Tractor Recommendation

Needing to buy a tractor for my place, mostly for brush hogging, some road fixing, general maintenance, etc. I've never owned a larger tractor before, somebody give me some advice on what to look for and what to avoid. Something small enough to fit on my 16ft trailer would be nice but hopefully strong enough to pull a truck outta the mud one day if/when necessary. Thoughts?

Kubota L3901 4X4 with a loader is what I have and I really like the size.

Tractors are like buying a boat.
Example: you settled for a 16 footer and now wish you had an 18 footer.

I had a kubota L3400 wasn't quite big enough so I upgraded to a kubota MX5200 best day for me owning a tractor.

Must haves:
Diesel
Loader
4 wheel drive
50 hp+

How big is your property and how many acres of cutting is needed? Throwing out sizes is irrelevant without knowing the acreage,

Look into Mahindra tractors. Tough as nails. Moved up from a 35 hp to a 59 hp years ago and it just keeps on tickin'. My 2 cents worth.

Mahindra 6110 4x4 Cab/air 59hp is as small as I would ever go

If you’re gonna get FEL, get 4wd. 2006 38hp Kubota here, I’m not a fan of the emissions stuff on newer tractors. Does all I need to do (cut, spray, disk, spread and moving a little dirt from time to time). Fits on my 16’ perfectly.

At least 50 hp and it needs to be green. My

Exactly

The trailer thing will be a challenge if it’s dual 3500…you will need to stay in the 35-40hp compact range… this will most definitely get done what your wanting it’s just going to feel the job a lot sooner and take more bites than a larger utility 40hp.

For what your describing a grapple with a third function will be a need. Don’t get hung up on brand more than the closest well rounded dealer near you… if you got multiple then yes start comparing but if your looking at a brand that’s more than 45 minutes away from you then it can lead to challenges if you have warranty or mainly if you don’t do your own work…. Which is completely fine it’s the norm nowadays that’s why I always have this bit of advice

Got a 40 hp Mahindra 4x4 with a loader been happy with it so far. It will do what you ask but is very snug on a 16 footer with any kind of implements and probably exceeds the weight a little too. It takes a while to cut 20 acres with a 6 foot shredder.

You mention 16 ft trailer, so I am assuming half ton truck, and like Navasot mentioned, 7klb gross, so you have about 5000lbs to work with, 4500-4800lbs is safer.

That puts you (barely) into a Kubota Grand L, or a JD 4 series, Mahindra 2500 series, Kioti DK series or something similar on the top end (being 3200-3700lb tractors, and 700-900lbs for loaders). You wont get into even small utility tractors with the limits there. So 30-40hp, and definitely a compact size - though these arent your little JD 1 series or Kubota BX series machines. good work machines, and lots of great tractors around in the compact sizes. Barring something strange, buy weight and size (wheel base) and then HP for the needed tools. Most brush cutters for 30hp tractors will cut 2-3" stuff, and you will mostly be at 5ft wide. 35-40hp gets you up to the 6ft stuff, though just straight mowing you can go a little bigger in good conditions.

Again, echoing Novasot, a grapple, a bucket, and some forks, a brush hog, a box blade, and a few other items specific to your needs and you can do a bunch of work.

Personally, I have big JD and Kubota dealer near me, I didnt want to deal with the turbo on the JD, and I found a great pre tier 4 emission tractor with a Kubota grand L, and it works great for my needs. I only have about 25 acres, and only mow about 5 of them semi-regularly, and have a lot of trees, so while I would like a wider mower for some stuff, the 5ft size, about my width, is really ideal for my situation. My FIL has settled on a pre emission L3400, and has a smaller BX as well, and its a very capable machine too.

