Really really really want a tractor

[husky455rancher]

Well I’ve pretty much decided I’m getting a tractor. I got numbers on a little guy Ls mt125, jd 1025r (holy mother it was expensive) and a bigger kioti 2610 and kioti 3510.

the jd is off the table. I can get so much more for my money in other brands. I’m about ready to get one of the kiotis. They can lift 1850 pounds to max height in the loaded. The only difference between the two is the engine. Ones 25 hp and ones 35. The 35 has a dpf but it dosent seem to be a real issue from what I’ve read. The 3510 is $2300 dollars more than the 2610. There is also a 930 dollar difference between the manual and hydro transmissions.
Not sure if the extra power really matters all that much it’s not like I’m plowing a field haha. I’m just gonna use it to do my tree length firewood and log moving and clean up my yard and do some landscaping.

anyone have any Experience with any of these machines?

 

[holeycow]

Get the bigger one.

I have no experience with those particular models, but have had a large Kioti for about 2500 hours worth and it's a good machine. Very good in fact.

there's lots of good brands. I know nothing about them, but I've always been intrigued by the Bransons. They look very good in pictures, lol.

don't be misled by those who claim that a hydro is "more precise" and "faster". I guess those guys find a clutch challenging. I couldn't stand the constant whine of most hydros. Some are loud and clearly offensive to me at least.

the small JD's are not even built by JD. Green paint is expensive.

don't overlook Kubota, although they are pretty proud of themselves too, for reasons unknown to me.

anyway, good luck! It will change your life. Remember, it is a little farm tractor, not a piece of heavy equipment. You can break a farm tractor if you treat it like a dozer. Check all the bolts, especially the wheels and loader. They will likely loosen, or already be loose. The dealer puts on the wheels and loader. Sometimes they are not the sharpest tools in the shed...

 

[kspakland]

Just don't get a Hoyt-Clagwell.
Parts are impossible to get, and the wheels keep falling off.
(Yes, I watch too much Green Acres, my favorite show from when I was a kid).

 

[chipper1]

don't be misled by those who claim that a hydro is "more precise" and "faster". I guess those guys find a clutch challenging. I couldn't stand the constant whine of most hydros. Some are loud and clearly offensive to me at least.

While I agree with much of your post, I have to disagree about the hydro trans. I drove truck for 20 yrs and hauled heavy for many of them. Most the trucks I drove were 13-18 speed, while I am not challenged at all driving a stick on a tractor; I'd rather not for a machine that is to do work in small areas, if you are out tilling large plots of land there may be some advantage.

There is also a 930 dollar difference between the manual and hydro transmissions.

It's worth it, you will thank yourself if you get it, if you are using it in tighter places.
@farmer steve any thoughts on hydro vs manual.

don't overlook Kubota, although they are pretty proud of themselves too, for reasons unknown to me.

All my kubotas have been great machines. I like most Japanese products, and so do others who have owned them, I think that's why they are able to command a premium price.

anyway, good luck! It will change your life. Remember, it is a little farm tractor, not a piece of heavy equipment. You can break a farm tractor if you treat it like a dozer. Check all the bolts, especially the wheels and loader. They will likely loosen, or already be loose. The dealer puts on the wheels and loader. Sometimes they are not the sharpest tools in the shed...

Great advice here. I like to say my tractors have more guts than butt, they just aren't a large piece of equipment such as a skid steer and they don't have the power or lifting capacity.
As far as the bolts on the wheels and loader, all mine loosened up on my kubota L3800, all was good until it wasn't and I cracked a wheel .

 

[husky455rancher]

I normally enjoy shifting. I almost always use a standard in my cars. I was thinking one thing if I get a hydro and decide to sell it ever I assume that would help resale. As would the 35hp over the 25. We’ll I would think anyway….

 

[chipper1]

I normally enjoy shifting. I almost always use a standard in my cars. I was thinking one thing if I get a hydro and decide to sell it ever I assume that would help resale. As would the 35hp over the 25. We’ll I would think anyway….

