Tractors (1 Viewer)

[Toshi38]

As I've bought a little land I'm looking at options for a small tractor as I figure it will, be quite handy to have. When I helped @seapotato out with things a couple summers back it was really handy having the tractor.

I Turned down the current owners offer to buy his full size tractor as it just doesn't match the property.

Was curious if folks had suggestions about what things to look for, and what tractors would be a good fit. Property is 1.2Ha with an additional 0.2Ha that I've rented from the neighbor for a bottle of whisky.

Things we'd like to do with the tractor:
- Cut Lawn (most important as I want to avoid having two tractors or a lawn mower + tractor)
- Plowing the bit of snow we sometimes get (we have a small private road about 100m long (250 if I am nice and plow to the neighbors too))
- Pull trailer (I got a small trailer from previous owner)
- Dig holes
- Create a small kitchen garden
- General maintenance around the property.

Looking at brands/sizes/specific models both new and used that would be good options. Also what implements you guys are actually using at your places. The twist is I need to be able to find it in sweden

 

[seapotato]

I love my little Kubota, but I do sometimes wish it was a bit bigger.

Post hole augers are great. For planting or anything. Digging holes 3' deep in under a minute is awesome.

Sometimes you luck out and get a lot of attachments with what you buy. Attachments easily add up to more than the tractor cost.

I don't mow with mine, too slow and a mower deck is worth half what I paid for the tractor.

You can get tow behind 3pt mowers... again hopefully with the machine you buy, otherwise it's cheaper to just buy a ride on for mowing.

And for plowing, you can probably find lots of blades over there, easy to adapt to the bucket.

I wish mine had an extra hydraulic circuit for a thumb or angling the plow...


So yeah, #1 as many attachments as you can get when you buy the machine.

#2 tractors are ALL abused, so just like a cruiser ...

 

[cruiserpilot]

Sounds like just need a bigger Kubota. Pretty sure they would be available world wide.
As for plowing snow, it would probably be needed to be a 4wd

 

[seapotato]

This is clearly what you need. Might even be local to you.

 

[stevebradford]

Hahah I think the camera man got nailed with a rock at one point.

 

[Toshi38]

How is it with the attachments, are they interchangeable between brands or need to buy to match the tractor? I guess with a welder you could make a lot of things go if the pto or hydraulics get mated up?

 

[seapotato]

How is it with the attachments, are they interchangeable between brands or need to buy to match the tractor? I guess with a welder you could make a lot of things go if the pto or hydraulics get mated up?

3pt hitches come in a few categories. My Kubotas cat 1 I think. Not sure how high the numbers go...up to cat 5 maybe? But they are fairly standard between brands as far as I know, more about getting the size and HP right.
My big JD ride on is a class 0. I use it's 4' wide tiller on the Kubota.

Had to monkey with link pins and the driveshaft to get it to connect.

You can probably cheat a number one way or the other, but things get big and heavy fast.
Found a plow in the bushes at our place, no idea what category it is but my tractor can barely pick it up, let alone drag it. It's our street number sign now.
Then there's PTO HP and rpm. Mine is 15 or so HP (at PTO...not motor) implements tend to have a rating, but anything class 1 probably won't require a ton of HP.

540 rpm is pretty standard, some tractors have a two or 3 speed pto. Mine does 540 and an 800ish rpm.
Some grey market oddballs actually have a PTO that turns the wrong way.
Or at least the wrong way for here... maybe normal there?

Kubota bx series are probably some of the most common. We have 3 or 4 bx23's at work.
Pretty much every attachment imaginable is out there.

Mine is a b1550, so kinda the previous generation.

 

[Toshi38]

Thanks for the info, if you where looking today what would you aim for hp wise and class of hitch?

 

[seapotato]

I'd probably still be looking at class I.

Looking into it, apparently my rememberer was off a bit, it's category 1 not class 1, but same idea..

Something like the bx2300 is probably what I'll upgrade to if the time comes. Not much physically larger than mine but the bucket is way more powerful.

Mine struggles to lift a 3b, which is pretty much our unit of measure

New ones also have cupholders

My neighbor bought a new one a couple years ago. Was 35k with a backhoe attached. Backhoe is a really $$$ attachment.

They show up used for about 25, and older models for 15. Mine it turns out was kindof a good deal at 4k. Still haven't seen one as cheap, and it's been years.

I'll happily continue to drive pieces of s*** so I can afford a new tractor one day.

I think when you get to the next level up they're considerably larger machines. Probably like the one you opted not to buy. Everything starts to cost more.

You might have some different euro brands available over there....here 3/4 of the tractors are orange.

Decent site to do some reading.

OrangeTractorTalks - Everything Kubota

OrangeTractorTalks, the place for Kubota tractor service tips, classifieds, specs, discussion, news and reviews!

www.orangetractortalks.com

 

[Toshi38]

Ya there's some of the orange ones also HD, see quite a few yanmars and then some Indian and Chinese brands... No idea on the quality there...

 

[seapotato]

They started bringing in kiotis here maybe 10 years ago? Not sure what they're like, prices were certainly interesting..