If I needed to buy new, had a budget, and just needed to get work done, I would have a hard time skipping a Kubota L2501, get that little lower HP, and avoid the regen or other various methods of newer emission meeting systems. But thats just me and wanting to simplify machines

Kubota & Mahindra are the two I'd look at closely for a midsized machine like you are describing. If it is to fit on a 16' lowboy I suspect you are looking at 50hp or less.
These are both good machines IMHO and will get the job done for you.

Half ton towing is around 11K with a base V8 and 13K with an upgraded V8 or the small diesel in the GMC line up so 7K would be under-equipped or an older truck. That could be a limiting factor.

Don't let your lack of trailer make you get a toy tractor. 50 HP would be a minimum.

I've got 70 acres and run a 130 HP Ag tractor and a 95 HP Track Skid steer.

Not much help, but I sure loved my little three-cylinder diesel Mahindra with brush hog and box scraper and used it to manage three of the five acres that were sort of level.

If we’re randomly guessing without knowing how big your place is I’d never personally go with anything under 50 hp and if it requires 15 acres or more cutting I’d not go any smaller than 75. Trying to do much with less than 50 is a hard task to ask, as far as brands I prefer Kubota or JD but it really depends on the closest dealer with a good service department. The resale value is a lot better on name brand equipment so if your into looking down the road protecting your money I’d research the resale value of equipment prior to pulling the trigger.
Whatever you decide on make sure and get a quick coupler and a set of third remotes installed up front so you can run attachments like a set of grapples up front. You’ll find that being able to use a set of grapples and pallet forks up front is a game changer for land owners.

When you get to 50; that trailer will never do. I actually doubt it will do for anything +25. Dealer is most important, unless you’re a diesel mechanic. Bigger is better. You can go up to 75hp; before you need Def added to fuel. And you need a vehicle that can pull a 75, half tons usually get squashed. If you can stand it, get a cab. You’ll never look back. Get a name brand for resale. Kubota, JD, Massey, Case

I have a 40 Hp Kubota L4400DT (4WD), 6’ shredder, box blade, front bucket. It does all I need it to do, though I do wish I had a grapple, which would come in real handy. The tractor is pre DEF, so all it needs is diesel. There have been a few times when I wished I had 50 HP, but the extra HP isn’t really necessary for my use, though it would speed up the shredding. Just be sure that whatever you get, be sure it has an air-ride or Air-soft seat. I had to add one to my tractor.

Also worth mention is that if you go with a hydrostatic transmission, that’ll suck away at least 5 HP, and the smaller the tractor, the more important that HP is. And, you want rear hydraulics on your tractor.

My neighbor shopped long and hard for a tractor and finally bought a Kioti of about 35 HP. All the attachments, rear hydraulics, soft seat, and the grapple. He went with the hydrostatic transmission and seems quite happy.

I have 2 Kubota tractors. The HST is worth every penny for using the loader and shredding. My gear tractor is just for box blade road work so it's fine for that.

I`ve had a Kubota L3901 / 4x4 / HST for 7 years with no problems. Pull it with my 16' trailer easily with a shredder attached. If you go with a JD with a FEL, all of the attachments (quick attach) for it have to be JD attachment's. All other attachments with other tractors are interchangeable.

I've got a Mahindra 5145 and so far it has not had any issues at all with any task I have thrown at it. For a 45hp machine is it has all the lift capacity I would ever really need and it has the weight that nearly no other 45hp tractor has which was a huge factor for me. Will it fit on a 16' trailer??? It will but fits much better on a 18' or better yet a 20'

MX5200 including bucket and a 5' brush hog fit on my 16' trailer without issue.

Property is 150 acres but mostly used for hunting.

I know it's not the new fancy thing to have, but my old '52 Ford 8n tractor just keeps getting it done year after year, decade after decade. It and a 5' brushog fit nicely on a 16' trailer and tows well with a 1/2 ton pickup. The trailer costs more than the tractor does. It's about the simplest form of internal combustion engine ever made and can be pretty much completely rebuilt in the middle of a pasture with only a couple of special tools needed.

