compact tractor

[UPS DRVR]

Starting to look at compact tractors. Looking at Kubota BX2660, Massey Ferguson GC 2600, Yanmar SC 2400, John Deere 2000 series, New Holland. These are the ones I think I will start with to look at. Please feel free to give any input that you might have on compact tractors. I have out grown my lawn tractor and have all but killed it. I don't really need a big tractor since I have access to big tractors,between 30 to 100 h.p. , So a tractor just to mow my yard and move snow from my driveway and sometimes move some dirt is all I really need.

 

[tractor]

I have had 4 compact kubotas and wouldnt have anything else.

 

[Ridin'GMC]

I like the Kubotas. My grandfather used them for years before he recently switched to New Holland. He said he liked the Kubotas better but their quality wasn't the same as the old days used to be so he switched.

 

[duramaximizer]

Kubota zero turn has been good to use. IDK much about anything else. Massey seems to be making a come back though.

 

[duratothemax]

Just to be clear...we are talking "subcompact utility" tractors right? The ones that are in between a huge/overgrown garden tractor and a true compact utility? Big enough to handle a front end loader and some 3-point implements, but not so big that you cant mow the lawn with them....something with rear tires around the 27" dia size?

As far as subcompact ute's go

I have a lot of experience with the Kubota sub-compact utility tractors....The older kubota BX2230 tractors I found really awkward to drive/sit on. It just didnt feel very ergonomic; the seating position was weird. the steering wheel was too flat and far away from you, and you constantly felt like you were going to slide forward off the seat.

That, and I didnt like how low the ROPS was. It barely clears my head. Im 6' 2" 200lbs so maybe its just designed for smaller japanese people?

and finally, the hydrostatic transmission on it was weak/not very efficient. If the wheels were bound up/stuck, I could literally 'stall' and 'slip' the hydro without actually stalling the engine....which basically says the thing kinda sucks at transmitting full engine power to the ground. Other than that its a decent little tractor

I have not driven the new BX2660 so maybe they have improved things.

We have a simplicity legacy and I love it. I find its so much more comfortable to drive compared to the kubota BX tractors. The Legacy just kinda feels more solid and its wider too, the parts on it dont feel as "chintzy" compared to the kubota. The newer small kubotas just feel kinda cheap to me compared to the older kubotas. I feel like I sit "ON" the kubota...I feel like I sit "IN" the simplicity. Simplicity is much more stable on slopes too. And on our Legacy, the ROPS sticks up a good 7" above my head, so it would be safer in a rollover...

Seat is much more comfortable, nicer/more ergonomic controls, steering wheel/seating position feels "right", and if I get stuck or bind up the wheels and keep pushing it, the hydro is efficient/powerful enough that it will actually stall the engine before "slipping". And it actually has a 'real' modern/slick instrument cluster that was designed from scratch just for the Legacy.....not just some mis-matched JC-Whitney style gauges and cheap indicator lights thrown onto the flat/cheap plastic behind the steering wheel like the Kubota BX2230. As far as hydrostatic tranny controls, I like the Legacy's side-by-side pedals better than the Kubota's front/rear foot treadle. You have to actually "move" your foot to go forward and reverse on the Kubota...on the Legacy you just have to pivot your foot on your heel side to side to go forward/back. (like driving a car/truck with an auto trans) Kubota doesnt have a tilt steering wheel, which sounds like a stupid gripe, but surprisingly does make a difference in operating comfort on a tractor.

For front end loader capacity, the Kubota BX is about the same as our Legacy. Our Legacy maybe has slightly more "curl back" strength due to the bucket curl being actuated by two hydraulic cylinders compared to the kubota that has 1 'curl' cylinder. Kubota maybe has SLIGHTLY better power steering than the Legacy. The Legacy weighs more too...

As for mowing our big lawn, nothing will cut like a simplicity's free-floating mower deck with full width rollers. You can get up to a 72" on the Legacy, I think the biggest you can get on the kubota is 60". Kubota deck is a PITA to remove and install. I can pull the deck off our tractor in 5 minutes without tools.

Biggest engine available on the Kubota is 25hp. Biggest engine on the Legacy is 27hp...and the Legacy is available with a gas OR diesel...kubota can only be had with the more expensive diesel...

Simplicity is made in USA too.

I have not driven the new subcompact utilities from John deere, NH, MF, etc so I cant comment on them.....

JMO

Ben

 

[UPS DRVR]

Thanks Ben. Yes that is the kind of tractors I'm talking about the sub-compact.Now you just gave me another brand to have to look up. There are alot of option out there hoping to get help from you guys to help narrow them down.

 

[duratothemax]

Here is our little guy. IIRC close to 700hrs and other than change the oil, grease the mower deck spindles, and replace the fuel pump we havent had to do anything to it. I recently put some Carlisle HD "Field Trax" tires on it and ditched the worthless turf tires. If I really overload the front end loader the power steering gets a little stiff if im stopped on pavement, but other than that it works perfectly. The bucket is 48" wide. The mower deck and front end loader can be installed at the same time, but in the picture I had the deck off because it was late in the fall and snow was coming. If you are doing straight heavy duty work brushhogging etc... through the woods you are going to need something bigger, in the full-compact utility range, but for mowing the lawn and general DIY projects around the house/property (moving dirt/mulch/firewood around in the front end loader, grading/plowing the driveway, york raking/digging up areas to plant grass) its a perfect size machine IMO. Any bigger and it just gets clumsy for mowing the lawn, unless you are just mowing a straight square field.....