I'd agree as someone who does a lot of buying and selling.

 

[holeycow]

Most Tractors don't shift like cars (although my Deutz did) and you don't drive them the same way. Shifting a car can be fun. Shifting a tractor is work.
my point about hydro is mostly about the "more precise" comments made by many. That is simply rubbish, as long as your tractor brakes work, that is. Also, some hydros are very loud to me. I can't live with that.

 

[farmer steve]

I have the hydro on my 55 HP new holland. I don't know if it is loud or not as I never had one before. I would have preferred a gear tractor bit when the boss said go get a new tractor I couldn't git fast enough. It has held up pretty good with over 3K hours on it now. @husky455rancher. I think the Kioti is a decent tractor for your needs doing firewood. Go for the bigger HP if you can. Make sure it has the universal quik attach on the loader. The favorite tool on mine is the rock bucket for doing firewood. Good luck.

 

[Karrl]

I’d suggest getting the hydro if you can afford it. The constant forward/reverse is much easier with a hydro. If I’m out plowing or need torque for an application I’d rather have gears and a clutch, but for what you’re looking to do it’s not necessary. Another plus to hydro is hooking a brush mower to it. Much easier to back in and around trees, fences, and other hazards.

All that said I grew up running a JD 2955 8 speed with a loader bucket and I’m pretty quick with the clutch and sticks on that one. Although it’s a well rehearsed dance if you know what I mean. So you definitely can get by without the hydro.

And Holeycow is spot on about getting the bigger tractor to start out. My cousin bought I think the 35 hp Kioti and ended up trading in for a bigger one after a few years. The higher hp heavier tractor will handle heavy loads safer and more stable than the smaller one. Also whatever you choose makes sure you have the tires filled with ballast or at least have enough weight on each end. Makes a huge difference in soft ground and when you’re driving with a load on it. Good Luck with whatever you choose.

 

[GeeVee]

Tractor by net is a good message board. I prefer a geared trans. None of the big companies make their own SCUT or CUT's- JD, Kubota, MF, NH, Case, etc, they all are white labeled machines built in Japan, Taiwan etc. Thes foreign companies owend the market on small, as thats thier requirements they dont have large expanses, they are small farms, on limited spaces and usually can be crowded into elevation changes and other constraints like rock and water bodies. and in general smaller parcel of land ownership, not to mention crop variety or rotations. The business practices over there were also different. Manufacturing was always more like cooperatives and consortiums.

Mitsubishi, Iseki, Isuzu, Yanmar, Shibaru are just a few that are the real names behind the paint the brand loyalists would shun, but don't realize those big labels don't make them themsleves, these compaies do.

Sounds like you are buying retail, new? If you must. but there are all kinds of used ones for not much money, that work just fine. These things are not hard to work on or maintain. Nor is getting parts realy that hard.

So, in the used market, there is the gray market thing. noit an issue in the slightest. really. The gray market Yanmar 2810 is the exact same as the US labeled-imported 281, exactly. Except for the stickers..... The gray market machines come of the farms over there and get sent back to the Co-op in Thailand or Vietnam, and they go through them- rebuild them quite well , and repaint. Sure there are US dealers for Yanmar who wont sell you a glass fuel bowl when yoy tell them its for the 2810, but the next hop or event he same one a day later will sell you the bowl for the 281. For what its worth, the "industry" in the US was not selling you a gray market part out of spite. WHen they have a floor plan of new ones they can;t sell, because an independant person took the risk of bringing containers of refurbed Grays in with no "service" they could provide, its cutting into their ability to move their (overpriced) floor plan. That has settled out now some, since the internet has made it global, though you dont have to get a part from Asia- there are so many grays here now, that independent tractor shops and salvage yards have that part for a gray 2810, though really, you just have to do some searching for the 281 part number to begin with.
My Mitsubishi is a US import I traced back to Valley Power in Roanoake Virginia, and he still is a Mits dealer to this day. My 15 hp 2 cyl diessel has been trouble free. I've replaced a starter I tore up not using the correct procedure, I wet down the hydro fluid leaving it in the rain, but its pulls a 4' bushog and does a bush hogs job. I have no FEL, but my machine does have the ability to carry one. (I have an ASV RC-30 rubber tracked skid). 4wd, brakes for each rearr, dif lock. 1300 bucks. IF i ever have to do a clutch, Im not concerned about having to do it myself, and its an $80 clutch, with fluids, it might cost $200.

