Recommendations for Compact Diesel Tractor

[FATCAT]

I am in the market for a new compact tractor in the 20 - 24 hp, 3 cyl diesel range with a front loader and 3 point hitch mower. My current 2wd Wheelhorse is showing its age and outlived its usefullness.
My question to you folks is this:
- Which brand/model would you folks
recommend? Why?
- What do you like/dislike about your own
compact tractor (if you have one)?
- What attachments or features are
essential in your opinion?
- Would you purchase used rather than
new?
- Hydro static or gear driven? (I kinda
like the hydro drive myself).
- Is it possible or has anyone, B. O. M. B'ed
one of these little tractors?

I am currently looking at either a:
- John Deere 4100 (can't use a backhoe)
[6. 9% financing]
- Cub Cadet 7205
[5. 9% financing]
- Kubota B7500 or B21
[6. 75% financing]

Comments and advise would be greatly appreciated.

------------------
1997 2500 ST 4x4, 5-speed, 4. 10 axle, TST 60lb boost @ EGT gauges, TST #12 230hp/605ftlb plate & AFC Spring kit, limited slip axle, Amsoil air filter.

 

[illflem]

You won't go wrong with the Kubota although it may cost more,it will come stock with all the features you need. The small JDs are made by Yanmar,get one without the green paint and it will be cheaper. If you go with used check it good,tractors tend to get abused, even more so the small ones that people try to use like big ones. Hydro drive is good,especally when used,you don't need to worry about clutch problems. Get 4WD only.
As far as bombing,I don't think it is necessary,tractors are made without EPA constraints,the engine HP will match the drivetrain,you really don't need to fool with it.
As far as attachments,it depends on what you're doing,but a backblade and rotatiller are great.
My neighboring orchardist has four B-7500s about 10 years old,knowing his operation I doubt if the oil has ever been changed,they are beat to he//,but seem to run good. I'm only running bigger tractors,but in my area most of the small ones are Kubota.

------------------
95' 25004X4,AT,Driftwood,Banks Stinger,Warn fender flairs and running boards(work truck)
95 3500,5 speed 3:54,BD E-brake,Driftwood,Banks&Psycotty,34,000 GCVW apple and tractor hauler(works harder truck)



[This message has been edited by illflem (edited 02-07-2001). ]

 

[BCFAST]

I agree, it's hard to go wrong with a Kubota. . definitely get the 4wd!! For another nice machine, and cheaper yet, check out Belarus... made in Russia, very rugged equipment... less expensive than Kubota too!

 

[Jeff Clark]

I looked long and hard at the Kubota and JD. Ended up with the JD4100. It was cheaper, but not by much. I got the 4 wheel drive with turf tires b/c I use it to mow the front yard with the belly mower and also use a brush hog to mow the pasture. Why did I pick JD? Guess I like green better than orange.

 

[QRTRHRS]

FATCAT,
I have a 1260 Massey, 4x4, 40hp/31pto, 3cyl diesel with a loader. Made in Japan. Been holding up for being overworked at times. Do you want a front end loader? Very handy! My loader hydraulics are a bit slow. That bothers me when moving snow and working the loader a lot. You want dual remotes with "use friendly" disconnects. I have a rear PTO but could add a belly PTO for a belly mower. I have 16 forward and reverse speeds, shuttle shift (shuttle shift is a forward/reverse lever on the column). My property is hilly so a stick is a compromise but that's what I prefer. Make sure you are comfortable with the seating position. NH, get a block heater. What kind of work? Mowing, get turf tires. General, get ag. Close dealer is a plus! Used prices for small tractors in my area (PA) are high, may be better off with new. Hope this helps.

 

[QRTRHRS]

One more thing:
diamondfarm.com sells a book with used tractor prices in it for about ~15 bucks. I have the 2001 issue so if you find something and want a rough price guideline, email me and I will look it up for you.

 

[Champane Flight]

I found this site for used Japanese diesel tractors. oktractors.com

------------------
95 Dodge 2500 Luverne grill guard,headache rack,running boards and Amzoiled. Soon to be mildly bombed. 84 Dodge d-150, 318 Hooker headers,Edelbrok intake,mallory ignition,Carter Afb,Accel coil,and Custom dual exhaust. Boat,fifthwheel,motorcycles,and shop,job to support toys. Yuck...