I've seen some old yanmars too. They're probably decent.

Yanmar make a s*** ton of marine diesels so engine parts would be available you'd think.

Kubota has the recognition, but I don't know if they're really any better than any other Japanese machine.

Guess there's probably not a lot of dear John's there eh?

My big ride on is a late 70's jd400. Weighs a ton, has hydraulics for plow and a 3pt, is scary fast in high range. I mow maybe 3 or 4 acres with it, Can do it in an hour, and it's not exactly a flat soccer field I'm doing.

Those old machines can be cheap. They call them "garden tractors". Definitely a step up from box store ride ons. Case, JD, NH, think most brands made a version. Might be a north American thing tho? Dunno.

I could mow with the Kubota if I had a deck, but between speed and manoeuvrability, it's just easier with the JD. Not to mention taking implements on and off is a pain in the ass.
s***s heavy and it all WANTS to squish your fingers in the process.

 

[cruiserpilot]

Hey, I got an idea. Seapotato could rig a 4 blade grass cutting deck to his PTO, with a single handled lowering mechanism
Then just use 2.0 as your garden tractor, snow plow, lawnmower etc? Good set of soft turf tires and all set.

 

[seapotato]

Nah, still wouldn't work as well as the big JD.

Maybe a wood chipper tho. Could take it down and aim the outlet over the pond.

Chum the waters...when the cops came there'd be a million bullfrogs sitting there.
Eyeing them up, licking their lips, waiting for mealtime.


Or maybe a Bush Hog.

(Coincidentally Bradford's "nom de guerre" when he's in Doukhobor country)

 

[bikersmurf]

Does this John Deere count?

Whopping 9 hp Kawasaki engine. 7 speed forward, 1 reverse. The PO said it was running & all working last year... though the battery was dead since nothing happened. After dragging it home found 12.6 v at the battery.

Tires are almost new... PO said he recently spent $600 on service work.

Google indicates it’s most likely one of the many safety switches. After checking those, ignition switch, and wiring harness. Nothing looks chewed... but some little critter had started piling up straw under the ‘hood’. I figure about 3 laps around the yard will have it all mowed.

 

[seapotato]

Yeah when they don't run it's almost always the safeties. There's way too many of them. Or the usual stuck float in the carb.


Just got "big john" running again yesterday morning. Had to clean the carb and I threw in a new coil because the old one was broken in half. Still ran fine with the coil like that, just seemed like it shouldn't have.

Shortly after, back to its usual abuse.

Mowed down another thicket of 6' tall rose hip and snowberry.

Neighbors thought I had a wood chipper going.

When I mulch, I mulch haaaarrrrd.


This is the old brute. With the quad tires on the back, it's damn near unstoppable. Can even get loaders and backhoes for them if you can believe it.
Newer versions were diesels, but they're really expensive. This wasn't.
Looked horrific when I got it. Swmbo did not approve.
It's grown on her a bit now that it's cleared so much land.
I have to find a new seat for it tho. That one sucks.

 

[bikersmurf]

Yeah when they don't run it's almost always the safeties. There's way too many of them. Or the usual stuck float in the carb.


Just got "big john" running again yesterday morning. Had to clean the carb and I threw in a new coil because the old one was broken in half. Still ran fine with the coil like that, just seemed like it shouldn't have.

Shortly after, back to its usual abuse.View attachment 2635098

Mowed down another thicket of 6' tall rose hip and snowberry.

Neighbors thought I had a wood chipper going.

When I mulch, I mulch haaaarrrrd.


This is the old brute. With the quad tires on the back, it's damn near unstoppable. Can even get loaders and backhoes for them if you can believe it.
Newer versions were diesels, but they're really expensive. This wasn't.
Looked horrific when I got it. Swmbo did not approve.
It's grown on her a bit now that it's cleared so much land.
I have to find a new seat for it tho. That one sucks.

View attachment 2635106

Yours’ is much larger.

Safeties is the first place to start... it can’t start if it won’t even crank. No lights on the dash, and not even a click when I turn the key. Even with the charger connected, nada.

So far I’ve determined the fuse is good. 0 ohms when removed, and 12.6 v at both sides of it. I didn’t have time to open things up yet and get the Fluke to earn its keep.

 

[seapotato]

There's often some lockouts on on the pedals too. I have a smaller one about 10-12 years old. Won't even crank if blades are engaged or brake isn't down.

 

[bikersmurf]

There's often some lockouts on on the pedals too. I have a smaller one about 10-12 years old. Won't even crank if blades are engaged or brake isn't down.

Sounds about right, based on what I’ve read. Even though this is a ‘93, I don’t think it’s like the ‘70s tractors that would likely run you over if you gave them half a chance

 

[seapotato]

Did some more bushwacking today.

Big john started running poorly at one point...

Sposed to be a spark plug in that hole...

If this was the first time this had happened I might have been a bit alarmed.

 

[Toshi38]

Haha nice, ya I've been looking at just lawn tractors as well to have something when we move in, it's proving difficult to find the compact tractors here used... And new is quite pricey.