Compact Tractor advice

[Roadhunter]

Thinking about getting a compact tractor loader backhoe. Have looked most of the normal JD 1025 etc. Was looking at a Bobcat 2035 and I guess it is just a re-badged Kioti. Has anyone had one of these and do you recommend them?
Thanks

[lannie]

I had a Kubota BX25 for about three years. Excellent machine and never had a problem with it. Had a box blade, mid point mower and a landscape rake.

[WV911]

Have a JD 2025R, great little tractor/loader
Box blade, snow blade, pallet forks and landscape rake.
Never needed them but parts are available everywhere and reasonable price.

[hogie]

I have JD 1025r. Been really good so far for two years. It's subcompact. MM mower, loader, forks , box blade.

Go test drive the models you are looking at the dealers. Compare the controls and how the work for you. I really liked the Kubota but the way they do the reverse pedal compared to JD was a deal breaker. JD drive over mower deck works really well. That was another advantage for me. Easy on and off for when I use the loader.

[Ken07AOVette]

I have a 2032r with cab, snowblower, tiller, mid mount mower, front end loader, rear blade and 3 pt hitch mower. I looked at all the competitors and stayed with JD. I bought it new in 2014 and was offered what I paid for it in 2020.

[Indy]

What's your plan for the back hoe?

[Roadhunter]

Originally Posted by Indy

What's your plan for the back hoe?

Just general trenching, landscaping, etc. I wanted to check out all the different models but like everything else there is no inventory. Looks like the Bobcat is a re-badged Kioti and have a dealer in town.

[Dean2]

I have a Kubota Lawn Tractor that I really like and prefer to the equivalent JD model that I also ran. It turns tighter, mulches better, has a much lower centre of gravity and a flat floor where your feet run. Have used the Kubota compact and a 2025 JD compact. The JD's biggest advantage is the ease of hooking up attachments though the newest Kubotas have a much better quick attach system now, the tractor I ran didn't have that. Kubotas generally have better power and lifting capacity, plus more attachments easily available at a lower price. I don't think one is materially better than the other, it comes down to what you value and what you plan to use it for most.


Hope these two videos help. bottom one is the 1000 series.



https://nortonsafe.search.ask.com/se...9%5E&qo=navTop


https://nortonsafe.search.ask.com/se...9%5E&qo=navTop

[spurly]

I have the Kabila BX25, with loader, and backhoe, bought new in 2013.
It’s been a great machine for me, with no issues at all.
The hoe has the staitionary thumb, that has been very handy at times.

[NayNay]

If I remember correctly I think there was a really good thread on this a year ago or something. Lots of good information.

[Roadhunter]

Originally Posted by spurly

I have the Kabila BX25, with loader, and backhoe, bought new in 2013.
It’s been a great machine for me, with no issues at all.
The hoe has the staitionary thumb, that has been very handy at times.

Did the thumb come with it or did you get it later? That would be real handy.

[Peace Meal Farm]

I had a Kioti DK45 - loader, cab, hydro. It was a nice machine - did everything that I needed it to do: snow clearing, tilling, landscape mower, bucket work. Mine was the last model year before emissions equipment.

My best advice is to skip the 0% financing and take the 'cash incentive' price. I was glad I did - after 2 years I put the acreage up for sale and moved back to the Yukon. I avoided another 3 years worth of interest.

Find your own loan if needed. With the 0% model the interest is built into the purchase price, and if you opt to end your loan early then you have already committed to paying the entire loan's worth of interest up front. It's a great scam for the banks. The auto industry uses the same scheme.

[spurly]

Originally Posted by Roadhunter

Did the thumb come with it or did you get it later? That would be real handy.

The thumb was thrown in on the deal. It’s very handy for picking up large rocks, and other items. If I remember correctly it was a $400 option.

[brendan's dad]

I went with the Massey Ferguson loader/backhoe combo and couldn't be happier. Wife and kids like driving it too. I don't use it as a yard mower since I have a zero turn but I have roughcut that I hit my 5 acre field with twice a year and it works great

[Indy]

I don't have any experience with Bobcat or Kioti but see the advertising everywhere. If the dealership is close and the warranty is good / comparable to everyone else I would give it a go.

