to get in to brands and I don't know the specs on the tractor you are looking at butwith the jobs you want to do I would say four wheel drive is a must.

[redneck1]

When you look at the lift capacity take a look at the front axle weight capacity as well .
As hard as it may be to believe most sub / compact tractors don't have a front axle rated to handle the loads they put on them .
Dealers will do a good job of avoiding the question if you ask .

I don't think anyone would have an issue with breaking an axle , but if you use the loader a lot seals and bearings are a whole nother issue 10 years down line

[Waisting lead]

I will probably have to downsize from what I have now ,but I will keep using it till I can't. It's a 56 Fordson diesel cat.2 ,it's not real high HP but I'm able to keep my roads in shape and plow the garden and all the other things that come up.
Find something that's dependable and parts are available and MOST importantly you like.

[BNE]

I bought two tractors in the last year.

First was a Ford 1910 model year 1985ish. 32 HP. No bucket. Good machine for bush-hogging. But I have no dealer or place to work on it within 50 miles. So when something small broke, I was down for weeks trying to diagnose it and get parts.

There is a Mahindra dealer 2 miles from my property. I did a LOT of research and tried to go buy a 50HP 3000 series from them. There wasn’t one of those in the country! I debated and ended up getting their 62 HP 6000 series. With a grapple, and water filled tires it weighs in at 10,000 pounds. This was one of the best decisions I ever made. Go BIG. I doubt you will regret it.

Weight, 4WD, power steering, local service, are more important than horse power or brand in my opinion.

BNE.

[Blanket]

The LS is a decent tractor, they make New Holland tractors in the same size range. The regeneration on the diesel has been a problem but is the same as all tier tractors. Me I would look at Mahindra. By the way still happy with my 1982 2640 Deere