Topic: Strong Opinions on tractors?

[Weisshaupt]

When I went tractor shopping, I was really looking for older Fords of the type that has been mentioned. When I found one that was priced right, my wife informed me I had used the tractor money as a down payment on her new car. Silly me.  I said f*^k it and bought a new Kubota 3200. Nice tractor and should last a life time, but the parts (compared to the Fords) are relatively expensive.

I need to get her up on a few, but I am beginning to suspect that the smaller form factor of the Kubota B series is going to win.  The only thing that worries me is the weight..  the B2620 only weighs 1500 lbs.  The Kasco weights 700lbs.. .. granted the FEL adds some weight (700lbs) and will help to counter balance it, but it would be nice if the 3 point could lift it without making the whole thing "tippy"  Compare that to the Kioti /Bobcat  at 3000lbs

[Glock32]

I also had a summer job doing landscaping when I was in college, and we used a Cub Cadet with a 3 cylinder diesel. It was a really nice machine with power steering, 4 wheel drive, multiple reverse gears and all that. It was a fairly compact tractor that would be ideal for a 4-5 acre plot. I think they were actually made by some Japanese company...Yanmar?  Something like that.  Anyway, just another brand worth considering.

[AlanS]

I know 1 person that has the B model Kubota. Like you suspect, he says it's VERY limited to what it can do. He has numerous attachments and a front end loader, so it can do quite a bit, just not a lot at one time.

Since I have a trailer, I plan on using his front end loader every chance I need.

[Weisshaupt]

I also had a summer job doing landscaping when I was in college, and we used a Cub Cadet with a 3 cylinder diesel. It was a really nice machine with power steering, 4 wheel drive, multiple reverse gears and all that. It was a fairly compact tractor that would be ideal for a 4-5 acre plot. I think they were actually made by some Japanese company...Yanmar?  Something like that.  Anyway, just another brand worth considering.

 There is a dealer round here who sells the small stuff, and he can get the big stuff - but doesn't "carry" it in stock.. so I am worried about service etc. 
Basically Yanmar makes the JDs now.  Of course, JD puts the paint on. I hear its unique green color comes from them using real money in the paint. That is why they are so expensive.
So expensive I didn't even look at or consider JDs.  You want to sell Cadillac tractors that is fine,but you are pricing yourselves out of a lot of the market.

[Weisshaupt]

I know 1 person that has the B model Kubota. Like you suspect, he says it's VERY limited to what it can do. He has numerous attachments and a front end loader, so it can do quite a bit, just not a lot at one time.

Since I have a trailer, I plan on using his front end loader every chance I need.

I am planning on doing all I can to convince the wife that the Bobcat/Kioti  is the way to go.  They  have adjustable steering wheels, so hopefully that makes all the difference. PLus I can start her out on the 27 hp - If I get get her to accept the size, then I just have to talk her into upping the HP to a full 34. .. 

[Glock32]

I also had a summer job doing landscaping when I was in college, and we used a Cub Cadet with a 3 cylinder diesel. It was a really nice machine with power steering, 4 wheel drive, multiple reverse gears and all that. It was a fairly compact tractor that would be ideal for a 4-5 acre plot. I think they were actually made by some Japanese company...Yanmar?  Something like that.  Anyway, just another brand worth considering.

 There is a dealer round here who sells the small stuff, and he can get the big stuff - but doesn't "carry" it in stock.. so I am worried about service etc.  
Basically Yanmar makes the JDs now.  Of course, JD puts the paint on. I hear its unique green color comes from them using real money in the paint. That is why they are so expensive.
So expensive I didn't even look at or consider JDs.  You want to sell Cadillac tractors that is fine,but you are pricing yourselves out of a lot of the market.

That reminds me of a story I heard when I took Agriculture as an elective in the 9th grade. Apparently there was some township in the northeast where the town had bought a new backhoe to dig the graves in the public cemetery. It was a Kubota and being in big labor union territory the locals pitched a fit about the town getting a Japanese backhoe. They raised such a stink that the town was basically forced to replace it with a John Deere, which made all the belly achers happy.  It was sometime after all that that an inconvenient fact emerged: the Japanese-brand Kubota was built in the USA and the American-brand John Deere was built in Japan.

I always think of that story when I read anything in the news about unions.

[Weisshaupt]

Bought the Tractor today.. Went to the only Kioti dealer close to me-- on Google Street it looked like a small used car dealership..with little inventory. But this same company has been advertising deals on the Bobcats on Craiglist for months now though, so I decided to look in since I had today off.