I went with a cab JD 4720 and couldn't be happier. JD service/parts/warranty departments are always great to deal with. JD holds their value in my opinion better than other brands but they are up front more expensive.

If you plan to do a lot of excavating work I would skip the back hoe and rent a mini or larger for a few days rather than fighting with the small hoe on those tractors, they don't have the power or weight for larger projects. I bought an excavator (20 ton) and wish I would have went bigger some days. Never enough hoe lol.

Also, get pallet forks for the font end loader.

[MountainTi]

John Deere for the resale value (and of course the best piece of iron going)

[Drewski Canuck]

Did you look into a Kubota "Grey Market" Tractor? Basically in Japan, after 15 years the vehicles, tractors, etc have to be sold as Salvage. It is a way to keep domestic consumption going.

What happens is that these tractors are "rice paddy" units. Used in the dry season and typically under 35 HP 3 cylinder Diesel engines. Wet season they sit as the rice is flooded.

I have the LT2002 (that means LT275 as the North American units are sold in Horsepower, not Metric).

The tires will be switched over by the Vendor to Ag tires, and they typically have an Allied Front End Loader. Often the original Tiller is included.

There was an outfit north of Edmonton, Good Used Tractors.com. He was one of many Grey Market Sellers of Kubota. He was a straight shooter, and can explain the difference in an LT Kubota from what is sold in NA as a "B" series Kubota.

There is a big difference between Japan and NA Build. Mine has the 4 speed PTO, not 2 which is normal in NA, and mine has the 4 speed Sub Transmission. This makes the unit dead slow with tons of torque on the PTO, if that is what you want.

Only thing I am told is that the Kubota dealer will not work on a grey market unit. Parts are easily cross referenced if needed off the Internet.

You will save alot of money by going Grey Market, and these units often have less than 1000 hours. The Japanese farms are typically under 3 acres, which explains why.

I am still intending to add a fold away Roll Over Bar on my unit, as I have no fluid in the tires for ballast.

Drewski

[Dean2]

Drewski

Really interesting information. If I was looking for another unit I would check those out for sure. I knew lots of quality on road stuff is available from Japan but never knew it applied to farm equipment too.

[tirebob]

Originally Posted by Drewski Canuck

Did you look into a Kubota "Grey Market" Tractor? Basically in Japan, after 15 years the vehicles, tractors, etc have to be sold as Salvage. It is a way to keep domestic consumption going.

What happens is that these tractors are "rice paddy" units. Used in the dry season and typically under 35 HP 3 cylinder Diesel engines. Wet season they sit as the rice is flooded.

I have the LT2002 (that means LT275 as the North American units are sold in Horsepower, not Metric).

The tires will be switched over by the Vendor to Ag tires, and they typically have an Allied Front End Loader. Often the original Tiller is included.

There was an outfit north of Edmonton, Good Used Tractors.com. He was one of many Grey Market Sellers of Kubota. He was a straight shooter, and can explain the difference in an LT Kubota from what is sold in NA as a "B" series Kubota.

There is a big difference between Japan and NA Build. Mine has the 4 speed PTO, not 2 which is normal in NA, and mine has the 4 speed Sub Transmission. This makes the unit dead slow with tons of torque on the PTO, if that is what you want.

Only thing I am told is that the Kubota dealer will not work on a grey market unit. Parts are easily cross referenced if needed off the Internet.

You will save alot of money by going Grey Market, and these units often have less than 1000 hours. The Japanese farms are typically under 3 acres, which explains why.

I am still intending to add a fold away Roll Over Bar on my unit, as I have no fluid in the tires for ballast.

Drewski

I don't know for certain how legit this is but I have been told that you have to be careful with some of the Japanese tractors in that the PTO's operate in reverse to NA models which create issues with being able to use NA attachments.

