My first tractor…?

[wave-rider]

My wife and I were finally able to buy a house last year, and it happened to come with almost 5 acres of mostly meadow. I'm slowly piecing the story together, the property had horses, sometimes cattle, and the grandfather had mules. But not much in the last decade, I think.

The grass mowing is important in this part of central California since we are prone to wildfires. The former owner had a Kubota BX (of some sort) with mid mount mower and no loader to keep the grass down, or so I deduced from an old photo. Too bad it was gone before the sale… (For scale, about 700 feet to the top of the driveway.)

We got a mow last year from a nice young man who used his Kubota tracked skid steer at a very good price; sadly he had mechanical issues this year. A neighbor in the tree business did this cut with his Bobcat tracked skid steer and rotary cutter at a good price too, and he could slide the cutter under the lower rail of the PVC fencing to cut down on trimming. We would keep hiring these nice folks but circumstances have blunted that effort: broken equipment, no room on schedule, "I'm not taking any more clients since I'm 75 and want to retire", and so on. We want to be really good neighbors and keep ours and their properties as safe as we can from fire danger, so a tractor is in our future.

There is a lot of underground water in the rainy season, this image from April shows how lush and dense the grasses can be. By the time we got it mowed, the grass was over six feet in many areas. Also, the lower flats are prone to boggyness.

I desperately wish I had the mechanical inclination, moxie, and enough braveness to buy a used Kubota, but I don't. Sigh. (Pretty sure I can work a grease gun…) And there aren't many ads around here either.

The local sales manager at the dealership did have a newly traded in BX but not a price for it. He gently steered me to a B2301 he had in stock. Looked nice and I'm sure it could handle the job but I kind of wanted the five foot rotary mower instead of the four footer which I think the B2601 could handle, at an extra price. I am on a somewhat fixed income, so I've been chewing on the cost of things.

Then I saw this October Kubota first time buyer offer for the LX2620SU: https://www.kubotausa.com/finance/special-offers/detail/first-time-buyer-lx2620suhsd
That price is within spitting distance from the B2601 if I'm reading the page correctly. There also seems to be purchase packages with various options and I hope bundle pricing. The LX2620 can handle the five foot cutter too. And I think that I am also falling under the allure of the tractor…

I'm also considering taking the Kubota $0 down/0% interest/60 months offer to keep the funds a little more liquid and maybe make a little change on it myself. When the sales manager and I discussed the 2301 a month of so ago, he said Kubota was only giving a $500 rebate for a cash transaction. Also, he was not sure if I could buy the Kubota insurance if I was paying cash.

As an abject tractor newbie, is my thinking sound? I appreciate any thought you folks have.

Also, "Extended Warranty Offers" and "K-Maintenance Offers"; what are they and are they desirable?

PS. Thanks to GP Outdoors at the you tubes for the Orange Tractor Talks suggestion as a reference.

 

[JimmyJazz]

My wife and I were finally able to buy a house last year, and it happened to come with almost 5 acres of mostly meadow. I'm slowly piecing the story together, the property had horses, sometimes cattle, and the grandfather had mules. But not much in the last decade, I think.
View attachment 137382

The grass mowing is important in this part of central California since we are prone to wildfires. The former owner had a Kubota BX (of some sort) with mid mount mower and no loader to keep the grass down, or so I deduced from an old photo. Too bad it was gone before the sale… (For scale, about 700 feet to the top of the driveway.)

We got a mow last year from a nice young man who used his Kubota tracked skid steer at a very good price; sadly he had mechanical issues this year. A neighbor in the tree business did this cut with his Bobcat tracked skid steer and rotary cutter at a good price too, and he could slide the cutter under the lower rail of the PVC fencing to cut down on trimming. We would keep hiring these nice folks but circumstances have blunted that effort: broken equipment, no room on schedule, "I'm not taking any more clients since I'm 75 and want to retire", and so on. We want to be really good neighbors and keep ours and their properties as safe as we can from fire danger, so a tractor is in our future.

There is a lot of underground water in the rainy season, this image from April shows how lush and dense the grasses can be. By the time we got it mowed, the grass was over six feet in many areas. Also, the lower flats are prone to boggyness.
View attachment 137383

I desperately wish I had the mechanical inclination, moxie, and enough braveness to buy a used Kubota, but I don't. Sigh. (Pretty sure I can work a grease gun…) And there aren't many ads around here either.

