Thinking about a Kubota

[denverpilot]

Can’t let Ted have all the Thinking About fun. Ha.

Realized the ancient Ford 1210 is essentially junk. It needs more work than I can do.

So...

Looking over the new tractor world after getting over the sticker shock, and really digging in to my true requirements and then the “maybe nice to do later” stuff...

Requirement: It’s going to have a cab. I’m really not supposed to be sucking in dust and dirt with sarcoid. Yeah I could get a helmet or respirator or wherever but I know myself and I’ll not wear it like I should. So a can tractor it is.

Critical jobs:

- Driveway snow clearing.
- Gravel driveway maintenance
- Mowing prairie grass but not finish mowing and no brush or even a tree (kinda, note below)

Implements I have:

- Rear snowblower. Cant use it easily with a cab. Manual crank chute. Cant easily use that on bad right hand days anyway.
- 48” Ford brush hog. I could keep it and use it mowing.
- Box grader - keep. Driveway maintenance. They’re awesome.
- Back blade. Again keep. Good for driveway for angling to pull ditches occasionally. Also good for snow if not deep.

Required implements I don’t have:

- Front snowblower with hydraulic chute. Easier for me to operate, even Karen could operate one set up right.

Implements I might add:
- Ground plane - somewhat useful besides box blade for driveway but not truly mandatory.
- Pallet forks. There’s just so much crap you can do and move around especially with a couple of eye to eye lifting straps.

Unlikely but maybe someday :
- Flail mower - just because it can be extended sideways to get up against the fence that goes all the way to the ground. It’s essentially horse fence on massive poles.

Unlikely stretch:
- Mini backhoe. It’d be nice to fix a bit of drainage / French drain, but not realistic. Would just rent or have someone else do the trench and I’ll fill with my loader.

- Also unlikely with a front snowblower, a real snow pusher. They work great but not going to swap the blower off to attach one.

Other circumstances / desired:

- Dealer support. Frankly there’s a few jobs I can do but the hand makes them annoying or even mildly painful. So a solid dealer who can, if needed, transport the thing and work on it if needed. What that means around here is that you’re really only choosing between two. John Deere and Kubota. The rest are either too far away or just non-existent. I really wanted to look at Kioti but I’m not going to do a dealer 100 miles away or more.

So. Looking at the compact tractor lineups from Green and Orange ...

JD implements on the front seem way too fussy. Having standard skid loader attachment capability up front seems smarter. Orange wins hands down.

Mowing. Both at this size can do belly mowers. I also still own the ZTR. Thing is, see note on mask/respirator. I shouldn’t be using the ZTR. But I also find belly mowers are a pain. Bolt on are too much work to get off if you need them off and drive overs, well... they all make them and after a while things get loose, twisted, or bent and they just don’t go on correctly. So... rear mower it is. And I’m used to that anyway with the brush hog. But with a tad more horsepower I can go a bit wider. They can go as high as 70” behind the compacts even the lower HP ones. If it overhangs the tractor a bit that helps with the passes along the fence. My tractor tires are waaaaay too close to my fence with the 48” brush hog.

Quick hitch: A definite want maybe need. Three points are a minor pain in the ass one and a half handed. However I’ll have to measure current implements and see if they’re quick hitch compatible. The box blade should be and it’s the most likely used. Back blade may not be. Old snowblower definitely isn’t.

So... I probably forgot some stuff but fire away. Talk me out of Orange. Ha. I have a formal quote coming in email tomorrow. Maybe later tonight.

Kubota LX2610 cab compact tractor, loader, bigger rear mower, front non-commercial snowblower (including the required subframe and center PTO driveline beef up stuff) and quick hitch. I forgot to add the pallet forks.

Tractor is in stock. Blower wouldn’t arrive until after winter. Dealer would grab tractor in sumner or whenever and attach all the blower stuff and return it.

Honestly at this price a skid steer ALMOST works better other than the mowing and would fit in the garage. This cab even if we switched to turf tires won’t make it under a standard 7’ garage door. It will make it just barely under an 8’. So... the tractor may have to help build itself a shed. Or we bite the bullet and build a pole barn.