 

[Cougar281]

Might look into the John Deere 420 (Gas) or 430 (Diesel) tractors. I think they're about the size of the one Ben posted the pic of. My step father has a 420 with a bucker loader, leaf vacuum, mower deck, snow plow, snow blower, and I think a tiller. All implement controls are hydrolic, snow blower, mower deck and tiller are shaft driven. IMO it's a nice tractor, can't complain about it from any time I've used it.

 

[JOHNBOY]

Thanks Ben. Yes that is the kind of tractors I'm talking about the sub-compact.Now you just gave me another brand to have to look up. There are alot of option out there hoping to get help from you guys to help narrow them down.

What the heck?

Have not I trained (brainwashed) you yet!:rofl:

You know what I prefer. And yes it would be the color GREEN!

 

[TNRGreene]

Have a Kioti DK55, JD 790, JD 420 & Husqvarna zero turn. I have ZERO complaints about any of them

 

[TNRGreene]

You know what I prefer. And yes it would be the color GREEN!

I prefer Greene though :thumb:

 

[duratothemax]

Might look into the John Deere 420 (Gas) or 430 (Diesel) tractors. I think they're about the size of the one Ben posted the pic of. My step father has a 420 with a bucker loader, leaf vacuum, mower deck, snow plow, snow blower, and I think a tiller. All implement controls are hydrolic, snow blower, mower deck and tiller are shaft driven. IMO it's a nice tractor, can't complain about it from any time I've used it.

Only problem about the 420 and the 430 is they are 2wd...with a front end loader 4wd is a big help.

 

[JD Dave]

What the heck?

Have not I trained (brainwashed) you yet!:rofl:

You know what I prefer. And yes it would be the color GREEN!

Is there any other color?

 

[Stove]

I think that all of them are comparable. I would buy based on value, and dealer support. I bought orange last time M7040. Couldn't beat the deal. Have mainly red, with a one old white, and two botas. Have had green in the past.

 

[jlawles2]

Went looking for something to replace a Bolens that my parents owned. The bolens dropped a flywheel ring gear and starter had issues.

Look around on tractorhouse (IIRC) for one in your area that meets your needs. Since they only needed one to cut grass, I found a FORD 1715 (now New Holland) for a decent deal. 27 HP and rear tires are about 36" - 40" tall. Could have bought any one that I wanted, but purchase was based on availability of parts from the dealer. Since the New Holland dealer is the closest to the house and they have been there for as long as I can remember, that put a good point in the column for New Holland.

When buying, beware of what they call "Grey Market" tractors and you may not be able to get parts for them since they were imported through "questionable" means / dealers. Use tractordata.com to lookup the ones you are interested in. Some tractors have more information on them than others.

 

[UPS DRVR]

Thanks for all the help guys. Please keep it coming you are giving me plenty to think about some things that I had not thought of. This is why I put the question out to all of you I figured more heads than one the better. I do not want to make a 15 to 20,000. dollar mistake just because I did not know or think of something you guys already learned. Thanks :thumb:

 

[UPnGONe]

i have a mf compact loader tractor and i like it alot, simple design with sheet metal hood and fenders, no cheap plastic like a jd to break. and they have the best warrenty , when i got mine from the dealer in feb they had several sub compacts in their showroom and they looked like a nice machine.

 

[minisub]

Starting to look at compact tractors. Looking at Kubota BX2660, Massey Ferguson GC 2600, Yanmar SC 2400, John Deere 2000 series, New Holland. These are the ones I think I will start with to look at. Please feel free to give any input that you might have on compact tractors. I have out grown my lawn tractor and have all but killed it. I don't really need a big tractor since I have access to big tractors,between 30 to 100 h.p. , So a tractor just to mow my yard and move snow from my driveway and sometimes move some dirt is all I really need.

I am seriously thinking about getting rid of my 3 JD garden tractors (316, 318, 332/loader) and getting a do-all TLB sub-CUT. You seem to be looking 1 level up from what I have started researching in the past week or so. MF 2410 gets a lot of good ink as does the Cub/Yanmar SC2450. I am also researching the BX25 and JD 2305. I'd like to like the 2305, but I haven't actually made the rounds yet to drive and test them. On paper and on price, I am not sure it is the best-in-class. If I switch colors, I am going to have a lot o 'splainin to do about all the JD crap I have in my shop and house.....

Anyway, I have multiple dealers for each of those brands in decent driving range, and I will ultimately make a decision based on the attitude of the dealer and the value of the machine, not the color of the paint job....(although the free hat is nice... )

Only problem about the 420 and the 430 is they are 2wd...with a front end loader 4wd is a big help.

That and the newest one you will find is over 18 years old, the oldest are going to be 27....plus they are garden tractors, not nearly as beefy as the true subcompacts. Better comparison in an older JD would be a 755. But those go for stupid money still, might as well buy new with zero hours and 0% financing IMHO....

 

[Cbum]

I use to make a living working on tractors first of if you plan to use a shredder or grooming mower get a model with live pto . Hydro stats or nice now twenty years later they or a pain . if you going to do much dirt or lanscape work get a shuttleshift . If just an all around tractor then either straight trans or shuttle will give you the less grief .

All the major name brand tractors or Japanese made NewHolland/Case or made by Iseki at least the smaller ones were . John Deere was made by Yanmar . the others I don't remember . I would look around your area and see what dealers or local and who look like they will be in buisness tomorrow or the day after . Second go drive the ones you or interested in see if you can tolerate where the controls or at . May not seem like a big deal but get one and off the damn thing twenty or more times or sit in the seat hours at a time and it will matter . Remember each manufactuer has different lines under the same name . Not telling you to get the cheapest or most expensive 20something hp model out there .

If you are going to get a front end loader then you really should think about 4wd.


Mine is a 1983 Ford Model 1910 that I built from a couple of basket cases

 

[tazmax01]

kubota all the way