Time to upgrade

[BAP]

OP, welcome to OTT. Sounds like you have thought a lot about your uses and needs for a tractor. What you have speced out sounds like a great machine to fit your intended uses and fits your current budget. Yes, at the end of the day it may have taken you longer to do the job than a bigger tractor, but you were able to afford all the attachments that you needed to do all your projects. Having all the attachments sitting there waiting to hook on to is great when you have a project come up. Having to travel somewhere to rent an attachment or machine for a job turns the project into taking at least 2-3 times as long to complete. Good luck with your purchase and I would stick with your first choice that fits your needs and budget.

 

[greg86z28]

That is completely wrong on the pollution control. The B2601 and B2650 do not have any pollution control on them at all because they fall below the HP cut off. The B3350 has DPF pollution control on it, not DEF. Two completely different systems and yes Kubota has had a lot of problems with the B3350. The rest of the B series has had no problems and sell well.

I read that as the 2601 and 2650 do not have pollution control and the 3350 does. Either way point taken!

I am definitely staying B series. What will the b2601 do that the b2301 will not? Or what tasks will the b2601 do that the b2301 will struggle with (brush hog, tilling, etc)? I have been told that the implements that require the most HP are things like brush cutters or tillers? Looking at the B series owners manual - it lists recommendations for implements. There isn't any difference listed in the manual between what the 2301 and 2601 can do as far as implements.


Thanks again everyone for the advice. It is nice to hear first hand from operators. Spec sheets and dealers can only help you so much.

 

[Tornado]

What will the b2601 do that the b2301 will not?

Not much. On the spec sheet the two tractors are less than 100lbs weight difference. The 2601 is ever so slightly larger. There is 2 Horsepower difference to the PTO, so a tad more headroom for tillers and rotary cutters on the 2601. They have the same exact hydraulic pump flow, so they will likely lift almost the exact same weight on the loader and 3pt. hitch. Given they are so close in weight they likely will pull about the same as well. Really the only notable difference in my opinion is the 2 extra PTO horsepower. The engine gross horsepower is about 3HP higher for the 2601, but I see this as not being too big a deal given the 2601 isnt much heavier. If the 2601 was heavier the extra engine horsepower would likely allow it to pull more - but the limiting factor on pulling with both will be weight I think, not power. Both tractors have the same 6 gallon fuel capacity as well I notice. I think it comes down to price and comfort features.

 

[lilguy]

I have a B2601 with 60 in FL, MMM and BH with 12 in bucket. 56 hours at this point. Im about to trade it in on a BX. Bought it when I had 16 acres to repl 2 34 year old kubotas. I sold my mini farm and am on 1 acre now. The 2601 is a bit too much and Im down grading. If you’d consider used, you can come test dig with it and save thousands on a unit more in line with what your looking at. Its been serviced with Kubota parts and fluids. Im 40 miles NW Chicago if you’re interested.

 

[greg86z28]

I have a B2601 with 60 in FL, MMM and BH with 12 in bucket. 56 hours at this point. Im about to trade it in on a BX. Bought it when I had 16 acres to repl 2 34 year old kubotas. I sold my mini farm and am on 1 acre now. The 2601 is a bit too much and Im down grading. If you’d consider used, you can come test dig with it and save thousands on a unit more in line with what your looking at. Its been serviced with Kubota parts and fluids. Im 40 miles NW Chicago if you’re interested.

I PM'd you.

 

[Tornado]

I PM'd you.

sounds like a potential good deal! Just look it over good! (no offense to the owner!) But good luck mate!

 

[NWAZL3560]

Economically, the comments about not getting a backhoe and renting something that is better and faster make sense. But I absolutely love having my backhoe. I find small uses for it very often and all I have to do is get the tractor and get it done. They're expensive but if your priority is daily convenience they're very worthwhile.

 

[miketrock]

B2301 has a 61.1 cu in engine and 44.2 lb. ft. of torque
B2601 has a 68.5 cu in engine and 52.3 lb. ft. of torque

The B2601 has slightly bigger tires, too.

