Another Rookie

[Jake71]

Hello Everyone,
I am brand new to this site and forums. I have been doing a lot of research on which Kubota model to purchase. I am at least 2 years away from being able to put one in the budget. We recently had our house built on approx 5 acres with some wooded and some field. I understand any advice on current Kubota products will most likely change by the time I get around to purchasing one however I'd just like some educated advice.

I mostly plan on clearing some downed trees, landscaping, driveway maintenance, and so on. I plan on having approximately a 1/2 to 3/4 acre pond built and using he tractor for finalization and touch up. I plan on building a shop someday and using the tractor for that project as well. I DO NOT plan on mowing with the tractor. I already have a Hustler 60" zero turn that I use for that. Some of the landscaping I plan on doing is installing several retaining walls utilizing the natural limestone boulders. The 7' one can easily weigh over 1,000 lbs.

I'm leaning towards the L3560 with heavy duty bucket & FEL. I live in Kansas and I really don't want to be exposed to the winter winds while clearing the driveway therefore I was definitely going to splurge on a cab. I understand using the FEL for snow removal is the worst but I have a gravel driveway and I'd rather not re-distribute my gravel into the yard while using a blade.

I also plan on installing my own irrigation system in the future after my grading is completed. I plan on getting an after market (WoodMax or Liberty) backhoe.

My budget will be probably around the $28,000 to lower $30,000 range. The local Kubota dealer is approximately 2 miles down the road and I've heard great things about them. I have friends that have used them for much smaller machines.

Thoughts, questions, comments?

Sorry if this seems out of line or is not in the right place. I'm a Noob of sorts at forums.

Thanks for your time!
Jake

 

[skeets]

You don't work for Statefarm do ya Jake,,, like you aint heard that one before,,lol Anyway the L that you are looking at will for sure do everything you want to do and then some, I don't know where your from but that's a fair sized tractor for 5 acre plot, unless your going to do food plots some place or doing some work on the side. I don't know which loader fits but Im sure you can get 1000 pound limit and you wont have any trouble dragin a plow or back blade or much of anything else that will fit it. I figure go for the biggest you can afford that will fit the needs a little more power or weight makes it nice sometimes,,, Ask all the questions you want there are guys in here that can answer almost everything,, I do not include my self in that list, And welcome to the Orange

 

[Jake71]

Thanks a bunch. I'm sure I could get a smaller tractor and it would be fine but I'm of the mindset "he bigger the better". I don't plan on having to upgrade in the future. I'm just not the sort of person that owns a machine for a few years and then swaps it out. I'm trying to find the right balance between getting all of the capability I need while having room to spare at the same time not buying a tractor 3 times the size I need. That being said, I am definitely getting a factory cab. It really comes down to the B3350 or the L3560. I say that now but in 2 years things will be different I'm sure.


Jake ( not from state farm )

 

[CaveCreekRay]

Jake,

Welcome!

I have an L3800 I bought with 126 hours and it came with an FEL and three attachments -and a smashed hood! (Somewhere on here is a thread I did on the rebuild...)

I am on 4.6 acres 30mi North of Phoenix. I started out using my tractor to get 22,000lb of Saltillo tile I tore out of my remodel into the dumpster for haul away. Many people come up with uses for a tractor but, that is not likely one you'll hear. To me it was a HUGE help. And, because I had HST (hydro-tranny) my wife loves to drive the thing. She drove it when we set two manhole covers over a septic tank on our barn. Saved us $1000. Sold her on the tractor.

A buddy has a 1/4mi gravel drive and just bought bucket shoes for his L3800. I'll let you know how it goes but he is very optimistic about how well it will clear his drive without disturbing his gravel. Here is a video of him grading his drive...


https://vimeo.com/111546157

Ahead we have tons of landscaping remodeling and then routine landscaping maintenance. There is no way I could do what I do without this tractor.

Keep an eye open for a used one. I saved a bundle and got a ton of equipment. I found mine on CraigsList.

 

[ItBmine]

I do everything you list, but also mow. I have 2 acres of lawn and the rest is bush where I have a kilometer of bushroad and trails all together where I harvest firewood. And lots of snow removal.
I am very happy with my B2620. And I have ordered a B2601 to replace it. I don't buy into the "bigger is better" theory. I buy what works for my size yard and projects.
Lower purchase price, less fuel consumption and cheaper maintenance.