 

[maint.man]

FATCAT,
I've got a Yanmar 24 horse tractor and I like it very well , It's got 250hrs. on it and is in good shape , I got it and a 5 ft. woods finish mower for 3500. 00 seemed like cheap diesel power to me . Also The company I used to work for bought a new JD. and if the sheet metal was removed you'd never be able to tell them apart. Mine doesn't have the loader but I too can tell you that they are well worth the extra $$$$ . Happy Hunting .

 

[zman]

I have a JD 4300 HST 4x4 w/ 430 loader R4 tires and lots of goodies for the back end. It is rated at about 32 HP and weighs about 4,000 pounds fully dressed. Prior to this tractor, I had a JD 855 HST 4x4 w/loader. It had 24 HP and weighed about 2800 fully dressed.

I will tell you that the extra weight is a must. I allows you to get the power to the ground. My 855 rarely had too little power to get the job done, but it didn't weigh enough to handle the bigger jobs - lots of tire spin during loader work. The 4300 is the perfect combination of HP and weight. Rarely spins the tires and I haven't gotten into anything that I could't handle.

Hydro is the way to go if you are doing any loader work or close quarters mowing. No clutch or gear shifting to mess with. 4x4 is a must.

One of my buddies has a 4100 with the 410 loader. He likes the tractor, but doesn't like the max lift height of the loader. I'm 6'4" and can't stand under the bucket when it is fully raised. I would step up to the 4200 if at all possible. You will like the extra HP and weight. It isn't that much bigger than the 4100, but acts like it is.

I looked at both JD and the Kubota. I found the JD loaders MUCH easier to put on and take off than the Kubotas. Takes about 1 minute for the JDs. Also didn't like the fact that the turning brakes were on the SAME side as the hydro pedals on the Kubotas. Hard to use both at the same time unless you have two right feet!

As far as new vs. used, I found it difficult to find a used tractor that was clean enough for me. The ones that were clean with low hours were about as much as a new one. That's why I went with new. Stay away from any tractor that had a previous life as a rental. They are severely abused.

Check out this website for lots of compact tractor talk: http://jplan.com/tractor/home. sht

I'd be happy to answer any other questions. Good luck!

Steve

[This message has been edited by zman (edited 02-09-2001). ]

 

[Eventer]

BCFAST,

I am surprised anyone else has heard of the Belarus. I have one (Belarus 310 4WD 36 engine HP and 28. 5 PTO HP) that I bought in late 1993 and have about 340 hours on it. I am fairly happy with it. I just wish I had a front loader. It would make life on the farm so much easier.

Do you have a Belarus?

------------------
Lyndon Hendry
Chief Equine Officer (CEO) and
President for Life
Head Over Heels Farm

2001 2500 QC LB ETH/DEE 3. 55RE Patriot Blue
Pop-Up Hitch, Stock engine except for MIA blow-by-bottle

"An oil burner for the hay burners. "

 

[illflem]

Eventer,the dealer in my area that sells Belarus said that parts were hard to get and that technical support was nonexistent. Have you ran into any problems?They seem like a simple,heavy duty tractor to me though.

 

[Eventer]

illflem,

During warranty, I had a hydraulic hose break and I bent the lower left link. Other than replacing batteries every year, I have had no problems with the tractor. I do need to get an oil filter before the next oil change. I have two dealers in Kansas that might be able to help. There is a dealer in Caney (SE KS) and one in Salina (NC KS) that was at the Kansas State Fair this past September.

You are right, the tractor is dirt simiple, but it was designed that way because it is used primarily in the third world where parts are not always available.

I would have liked to had a JD, but Bela was about 1/2 the price.

I just did a quick search on Belarus (www.belarus.com). The American arm of the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on March 10, 2000.



------------------
Lyndon Hendry
Chief Equine Officer (CEO) and
President for Life
Head Over Heels Farm

2001 2500 QC LB ETH/DEE 3. 55RE Patriot Blue
Pop-Up Hitch, Stock engine except for MIA blow-by-bottle

"An oil burner for the hay burners. "

 

[Tony]

Belarus, oh boy! Of course I am goignto say JD, I have seen some of the earlier compact onestake a beating like jd 1050s and 1070s. I have seen people use these tractors to mow, rake, and bale hay with. I have also seen these tractors pull loaded kicker wagons of hay (roughly 9,000lbs) up decent size hills. Like said before, they are a Yannmar. Kubota is also a good company but a I have always thought of it as more of a landscapers tractor. Those are the two companies I would recomend sticking with.