 

[Ted]

Reported.

Stealing my thread titles

 

[Stewartb]

Tractors suck at snow removal. Well, they’re better than nothing but don’t buy a tractor for snow. There are better tools. So says a guy in Alaska who removes snow with.... wait for it.... a tractor.

Had a Kubota. This one’s a New Holland. I like blue.

 

[denverpilot]

Tractors suck at snow removal. Well, they’re better than nothing but don’t buy a tractor for snow. There are better tools. So says a guy in Alaska who removes snow with.... wait for it.... a tractor.

Had a Kubota. This one’s a New Holland. I like blue.

I kinda get it. Unfortunately I do need a Swiss Army knife and tractor is that. I know I’ll need weight and chains...

The other reality is we just had our fourth largest snow (third in my lifetime) and it wasn’t even 3’. And it does melt here relatively quickly most of the time.

It’s the drifts that get us where we are. I can drive over 80% of my driveway and just pack the snow down with a pickup the vast majority of storms but every year we have one or two that I have a drift about 200’ long and four to five feet high.

I used a rear mount snowblower that was probably made sometime around 100 AD. It always worked. The neck and hand problem kinda rule it out now though. Driving backward just ain’t a good idea when I’m cold and creaky. LOL.

 

[denverpilot]

Had a Kubota. This one’s a New Holland. I like blue.

Forgot. I do like the New Holland too but there’s no nearby dealers. The ancient Ford has lost most of its blue paint but it is blue.

I really need that dealer services lifeline just in case I can’t work on something, so I’m truly stuck with Green or Orange. If I lived further north there’s a New Holland big tractor place that might half ignore a compact tractor owner and three of the off brand Asian tractor dealers.

I just know booking a service guy to come haul the tractor up to any of those would be way at the bottom of their priority list even if they promised they’d do it this far away. I’d be “the annoying guy way down south”. Not worth that fight.

The Green and Orange guys fight over the tractors for the horse property folks near us who either bail hay or work on their horse stuff. High density of sub compact and compact tractor owners. Not big Ag tractor operators.

 

[denverpilot]

And @Ted needs a deal he can’t refuse on a Ford 1210 rebuild project so he can have a tiny little lawn mower compared to his tractors. LOL.

I read this story and was impressed what the guy did. Really didn’t look THAT hard with two fully happy hands but looked totally annoying with one hand that has (right now) more good days than bad but hurts a bit (more on bad days) when wrenching.

I’m getting pretty damn good at being left handed these days but there are still things I want to habitually do with the right that I reach to do naturally, then get annoyed at it, and switch hands. With more time and practice I’ll be fine left handed but thinking about stuff like running a paint sprayer ACCURATELY with the “wrong” hand (no offense southpaws!) just sounds utterly annoying to re-learn until I have to.

Same deal with shooting but I’m gonna have to grab an instructor and put in the range time. Should have practiced off-hand more back in the day. Ha.

Honestly thought I’ll probably trade in the Ford. It won’t bring any money at all but someone else loading it on a trailer and hauling it away instead of trying to part it out myself or anything that takes up space I don’t have right now, would just be dumb.

Which is why if someone truly wants it they’d get a deal of a lifetime on a project tractor. It has problems. But restored it would last another generation. It’s the fiddle farting around finding parts and going through it system by system I just won’t want to do anymore.

It MAY also have a head gasket leak, it shows a couple signs of it while still running ok... and I know (even on a little diesel) how to test that and find out for sure and such but if it has a crack it’s worth scrap metal price and that’s about it.

It definitely needs new hydraulic loader valves (they leak a little) and the old dual valve system is another hard to find part that a project guy would just have rebuilt by a good local old school shop. New hydraulic lines would be good, they’re cracking and weathered nut hold pressure.

The three point could use a new set of turnbuckles or ratchets but the ones on it with some love and penetrating oil would be workable for years.

Stupid stuff like that. It’s just old... like me. LOL.

 

[nauga]

Reported.

Stealing my thread titles

Please steal his brevity instead.