I just went and looked at an L3560 cab, but then decided it was just too much tractor for what I do.

 

[Jake71]

Thanks for all the input. I have a friend I work with that just traded his B2660 in for a B3000 with Cab. He uses his tractor for all of the above mentioned duties when owning 5 - 10 acres.

He has told me on many occasions that the cab is worth every penny as well as threatened to punch me directly in the face if I choose to get one without the cab. LOL, not really but he does HIGHLY recommend one with a cab. I'm not so much convinced that I have to get a new one however I've never owned a tractor before and I'm a tad intimidated of the maintenance if something were to fail shortly after purchasing it. Plus with the 0% financing offered by Kubota as well as not being able to pay cash for a used one, the financing of a used one will cost as much as a 0% new one.

I am constantly looking online for Tractors and something that usually peaks my interest is some dealers offer package deals. ie Tractor, FEL, Box Blade, Brush hog, & Trailer. Your thoughts on package deals?

I don't currently own a trailer and I'll be just the second among my circle of family and friends to own a tractor and I can see in the future needing to haul it somewhere to do various projects. When mine are mostly complete first of course.


Jake

 

[skeets]

Jake,, Get the one YOU like though a cab sure would be nice in the winter, and the AC in the summer when mowing,,, However not to worry about maintaining your little beasty which ever you get, because you have come to the right place to ask, I don't no nuttin and can prove it, but if somebody doesn't know the answer to any question,, then nobody knows it,, And really its not much more than maintenance you do on your car or truck,, grease anything that turns or jiggles, oil and filters for the motor and hydraulics when its time, air in the tires, low or flat tires can be a really bad thing, and there ya have it, your good to go!

 

[Jake71]

Quoted from skeets "Jake,, Get the one YOU like".


Probably the most simple, direct, and best advice I've ever heard summed up in 5 words. After all the debate, research, watching videos, reading forums, PDF comparison, the good, bad & ugly, it boils down to "Get the one YOU like". Its so true and yet so simple. Its like a light bulb just went off inside my noggin. I'll bet if I follow that rule, I'll be happy with any size orange I end up with because it will be the one I liked. Perhaps that's why they make so many different kinds hu?

I honestly could not be more excited for the day I visit the dealership with intentions of actually getting a tractor. Something else I've been thinking about and not to put the cart before the horse but I was wondering your opinions on diesel dispensing and storage. I'd rather not have a ginormous tank (above 50 gallons) rather a simple 30 or 30+ portable tank that has a pump so fueling the beast is easy and convenient.

While I can not afford a tractor at this time, I do plan on purchasing some of the misc items associated with owning a tractor ahead of time. I've researched and found several online however most of them come with a cheap hand crank pump system. Are there any brands I should steer away from or particular ones I should consider? I would consider one that could be installed in the back of a pick-up but I only own a jeep, so that isn't going to work.

The Kubota will be the only engine I will own (for now) that runs on diesel so I'm looking for a small hand cart model.

Thanks
Jake

 

[skeets]

Jake there is a whole thread in here about fueling your tractor,, my self I have a 30 gallon plastic drum, with a crank pump from HF. When I put new fuel in to the tank I mix a diesel fuel stabilizer in it, and dump in to the drum. I have the drum mounted to an old two wheeled dolly I found someplace( and old ratchet strap warped around the drum and dolly back). And just put the end of the hose into the tank and crank away,, yeah its cheap but it works

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

You do not want more diesel hanging around then you will use in a short period of time, like less than a month.
Diesel absorbs moisture from the air and will just ruin the fuel if left sitting too long.
Also you will need to filter the fuel again when you pump it out of the holding / storage tank.

 

[Jake71]

Good advice. I probably better hold off on buying a storage/transfer system until I figure out how much I'll actually be using and I'm sure as the projects dwindle down after the initial impact of me doing everything, it'll probably level out. Then I'll have a better idea of how much fuel consumption I'll actually need per season.

Thanks Wolfman

Jake

 

[ItBmine]

I'm lucky.....I have an oil furnace for heat, so just put my transfer pump and hose with auto shutoff in my home tank.

