jj3500

i'm in the market for a 30HP tractor or in that neighborhood. have been considering a JD originally(3320) and just very recently looked into a Kubota B series. from what i have seen thus far, the JD are on the pricey side going toe to toe from features.

anyone have any recommedations from personal experiences? i have 7 acres of property of which 5 is just forest. the other 2 my house is set on and some rough clearing around it. i want to do the standard stuff, grow grass(cut grass), build rock walls, spread fill and topsoil, remove fallen trees and stumps...etc...

thanks for any responses.

Fronty Owner

One of our guys in the shop has a Kubuto in the 20 HP range for his 6 acres. This is his second in 10 years and he basically out grew the first one. I think 30 HP will be a bit bigger than you need since you can get a smaller one with a front bucket.

redramnc

Do you want to have a classic tractor or a newer one? How much money do you want to spend? Everybody makes (or made) 30-45 HP units that will all do about the same amount of work but price determines niceties like cab, auxiliary hydraulics, power steering, shuttle-shift trans, etc.

Believe it or not, the midsize farm tractors bring top dollar at auctions while the larger and more capable (powerwise) tractors usually go reasonable or less. Last sale I went to there were 3 well-used 3300 series Ford ag tractors that went for over $5K each while a MF 245 with quick-attach loader only went for $4800. The 2 wore out Ford 5000s each went for only $3500 or so.

I would highly recommend a diesel motor for whatever version you get. My old 1963 Ford 2000 gas tractor is a wonderful machine but it lacks the grunt of a diesel, and fuel economy is not its strong point.

But for moving stuff it beats a wheelbarrow and a shovel

NHDiesel

Be careful of the new Kubotas. My father bought one a few years ago and the hydraulic power is a joke. They severely reduced the power of them. It can't pick up a full buckfull of snow! I used it for a couple weeks to clear snow at my shop and I had to bring it in to the dealer to have it looked at. They changed some pump shims, but it didn't help much. I finally sent it back to my father because it just wasn't doing the job. I thought maybe it was one isolated defect, until a friend bought a smaller one. Many years ago he had a tiny little one, somewhere around 15 horse, but it had plenty of hydraulic power. Now he has one twice the size, but it can't pick up as much as his old one!!! He brought it back to the dealer and they said there was nothing wrong with it.

My brother in law has a Kioti. I thought those were a cheap knock-off, until I used my father's Kubota. The Kioti is the same size but can do 5x the work that Kubota will do! Older Kubotas were great tractors...very strong, durable tractors. But the new ones are very wimpy in the power depertment.

Jim

signature600

Also, take a look at AGCO/Massey Ferguson Compacts if there is someone in your area.

We have sold these for ~15yrs, and have had next to NO trouble. Mostly little stuff...a seal here, safety switch there. BUT nothing major, NO tranny's, rear ends, engines, axles, nothing that would put the tractor out of commision for more than a day.

Also, if you'd like, I can dig you up some information on the latest series.

Chris

widelod

If I had to go with new I would go with New-Holland. My current one (Bolens/Iseki) does all that I need it to do and for a 20 year old 21 HP diesel she's got a lot of grunt (see gallery)

wilnis

In my 20+ years of having an acreage, I've had 2 Kubotas (17hp and 23hp) with belly mowers, 4wd, and front end loaders, a 25hp Ford with same equipment, and 2 NewHollands, with belly mowers, 4wd, and front end loaders, all diesel, 2@ 25hp and the current one with 33. The belly mowers did't do a great job with the grass,(tractor too big) but having the utility of FEL and the ability to use bush hogs, rotor tillers, rear blades, box blades is geat. For grass, I finally settled on a JD X595 with 4wd, and 62" belly mower, 23hp Yanmar diesel, and it's been worth it for how well it cuts the 10 acres I now have, even cutting pasture at times. I still have the 33TD NewHolland and it does all the utility jobs I do which sound like what you want, and occasionally I wish it were bigger to move round bales, etc, but it manages, and to upgrade to a 45hp is more $ than I want to do. In my experience the dealer is the critical factor in these purchases, my Kubota dealer retired which is why I went to New Holland which at the time I bought them were cheaper than JD buy a bunch. Still happy with my set up and love the JD X595. Bill

99 cummins

Seems like kubota made a good name for themselves and then slacked off, haven't heard alot of good about their newer tractors. Alot of knock off brands out there that for light work seem to be holding up just by listening to people talk about them. I know this will stir people up but in my own personal opinion John Deere is not a bad tractor but that is seriously over priced green paint, especially if your not making a living with it. I'm a Massey man myself, but I like the older ones though. DEFFINATELY DIESEL, you can go to a lower HP rating and do more with it and longer life span. I got an 1969 MF165 Diesel that other than routine maintenance is totally factory. I can pick up 1500 pound round bales on the end loader and pull a 4 bottom chissel plow behind it with no effort.

