Compact or sub compact tractor?

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Tractor brand recomendation

  • Kubota

    Votes: 39 57.4%
  • John Deere

    Votes: 10 14.7%
  • New Holland

    Votes: 7 10.3%
  • Ls

    Votes: 2 2.9%
  • Other

    Votes: 10 14.7%

  • Total voters
    68

Mustang71

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I keep hearing the financing deals on the radio and its got me looking at tractors again. I'm looking at the smaller side. 25 hp or so. I mainly want a 60 inch mower deck since the main use will be grass cutting. I also want the loader. Now I do believe the sub compact comes with a 4 foot bucket and the compact is a 5 foot bucket. I also would like to drag trees or partial trees out of the woods with it. I had an old ford and that was to large for yard work. I'm not sure how manly I would feel on a sub compact.


So is a sub compact tractor the same performance in a lawn tractor frame or just the little brother of the compact? The price is pretty close for both. The soonest I would be buying is fall time. I have a 5 acre wooded lot with about 3 acres of cutting.
 
The wife will never allow that. I'm looking at like 20 grand for everything I need. I looked at zero turns a while ago and unless you spend 5k or more it's a pile of crap no better than the box store rider I have now.
 
I wouldn't go with a subcompact tractor, especially for the price of them, may as well get the bigger bang for your buck.
One thing about the Kubota's is they hold their value. I'm sure the other brands are similar, I only have experience with the Kubota.
I know the financing is attractive on the new ones but if you shop around and get a 1-3 year old tractor with low hours you could save a few G's $$
a lot of people buy them then realize they really don't "need" a tractor or they get all their tractoring done on their 2 acres. It seems the ads are flooded with small tractors that are only a year or two old.
 
I have a Kubota BX2350. I would only consider taking it into the woods if there were improved trails to drive on. Soft underbelly and not much clearance.

However, for mowing 2-3 acres, snow blowing and grading the 1,200’ driveway and light loader work, it cannot be beat.
 
The wife will never allow that. I'm looking at like 20 grand for everything I need. I looked at zero turns a while ago and unless you spend 5k or more it's a pile of crap no better than the box store rider I have now.

My ZTR is a home jobber unit (Cub Cadet RZT with a 50" or 52" deck. It's a 2007 I think, only thing I've done is normal maintenance.
I paid $1000 used for it, (was nearly new, had like 75hrs on it and stored in a heated garagw). At the time they were around $2500 new, I think colder to $3k now.

I had a tractor before that, the ZTR easily cut my mowing time in half. I sold the deck for the tractor and kept it as a snowblower only unit. No more taking several hours to swap between the blower and mower.

The thing with a tractor small enough to have a 60" deck is that it and the FEL will be fairly light duty. Fine for small yard projects, but skidding logs through the woods or lifting them isn't going to work well.

For a mini log skidder, a 4wd ATV would work better that a small yard tractor.

ATV and a ZTR would be well under 20k and you'd have the ATV to ride, plow snow, pull around a trailer (or the ZTR can too).

Just my thoughts.
 
I have a Kubota BX2350. I would only consider taking it into the woods if there were improved trails to drive on. Soft underbelly and not much clearance.

However, for mowing 2-3 acres, snow blowing and grading the 1,200’ driveway and light loader work, it cannot be beat.

I'm talking about tractor in the yard next to the woods dragging logs out nothing crazy. I have a 600 foot gravel driveway and that's the main reason for the loader. I have holes everywhere. I could stone them every year and they come back. It's a lot for the wheel barrow to handle.


My ZTR is a home jobber unit (Cub Cadet RZT with a 50" or 52" deck. It's a 2007 I think, only thing I've done is normal maintenance.
I paid $1000 used for it, (was nearly new, had like 75hrs on it and stored in a heated garagw). At the time they were around $2500 new, I think colder to $3k now.

I had a tractor before that, the ZTR easily cut my mowing time in half. I sold the deck for the tractor and kept it as a snowblower only unit. No more taking several hours to swap between the blower and mower.