For a one trick pony like just firewooding, or bushogging your extra parcel of land three times a year, I can't see buying new. If you get a FEL, thats nice if you dont have anything else, and you can use it to load a trailer you can pull on the 3pth. or drag logs..... Buying new doesn;t guarnatee against maintenance or repairs, and if you bought one of each, and treated them the same, my 1300 dollar purchase would save me tens of thousands after a couple thousand hours?

At least give Valley Power a look at the Mitsusbishi compact or subs, and see what they have. If you got a Sub, and its smaller lighter lift means you cut a log to 5 ' instead of ten feet, whats the harm? Its not a race. Its about not picking it up by HAND. Though, I can get my 15 hp through my woods where my buddy can't get his 35 hp. WHich means he has no tractor.

 

[lone wolf]

Well I’ve pretty much decided I’m getting a tractor. I got numbers on a little guy Ls mt125, jd 1025r (holy mother it was expensive) and a bigger kioti 2610 and kioti 3510.

the jd is off the table. I can get so much more for my money in other brands. I’m about ready to get one of the kiotis. They can lift 1850 pounds to max height in the loaded. The only difference between the two is the engine. Ones 25 hp and ones 35. The 35 has a dpf but it dosent seem to be a real issue from what I’ve read. The 3510 is $2300 dollars more than the 2610. There is also a 930 dollar difference between the manual and hydro transmissions.
Not sure if the extra power really matters all that much it’s not like I’m plowing a field haha. I’m just gonna use it to do my tree length firewood and log moving and clean up my yard and do some landscaping.

anyone have any Experience with any of these machines?

I would be Leary of the DPF stuff.

 

[husky455rancher]

Get the bigger one.

I have no experience with those particular models, but have had a large Kioti for about 2500 hours worth and it's a good machine. Very good in fact.

there's lots of good brands. I know nothing about them, but I've always been intrigued by the Bransons. They look very good in pictures, lol.

don't be misled by those who claim that a hydro is "more precise" and "faster". I guess those guys find a clutch challenging. I couldn't stand the constant whine of most hydros. Some are loud and clearly offensive to me at least.

the small JD's are not even built by JD. Green paint is expensive.

don't overlook Kubota, although they are pretty proud of themselves too, for reasons unknown to me.

anyway, good luck! It will change your life. Remember, it is a little farm tractor, not a piece of heavy equipment. You can break a farm tractor if you treat it like a dozer. Check all the bolts, especially the wheels and loader. They will likely loosen, or already be loose. The dealer puts on the wheels and loader. Sometimes they are not the sharpest tools in the shed...

In the videos I’ve watched

I would be Leary of the DPF stuff.

yeah I kinda am I’m really on the fence about it.

 

[AGrig06]

Well I’ve pretty much decided I’m getting a tractor. I got numbers on a little guy Ls mt125, jd 1025r (holy mother it was expensive) and a bigger kioti 2610 and kioti 3510.

the jd is off the table. I can get so much more for my money in other brands. I’m about ready to get one of the kiotis. They can lift 1850 pounds to max height in the loaded. The only difference between the two is the engine. Ones 25 hp and ones 35. The 35 has a dpf but it dosent seem to be a real issue from what I’ve read. The 3510 is $2300 dollars more than the 2610. There is also a 930 dollar difference between the manual and hydro transmissions.
Not sure if the extra power really matters all that much it’s not like I’m plowing a field haha. I’m just gonna use it to do my tree length firewood and log moving and clean up my yard and do some landscaping.

anyone have any Experience with any of these machines?