Jeremy Cusick

2 more ooptions: the new McCormick tractors and the Mahindra tractors. Both priced lower than the John Does.

BC847

Well, in light of the hurricane issue (and the loss of utility power there after), consider the tractors PTO capabilities.

By that I mean another good use of the tractor would be to run a PTO driven generator such as those used to power chicken coops (sp?) during a power outage.

Strongly consider not just what you might do with it now, but what might be later. Those extra HP sure come in handy.

I've a JD 5210 (3 cylinder diesel). With 53HP at the flywheel, and 45HP at the PTO, I can run my PTO driven 25KW generator, and power the whole house (3T heat pump and all), with no problems what so ever. (109amps @ 240vac continuous with 50KW surges)

I had a 1952 Ford 8N (21HP when new), . . . . it was nice and all, . . . . but just didn't have the grunt to pull a 6' disc, 2 point plow, etc, without me worrying when it was gonna pop a nut. Then I got the generator . . .

The JD 5210 (2001) cost me just under $16K as a dealer loaner with only 100 hours on the proof-meter. It came with power steering, tilt wheel, those ultra-cool 3-point quick-connects, as well as the full warranty. I love it.

It made it a lot easier to purchase the genset knowing I wasn't gonna spend a whole lot more on a self-contained genset, just to have it be a very expensive wasp shelter. Naturally, the power never flickered for the next three years.

NHDiesel

My father in law has several tractors ranging from 4 lawn tractors up to a couple antique John Deeres. One of his lawn tractors is a Deere, and we were comparing it to a couple off-brands he has, one of which was bought from a chain outfit like Walmart. The small Deere was almost identical, except that it cost 3x as much new. But the larger Deeres are still a well-built, high quality tractor. Goes to show, you have to know what you are looking at and shop around, even if the name is a good one.

Jim

whtractor

I have been around tractors for several years, while iam no expert at all I have had lots of hours loged on many types of tractors. I curently have a McCormick CX, 102 HP, with about 84 PTO horse power. Before this one i had a Massy Fergison 471, about 68 (HP) if i recall. I pull a 2615L Bush Hogg mower all the time. One piece of advice that i was given that I havd tried to follow is always get one size bigger tractor then you think you will need. Check out the GPM of Hydrolic for the pump and to the remotes, and compair these to other tractors. Lots of good tractors out their just do your homework and you should be fine. I personaly will never get on with out 4x4 but i use mine all the time

shortround

I've got a 42 PTO hp SAME compact. SAME built the AGCO tractors for 15-20 years. They also build the Deutz compact. Good solid tractor. Turbo charged, three range, four speed. Hydraulic differential locks. Dual rear remotes. Dual hydraulic pumps.
4x4 w/loader for $16.8. Got ~1000 hrs with no problems. If I didn't buy this one, it would have been a Kubota.
Only gripe is I wish I had more weight when pulling that 1100 lb Mohawk disc.

P.J

See my gallery for pics.

30 HP does seem a bit large, but you have to consider the frame sizes. Anything (most of them) under 28-29 HP are going to be the "Sub" compact designs. It's my opinion that those teenie weenie are about useless. The overall weight and stance is VERY close to a garden tractor and is WAAAAY to small to really handle anything in the FEL.

Look at New Hollands, don't count them out. I have about 60 hours on mine and it will do ANYTHING I ask it do. (My neighbor has a 29 HP JD, I could work circles around him.
As posted before about the Hydro trans units, I have heard horror stories about N.H's Hydros too. Get a gear drive or shuttle shift.

Price dictates alot when it comes to tractors, they aren't cheap by any means.

JKM

I am a mechanic for a Kubota dealer, although i own no kubota's , if i was looking for a small tractor , i would look no where else than kubota.

We have had a couple issues with hydraulic power, and from one post above, it sounds like a bad mechanic.

I repaired one machine whose owner complained because the backhoe had no power , the tractor hydraulics were EXACTLY on spec. My boss wanted to send it out saying it was ok. i plumbed a pressure gauge into a boom cylinder , and it was 600 PSI below spec. there is a separate relief valve in the backhoe , and in the loader valves.

The smaller BX series have had a couple problems with leaking hydraulic lines , but those are easily fixed.