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99,2500,qc,SLT,black,4wd,35Klb gooseneck hitch, K&N airfilter, 265/75/16 BFG ATko's

 

[John]

FATCAT, I noticed one of the tractors on your short list was the Kubota B21 4x4 (TLB). I have rented one of these several times... it is a very good machine! The hydro. drive really makes loader work easy. As this model is not an AG tractor, but instead a (commercial) TLB, it is much stronger, having an extremely strong frame etc. If you don't want the backhoe your Kubota dealer can sell you the TLB without the "B" part. Another plus to the B21 TLB is the loader has a higher rating than a comparable AG tractor and has an articulated bucket that raises higher and stays level as it's raised/lowered. #ad


The fence company I hired (Kiwi Fence Co. ) to construct part of my New Zealand fence (and all of my post and rail fence) has Kubota tractors... exclusively! They have at least one 5400 and I beleive the other two are 4750s (?)... all are 4x4. The owner of the fence company is totally sold on Kubota tractors.

[This message has been edited by John (edited 02-11-2001). ]

 

[FATCAT]

ZMAN,
The JD's are nice, I went to look at a 4100 the other day and drove it around digging up mounds of snow. I definitely like the single control loader/bucket lever unlike my neighbors multi-lever system. I see that the JD 4100 does not have an option for a backhoe if I wanted one in the future so your suggestion of moving up to the 4200 seems like a good idea. I was looking into some sites about JD, Kubota's, etc... and there seemed to be some problems with trans and pumps on the JD's. Since the 4000 series are relatively new there are very few used accessories out there to purchase.
John,
about the Kubota's, I would be considering either the B21 or the B2410, but I have a rather stupid question (since I have not been able to get to a Kubota dealer). The B21 can accept all types of 3-point hitch accessories (e. g. 3-pt mower, scraper, etc. . ), right? Not just a backhoe? There is a used one in my area (1997 with 700 hrs with backhoe for $18,500). Seems pricy, but I guess that new one without the backhoe would be about the same or less? Anyway, which machine would be better for all round property work + redoing the driveway + skiding trees ... the B21 or the B2410?

 

[illflem]

Another tractor dealer that claims they won't be undersold is http://www.hobbyhorseranch.com/ They are in Idaho,but offer free delivery to some areas.

[This message has been edited by illflem (edited 02-12-2001). ]

 

[Bill Stockard]

illflem,

Hey Apple Guy, What variety apples do you grow.

I eat an apple every day--7 day a week---those big red Washington Delicous--sometimes a Gala or a Fugi.

I just bought a big bag of the Large Red Delicous with a Washington Apple sticker on them--$0. 99/lb--at our local Albertsons.

Bill

 

[illflem]

Bill,no Red Delicious for me in ten years,most folks growing them are going broke. What happened was the Red was bred into a tasteless potato to be grower friendly and to look good. You can't fool the consumers long with just a pretty package,domestic demand dropped. I wouldn't eat one. Most of the reds now go to Mexico and the Pacific rim and are sold at a loss to the grower even though the shelf price doesn't reflect this,somebody else is making the money. In ten years the red will probably be gone,producing acreage in WA has been dropping about 20% a year the last few years.
In order of acreage I grow Gala,Granny Smith,Fuji(my favorite for taste,hard to grow though) and Ginger Gold. Also grow Bartlett and D'Anjou pears.
A excellent new apple,that I can't grow due to too short of a growing season,is called
Pink Lady,if you can find some give them a try,they're great.
Eat lots of apples,they're good for you and come in a easy to eat package.



[This message has been edited by illflem (edited 02-12-2001). ]

 

[QRTRHRS]

FATCAT,
Some other thoughts I had:
A warning on compacts with a backhoe. Backhoes can be either 3pt or subframe mounted. A lot of damage can be done with the 3pt mount. I have seen transmission housings cracked in half. I have the subframe. Takes about 15 mins. to attach.

I have mostly Landpride attachments because my local dealer sold them at a good price. I have had good service with the Landpride equipment.

Around here, JD holds it's value slightly better than Kubota. I went with the Massey as the dealer is close and the two year old tractor I bought had 278 hours on it for 5k less than new.

Check out the ads on lancasterfarming.com.

 

[Whitmore]

just incase any of you need a good used 1975 case 680c backhoe,I have decided to let mine go,just no need any more since we relocated to new job,e-mail me,see my add on this site,vehicles misc thanks kevin

[This message has been edited by Whitmore (edited 02-13-2001). ]