I need a tractor, help me choose well

Another vote for the Kubota.
I have a L3301. I ordered a Everything Attachments Wicked Grapple for it before the ink was dry on the contract.
The L2501 should be a serious consideration as it doesn’t have the expensive Tier 4 emissions stuff on it that the 3301 and larger do. Essentially the same tractor.

That grapple carrying logs, rocks, stumps, lumber, firewood, and whatever else you can pick up is something that will make you happy forever.

The L series doesn’t have the belly mower. I use a rear mounted brush hog, finish mower, and flail on mine.

The backhoe is nice. When I bought my splitter, it came with about 3 cords of huge red oak rounds that the owner loaded on my trailer with his backhoe.
I had one but regretted not ever using it so sold it. Though I miss it, I’ll do the rent an excavator thing when I need to do any trenching or stump removal in the future.
Attachments are great.
Post hole digger is great for tree planting along with those fence posts or pole barn/shed posts.
Landscape rake cleans up the mess of trash that a splitter operation can make.
Backblade and box blades help maintain driveways and trails.
And on and on.
Hydrostatic is great. Go for it hands down best thing for finesse work.
Trouble is. A tractor will be sooo handy, then you’ll need another one!
I have The L3301 Kubota and now a 1963 Ford 2000 that I play (er I mean work) with around here and I enjoy cutting, splitting, or just doing something with the grapple on the Kubota and the trailer or carryall on the Ford.
Yeah, I’m a tractor nut.

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Love your house and view.

 

I don’t like the John Deere compact tractors due to their own front quick attach system that is not universal. I have a Kubota B2650 cab and a New Holland T1520. They both are hydrostatic which is the only way to go. I cannot imagine plowing snow or bucket work with a standard transmission. They both have a front universal quick attach which is another must have. Forks will change how you do so many things around the house. I put new windows in this summer and lifted them up in place with the forks. What is your soil like? If it’s wet around your place you may want a smaller, lighter tractor that won’t sink in as much. I have several months in the Spring that are so wet tractor use is limited. You need to think long and hard about getting a backhoe. They are very expensive and then you have to keeping taking them off and on. I think for what they cost and how much I would use it it’s better to rent an excavator. 4 Wheel drive is another must have, I can get stuck easily around here and I just put in in 4 wheel drive and with the locking rear end ive always got out. Owning a tractor can get expensive. A proper service can cost $300 or more just for parts.

Good luck! I do love orange Tractors! The cab is great because you can do more work in bad weather but a little scary in the woods if you like the glass!

 

Where did you get that rear attach for that bucket? That’s just what I need!

 

Mine came from Titan attachments. Though it worked ok with the 3 point, it didn’t work with my harbor freight quick attachment. I modified it slightly with a portaband and welder.
After I added a hydraulic top link, it’s been a good addition to the arsenal. Sometimes I have the clamp on pallet forks hanging on the bucket also!


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Get both?

 

I will go against FHC and say go green. I have a 3039R and its a great little tractor. Not having the universal hookup for the FEL is not as big a deal as mentioned here. All the implement makers provide JD hookup. The universal hookup just adds weight and reduces lift capacity on these small tractors. The 3R tractors fit between the L and grand L for kubota in terms of weight and size.

Honestly, implements and dealer are the most important things really. A big tractor with no implements is useless. Figure out what attachments you need to get the work done, figure out what size those attachments need to be, and that will help you size your tractor. I had a 2305 for 11 years, it did just fine until i bought a sawmill and needed to lift heavy logs on to the mill.

You cant go wrong with any of the major brands really. They all make good stuff and will always have parts.

 

here my set up tym 554 . only got 200 hr on so far . does about everything i ask of it really good on fuel

 

Never driven a Kubota but once and that was backing out of a shed for a neighbor who hadn't driven her husband's tractor before.From what I hear,they are great tractors just be sure the model you get was made for export to the US.There are a few around which are called "grey market" tractors that are terrible to get parts for.Your dealer should know.
Weight is a very big item on your list from both a safety and traction standpoint.As someone already said,get your tires filled with antifreeze.Keeps the weight center of gravity lower,too. I will also caution you to keep your loader low as you can without striking the ground when you are moving.A lot of overturns happen when people have their loader far too high above the hood line.When you are running the loader,an implement on the rear helps,too.
I bought a set of pallet forks for my farm tractor a couple years agne of the better things I have bought recently.Since I have an old backhoe,I hardly ever use the bucket.
Above all,take your time and be safe.None of this does you any good in the hospital or cemetery.

 

Welcome aboard yamadog


Nice tractor. Yanmar?

 

T554 (HST) Compact Tractor - TYM Tractors

 

I bought a J-D 1025r about 5 years ago and can't believe I waited so long to buy a tractor!! The front end loader with a bucket and forks make handling logs or firewood a breeze. I have the mower deck and a front mounted blower so it gets used all year round. It's a back saver and a time saver. I thought about the back hoe but for the cost Vs. time I'd actually use it, it would be better for me to rent a mini excavator..

Everybody uses their tractors for different tasks and mine works great for what I need it for.

If I had to do it over again I might have bought the bigger blower for the front.. or maybe up sized to a 3 series for more weight and traction... But I'm still happy with what I bought..

 

I don't currently own one, but I've worked with Kubota's for years landscaping and on farms. I don't think you can go wrong with one. The green ones are pretty good too.

Whatever color you go with, I'd do this:

30HP is the perfect size and usually has way more hydro capacity (GPM) over 20HP machines, which is a big deal.
Load the rear tires.
FEL with quick attach bucket, forks, and grapple. Grapple buckets might be the most handy thing there is for moving brush, logs, and rocks.
Skip the backhoe. They don't suck, but for the $ you can rent a mini excavator several times and do twice the work in half the time.
Gear on gear vs hydro transmission is personal preference. I like both, but prefer the hydro for loader work and the gear on gear for mowing and skidding.
Get Ag tires. The R4's are only mildly better at not tearing up the yard and don't have near the traction in mud.

 

damm, this is dead on in every realm!

 

When I got my JD2520, green and orange were sold by the same dealer and were the same price. ( for a while prior Kubota was a little less )
Bought the backhoe and have gotten my money's worth out of it for sure digging trenches, pulling out stumps and rocks. In fact digging out rocks and stumps was one of the biggest reasons for getting the tractor in the first place. Pretty much sat down and estimated how many projects I wanted and needed to accomplish and what it would cost to rent.
Any rocks that were too big for the bucket I pushed and or rolled. There were a few rocks and stumps I chained in.
I waited far too long to get an Home - Artillian pallet fork frame and forks.
Most people I knew that had tractors recommended I get a 3 series for the projects I had but the 2520 has worked fine for me.

Only regret I've had was not buying one 20 years sooner.

 

I went with the Kubota L2501 and am very happy with it. I use it for firewood, brush hogging and snow removal. I got the 66" ssqa bucket and a set of forks. It replaced an older Kubota L305 that was hard to find parts for so I traded. It doesn't have the lifting power of the old one but does what I need it to do and the HST is great compared to the GST.

 

Sounds great
Super value for what you will be using it for.