compact tractors. tell us about your "friends"

[rockriver]

let us hear your story.
me - i live in a highrise condo.. so no tractors but...

but on occasion i ride on a john deere 990
the fella had a kubota.. about 30 hp and was a good machine.
but he's now got this john deere.
about 40 hp.
sips fuel.
made in japan.
yanmar diesel
can pull a 6 ft finishing mower.
5 ft box blade..
disc harrow and
a 2 row plow in most dirt.
the old geezer has got a 300 model front loader.
it attaches easily. it's green and says john deere but made in CHINA alabama.
the fella says the 40 jd is actually quieter than his 30 hp kubota.

bad news is battery has died and he has heard that the batteries in this tractor die pretty quick for some reason.

bad news. tractor is only 2 wd.
if you are going to use a loader get a 4wd he says.
with a big load on the front.. if its wet the front wheels will want to dig in and since the 2wd front end
can't do any pulling the ole geezer has had to dump his load and use the bucket to push himself out of the mush.

my little window box garden is too small to live off of for long.
so dreaming of a small tractor at my own retreat i'm gonna get someday.
i don't think john deere makes the 990 any more.
but i bet they have an updated version.
or i feel comfortable recommending a used 990. better yet, get the 990 mfwd


tell us the good and bad of what you've got or know about!!

[rockriver]

hmm.
i bunch of you guys read this, and i know a bunch of you live on homesteads, retreats, farms... so...
come on talk to the rest of us... what ya got? or what has your neighbor got that you share? or
what does your 3rd cousin who lives year round at your bol got?

another reason to discuss... i just read a couple of posts that talk about "where do i put my money as
the banks get in trouble?" or "where do i put my green backs with the value of the dollar dropping?"

i see the small compact tractor being of high value and increasingly so...

i believe it was the story "lights out" where karate kid and his buds were digging up the subdivision
to plant vegetables and they were continually looking for a tractor to break ground...

these tractors can be bought for 2000 up to new at 15000 to 20000
the shtf and you and your 5 best buds and families are at your retreat...
what would you give then for a 30hp tractor and a couple of implements and 50 gallons of fuel???

[BioG8r]

I have a Kioti 28 horse tractor with a front end loader. They are kind of a South Korean Kubota Knock Off. A Dae Dong three cylinder that runs on Bio Diesel most of the time. I have used Black Diesel (Used Motor Oil) and Waste Vegetable Oil. The tractor is definitely overworked and has kept on going since new in 1988. It is now two wheel drive, a farm hand hit a stump and broke the ring and pinion for the front. Repair is right at a grand, so....

I have been asked many times about what color tractor I drive and my reply is "I'm color blind, if I don't have to fix it, it's the right color" I am sold on the Kioti's I hope to replace the NOA**ATALL mini brute with a 40hp fairly soon. Not that big of a jump but I truly need a bit more meat in the Motor!!

Implements include a 4' Rotovator, Bucket, Pallet forks, 5' drag box, 7' blade, 6'bushhog, 7' Sickle Bar Mower, 12" Auger, 12' Boom Sprayer, Pond Scoop, Roll Bale Spike, and a broadcast seeder.
The rotovator is the LIFESAVER when it comes to gardening. I can make a perfect bed in two passes. The Pallet forks would be the most used implement, from unloading to moving roll bales I use them all the time. I palletize EVERYTHING so I can move it around on the spur of the moment.
It uses about 6 gallons of fuel in a ten hour work day. Just did 2 acres of rotovating here and three other neighbors gardens, as well as mowed another 3 acres all on a 5.5 gallon fuelup, still had some left over.
In a SHTF situation it is a self reporting, target. Orange and even though it's got a muffler it is still loud enough that all the surrounding neighbors know when I'm on it!!! I don't think it would haul a 1/2" plated cab and still be able to work.

Suggestions for would be compact tractor buyers; MAKE sure you have plenty of filters, inner tubes, oil, hydraulic fluid with a couple spare hoses, grease, tractor specific tools, if needed and that the tractor will power your most power hungry equipment without running it hard/wide open. Fill the tires with Antifreeze and water if you are in the freeze zone, water only if not, instead of corrosive Calcium Chloride.
Some folks might not understand that... More weight on the back of the tractor, better traction and no bouncing of the rearend when on bumpy ground.