Nauga,
EOM

 

[denverpilot]

Oh hey I’ll say bad stuff about Orange too. Starting with that holy hell loud hydrostatic whine. Jeebus Kubota, it’s louder than everybody else’s. And in a cab it’ll be annoying. Big time.

But that’s not enough to flip to Green. Theirs whines slightly quieter. Ha.

To get to a shuttle shifter takes me up another size in Orange and that’s way overkill. Especially in a cab version. I’d be in small Ag sizes and I just don’t need that. So whiiiiirrrrrrrrrr it is...

I have lots of disposable earplugs. And sound deadening machine headset. I actually DO wear those. Pilot thing I guess. Used to putting a headset on.

If you have other bad stuff about Orange I’m happy to hear it.

I know their (and everybody else’s) regen systems are a small pain.

I know they cheap out a bit on the three point hardware. If I can get to everything quick hitch compatible and set up that kinda takes care of that.

I am pondering a hydraulic top link. I think I’d really find that useful for the road maintenance stuff but I can get out and adjust a top link left handed if it’s a bad day and I have to.

I think Orange overstates their loader lift capability but I don’t regularly have heavy loads in the bucket or plan to. I duh out a large concrete blob from a hole a guy used to mount a big pole to for antenna systems once with the Ford.

It struggled and even with rear weight it was trying to lift the back tires and of course the drivetrain was trying to torque twist the tractor. But a little digging and a lot of wiggling and dancing the tractor via pilling up with the bucket and we got it out of the hole with a 19 HP tractor and ancient loader that had seen better days. Patience (and not front rolling yourself over) is a virtue.

Good operators do the stupid stuff real slow and figure out the geometry to gine the tiny machine its best chance of lifting crap it shouldn’t lift. And then k to that load LOW to move it. Slow and steady win the race with underpowered equipment.

Trying to think what else I’ve read or seen that I don’t like. Toss me stuff. I don’t mind.

 

[-KLB-]

And it helps if you remember when you don’t have any counterweight mounted on the 3 pt. Not that long ago I was helping plant a 20 foot electrical service pole on what we had thought was a trivial cross slope, using a 30 HP JD. Between using the downhill chain hook, (due to space, path, layout restrictions) no box blade or other counterweight on the 3 pt, and starting to turn the wheel to shift the pole, we started to tip the tractor. Got it back under control in time, but still.
The other part is that with the lack of suspension, and a free tipping front axle, most tractors, even 4x4 act a bit like 3 wheelers within the tip range of the front axle. So lack of rear counter weight was even more critical.

 

[CharlieD3]

Ya know... Just perusing your ponderations, you mentioned a skid steer.... Really not a bad idea... With
quick-tatch implements it might do all you want easier than 3point. All the "work" is done in front of you, no turning around craning your neck.

You don't have to buy new. Although in this current building climate it might be hard to find good used equipment.


It seems there is no end to the stuff you can put on the front of a skid steer...

 

[Chip Sylverne]

I've had a Kubota for 30 odd years, I bought it used, have never had a single problem with it. Very solid machine. That said, the hardiest, handiest machine I have on the farm is a skidsteer. There's not a single job you mention that you can't rent or purchase an attachment to do. I even built a front mount mount Bush hog that I can take places I could never get into with one of the tractors. Spendy yes, but they hold value very well.
Unless your going to run equipment like a baler, discbine or such, think about a sskidsteer.

 

[Ted]

Nate, while I appreciate the thought, I don’t really want to drive to Denver to get that tractor.

 

[Notrub]

Swiss army knife but it wont mow. My favorite tool i have ever bought...i do not own a plane yet

 

[wsuffa]

Just get a skid-steer and be done with it.

And yes, the word "Bobcat" has a certain ring to it.

 

[Chip Sylverne]

Swiss army knife but it wont mow. My favorite tool i have ever bought...i do not own a plane yet

Those things are great. I rented one to replace the sewer line from my tank to the leach field. Finished in about 4 hours and started looking for other jobs around the place to do. Had for a day, probably did several thousand dollars worth of stuff with it.

 

[GRG55]

Reported.