The local sales manager at the dealership did have a newly traded in BX but not a price for it. He gently steered me to a B2301 he had in stock. Looked nice and I'm sure it could handle the job but I kind of wanted the five foot rotary mower instead of the four footer which I think the B2601 could handle, at an extra price. I am on a somewhat fixed income, so I've been chewing on the cost of things.

Then I saw this October Kubota first time buyer offer for the LX2620SU: https://www.kubotausa.com/finance/special-offers/detail/first-time-buyer-lx2620suhsd
That price is within spitting distance from the B2601 if I'm reading the page correctly. There also seems to be purchase packages with various options and I hope bundle pricing. The LX2620 can handle the five foot cutter too. And I think that I am also falling under the allure of the tractor…

I'm also considering taking the Kubota $0 down/0% interest/60 months offer to keep the funds a little more liquid and maybe make a little change on it myself. When the sales manager and I discussed the 2301 a month of so ago, he said Kubota was only giving a $500 rebate for a cash transaction. Also, he was not sure if I could buy the Kubota insurance if I was paying cash.

As an abject tractor newbie, is my thinking sound? I appreciate any thought you folks have.

Also, "Extended Warranty Offers" and "K-Maintenance Offers"; what are they and are they desirable?

PS. Thanks to GP Outdoors at the you tubes for the Orange Tractor Talks suggestion as a reference.

What is the size of the parcel you will be mowing in acre terms? Also, do you have a place to store a tractor?

 

[wave-rider]

What is the size of the parcel you will be mowing in acre terms? Also, do you have a place to store a tractor?

Between 4.25 and 4.5 acres is my uneducated guess. There is a small barn that looks to have stored the BX of the former owner, 6'10" at the door opening. Thanks for your interest!

 

[Tarmy]

I am CA as well. When I finally decided to get a Kubota…one of the dealers (Dolk Tractors) mentioned getting a “harvest return”. Here in CA the various manufactures flood the market with equipment in the fall for the various crops. I got a 135 hour L2800 for HALF of new. Since it was with an authorized dealer and used sale…got all the deals the new tractor got. 0%/cash back, discounts on a Loader and Box Blade and a guarantee the matched a new rig.

Ask around OP and see if they still do that or have some similar program with some package benefits. My tractor has been great….and 135 hours is nothing on one of these.

 

[JimmyJazz]

Between 4.25 and 4.5 acres is my uneducated guess. There is a small barn that looks to have stored the BX of the former owner, 6'10" at the door opening. Thanks for your interest!

If I were you I would look for a used Kubota L3901 or 3902 with less than 700 hours equipped with a hydrostatic transmission and loader. I would then buy a 6 ft light or medium duty pull behind mower. That tractor should be able to be purchased in very good condition for around $18,000 the mower can purchased for around $1,500 new from places like Tractor Supply. The larger tractor is more forgiving and enjoyable to operate in my opinion. It will also save you a lot of time. While that piece can be cut with a BX you might wish you were dead after the initial thrill of having done it a couple of times wears off. I would not worry about having to fix a used well maintained Kubota tractor. I have a friend that operated a fleet of them in his business of building and maintaining golf courses over the span of 30 years. He always bought them used , changed the oil regularly and never had any problems. The combination I am recommending will cost less than the new unit(s) you are considering and possibly hold its value better as well. This is important in the event that you wish to sell the tractor and return to hiring the work out. Good luck.

 

[wave-rider]

I am CA as well. When I finally decided to get a Kubota…one of the dealers (Dolk Tractors) mentioned getting a “harvest return”. Here in CA the various manufactures flood the market with equipment in the fall for the various crops. I got a 135 hour L2800 for HALF of new. Since it was with an authorized dealer and used sale…got all the deals the new tractor got. 0%/cash back, discounts on a Loader and Box Blade and a guarantee the matched a new rig.

Ask around OP and see if they still do that or have some similar program with some package benefits. My tractor has been great….and 135 hours is nothing on one of these.

Thanks for the splendid idea Tarmy! There is a lot of ag stuff in my area, I will ask that sales manager if they do the program. An "L" model sounds like fun too but I will probably mow only once or twice a month.