My two copper substitutes.

[SeldomSeenSlim]

I have an old Ford 8N and a newer TYM 400 43HP with a loader bucket. Attachments: gannon box with rippers, pallet forks, 500gal water buffalo/sprayer, broadcast seeder and an old steel wheeled single stinger ripper someone put together back in the day. One of the good things about tractors is that implements are easy to find to buy or borrow. I borrow implements like disc, plow, auger, seed drill, brush hog or specialty items when I need them.

The old Ford actually gets more use. It's small and only 2wd, but it's handy as all get out for quick little jobs. I added hydraulics to work a dump trailer which, with the loader on the other tractor, makes moving dirt a breeze. The other bonus to the Ford is they made a running ton of them, so parts are everywhere and they're easy to work on and maintain. They're also cheap to buy unlike a new tractor. Around here a 8N in great working condition runs around $2500.

I haven't owned the TYM for very long. Only a few years. There's a lot of plastic which I'm not too thrilled about, but I don't think there's a modern tractor out there that doesn't have plastic. The Ford's 60 years old. I don't think a modern tractor will last that long. Hell the 8N might outlive the new ones even though they have 60 years on it.

I did a lot of reading on http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/ before I bought the TYM. A lot of good information there. I'm not particular on name brands and don't get in arguments over Ford/Chevy/Dodge or anything of the like. Seems like everything is made somewhere else these days. One of the main reasons I went with TYM is the location of the dealer as much as anything else. For a new machine with a warranty I didn't want to haul the thing 500 miles to have something fixed or get parts. Like BioG8r mentioned having a good supply of parts handy is important. But that is the same as anything else with a motor.

[WILL]

Here’s my compact Japanese tractor….





It’s a 22 HP diesel 3 cylinder that I bought about 11 years ago in factory rebuilt condition for $3,600. Everything appeared in new condition to include the wiring, hoses, radiator, tires, paint, seals, ect. It allegedly even had new cylinder sleeves in it. Over time, I’ve got quite a few attachments for it to include a King Kutter tiller and finishing deck for mowing my lawn. I’ve beat the hell out of this thing, including brush hogging full sized palmettos a few times. Yet, I’ve only had to replace one of the hydraulic seal, patch a tire and replace a few batteries. Other than that, it’s been trouble free running.

The only down side is that if any major components goes bad, I won’t be able to find a replacement due to it being an off-brand tractor. For that reason alone, if it dies, I may replace it with a better known brand. Then again, since it’s been such a reliable tractor and was so reasonably priced, I may repeat my first choice…tough call.

[boltgun308]

Kubota L3400

I've got a Kubota L3400 4WD, HST drive with a KB front loader. 34 HP with a 9 gallon tank. Takes approx. 9 hours at bush hog rpm to go through 9 gallons. Hog is 5' bush hog brand. I also have a 5' box blade, 5' root rake, 24" auger made for tree root balls (bush hog), 4' rotary tiller (bush hog), single blade turning plow, and boom pole. I wish that I would have spent more and got the 5' tiller instead of 4' but the tractor place talked me out of it, why I don't know. Bought it when Kubota had 0%financing for 42 months. They now have 60 months at 0%.

The back tires are filled with water, which I highly recommend with a front end loader. I only have 5 acres so the tractor is overkill for the small amount of land that I have. With 10 or more acres a larger tractor would be best. I would buy again if I had it to do over again

[rockriver]

bolt, and others.
9 gallons for 9 hours is awesome.
and if i'm right, that means you've got the rpms way up there...
at about 80 % max or so...
i've been in the sun and about brain dead right now. i'm used to pushing a pencil, not lumber, anyhow--
i remember a mark on the tach that i'm supposed to have the tach set on to run the mower.
and it's on the far right side of the tach...
the point of this is..

if you needed to plow up a big garden, then disc and till it. maybe 2 passes with the tiller? -- let's call this a half acre garden..., how much fuel would you use?
i'm guessing 2 -3 gallons? with the biggest hassle being changing the implements.
point being that with very little fuel that kubota could prepare a garden ready to plant very quickly and very well before lunch one day.

i'm just guessing can someone give us better details. on time and fuel usage.
i bought 8 ?? i'm not sure of name ? lynch pins? today for a buddy as we're bad to lose them!!

by the way - i love your set up 34 hp 4wd hdy. and the equipment. i'm jealous!

