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Gene Dizza beat me to it. I bought a Kioti over Kubota a few years ago. My friends and brother run Kubotas, have been around a lot of them. My Kioti seems to out perform them in all of our opinions. I'm not putting down Kubota, the Kioti works better for me.
I've got a kubota L3901, been great so far.most any of the "name brands" are fine. What dealers you have nearby will probably dictate as much as anything. We've got all of em around here.if your new to tractors something to be mindful of is how flat or hilly your ground is. Alot of these smaller tractors can feel a little tippy on hills, you can get spacers to widen them some. I have an old ford 2000 series that you sit lower and is wider,, not near as tippy on side hills, pond dams, etc.Also depending on your uses you'll have to decide if you want a hydrostatic or gear drive, mines a gear drive. As far as bucket leveler I think it's unnecessary, you'll get a feel and an eye for it, but I run equipment, backhoe and wheel loader everyday just about. Most of the brands run promotions like 0 down 0% for x amount months which makes it super easy to get in a new unit. 1 more thing if you go kubota, get the K-TAC insurance.
Keets, like I said I run the Kioti, but if I had a friend at Kubota and the dealer is closer I think I would go that way. There is not enough of a difference in the two tractors. In my opinion.
I wish someone made a tractor with joystick controls like my 938 cat at work. No reaching your arm out just comfortably siting on your arm rest pull back for up, forward for down, left to roll the bucket back and right for rolling forward. Every tractor I look at you have to reach out to get to the loader controls.
Re: let's talk small tractors
[Re: keets]
#7660385 08/29/2212:10 AM08/29/2212:10 AM
On our tree farm, we have had Ford and New Holland tractors, equipment, and implements for 45 years. They have saved money, made money, and cost very little to own and operate. I could not be happier with these tractors. The photos are of my 2017 Workmaster 70. 70 hp turbocharged. I also have a 1520 with a loader. We had a rather unique 1952 8N that we sold to the Henry Ford Museum. My next tractor will be a super clean used Ford 4610 4wd. Not to replace, but to add to the fleet.
Take care of a tractor, and it should last a long time. Change the oil and filter regularly, keep everything greased, and let the engine and hydraulics warm up before asking it to do any work.
Build a great reputation and relationship with the dealer, sales guy, and parts guy.
Avoid R-4 tires. They look good, but are not as good as R-1 tires for off-road work on mud, snow, or wet woodland foliage. Get R-1 agricultural tires, or at least the new R-14 that combine R-1 and R-4 for a hybrid tire. For my uses, I do need one tractor with R-4 tires to cross lawns without cutting the sod.
Stay away from John Deere - overpriced and in their own strange world.
Our New Holland dealer also sells Kubota. They are popular and sell well.
Make sure to use good quality fuel, filter it when filling the tank, and use winter additive to prevent gelling in cold weather. I use Ford winter additive. I also use Ford summer additive to increase lubricity and increase cetane.
Good luck with your search. Whatever you buy, learn how to use it safely. Get a mentor because it could save your life.
Send a PM if you have questions.
FRAC LIVES MATTER
Re: let's talk small tractors
[Re: keets]
#7660394 08/29/2202:29 AM08/29/2202:29 AM
Those are some dang nice tractors Willy. The workmaster 70 is on my wish list. I came close to pulling the trigger on one a few years back, but then some land near me came up for sale and I bought that instead. Hopefully in a couple more years I can get one.
Re: let's talk small tractors
[Re: keets]
#7660464 08/29/2208:05 AM08/29/2208:05 AM
I went from a JD 3038e (loved the hydrostat foot pedals for loader work, but needed a bigger tractor) to a JD 5065 - 6' tiller doesn't even make it snort. Have had no issues with either tractor. I went with a green tractor because 1. the dealer is 14 miles and 1 left turn from my house 2. pricing was not much different than anything else 3. I kind of like green
Nature is reckless of the individual. Aldo Leupold.
Re: let's talk small tractors
[Re: keets]
#7660469 08/29/2208:09 AM08/29/2208:09 AM
Dana - thanks, we are very blessed to have those tractors. We saved a long time. I never had a loader until 2017. If i had one earlier my back would be in better shape.
The old one and another tractor were traded in on the 70. The dealership owner came out to evaluate them. I gave him a list of every concern on 2 tired tractors. Everything worked, just tired. He offered very high prices back in 2017 because they would sell in a day. The sales manager gave me a super price because i bought in December when business was dead. They made the same body size with 50, 60, or 70hp. That tractor is has amazing power for its size - we call it The Brute.
If you get a Workmaster I think you will like it.
All of my tractors have real transmissions. Hydrostatic will not cut it for me.
FRAC LIVES MATTER
Re: let's talk small tractors
[Re: keets]
#7660471 08/29/2208:11 AM08/29/2208:11 AM
I’ve noticed a lot of bundles on Kubotas (mostly Southern Dealers)- it seems like you can mix and match attachments as part of those offering’s, trailer is often part of the bundle. Is this their go to market strategy or are there better times of the year for sale pricing?
Re: let's talk small tractors
[Re: keets]
#7660478 08/29/2208:29 AM08/29/2208:29 AM
Another vote for the L2501HST, there is nothing price wise that can even come close to what you get with the Kubotas. One guy said there was no rod indicator, he might want to go back to the dealer, mine came standard with it. I got mine with the quick disconnect for the attachments up front, no 3rd valve for something like a grapple but the dealer can install it easy.
Zero chance that I would ever go with another brand unless Kubotas price was really high comparatively. I have beat this tractor since the day I got it, and I really mean beat it. I have pushed the loader to the max weight wise, using it to knock over smaller trees, breaking branches. I got my heavy equipment hauler chain, and started pulling extremely heavy logs with this thing after Hurricane Laura. I had to put her in 4WL for 2 giant oak logs, they were definitely too much for the tractor I was real careful doing that. Other than that it's all balls to the wall, fuel usage per hour is really good believe it or not even at PTO RPM. I have also left mine outside never covered one time, Kubota Corporate told me that the only thing it would do is effect the paint, everything else would be fine. So far pretty true, I have had to grease a few of the pull cables like to engage the PTO. My FEL wont stay up in the air all night anymore, but other than that 0 problems. Highly recommend.
Re: let's talk small tractors
[Re: keets]
#7660558 08/29/2210:57 AM08/29/2210:57 AM
kiotis weak link is the hydro unit on the small ones, ex-FIL bought one new, just for working the garden, 2 years in the hydro unit went, also rebuilt the loader lever mechinism twice