 

[wave-rider]

If I were you I would look for a used Kubota L3901 or 3902 with less than 700 hours equipped with a hydrostatic transmission and loader. I would then buy a 6 ft light or medium duty pull behind mower. That tractor should be able to be purchased in very good condition for around $18,000 the mower can purchased for around $1,500 new from places like Tractor Supply. The larger tractor is more forgiving and enjoyable to operate in my opinion. It will also save you time. While that piece can be cut with a BX you might wish you were dead after the initial thrill of having done it a couple of times wears off. I would not worry about having to fix a used well maintained Kubota tractor. I have a friend that operated a fleet of them in his business of building and maintaining golf courses over the span of 30 years. He always bought the used ,changed the oil regularly and never had any problems. The combination I am recommending will cost less than the new unit(s) you are considering and possibly hold its value better as well. Good luck.

"While that piece can be cut with a BX you might wish you were dead after the initial thrill of having done it a couple of times wears off."

Love it!

There is a B2320 with 180 hours nearby…

 

[fried1765]

L3901 or L3902,.....
Very specific,........EXCELLENT ADVICE !!!!

 

[JimmyJazz]

L3901 or L3902,.....
Very specific,........EXCELLENT ADVICE !!!!

Thank you, Let me tell my wife.

 

[jimh406]

I'm not sure a tractor is a good choice based on what you say you want to do. It certainly wouldn't be a L3901 or 2. There really isn't any point to me in going for DPF tractor of that HP range for a flat 5 acres. It doesn't seem like your dealer thinks so either.

Unless you plan to do something other than mow that field, I'd strongly consider a pull behind mower and ATV/UTV/garden tractor.

Alternatively, how about giving us more details about what you plan to do with a tractor other than mow.

 

[ZTMAN]

If you are only going to use the tractor to mow five acres, I would consider getting a zero turn instead. Much faster and more comfortable.

If you have other uses for the tractor, then have at it.

 

[wave-rider]

I'm not sure a tractor is a good choice based on what you say you want to do. It certainly wouldn't be a L3901 or 2. There really isn't any point to me in going for DPF tractor of that HP range for a flat 5 acres. It doesn't seem like your dealer thinks so either.

Unless you plan to do something other than mow that field, I'd strongly consider a pull behind mower and ATV/UTV/garden tractor.

Alternatively, how about giving us more details about what you plan to do with a tractor other than mow.

At this point, mowing primarily. The wife may want me to break up a bit of sod for her to extend the garden. Good point, I hadn't thought of other tasks. What else can I use for mowing, the slope of my meadow it deceiving in places.

 

[wave-rider]

If you are only going to use the tractor to mow five acres, I would consider getting a zero turn instead. Much faster and more comfortable.

If you have other uses for the tractor, then have at it.

Thought of a zero turn. Can they navigate ground squirrel holed ground as well as boggy areas that trapped the Bobcat tracked skid steer?

Thanks for your thoughts. My neighbor has a Kubota B-older and a zero turn, he is a mechanical savant that picks up broken items and makes them whole. I'm too new a neighbor to ask of him too much.

 

[ZTMAN]

Thought of a zero turn. Can they navigate ground squirrel holed ground as well as boggy areas that trapped the Bobcat tracked skid steer?

Thanks for your thoughts. My neighbor has a Kubota B-older and a zero turn, he is a mechanical savant that picks up broken items and makes them whole. I'm too new a neighbor to ask of him too much.

If a tracked machine gets stuck, a tractor or a ZT will get stuck.
I would pick your neighbors brain to see what he has to say. People like to be asked for equipment advice.

I can tell you that I used to cut an eight acre lawn at our previous home at least once a week with a ZT. I would not have wanted to do that with a tractor.

If you ever do consider a ZT, only consider one with a commercial suspension seat, or a suspension platform

 

[wave-rider]

If a tracked machine gets stuck, a tractor or a ZT will get stuck.
I would pick your neighbors brain to see what he has to say. People like to be asked for equipment advice.

I can tell you that I used to cut an eight acre lawn at our previous home at least once a week with a ZT. I would not have wanted to do that with a tractor.

If you ever do consider a ZT, only consider one with a commercial suspension seat, or a suspension platform

Thanks for the advice about the ZT and my neighbor. He is a nice guy.

 

[PaulL]

Seems you'd mow irregularly - so rotary cutter, not finish mowing. Specially if there are longish periods where you can't drive on it.

If you don't need a mid mower (and I don't think you do), I'd be looking L2502 and a reasonable size RFM or cutter. Or a flail, which is between the two. Get a loader, there'll be 100 tasks you can do with it. It's a 26HP machine, reasonably large, but no emissions (26HP is as big as you can go with no emissions).