The thing with a tractor small enough to have a 60" deck is that it and the FEL will be fairly light duty. Fine for small yard projects, but skidding logs through the woods or lifting them isn't going to work well.

For a mini log skidder, a 4wd ATV would work better that a small yard tractor.

ATV and a ZTR would be well under 20k and you'd have the ATV to ride, plow snow, pull around a trailer (or the ZTR can too).

Just my thoughts.

I have an atv and use it for fire wood and plowing and a plow for the truck. I'm fine with a loader that has a 1000lb capacity. I am just a home owner who burns wood for supplemental heat. That would be more than enough for my needs. I had a tractor with a loader and miss it but those old 2wd ford tractors were not that great so I sold it.
 
I never wanted a sub compact tractor but since I've been looking again I figured I'd ask since I have never asked before. My BIL has the top of the line john deere sub tractor with all the impliments and it makes me laugh lol. I thought maybe there was a reason that the Kubota compact is only 3 grand more than the sub. Maybe the sub is that awesome and worth the price. Or maybe it's just the ladies model. Ladies like cute expensive things.
 
To each there own......I have a Kioti CS2210...perfect for the needs I have for it.
I have a FEL and a 50" snow blower as far as attachments.
We bought are home this past may n so far I have moved about 55 tons of 2B stone around the property....didn't get enough snow this year to use the blower yet.
From what I here.....Kubotas hold there value better but comparing both Kioti n Kubota....I saved about 3000.00 n have no regret doing it.
Didn't get a mower deck for it (are yard is not that big) so for 400.00 more than what the deck would have cost we bought a Simplicity. Its nice not having to be concerned with draggin around a mower deck when driving in certain areas with the Kioti.
Check them out if you have a dealer close by. They offer 0% financing like Kubota does.
 
To each there own......I have a Kioti CS2210...perfect for the needs I have for it.
I have a FEL and a 50" snow blower as far as attachments.
We bought are home this past may n so far I have moved about 55 tons of 2B stone around the property....didn't get enough snow this year to use the blower yet.
From what I here.....Kubotas hold there value better but comparing both Kioti n Kubota....I saved about 3000.00 n have no regret doing it.
Didn't get a mower deck for it (are yard is not that big) so for 400.00 more than what the deck would have cost we bought a Simplicity. Its nice not having to be concerned with draggin around a mower deck when driving in certain areas with the Kioti.
Check them out if you have a dealer close by. They offer 0% financing like Kubota does.

I'm open to all brands. I don't care about the resale value because I don't plan on selling it. Id like the best bang for the buck. I noticed mahindra was more expensive than Kubota and John Deere are close in price. There's a Ls dealer near me and I will check those out.
 
I priced out the Kubota b2301 online and it was about 20k the bx2380 was 17k. But more power is better. I unfortunately do not have the cash to buy one without financing. So I'm looking for new and the most cost effective tractor since I'll be paying for it for a few years.
 
Check out Branson ....don't know if you have dealer close.....nice price....don't look bad....
 
New Holland an LS small tractors look the same to me. My 2004 NH is a Japanese tractor. Now Korean made.
 
My BIL has a BX with front end loader and 54" deck. I was surprised how much I liked it for mowing and mulch. It did a fine job. I would go to a B if it was in the budget. I was thinking about a B or BX but I'm limited to a 54" deck because my dump trailer is only 62 inches wide and a 60 inch deck won't fit. I have plenty of use for a smaller tractor, but I also have a Massey 135 for heavier work. I looked and I thought the B2301 was 22 HP and the BX 2380 was 23HP, so the smaller one had more power. But, I may have goofed that up. I also believe you can't have too may tractors, I'm looking at a JD 2510 diesel, it's a sweet mid size tractor, they just tend to be a little pricey.
 
New Holland an LS small tractors look the same to me. My 2004 NH is a Japanese tractor. Now Korean made.

Ls tractors used to be new holland tractors. Now they are on their own. Kind of like those 80s ford tractors were Japanese. Ls is Korean which worries me a bit but maybe it's not a pile of crap like the Kia.

Ford and new holland have been just a name since the 80s that's y I'm not real impressed with them even though I am a ford guy.
 

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