Stealing my thread titles

Legitimate reason to report!

However, most plagiarists here say they are "Thinking about XXX" and ask what we think. Nate gives us an entire research paper on the subject to pick apart.

Nate, while I appreciate the thought, I don’t really want to drive to Denver to get that tractor.

You can hire people to do that. Ted turning down a project somehow seems unnatural.

It's too bad Beechcraft doesn't build tractors...the official PoA answer would be easy if it did.

 

[Ted]

You can hire people to do that. Ted turning down a project somehow seems unnatural.

Well if someone wants to deliver it for free I’ll take it.

 

[Skyrys62]

I can hear Nate now, leaving the yard after mowing headed for the garage...

Kubota 123 turning final.

 

[rsleeds]

If you could keep the Ford in good shape for the brush hogging, ditch trimming, etc., the addition of a skid steer to your arsenal as mentioned several times would be a good call. However, getting a replacement "Swiss Army Knife" being the goal, I think it's hard to beat Kubota. My experience is with their agricultural lines rather than the lighter duty models, but reliability is good, parts and service efficient, and overall price-value is good. We just added #4 last week - 70,91,95 & 128 HP models (plus the UTV). Right now, New is actually cheaper than Used - we found a 2 year old M5-091 with 1000 hours on it priced higher than we took a Zero hour '21 model off the lot for

 

[Daleandee]

Please steal his brevity instead.

Nauga,
EOM

Shots fired! Shots fired!

 

[Country Flier]

Tractors suck at snow removal...

Compared to what???

I run a snow removal side business...using tractors and push boxes. I love ‘em! I used to use trucks, but the tractors are more versatile.

 

[Country Flier]

When I went tractor shopping a couple of years ago, I looked at green, blue, and orange...the prices are all about the same, and the features are close, but there are subtle differences. I liked them all but Kubota was the best fit for me. I didn’t like how the JD/NH buckets wouldn’t move in two directions at once, while the kubota would (up AND tilt back, for example). In the models I was looking at only the Kubota would do that. And my local Kubota dealer rocks!

 

[SoonerAviator]

I think the B-series Kubota tractor is what you need if not going skid steer. You can get a 60-72" belly mower for them if you desire. Cabs are available, 26-30HP. Will do whatever you ask of it. We had a 90s compact tractor B7100HST and an newer 2000s L3130. The B series fits right in between and is small enough to be maneuverable but large enough to do brush hog work and 5'-6' implements. The compact tractors (BX-series) don't have much ground clearance and are generally too small in power to deal with large implements, although they are good for finish mowing and garden tilling.

4WD and the Hydrostatic transmission are great. I'm a Kubota fan for sure. I even bought a used Kubota diesel garden tractor last year which is a stout unit.

Skid steers are great, but even used they can be even more expensive than new tractors with implements included. Their weight also tends to tear yards up on all but the hardest/driest stuff. They also ride rougher than tractors and move slower when having to carry stuff over a longer distance. I think I'd have to go track loader if I were going the skid steer route, but that's even more complexity and cost.

Sent from my SM-N976U using Tapatalk

 

[denverpilot]

I think the B-series Kubota tractor is what you need if not going skid steer.

That’s why I landed at the LX series. If you recall there used to be a small B and a B with a slightly larger frame? Kubota decided that was confusing and added “LX” between B and L.

It’s really the old big B with a factory cab option.

The cab one in this video is the size against a BX. The one in the video is the 33 HP version. I’d go 26.

Anyway for all... appreciate the thoughts. I definitely had skid steer thoughts too. I think minor thoughts of what if the right hand got significantly worse came to mind, it’s hard to operate a skid steer one handed.

This would be an unlikely worst case with serious grip problems in the right hand.

It’s not fun to operate a tractor one handed either but it’s doable to reach across to the loader joystick and can even reach across to the 3 point lift arm lever if you have to.

So tractor I’d say is mostly taking into consideration my “stubbornness factor” where if I was that bad I probably should have moved back to the city by then. Ha.

Not a likely scenario but that’s where my head is on it. Skid steer one handed wouldn’t be very easy. Unless there’s something about newer skid steers that I’m missing.