[BioG8r]

RockRiver half acre would be about 105x210 or about 35 passes with 4' equipment at about 3 mph. so in a few of hours, including equipment change over, you'll be sipping iced tea thinking about those folks still running the tiller. My 28hp uses about 1/2 to 3/4 gallons per hour depending on how hard I push it. Boltguns uses 1 per hour sooo, about 2 gallons and you've got it did!!
BTW having kids around and ALWAYS loosing lynch pins, I have a firm rule "if You take them off You hang them on the field throttle."(hand throttle) then whoever puts them back on knows where they will be!

[boltgun308]

I went down and looked and the rpm is 2640 for the white mark. I only go that high with the bush hog. With the tiller and plowing usually 2500 or less

I use the turning plow late winter and then when it is time to plant, I just use the tiller. I don't have a set of discs, but I would like to have a set.

My land use to be farm land a long time ago. They terraced it with hand equipment I imagine. We have cut some trees that were 18" plus thick so I would imagine early 1900's???

I would like to have a bigger tractor so that I could run 6' equipment. A 50 horse would be the cat's meow for an all around tractor if you had 10 acres or so. Tractors that size also have auto idle and they do pretty well on fuel.

[TheGatherer]

I'm using a JD 670 compact tractor to mow with a 6' finish mower every week on 10 acres... Mow the pasture about once a month and the 3ac 'yard' pretty much every week during the summer... It has a loader, and it's 2wd, but I put about 60% water in the back tires and that balances the little bit of dirt work I need for now... Mow 4 hrs on about 2gals of diesel, and that's real good...

[rockriver]

for shoppers
two websites
fastline.com is a respected advertiser of farm equipment in the southeast. lots of used equipment.
i typed in boltgun's l3400 and found several... a lot come with loaders...
fellows,
i believe i'd rather have a small tractor like bolts' or any that have been discussed on here. than to have the $$$ sitting in the bank constantly devaluing.

for info
tractorbynet.com is something i've found that has a lot of discussion on compact tractors.

i got to nosing around and saw that kubota just had a price increase.

[antishot]

I own a Myanmar 1401D 4wd. I bought it off my neighbor for $1500 and it came with a brushhog. I love the little guy. It has a 3cyl 16hp, high/low 3speed. 3 speed PTO. I have been using it to drag logs out of the woods 20' long 16-18". I bought a 12Kw PTO generator and have it wired to the feed of the house. The bad news is I broke the right output shaft from the differential :( I found a new one but they run about $166. I wish it had a front loader would make things alot easier

[BioG8r]

Antishot, can you give a little more info about the Generator. I have been looking for a good setup to attatch to my little mini brute. Thanks

[antishot]

Antishot, can you give a little more info about the Generator. I have been looking for a good setup to attatch to my little mini brute. Thanks

Well its a generator that runs off the PTO of the the rear if the tractor. Mine is a older unit but you can find them in the northern tool catalog. They come with a gearbox to raise the RPM of the generator. The input rpm is 540. What else would you like to know.

[rockriver]

john deere 770
a friend has this small john deere.
its 2wd probably real similar to the 670 above.
he usually cuts grass with a 6' finishing mower with it.
tractor handles the mowing well but he has no front weights.
the tractor front end will come off the ground if he pops the clutch too quick.

i asked the hp? and was asked "engine or pto?"
i got a quick lesson on this question.
i think the engine is a 24 hp yanmar, but a common way of stating hp is the
Pto hp which is the power provided by the pto system and usually runs 4 to 5 hp less than the engine.
so this tractor is propably 20 hp pto.

friend loves it. good fuel economy.

another reference website is
mytractorforulm.com that might be helpful as you buy/sell/work on your tractor