A used L2501 is also a great machine, older version of the L2502. Make sure it's HST. They're pretty much bullet proof, I wouldn't worry too much about buying a used one. They hold their value well though (being bullet proof and all), so you may be better just buying new with terms.

I'm not as scared of emissions as others, so an L3901 is also a good choice, but you don't actually need it. An L2501/2 is a lot cheaper, and is plenty of machine for what you discuss.

 

[Elliott in GA]

FWIW, I have an LX 2610 SU, and I have done lots of mowing over the last 3.5+ years with a rotary cutter/bush hog and a finish mower - both 5 feet. I would expect it would take 2.5 hours to cut your acreage. The tractor burns about 3/4 of a gallon per hour of mowing. The LX SU comes standard with the larger tires especially for its weight, and I have found them to perform well in wet conditions - within reason.

A Zero Turn mower will be faster, but it is a one trick pony. If it is gas, it will burn much more fuel, but the gasoline is cheaper.

As others have asked, what else do you want to do with your equipment.

 

[JimmyJazz]

Seems you'd mow irregularly - so rotary cutter, not finish mowing. Specially if there are longish periods where you can't drive on it.

If you don't need a mid mower (and I don't think you do), I'd be looking L2502 and a reasonable size RFM or cutter. Or a flail, which is between the two. Get a loader, there'll be 100 tasks you can do with it. It's a 26HP machine, reasonably large, but no emissions (26HP is as big as you can go with no emissions).

A used L2501 is also a great machine, older version of the L2502. Make sure it's HST. They're pretty much bullet proof, I wouldn't worry too much about buying a used one. They hold their value well though (being bullet proof and all), so you may be better just buying new with terms.

I'm not as scared of emissions as others, so an L3901 is also a good choice, but you don't actually need it. An L2501/2 is a lot cheaper, and is plenty of machine for what you discuss.

its not a lot cheaper. Its about the same price when buying used. Thats why I recommended the L3901.

 

[JimmyJazz]

I'm not sure a tractor is a good choice based on what you say you want to do. It certainly wouldn't be a L3901 or 2. There really isn't any point to me in going for DPF tractor of that HP range for a flat 5 acres. It doesn't seem like your dealer thinks so either.

Unless you plan to do something other than mow that field, I'd strongly consider a pull behind mower and ATV/UTV/garden tractor.

Alternatively, how about giving us more details about what you plan to do with a tractor other than mow.
[/QUO

At this point, mowing primarily. The wife may want me to break up a bit of sod for her to extend the garden. Good point, I hadn't thought of other tasks. What else can I use for mowing, the slope of my meadow it deceiving in places.

That looks more like a farm field to me possibly containing ruts and whatnot. You might rattle a tooth filling loose using a zero turn mower if that is the case. Keep in mind tractors don't have suspension systems like cars. At 75 years of age speed , safety , comfort , and favorable economics should take precedent. A used mid sized Kubota tractor purchased well may very well appreciate in value over time. Zero turn mowers are entirely different animals (so to speak) from an investment perspective and not nearly as attractive. After you buy the L3901 get yourself some ear plugs, a new flannel shirt and a cowboy hat. You will be standing taller while smiling both on the inside and outside. The wife will notice this and the sun will shine a little brighter and longer. How do I write with such confidence? I trod the same path 13 years ago. Good luck.

 

[Runs With Scissors]

I’ll throw my 2 pennies in here.

I am a “city slicker” by birth and just recently (3ish years) ago bought my first tractor and a small property (5 acres mostly wooded though).

Although I am pretty sure a Zero Turn would cut your area faster, as pointed out, it is a “one trick pony”.

You can’t “lift a pallet of widgets” or a refrigerator, or a safe, out of your truck with a ZT.

I think you will be amazed at how owning a tractor makes “things” easier. You will find hundreds, if not thousands of things that having a tractor will make enjoyable/easy.

I consider myself “handy” and “reasonably mechanical” and I opted for a 2501 for a few reasons.

• No emissions (I am not “afraid” of them, I just wanted “simple”)
• The “L’s” (except the 4 series) with emission had the same loader capacity and I did not figure I would need the PTO HP.
• Price for the larger L’s was “to me” more money for something I would not use.

In the end, I gambled on a 2501 TLB and have been very happy with my choice.

So since I am spending your money, don’t forget to get the 0% financing, and you may as well throw a “Back Hoe” in.

It’s only money, and there’s a reason they don’t put pockets in coffins……………..



Take it from Clemenza