Hello future family!
This spring I bought 13 acres, and have been thinking for a long time about buying a tractor. I have it narrowed down to a used Kubota, but am having a hard time figuring out which model to get. I demo'd a B2710 with a 72" belly mower (which did a great job), and it seems to be about the right size for what I want to do with it, but it had almost 2000 hours, was kind of beat up, and I have read to "always buy more tractor than you think you need."
-I would like a 72" mower because most of the property is grass or pasture. I have a 60" Zero Turn that is old and the amount of maintenance required makes me think it should probably be sold or retired in the next few years. I do have a number of trees, so it makes me think I should go with a model that can handle the belly mower, but I do also have a 60" bush hog and might not be against buying a finish mower for it instead.
-A loader is necessary for cleaning out a chicken coop, moving compost, piles of snow, etc.
-It needs to be able to run a tiller - I'm thinking of an acre or two garden plot, a hops yard, and possibly a future orchard. I do have a few large dirt piles from a pond the previous owners dug, but that is the heaviest I might need a loader for.
My ideal price point is "around $15k" but I do have some flexibility. With that in mind, I am seeing B2710's in that price range, every once in a while a B2910. Other models that look good but I do not understand all of the differences in are the B3030, B2650, and B7800. I suppose I could go with a BX Model, but they seem a lot smaller and feel less like a tractor and more like a lawn mower.
It seems like the tractors out there have maybe 1 attachment, sometimes 2, of the 3 that I need. I'm guessing tillers are the easiest / least expensive to find, but I don't know how niche or expensive the belly mowers and loaders are.
I'm pre-approved for a $15k loan and could probably get more, or buy one of the attachments separate. I know the dealers have a heck of a deal with the 0% financing, but I'd rather pay a little less for a comparable, albeit older, tractor at 4%, than drop $20-30k on my first tractor.
TL;DR: Want to mow 72" at a time, run a tiller, and have a decent loader, for $13-17k.
B2710, B2910, B3030, B2650, B7800, or did I overlook a different B or L?
How many hours are too many hours?
Thanks!
This spring I bought 13 acres, and have been thinking for a long time about buying a tractor. I have it narrowed down to a used Kubota, but am having a hard time figuring out which model to get. I demo'd a B2710 with a 72" belly mower (which did a great job), and it seems to be about the right size for what I want to do with it, but it had almost 2000 hours, was kind of beat up, and I have read to "always buy more tractor than you think you need."
-I would like a 72" mower because most of the property is grass or pasture. I have a 60" Zero Turn that is old and the amount of maintenance required makes me think it should probably be sold or retired in the next few years. I do have a number of trees, so it makes me think I should go with a model that can handle the belly mower, but I do also have a 60" bush hog and might not be against buying a finish mower for it instead.
-A loader is necessary for cleaning out a chicken coop, moving compost, piles of snow, etc.
-It needs to be able to run a tiller - I'm thinking of an acre or two garden plot, a hops yard, and possibly a future orchard. I do have a few large dirt piles from a pond the previous owners dug, but that is the heaviest I might need a loader for.
My ideal price point is "around $15k" but I do have some flexibility. With that in mind, I am seeing B2710's in that price range, every once in a while a B2910. Other models that look good but I do not understand all of the differences in are the B3030, B2650, and B7800. I suppose I could go with a BX Model, but they seem a lot smaller and feel less like a tractor and more like a lawn mower.
It seems like the tractors out there have maybe 1 attachment, sometimes 2, of the 3 that I need. I'm guessing tillers are the easiest / least expensive to find, but I don't know how niche or expensive the belly mowers and loaders are.
I'm pre-approved for a $15k loan and could probably get more, or buy one of the attachments separate. I know the dealers have a heck of a deal with the 0% financing, but I'd rather pay a little less for a comparable, albeit older, tractor at 4%, than drop $20-30k on my first tractor.
TL;DR: Want to mow 72" at a time, run a tiller, and have a decent loader, for $13-17k.
B2710, B2910, B3030, B2650, B7800, or did I overlook a different B or L?
How many hours are too many hours?
Thanks!
was $15150. I negotiated a 50 hour service and a shop manual into the deal. The tractor has a full factory warranty and qualified for zero precent financing.