The funniest part of owning it is, any time there are more tractors than just mine around and something sketchy needs to be done, my little 28hp Ford is the one that does it while those new 40+hp tractors watch. Not that they can't, just that they don't want to risk hurting them. I've been on larger and newer tractors, they are nice and much more pleasant to operate, but I also see the cost of them and the repairs bills associated with them.

you can get away with a utility size 40-50hp... if its wooded and messing around alot of trees cabs can be costly... id plan on getting a 20x83 14kgw trailer with it you will be to limited on the tractor size with your current trailer imo.


if you go up into the 60hp+ range you will need a gooseneck in most situations.

so models in the brands id say Mx series or M60 series Kubota, 5055-5065E Deere, 4540 to 5155 mahindra, Workmaster 55 or higher Utility... imo i wouldnt stray from those 4 brands but still its going to be a matter of what dealer is near you

I have several different sized tractors on 160 acres with lots of trees. I mostly use the old Ford 2610 2wd with front loader, for the bush hog I use an old old International B414 diesel 2wd. If I use the 108" mower or 7' blade I grab the Massey 265 2wd diesel. All old school diesel with no emission crap. My place gets bad muddy and slick but my 2wd tractors do fine, occasionally using the positrac.but I don't normally do any heavy work in the bad mud.

Personally do not care for Deere, too many plastic $$$$ parts on the ones I have been around plus I had a big Deere track loader burn to the ground so I am not at all happy with them....

PS If you are ever going to bail hay, especially round bales, you will need to go bigger and get a gooseneck trailer and large pickup to move it....

I'm half the acreage, and I won't ever go below 100 HP.

Friend of mine has 100 acres north of me. He bought a 75 HP and then swapped it in for 100 or 110 HP. He's mostly open ground, though.

Bush Hog says 65 HP minimum for a 15' batwing shredder.

Depending on the land, if wooded like mine no way a bat wing is any good. I have a 80hp, 65hp, 2 40hp and a 20hp. Rarely use the 2 bigger ones but no round bales or bat wings
Never have needed 4wd on a tractor either but always on my truck. But again I don't have to do heavy work when it is bad muddy. Black and sandy clay dries out pretty fast...

I love my kubota MX-5100. Had it since 2010. If getting a front end loader get a 4WD. I got rid of my last tractor because it was only 2wd.

Lots of good advice in here. Spend money on larger tractor and then get trailer to accomodate the tractor. I think you got it backwards trying to plan your tractor around a 16' trailer especially is 3500 axles and how far and how open going to pull it.

Get 4 wheel drive; till you see what it can do, you don’t have a good metric.

Bought my place in 2012. 160 acres. the mortgage stretched us at that time so used was my option. Found a 2003 New Holland TC 30 4x4 with front loader with 200 hours. 30 HP with bush hog. Now has 500 hours.

This little machine is amazing and has lifted and moved my 12 foot high 4x8 box blinds, Plowed 3 10 acre food plots, pulled my trucks out of the mud. and mows all my roads and trails. Starts all the time no matter the weather 10 degrees or 100 degrees

Get what you can!!!!! not sure why a 50hp is the minimum. Haven't had a need for all that power but sure it doesn't hurt

Please never put DEF in the fuel as mentioned above. That requires replacing every piece of the fuel system in most cases.

You step up in implement size. And front end loader gains more capability. For a one and only tractor, 50 HP is when you get into real tractor size.

I have one job for a tractor of very little horse power, and that is operating a wheel rake. I'm in the mode of the least horse power I can get, with one rear hydraulic remote. Otherwise, 100 HP or more, is what over 100 acres needs. Almost literally, cut the horse power in half and you will double your time in the tractor seat. For some of us, time is money, and diesel is still cheaper than time.

I have a 48 hp 4320 John Deere and it’s perfect for my place.

Then again, I’ve never hooked up the shredder, it has a box blade on it 98% of the time.