[Moosetalker]

I have an older BX25 with loader has over 3000 working hrs on it Mainly 52" tiller 50" rough cut mower and 72" belly mount fine cut mower Has the steering wander issue when it gets hot but otherwise all good. plug in for an hour at -20 and she will fire right up. Hydraulics are slow and steady. Aluminum case body

Other Machine is a made in Japan Massey Ferguson 1635 speed shuttle 12 speed transmission with Cab 1200 lb loader and AC prob only has just over 500 hrs on it works awesome in summer the AC is a big plus running 72" rough cut mower has chopped 3" trees and brush easy
72" tiller and a loader Hydraulics are fast on this machine due to high pressure pump downside is only problem ever on machine OE HP side Hydraulic hoses started leaking had to replace but Greenline in Edmonton is great very economical better than OE to replace.

It is however totally intolerant of summer diesel in winter time have to make sure its got winter additive and or anti gel Hydraulics require a pre heat application to work properly when cold probably due to transmission housing being Cast iron but heater works flawless.

On a side Note Yanmar Japan makes the engines for JD Larger than 38HP Masseys are made in India

[Drewski Canuck]

On the PTO Reverse issue, there is ONE Kubota that I know of that had that issue, and it was a one off odd ball tractor. The Re Seller who is importing these units will know about it.

Funny thing about the grey market tractors, Kubota USA did get a Federal Injunction on import, but not in Canada. That does lots to keep the price down for Canada!

On the other Japanese brands, a number of NA Tractor brands are just re branded Japanese product in the under 45 HP category. On the JD product, the Japanese Maker's name is on the engine casting.

When you get one of these tractors, it is best to do a rad flush and fill right away, change out the hoses, thermostat, rad cap, and look at whether the glow plugs are cycling. You should cut in a rad heater into the lower return hose as the unit will not have a block heater.

Drewski

[Au revoir, Gopher]

Info on the grey market Kubotas can be found here.

ARG

[Roadhunter]

Originally Posted by Indy

I don't have any experience with Bobcat or Kioti but see the advertising everywhere. If the dealership is close and the warranty is good / comparable to everyone else I would give it a go.

I went with a cab JD 4720 and couldn't be happier. JD service/parts/warranty departments are always great to deal with. JD holds their value in my opinion better than other brands but they are up front more expensive.

If you plan to do a lot of excavating work I would skip the back hoe and rent a mini or larger for a few days rather than fighting with the small hoe on those tractors, they don't have the power or weight for larger projects. I bought an excavator (20 ton) and wish I would have went bigger some days. Never enough hoe lol.

Also, get pallet forks for the font end loader.

I still have my forks from my skid steer, toothed bucket and auger which are the quick attach. Not doing a lot of excavating but will be nice to have if I need it. I also don’t have a trailer to haul it so that is usually an issue when I want to rent something bigger. Will be going with the backhoe, loader, tiller and land leveller.

[Dean2]

Originally Posted by Roadhunter

I still have my forks from my skid steer, toothed bucket and auger which are the quick attach. Not doing a lot of excavating but will be nice to have if I need it. I also don’t have a trailer to haul it so that is usually an issue when I want to rent something bigger. Will be going with the backhoe, loader, tiller and land leveller.

The odd time you need a big unit just rent from home depot or the like as they supply the trailer with the unit or will deliver. It is why I no longer own a larger tractor with backhoe and the like.

[traderal]

I am a compact tractor junkie having over the years at least 20. The best ones I had were the 90's JD 855's and 955's and 870. I no longer buy JD because they are way overpriced, can't use skid steer attachments on the loader, have too much aluminum in the drivetrain, have cramped operator platforms, and also have their share of problems. I've had a few grey market Kubotas but it was a hassle trying to get parts and local Kubota dealers became hostile. I had a small GC2410 Massey with a backhoe but it was more of a toy only good for soft dirt. I've had a farm tractor with backhoe, a mini excavator and currently a 3 pt hitch backhoe converted to use on my skid steer. The mini excavator was the most fun to use.
I have had 3 Kioti tractors and a McCormick. The Kioti's, Bobcat, TYM, New Holland, and McCormick have higher weight ratings on their loaders plus you can use skid steer attachments.
Take note that the subcompact tractors get their transmission oils very very hot when mowing as their is only a small plastic fan in front of the tranny rather than an oil cooler.
Like new vehicles there is a shortage of compact tractors. The best deal I found this spring was a new 35 hp Bobcat in Camrose when they had a free loader promo. I have dealt with 4 Kioti dealers and all were great. The JD dealers rarely gave me the time of day or returned calls.