They had a kid out there who  was just setting up a row of Kioti's to sell freash from the crates.  Same kid stopped what he was doing and put on his salesman hat. . I missed the deals on the Bobcats..  They were selling the CT235  with loader for $19K. - There was one on the lot-- but it was already sold.  They had bought a bunch from  other dealers (and sent out an ad when they did saying so..) and they just sold really quickly at the price they were asking.  Michelle drove one of the Kiotis around and it was all good. So we ended up with the Kioti equivalent with a front end loader. I told them I was hoping to get closer to that 19K number and the Kid did the "Let me check with my manager and see what we can do"  - and I am thinking "man I hate this part." And I was getting ready to tell the kid he had Three trips and then we walk..)  

Then this old guy,  who turns out to be the manager,   comes in,  and drops  a number on the table saying "that is the best I am willing to do"  with such sincerity I was actually inclined to believe him.  He said he was selling the Bobcats cheaper because Bobcat was giving a $2000 rebate + Free FEL offer to basically liquidate the remaining stock. Young kid was fine, but I liked the old guy.  Said he used to own a Ford Dealership  but liked selling tractors better because you get a better class of customer. If you are buying a tractor, you probably have land, know pretty much what you want, and have probably figured out how to pay for it.. He sent the kid back to building what was to become our tractor and the manager himself drove it out to our place tonight and dropped it off - no delivery charge. No Taxes because we are Ag and using it for farming..  So out the door we paid under 21K.  Yeah, its still a bundle of money, but its got all the modern stuff - HST transmission with a shuttle pedal, power steering, cruise control, adjustable hydraulics, 3 point hitch with telescoping links, integrated FEL joystick, and of course the damn cup holder.  I made fun of my friend's Kubota all of the time because of the cupholder.. and I wasted no time in emailing him to tell him my orange tractor is better than his orange tractor..

http://www.kioti.com/ck-series/ck35-hst/

[charlesoakwood]

Super!

[John Florida]

Bought the Tractor today.. Went to the only Kioti dealer close to me-- on Google Street it looked like a small used car dealership..with little inventory. But this same company has been advertising deals on the Bobcats on Craiglist for months now though, so I decided to look in since I had today off.

They had a kid out there who  was just setting up a row of Kioti's to sell freash from the crates.  Same kid stopped what he was doing and put on his salesman hat. . I missed the deals on the Bobcats..  They were selling the CT235  with loader for $19K. - There was one on the lot-- but it was already sold.  They had bought a bunch from  other dealers (and sent out an ad when they did saying so..) and they just sold really quickly at the price they were asking.  Michelle drove one of the Kiotis around and it was all good. So we ended up with the Kioti equivalent with a front end loader. I told them I was hoping to get closer to that 19K number and the Kid did the "Let me check with my manager and see what we can do"  - and I am thinking "man I hate this part." And I was getting ready to tell the kid he had Three trips and then we walk..)  

Then this old guy,  who turns out to be the manager,   comes in,  and drops  a number on the table saying "that is the best I am willing to do"  with such sincerity I was actually inclined to believe him.  He said he was selling the Bobcats cheaper because Bobcat was giving a $2000 rebate + Free FEL offer to basically liquidate the remaining stock. Young kid was fine, but I liked the old guy.  Said he used to own a Ford Dealership  but liked selling tractors better because you get a better class of customer. If you are buying a tractor, you probably have land, know pretty much what you want, and have probably figured out how to pay for it.. He sent the kid back to building what was to become our tractor and the manager himself drove it out to our place tonight and dropped it off - no delivery charge. No Taxes because we are Ag and using it for farming..  So out the door we paid under 21K.  Yeah, its still a bundle of money, but its got all the modern stuff - HST transmission with a shuttle pedal, power steering, cruise control, adjustable hydraulics, 3 point hitch with telescoping links, integrated FEL joystick, and of course the damn cup holder.  I made fun of my friend's Kubota all of the time because of the cupholder.. and I wasted no time in emailing him to tell him my orange tractor is better than his orange tractor..

http://www.kioti.com/ck-series/ck35-hst/

  For as long as it's going to last and the work it will  year rounds it's a bargain.

[Pandora]

Purty, Weisshaupt.

[AmericanPatriot]

That will be a good tractor

[AlanS]

Nice tractor! I got the 2wd el cheapo with the manual tranny. I figure it's a heck of a lot easier to work on by myself than they hydrostatic and 4wd. Plus with ag tires, I can go anywhere I need.