"Buy what you like" is the best advice. There are times a cab would be nice, but I just can't bring myself to it. Some people like being out in the environment.
To me, working with the tractor is like going for an atv or snowmobile ride. Dress appropriately and have fun.

I've been plowing my driveway and parking area for 18 years with my atv plow......when I have a big plow truck available at all times.

 

[CaveCreekRay]

Jake,
Dittos on what the guys said about fuel. I keep three 5 gallon fuel cans full and, at about a gallon an hour consumption, that takes a few weeks to go through. Long-term storage of diesel is not a good idea. Even with my small amount, I add algae killer as well as fuel pump lube additive to my fuel.

One warning on "sharing" your tractor: BE CAREFUL! Its fine to do odd jobs for friends but, many will come to expect it, especially if you have any family near by. NEVER let anyone else operate your tractor unless you are there watching them closely. Some people will want you to just "loan" your tractor out for a weekend. BIG mistake. "Hey, I'll put gas in it!" They forget and actually put gasoline in it and you find out the next time you go to use it...

 

[skeets]

I have a sign in the barn ,, It says
Asking to borrow my tools or tractor is like asking to ride my Harley,,
it aint gona happen

 

[85Hokie]

View attachment 13598

I have a sign in the barn ,, It says
Asking to borrow my tools or tractor is like asking to ride my Harley,,
it aint gona happen

Skeets ,

someone posted this sign up a while back , cant remember who ( sorry)
i liked it so much - printed it in color on 17x11 paper, laminated it and made a simple frame for it ................

true - true , and i dont miss!!!!!!!!

 

[skeets]

LMAF !!!!! Now I have to clean the puter screen I may have mentioned something like that to some of the daughters and grand daughters boy friends once upon a time

 

[Jake71]

Okay, this is exactly why as much research into my decision as possible. Or it could be construed as S**ting and not getting off the pot. Anyways.... I've decided a cab model is not what I need. While it does get cold here (KS) in the winter we don't always get enough snow to even bother plowing it. Case in point our 2014-15 winter. I don't think we ever got a snowfall of more than 4" at a time and I just drove trough it.

I'm still a ways out from making my purchase from my local dealership two miles down the road. The dealer has a new L2501 which is too much tractor. I won't be using a MMM. Landscaping to include probably tilling everywhere I plan on irrigation. Its old farm land and very bumpy and uneven. I've read what there is to read about the new B2601 and it sounds like the B2620's are being discontinued and being replaced with the B2301 and B2601. You can not "build your own" on the US site but some Canadian Kubota owners have purchased them and are comparable to the old 20's. But with nice new features.

The build your own on the 20's with loader and backhoe are about $25G. I'm figuring the dealer will be around 10% less than that and the 01 being slightly more with the added features it's be around that price. Give or take.

Q. I have zero experience with a tractor and some of you, maybe all would be able to dig drain lines and electrical trenches with the bucket if a tooth bar were installed. If I purchased a backhoe, do any of you think it would be difficult to sell in the future once those lines are installed? As you can tell from my post on here that I've put a lot of thought into a tractor and have tried to come come up with every possible use for it once the trenches (electrical, water, footings for shop, drain lines) are complete and I can't think of any. Jesus, I'm rambling. I'm sorry.

Thanks
Jake_

 

[tcrote5516]

Hi Jake,

Just my 2c....I'm not going to punch you if you don't buy one but I have had it both ways; with and without a cab. I can tell you the cab is the best "attachement" you will buy for your tractor. Even if you don't get much snow in the winter it is SO nice to be able to do small winter projects in comfort wether it be moving things around or storm cleanup or bringing in wood for a bonfire ect ect ect. Snow isn't the only thing you will find the tractor usefull for in the colder months. Heck, I even used my heat when mowing in the late fall!

When it does snow, it's worth twice what it costs to buy. Trust me.

You will have no problem digging trenches with the FEL to a depth of 2-3 feet with the FEL as I have done it with my little BX. Beyond 2.5 feet your better off to get a hoe.

Selling a backhoe isn't going to be hard at all. Attachments are like tractors, if they are well maintained you really don't loose much money in the process of owning them.

 

[Jake71]

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR! Anyone else feel like this when it comes to deciding to spend $25,000 with so many choices?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnDxPG3KrtA


Jake_