[TBark]

Just got a 1971 JD 1120 with bucket and 4 other attachments, all in good shape.
Neighbors seen it at the house & asked why, I said because I didn’t have one, ha.

We will puddle around with it up on our property.

TBark

[hogie]

Originally Posted by traderal

I am a compact tractor junkie having over the years at least 20. The best ones I had were the 90's JD 855's and 955's and 870. I no longer buy JD because they are way overpriced, can't use skid steer attachments on the loader, have too much aluminum in the drivetrain, have cramped operator platforms, and also have their share of problems. I've had a few grey market Kubotas but it was a hassle trying to get parts and local Kubota dealers became hostile. I had a small GC2410 Massey with a backhoe but it was more of a toy only good for soft dirt. I've had a farm tractor with backhoe, a mini excavator and currently a 3 pt hitch backhoe converted to use on my skid steer. The mini excavator was the most fun to use.
I have had 3 Kioti tractors and a McCormick. The Kioti's, Bobcat, TYM, New Holland, and McCormick have higher weight ratings on their loaders plus you can use skid steer attachments.
Take note that the subcompact tractors get their transmission oils very very hot when mowing as their is only a small plastic fan in front of the tranny rather than an oil cooler.
Like new vehicles there is a shortage of compact tractors. The best deal I found this spring was a new 35 hp Bobcat in Camrose when they had a free loader promo. I have dealt with 4 Kioti dealers and all were great. The JD dealers rarely gave me the time of day or returned calls.

I have a 2019 JD 1025r. It has an oil cooler installed in front of rad, no plastic fans to be broken. I believe they did that change with 1026 which precedes it. Aluminum is used in all sorts of high performance applications for decades. Properly engineered should never be an issue.

Skid steer attachments have to be careful with when it comes to the subcompact tractors. They are heavier which means less load can be lifted. The tractor is rated to lift so much, put a heavy attachment on the loader and could be moving less material. Going to a compact would be an advantage for skid steer attachment. More used attachments for skid steer out there than manufacturer specific. The JD specific forks I bought from the dealer were $850. Really not far off from skid steer prices.

I looked at Kubota and JD. I priced out a bx23 and 1023 and 1025r. I wanted tractor with mower, box blade, and loader . Kubota was$500 cheaper than JD 1023. This was with Kubota discount for last year's model. If I went to Kubota drive over deck option the prices were the same. The Kubota dealer did not recommend there drive over deck. Kubota loader option with skid steer attachments was pricey. There regular loader would have around $1500 less if I remember. Prices were with skid steer attachment loader. Dealers located in Camrose. Maybe I got lucky with the prices? Went with the 1025r as I felt the couple extra hp plus the 3 point hitch position would come in handy. The 1025r was an extra$1900 over the 1023.

[WV911]

I used JD in my landscaping business for 30 years. The few times I needed service they bent over backwards to get me going quickly. Thousands of hours on JD zero turns with flawless performance.
Standard maintenance parts were cheap and always available.
I looked at Kubota when I bought my subcompact for my acreage, just as nice as the JD but the forward/reverse pedal turned me off and I think resale on JD is better and I have a fondness for the JD dealers.
Attachments, quick hitch, and front loader detach system is easier on JD.
The guy next to my property bought Kubota subcompact and zero turn and a dealership worth of attachments and the customer service has been very poor, especially considering the big money he spent.
Nothing wrong with Kubota but personal experience I will be JD for life.

[Supergrit]

I have a 3025 e John Deere with backhoe it has been a nice machine. Also have quick hitch, grader blade , box blade and a small disc. The box blade had been really useful and the larger frame tractor is nice.
25 hp tractor was cheaper by quite a bit compared to the 32 and 38 any hp over 25 needed diesel emmission gadgetry.

[daveyn]

I have a JD 2210 with a bucket, mower deck and roto tiller. I have no experience with anything else but am very pleased with the little JD. It has way more capability than I expected it to, is extremely maneuverable and the mower deck has cleaned up some stuff I thought I'd need much bigger equipment for. I'm a fan, but again, no experience with anything else