compact tractors. tell us about your "friends"

[BioG8r]

Well its a generator that runs off the PTO of the the rear if the tractor.

I guess I should have been a little more specific, I am familiar with what they are,,, Does it really stress the tractor when you are running it near capacity, Is it a true sine? What kind of mount setup do you have? how often do you use it, are they durable?

[rockriver]

i talked to the jd 770 owner today.
especially regarding what it will pull.
he has 2 6' finishing mowers
a jd 272 which is not as "deep" or as thick as a woods 7200
the woods is heavier.
he had just tried to pull the woods 7200 mower. his 770 wouldn't lift it.
not enough lifting power for the weight.
so. something to keep in mind as i shop for a tractor.
the smaller ones have less lift capacity.
--
another point 770 owner made was power steering.
"on the smaller tractors... say 25 hp and below, you can get by without power steering,
BUT,, if you do a lot of work you sure need ps on the bigger tractors."
--
rr

[boltgun308]

Mine is a 34 horse and I would not want anything smaller. I have never had too much power. Also, the smaller tractors are narrower and I do wish that I would have went with at least a 40 horse and been able to run 6' equipment. The 6' wide tractors are more stable in my opinion and the hydraulics are stronger.

Regarding the front end weights, get a front end loader. I use it more than any other attachment. Weights are useless attachment and they are fairly expensive with the cost of metal these days. Use that money towards a loader.

Don't get me wrong, I like my current setup, but a full size tractor would be better in my opinion and the extra fuel use of a 40 horse would be negligible if it used more fuel at all. The larger tractors have auto idle and they may use less fuel.

[rockriver]

john deere 2240
is my most recent trial..
it was old..
had some rust.. not bad.
as bolt said.. wider and looks more "full size"
---
made in germany!!
50 hp
more weight and several features i haven't seen on the compacts.

rr

[swede4198]

We have a Kubota BX23 with a front end loader, belly mower, and a back hoe that is a 23 hp unit. We just bought a Case DX33 (33hp) with a front end loader and belly mower. The attachments are a 5ft box blade and a 4ft Yamar rototiller. Both tractors are 4x4s. We are looking for a plow but haven't found one yet.

[rockriver]

another suggestion and request for comments.
i just spent about 3 hours on a kubota 5640
56 hp engine and about 50 pto.
"plain jane" 2wd no hydraulics for loader or ??
but appears like it would be excellent with a plow or disc

i was using it with a 6' rotary mower. quieter than i expected.
exhaust pipe runs out under the front grill instead of out of the hood in front of your face, probably contributing to noise reduction.

i was impressed. as mentioned by others, the tractor definitely felt more stable than other tractors with less hp that i'd seen.

i do think the 4wd and hst version would be nice!

[motesjm]

Kubotas are fine machines. My dad has a 79 model LH230 that just runs and runs. The only non-routine maintenance he's had to do to it is change the water pump and weld a new muffler pipe on. That's saying alot for over 30 years of hard service.

I have a JD 110 TLB and a JD 5320. The 110 is a tough little tractor but rides like a bucking bronco. The best thing about it are the skid steer quick attach loader implements and the hydrostatic transmission - no gear shifting. Just press the pedals and go.

The 5320 is a plain jane 2wd without a loader. It's not as handy as the 110, but its much easier to disc and bushhog with.

[rockriver]

lol...
thanks mote.
i didn't know what a 110 tlb was. sort of imagined an older model 20 hp
sub compact!!
boy, was i wrong.
look em up guys.
i want one!! i just finished a little project that included some ditch work...
what took me a week could have done in a day with your 110

folks, try out tractordata.com

i just recently found tractordata. it is a great website for detail info
some tractors even include tests on equipment.

[rockriver]

confession.
i was cutting field for a fella.. mower running well. tractor running well.. cool breeze. no one in the way.... no interference... needing to finish job...
i saw the fuel guage at 1/8 or so... but above the red... making good time... i'll go get DIESEL soon..
no one in the way, but the operator being stubborn... operator had always heard don't run a diesel dry...

tractor shut down... guage still jumps up when ignition on to show fuel.. BUT..

guys,
don't run a diesel to empty...
sheesh.

[Dennis W]

I have a New Holland TC30 (30 hp) 4x4 w/ a bush hog loader and mower. When mowing at about 2200 rpm it uses about a gallon an hour, maybe a little more as I don't real check it. Everthing else I do at about 1500 rpm and it will go a very long time on a tank of fuel. I use this loader for everything including knocking down 40-50' pine trees. Like the guy said when I bought it, it might take awhile but it will do anything I need to do around here.