 

[Country Flier]

That’s why I landed at the LX series. If you recall there used to be a small B and a B with a slightly larger frame? Kubota decided that was confusing and added “LX” between B and L.

It’s really the old big B with a factory cab option.

The cab one in this video is the size against a BX. The one in the video is the 33 HP version. I’d go 26.

Anyway for all... appreciate the thoughts. I definitely had skid steer thoughts too. I think minor thoughts of what if the right hand got significantly worse came to mind, it’s hard to operate a skid steer one handed.

This would be an unlikely worst case with serious grip problems in the right hand.

It’s not fun to operate a tractor one handed either but it’s doable to reach across to the loader joystick and can even reach across to the 3 point lift arm lever if you have to.

So tractor I’d say is mostly taking into consideration my “stubbornness factor” where if I was that bad I probably should have moved back to the city by then. Ha.

Not a likely scenario but that’s where my head is on it. Skid steer one handed wouldn’t be very easy. Unless there’s something about newer skid steers that I’m missing.

I just looked at an LX the other day...nice tractor, especially with the cab. BTW, the "26" hp is actually 24.8 hp...which is a very, very good thing for one reason: anything under 25 hp doesn't get nearly as much emissions crap that those over 25 hp get. EGR is killer on diesel longevity. And also, the Kubota 24.8 is a detuned 30 hp motor (instead of redesigning a motor, they just re-geared the 30hp trans so that 540 pto speed is at 24.8 hp, which gives you about 19 hp at the pto itself), so your just luffing that motor.

 

[denverpilot]

I just looked at an LX the other day...nice tractor, especially with the cab. BTW, the "26" hp is actually 24.8 hp...which is a very, very good thing for one reason: anything under 25 hp doesn't get nearly as much emissions crap that those over 25 hp get. EGR is killer on diesel longevity. And also, the Kubota 24.8 is a detuned 30 hp motor (instead of redesigning a motor, they just re-geared the 30hp trans so that 540 pto speed is at 24.8 hp, which gives you about 19 hp at the pto itself), so your just luffing that motor.

Knew about the emissions but didn't know about the derating. That's great. Thanks.

 

[Stewartb]

I would’t want anything smaller than what I have, a “standard” compact 30hp. I don’t want a mower but I use the loader and hoe all the time. My old Kubota was a little bigger but didn’t have a hoe. Both are great brands. So is JD. I know a couple of guys with Mahindras that are right up there, too. These are pretty simple machines.

 

[Chip Sylverne]

I can hear Nate now, leaving the yard after mowing headed for the garage...

Kubota 123 turning final.

Reversing direction at the end of a long row is practice for a procedure turn.

 

[midwestpa24]

I have a BX and love it. People are amazed at how much I can do with it. Then again I have years of experience operating much heavier equipment and know how to get the most out of it without breaking it. Some days I wish I had spent the extra for the B, but the BX has done everything I've thrown at it, just takes a little more time.

I'm a big orange fan. They build nearly every component on their equipment, something most other manufacturers can't say. These small Kubota motors are used in all kinds of applications around the world. We have one at work that has had the crap beat out of it, and just keeps on ticking.

 

[Timbeck2]

I've owned a Kubota BX2200 for about 15 years and it is an outside tractor, meaning it is out in the open and not in a garage. Only thing I've had to replace was all the hydraulic lines and the battery a couple of times. It's like that pink bunny, just keeps going and going...

 

[denverpilot]

Reversing direction at the end of a long row is practice for a procedure turn.

Especially if you need to back into the corner near a fence. LOL.

 

[denverpilot]

I've owned a Kubota BX2200 for about 15 years and it is an outside tractor, meaning it is out in the open and not in a garage. Only thing I've had to replace was all the hydraulic lines and the battery a couple of times. It's like that pink bunny, just keeps going and going...

Thanks Tim. That’s a solid endorsement. I really want to put this thing inside but it will have to be a lean to or shed project.