 

[greg86z28]

B2301 has a 61.1 cu in engine and 44.2 lb. ft. of torque
B2601 has a 68.5 cu in engine and 52.3 lb. ft. of torque

The B2601 has slightly bigger tires, too.

Is the width difference between the 2301 and 2601 (due to the 26's larger tires) significant when it comes to operating on the side of a hill? The 2601 is wider, but it's also almost an inch higher up, but it's also about 100 lbs heavier.

 

[miketrock]

On Kubota's site when you "build" a B2301 & B2601, the default tire they include with the B2301 is smaller than the default one on the B2601, both Ag tires. Ag tires are narrower than the other tire options and also a narrower wheel. Obviously the wider wheel/tire combo gives you a wider stance/track width. All the other tires you could choose as an option for either one are all the same size from B2301 to B2601. So, actually, you can choose the same size tires for the B2301 as the B2601 if you want. The only way a B2301 would be smaller or narrower is if you don't choose a different tire than the Ag tire they offer you.

 

[bird dogger]

Economically, the comments about not getting a backhoe and renting something that is better and faster make sense. But I absolutely love having my backhoe. I find small uses for it very often and all I have to do is get the tractor and get it done. They're expensive but if your priority is daily convenience they're very worthwhile.

Bruce, we sure think alike! Today, the wife wanted a couple of young lilac bushes transplanted to their final location. These bushes were multi stemmed 5 to 6 footers. Had the back hoe on in a few minutes, dug & prepped the new holes, then popped the bushes out and carried them in the backhoe bucket to their new locations. Job done in well under an hour. Neighbor saw the BH on and asked to dig a few brush stumps out of his hedge row that were biting his mower. Put the BXpanded ripper tooth on and not only ripped out those for him but cleaned up his entire hedge of unwanted scrub brush. +/- 3 dozen or more dead/unwanted brush/clumps up to 4 inch diameter. He had a few tree stumps that were bothering his mower as they weren't quite cut low enough to mow over. I was back in 20 minutes with the stump grinder. We ground a dozen or more stumps below ground level. He was pretty happy and I'll get a free cold one every now and then through the summer. All the above took less than 4 hours. And that was after spreading 700 to 800 pounds of Urea on the 2 1/2 acre sweet corn field this morning.

regards,
David

 

[greg86z28]

I think I'm getting some pretty solid quotes on my B2301 package.

B2301
LA435
QA 54" bucket
BH70
10" BH bucket
54" MMM
R14 tires

MSRP for this package per Kubota is $28,917

Best quotes:
Dealer A is at $24,000, which is $25,320 out the door. This equates to about 13% off MSRP before any rebates/discounts are applied.

Dealer B is is doing 12% off (before rebates/discounts), however, they aren't charging me the $350 to install the backhoe that Dealer A is charging. As a result, the total is $23,945 and after tax $25,262.

How much more can you push dealers? I think I've seen 10-20% off MSRP is good. As mentioend, I really wanted to be at 24, maybe 25 tops. If they could chop another $500-700 off the price, which isn't insignificant, I'd be on cloud nine.

A final thought - I could also skip buying the MMM right now. I see a few on FB Marketplace used for pretty decent prices. I wonder if over the summer or into the fall I could find one. I could continue to mow with the JD 332. There is a 60" MMM in Indiana right now listed at $1,200. That's significant savings over what I'd be paying at a dealer (probably $2400 out the door after tax). I'm all about buying implements lightly used at a discount - the reason I'm not doing that with the loader or BH is I don't think you could easily find those. But the pallet forks, rear blade or box blade, I hope to score all that lightly used and avoid both the "new" premium price and sales tax.

Thanks again for all the help - can't say that enough. I really feel a lot more confident that I'm heading in the right direction.

 

[Oliver]

Personally I'm happy with taking the rebates then anything over 10% off. Rebates can be dependent on implements purchased so check to see if omitting the mmm will save you as much as you think. If you plan on using the mower much I'd buy it with the tractor properly setup. And definitely 60", the extra 3" on each side make it much easier to use. Maybe ask both dealers if they could do their quoted price with a 60"? Probably only costs them $100.

 

[Beefranks]

Just my 2 cents.