Get a John Deere 2755 with a fork, works great for moving bales, I'm sure you could throw a bucket on and go to work! Holy cow it can climb any hill, up/down, or drive on it sideways! The 2755 also goes pretty fast on the road, like 40 I'd say.

 

[lone wolf]

Get a John Deere 2755 with a fork, works great for moving bales, I'm sure you could throw a bucket on and go to work! Holy cow it can climb any hill, up/down, or drive on it sideways! The 2755 also goes pretty fast on the road, like 40 I'd say.

40? Thats fast as hell aint it?

 

[rancher2]

I will start by saying it pretty green at my farm. We farm with mostly older equipment and I can always get parts for JD. That said I had a smaller AGCO Hydro tractor that was my spot spraying, fence fixing, UTV and every thing in between tractor. I had around four thousand hours on it and never had any major issues. It was time to up grade and get one with a loader for smaller jobs. I have a 100 HP skid steer and a old Cat track loader for the bigger loader work . I looked at all of them including JD. For me it came down to Kioti and Kubota. I have had several Kubota diesel engines over the years and zero issues with them. The Kubota was more money but the fit and finish was better. I ended up buying a Kubota MX-6000 HYDRO. I did spend a day in the pickup to go get it but it save me a lot of money. I was buying cash but if your not Kubota has some cheap money. I have ran it threw one season about three hundred hours and have had zero issues. The DPF regens about every fifty hours. Its the first diesel I have owned with DPF.

 

[poppiecarver15]

just my thoughts, i have a jd 1025r and it is ok .mostly use it for firewood and wish it was bigger and could life more,some say you just cut smaller lengths but that means more trips and more fuel and at the cost today is a big deal. i like the hrdro. in the woods and with the mower but do not do a lot of mowing with it. when i do it again going to go bigger and have a grapple on the front. you will be glad for the extra power

 

[holeycow]

Try to have a look at Branson (kukje). Their similar size tractors lift more at both ends and they weigh more. 99% of the time, weight is your friend. Also their engine is higher displacement with less computer ****. more gears too. Hydro available. Idk, some have said the tier 4 crap can be removed on them too. That crap can be a nightmare. There are possibilities of many various problems with the different systems for compliance...

the small tractor world is a nightmare of who makes what for who (which changes over the years).

oh, and has already been mentioned. Get the rears filled with fluid. Don't even consider not doing that. Just don't.

 

[husky455rancher]

Try to have a look at Branson (kukje). Their similar size tractors lift more at both ends and they weigh more. 99% of the time, weight is your friend. Also their engine is higher displacement with less computer ****. more gears too. Hydro available. Idk, some have said the tier 4 crap can be removed on them too. That crap can be a nightmare. There are possibilities of many various problems with the different systems for compliance...

the small tractor world is a nightmare of who makes what for who (which changes over the years).

oh, and has already been mentioned. Get the rears filled with fluid. Don't even consider not doing that. Just don't.

Yes whatever I get I will fill the tires. I haven’t looked at Branson. I’ll check them out today and see if I can get some prices.

 

[HighRidgePines]

LS XR4145 - 4wd and 45 hp was perfect for me.

 

[Ryan'smilling]

I have two hydrostatic tractors, a 29 hp new Holland and a 47hp kubota. I grew up on geared tractors and can handle them fine, but the only way I'd give up these hydrostatic tractors is if I had a skid steer for loader work and a utility tractor with a hydraulic shuttle. Yes, some guys are really great operators with geared machines, but after 100 hours on my kubota, I can damn near skin a cat with the loader or grapple. It just becomes second nature. And yeah, for resale hydro is what 90% of buyers want. Resale is actually also a good reason to look at kubota. The l2501, l3901, and mx4800 would be worth a look.