I guess it can help drag crap to wherever its shed will end up. LOL

 

[SoonerAviator]

That’s why I landed at the LX series. If you recall there used to be a small B and a B with a slightly larger frame? Kubota decided that was confusing and added “LX” between B and L.

It’s really the old big B with a factory cab option.

The cab one in this video is the size against a BX. The one in the video is the 33 HP version. I’d go 26.

Anyway for all... appreciate the thoughts. I definitely had skid steer thoughts too. I think minor thoughts of what if the right hand got significantly worse came to mind, it’s hard to operate a skid steer one handed.

This would be an unlikely worst case with serious grip problems in the right hand.

It’s not fun to operate a tractor one handed either but it’s doable to reach across to the loader joystick and can even reach across to the 3 point lift arm lever if you have to.

So tractor I’d say is mostly taking into consideration my “stubbornness factor” where if I was that bad I probably should have moved back to the city by then. Ha.

Not a likely scenario but that’s where my head is on it. Skid steer one handed wouldn’t be very easy. Unless there’s something about newer skid steers that I’m missing.

I think the LX series is essentially what they used to call the "Grand L" which was an L frame with the B-series mid-PTO and other B-series options. The mid-mount PTO was mainly for the mid-mount mowers which are (unsurprisingly) great finish mowers. However, it also applies to front mounted snow blowers and sweepers.

As far as the backhoe, for the cost of the backhoe attachments you could rent a dedicated trackhoe for months on end. Unless you really do frequent backhoe work, I'd leave that to the rental business, not to mention it's a PITA to install/uninstall unless you want to leave it on 24/7 which makes it cumbersome and blocks any use of the rear PTO.

Sent from my SM-N976U using Tapatalk

 

[midwestpa24]

I think the LX series is essentially what they used to call the "Grand L" which was an L frame with the B-series mid-PTO and other B-series options. The mid-mount PTO was mainly for the mid-mount mowers which are (unsurprisingly) great finish mowers. However, it also applies to front mounted snow blowers and sweepers.

As far as the backhoe, for the cost of the backhoe attachments you could rent a dedicated trackhoe for months on end. Unless you really do frequent backhoe work, I'd leave that to the rental business, not to mention it's a PITA to install/uninstall unless you want to leave it on 24/7 which makes it cumbersome and blocks any use of the rear PTO.

Sent from my SM-N976U using Tapatalk

There used to be two B series, a B01 series and a B50 series which was the next step up. The B50 has essentially become the new LX. So now in order of size, the machine go BX, B, LX, L, MX, M.

 

[denverpilot]

Appreciate all the thoughts all. May get a chance to pop over to the dealer later this week. Got a quote and it was reasonable (well, reasonable for new tractor prices!)... so we’re doing a little back and forth getting details right.

Right now it’s :

LX2610 w/quick connect loader

Residential 63” snowblower (hydraulic turn chute, manual chute top) and the required subframe, mid PTO bracing/shaft, hose hanger for the hydros, and their “four point” K hitch to hang it on.

(If you do the commercial blower and have a third function up front you can run the top of the chute hydraulically. It screws up the Kubota one handed hydraulic disconnect in front (they don’t make one that does six valves just four) and I really don’t need the heavier duty commercial blower. It’s also heavier so only 52”)

60” 3-point Land Pride standard mower (somewhere between brush hog and finish) it’ll work better than the brush hog because it’ll stick out enough to reach the fence and keep the rear tires away.

Quick hitch. I’ll try it on everything and if some implement won’t play nicely it’ll get swapped for one that does.

Stuff I forgot to add, but adding to quote now:

Light pallet forks (probably 36” but I want a serious headache bar on them for me being accidentally stupid and sliding something toward me by accident — prefer shortish ones even if hard to see, just to save backup space and swing room. That loader isn’t built for the abuse of the big ones anyway.)

Also seeing what the rear hydraulic add on would be. Will add if it’s reasonable, mostly for a hydraulic top link when boxing or blading. That’s a luxury item so if they are too proud of the rear hydros I’ll wait or just forget about it.

Not seeing any reason to add a third function to the front. Nothing to grapple.