I got a b2650 with backhoe a couple weeks ago and have almost 50 hours on it now. I think about 35+ of those hours has been with the backhoe. I also got a front crapple on it. The rest of the hours are lots with the claw grapple and rest normal loader stuff.


I LOVE having the backhoe. I would hate to have to rent one everytime i need to dig up irrigation lines. Dig hole for a new tree. Dig anything that needs a backhoe.

I have the same clay/loam soil with cobble rock and i can get through it all easy. I will never ever go back to being backhoeless.

 

[BAP]

If you are interested in a 60” mmm, then make an offer of them putting one on for the current price that they quoted. As far as buying a used mmm, a lot of times people are selling them without the mounting brackets that bolt onto the tractor. So if you have to buy them separately, the used mmm becomes expensive. Also, if you are financing the tractor, then you loose the ability to finance the mmm. As others have pointed out, Kubota has some rebates that are based upon the number of attachments you buy and loader, backhoe, and mmm are considered attachments. If you choose to stick with the 54 mmm, then I would make an offer of $500 less than they quoted you. A good dealer will not be offended and will either accept, refuse or counter with something in between. Good Luck

 

[NHSleddog]

Interesting points about the BH. In my case I did not want to be doing any BH work with my tractor. Simple solution, if I don't have one, I will never be asked to use it.

In my case I will do general work for people and having the BH attachment limits what else I can bring and really is the wrong tool for the job in our state.

Living in the "Granite State" adds a lot of challenge when going below the surface. As a little tip, don't buy used excavators that spent their life in the northeast.

 

[greg86z28]

If you are interested in a 60” mmm, then make an offer of them putting one on for the current price that they quoted. As far as buying a used mmm, a lot of times people are selling them without the mounting brackets that bolt onto the tractor. So if you have to buy them separately, the used mmm becomes expensive. Also, if you are financing the tractor, then you loose the ability to finance the mmm. As others have pointed out, Kubota has some rebates that are based upon the number of attachments you buy and loader, backhoe, and mmm are considered attachments. If you choose to stick with the 54 mmm, then I would make an offer of $500 less than they quoted you. A good dealer will not be offended and will either accept, refuse or counter with something in between. Good Luck

Thanks for the advice. I'm familiar with the mower deck system used on these tractors (suspended) - it's the same system used on my 1969 JD 140 and 1987 JD 332.

However, I hadn't thought about the fact that a seller may not include the brackets, lift arms or lift straps (on the JDs some of the attachment brackets on the tractor are welded on, and the lift arms on the deck are not easily removable). Good to note.

I like your approach on the negotiation as well. These folks don't know me as a regular (I don't buy that much) but I've bought nearly $1000 worth of Stihl products from them in addition to pallet forks last summer for my dad L3901. Clearly not as big of an account as most I'm sure, but I'm not some out of towner.

 

[greg86z28]

My JD dealer just called me back - I had been there when I was looking at SCUTs (1025R) before I realized I wanted something bigger. I mentioned I might go orange and offered to send him my spec sheet comparison and B2301 quote. He got back to me saying they can do a 2025R TLB w/ 54" deck for $24,995 before tax. That's probably comparable to what I'd pay for the B2601.

I love mother Deere, but I just don't think I could pay the same price for a machine that is less capable (Loader, Backhoe, 3 point). I do think JD has a nice machine from an ergonomics standpoint. It also looks better IMO .

 

[NHSleddog]

My JD dealer just called me back - I had been there when I was looking at SCUTs (1025R) before I realized I wanted something bigger. I mentioned I might go orange and offered to send him my spec sheet comparison and B2301 quote. He got back to me saying they can do a 2025R TLB w/ 54" deck for $24,995 before tax. That's probably comparable to what I'd pay for the B2601.

I love mother Deere, but I just don't think I could pay the same price for a machine that is less capable (Loader, Backhoe, 3 point). I do think JD has a nice machine from an ergonomics standpoint. It also looks better IMO .

What kind of motor are they running in that model today?

 

[Oliver]

I assume Yanmar. Come to think of it is the whole tractor Yanmar or does Deere make parts of it?