If I had a more open place or was cutting hayfields I would recommend a bigger tractor but mine does everything I need it to do, which aside from blading the roads is work with the bucket and forks. It’s size and maneuverability is a big asset in tight rocky country.

You do NOT add DEF to the diesel fuel. You will only do that once and you will learn that lesson.

Frio

Stay away from the compact Mahindras. Mine has been disappointing. Broke the frontend trying to pop a stump the first week I had it. I guess the motor is stronger than the gearing. My old Jap made Massey Fergerson would have just stalled before it broke in that situation. I think mine is a 1526 and is like 25hp.

Yes, not fuel, but tractor will need Def.

I’d still stay at 75hp and under.., a few more laps while mowing or bites while doing loader work is way less headache than what you will get with a DEF tractor.. don’t care what brand at that point it’s all a pain

That 1526 is made in Japan by Mitsubishi and one of the strongest 25hp out there.. the simple issue here was you tried to pull a stump with a compact tractor lol it’s no wonder it broke

What ever you buy, look at the seat and make sure you get one that has the adjustable ride. We got a 3 series JD and it just has a plain old spring system that doesn't have much give. It is big enough for what we are doing, it just beats you to death. Like others have said, if you get a loader, 4 wheel drive is a must.

My Kubota 4400 DT did not come with an air ride seat. Like Old Rabbit said, it about beat me to death - my poor back. Finally it was sell the tractor or get a new seat. The new tractor would have been a New Holland, which had a great seat, but that Kubota is great, so I finally found a seat from Grammer, a German company. Great seat, and all is now well.

About 25 years ago I needed a bigger tractor. My Ford 8N was ok but I wanted a bigger tractor. I’m not a farmer but wanted something bigger for food plots and other stuff. BTW, was raised on a farm with almost enough stock to be called a ranch.

A friend told me that a tractor without a FEL is half a tractor and a FEL without 4WD is useless. I have found that to be true. He also told me to buy one bigger size than you think you need. That has also made sense.

My John Deere is generally used for road maintenance, food plots, hauling dead deer in, etc. but is still mostly a utility machine.

I have a 1980s JD 2240, about 50hp, with an FEL and 2wd. If I was buying new I would want 4wd but I’ve done quite a bit with this one, as have a bunch of people for the 100 years before MFWD became so prevalent.

Depends on what you need it to do. Our place is 320 acres and we make do with a 40 and 43 hp part time. All they do is mow and disk roads and food plots.

that tractor has some azs on it. most newer 30-50hp tractors dont. although that really isnt an old tractor. no help to the op on my part

Property size isn’t as critical as what you do with the acreage and how much of it needs the tractor. My house is on 30 acres and every inch of it was once farmland. For years I took care of it with a Deere 4440 which is a 130 hp full size farm tractor. Mine even had dual rear wheels on it and weighed around 15,000 lb with all the weights and loaded tires.

When I bought the 320 acre ranch 1.5 hours away I sold the 4440 and bought a 73HP Kioti. There were several reasons for this. One hauling it back and forth is much easier. I have a semi with a lowboy but the 4440 was overwidth and it was a pain to get the semi just to move it. The 4440 didn’t have a loader and was 2WD. It was too wide to go through all the trails at the ranch and couldn’t make it up some of the hills without 4WD. I also only have about 15 acres I cultivate at the ranch so the 73HP is plenty. At home I don’t plant anything anymore I just mow and it pulls 15 batwing but I have to go much slower than I did with the 4440. I guess my point is I would not want a bigger tractor at the 320 acre ranch but I liked the larger tractor at my 30 acre house. Acreage does matter but what you plan to do is a bigger factor in my mind.

I do also have a 111 hp tracked skid steer that I use at both places for loader work and smoothing roads and such.