Stuff I learned: If you finance with Kubota they require insurance and run their own insurance company. Premium is tied to amount financed at $1.30 per $1000, so they’re essentially making another “1.3% in interest”. Fairly smart.

Normally the net is full of horror stories of either horrible claims processes on stuff like this at car dealership, or overpriced factory insurance, but folks actually rave about Kubota’s. Covers a LOT more than a homeowners add-on. Claims are simple. Was surprised at what they cover actually.

Looking over all the videos I can find on the thing, the only pain for me is changing the hydro filter, and that’s mostly because it’s set up to lose a ton of fluid if you don’t change the filter quickly.

One and a half handed at worst, it just means I’ll need more replacement fluid around than someone quicker, every time I change that stupid thing. And a big catch pan, just in case I fumble it. Ha. Hell if it’s really bad I’ll just pay the service truck to come out.

Will have them ballast the tires probably and might add 1” wheel spacers to make room for chains in back. Will wait until I can see how much clearance there is but tall narrow tractor — might as well move the tires out a touch for the minor slopes in the ditches.

 

[midwestpa24]

I wish I had researched the KTAC insurance a little more before I bought mine. I opted to cover mine through my regular insurance.

KTAC covers everything...period. Roll it down a hill, covered. Falls off trailer, covered. Never seen such a good insurance.

Fortunately I haven't been in a position to need it.

 

[SoonerAviator]

We loved the L3130, the diesel started up every time even if it had been sitting in the cold shop for 2 months (on a trickle charger). Dead simple to operate, and we never had a hiccup out of it. Granted we really weren't using it hard since it was bigger than what we needed, but it did well with the box blading and brush clearing. It had the "service needed" wrench light illuminated on it, but it's just because they want you to bring it in or call out the service truck to reset it and have them do the maintenance. The guy we bought it from had tons of different implements for it all basically never used (PTO fertilizer spreaders, rakes, disc harrows, box blades, finish cutter, brush hog, angle blade) but the one item we DID want we didn't have: 3-point garden tiller, lol. I think the LX with the mid-PTO is probably about the best option for those maintaining 5-10 acres, and what we would probably buy if we were buying new.

Since we sold the L3130 last year, we've been trying to find a used 24-26HP B-series, but they sell used for $12K+, which starts making a case for buying new at that point. Honestly all we need is a box blade, FEL, tiller, brush hog, and a finish mower and we'd be happy. Even better if it had a cab with A/C. If you have a Mahindra dealer nearby, don't skip out on them if you have a chance to take a look. Doesn't command quite the price of a Kubota, but they are well-built machines like JD/Ford NH/Kubota.

 

[flyingron]

I did a lot of work with Kubota computers back in the day. I even had lunch in Tokyo with one of their reps. First time I ever had shabu-shabu.

 

[midwestpa24]

There used to be two B series, a B01 series and a B50 series which was the next step up. The B50 has essentially become the new LX. So now in order of size, the machine go BX, B, LX, L, MX, M.

Forgot to add, they changed the B50 to the LX about a year or so ago. Partially to simplify their naming conventions, and also because the later model B3350 series was getting a real bad reputation because of the DPF system. They ironed out the problems, and decided to rename it LX to get away from the bad rep.

 

[Country Flier]

Pallet forks are a great tool, useful for more than just lifting pallets. I like to heat my house at times with wood. I keep all my split wood on pallets behind the pole barn. Makes it very simple when I run out of a pallet of wood to just go grab another one from behind the barn. I set the pallets right behind the back door so I only have to step out a couple feet to grab some more wood.
In addition to the snow removal business, i also own a construction business. On more than one job when short on labor I have used the pallet forks as a makeshift crane for lifting up small trusses.
And believe it or not I once used the forks for digging a square hole, and they worked great! I needed to place a square form for a concrete foundation block to go under a construction project. I didn’t feel like renting a backhoe (I may buy one yet though) but I had one of my tractors there with a large post hole digger and the pallet forks. I used the post hole digger to bore the four corners, then use the pallet forks with one fork removed to bust out the dirt in between the post holes. Saved me a lot of hand digging and worked like a charm…