I have owned a 19hp, a 47hp, a 49hp, a 65hp, a 73HP, a 95 hp, a 120hp, and a 130 hp tractor over the past 20 years. I wouldn’t buy anything less than 50 again for pretty much any purpose and closer to 75 is better.

a better question is what 25HP tractor wouldnt of broke. Ive had tractors all the way up to 600hp, even it has design limits

OP just call J5 tractors and ask for Gavin. When it comes to sub 100hp tractors, there isnt better resource.

http://www.j5tractors.com/

Go with Kubota or JD and you will be happy.

I have owned Kubota, JD, Branson, and Kioti.

Smaller Deere tractors are not the same as their large farm tractors and I do t even think they make them themselves. They certainly are not built as well.

Kubota 20 years ago was pretty much without equal. Now many other brands have caught up. I have nothing against Kubota I own one of their diesel zero turn mowers and six of their RTVs and they have all been great. You just pay a premium for the Name me it really isn’t that much better. For example my Kioti was 10k cheaper than the comparable Kubota. I drove both and thoroughly studied both and I would have picked the Kioti if they were the same price. The Kioti is heavier built and weight is huge with a tractor.

We ran a 1200 acre ranch for 25 years with a 70 something HP Case 895 2wd and a front end loader.

Just sold another ranch that was 2300 acres and the owner ran it with 100 hp New Holland 2wd with a front end loader.


All depends on the operation. My buddy owns a place down south and they have a full blown hunting operation as well as a cow/calf operation and farm all their own hay. Ranch is entirely self contained. They have a few different tractors in the 75-100 Hp category but their shining star is a 325 Hp Steiger. That thing can pull a plow now.

I drove a Kubota, JD, Mahindra and Bad Boy and bought the Bad Boy 4035. Few reasons but price was a big part of that but not all. The Bad Boy was built by Kukje and has basically a non electronic ignition A-Series Cummins engine. The FEL has more lift capacity than the others for the same horse power tractors. So far it has impressed me and getting a lot of work done with it. When it gets a bit dryer in my swamp I will be doing a lot more work on the place.

Price difference will allow me to buy more implements I do not have available to me to use. Grapple and pallet forks are at the top of that list.

The Kukje diesel engines offered in both Bad Boy and Branson tractors are simply an A-series Cummins. TYM a South Korean company bought Kukje an from what I understand will keep their brands of tractors and keep the Bad Boy line but Branson will be gone or that is what I have read anyway. Good chance more of their tractors will use the Kukje engines

I wouldnt even buy JD’s big tractors.. but thats a whole other thread about “intellectual property rights” and expensive parts

Hey everybody, thanks for the advice. Ended up with a Mahindra 1626 and feel it will serve us well. Decided on this one because it will fit on the trailer, in the garage, in our shipping container, through the trails, and do what we feel we need it to do at the ranch.

We looked hard at the Kubota 2501 but it was $5k more compared to a comparable Mahindra that also had 5 years longer warranty.


Looking forward to picking it up Thursday.

Congrats on picking a tractor. Sometimes smaller is better and a man with time can get a lot done with one. My Sister loves their Mahindra.

Congratulations. Sounds like you selected the tool needed for the job instead of going overboard. You ought to be fine.

That reminds me of some that I started last fall with the Bad Boy 4035 and will do more this year. Had a Skid steer with a mulcher do some work 3 years ago and he made a pass through this area in and out so I used that as a starting point and just using the bucket with a piranha bar on it opened that up for about 80 yards long and 15 to 20 yards wide through that and made a right turn down the creek and built a natural blind at the turn. Could watch two creek crossings from it. Next thing on the list is a third function and grapple. No problem taking down and uprooting the stuff but need a better way to pile it.

If you're going with a smaller tractor, 40 - 50 horse, stick with Kubota. We run JD for all our farming but Kubota has a quality product for small tractors

The piranha bar is great. Love mine. The lane shark makes easy work of trails and roads. But it is a bit fragile. I bent mine already and barely hit anything.