[dae06]

I plan on purchasing a compact tractor soon. My questions is what implements etc. should I include with the purchase and what should I purchase from a 3rd party. My thoughts are:

Cab- For sure get factory installed
Loader- Get factory installed
3-point hitch implements- purchase from 3rd party what I want
3rd function hydraulics for blade or grapple- Factory installed????
Quick attach system- from factory

Your opinions PLEASE!!!!

I plan on looking at: 2-family John Deer 2025/2032, Kubota 2650 Kioti 2510/3510.

Future implements: Box blade, Mower (either belly mount or 3 point hitch, depends on if tractor has mid PTO), snow blade, tiller, snow blower (most likely rear mount).

I'm in Minnesota and not getting any younger. Just built a house on 18 acres with a 400 ft long driveway and a separate 200 foot road to a shed. Cab would be very nice in our -35 degree Fahrenheit frigid winters up here and A/C nice in our 90 plus degree Fahrenheit humid Summers and those big mosquitoes :-0. There should be no clearance issues on my property in regards to the cab. I plan on having whichever tractor I buy for a long time.

Money IS an issue, so I'm thinking I can get what I can afford when purchasing 3-point hitch implements in the future as needed.

I do own a Bobcat skid steer so I may eliminate the bucket from the loader purchase and swap the bucket between the tractor and the Bobcat.

All opinions are welcome!!!

 

[pogobill]

I'd look at getting the tractor already set up the way you want it. If you can't get a deal on any of the factory options, maybe an implement or two can be thrown in by the dealership. Also keep an eye open for spring deals or introductory offers. Make sure you get the skid steer quick attach so that you can interchange the implements between machines, and good point with the bucket, you probably don't need two!
If you need to do snow removal, I think you need to decide on a snow blade or a blower. With a blower you can clean up with a bucket. Just my opinion. I suspect you get a ton of snow in Minnesota. As you mentioned, think about what implements you want and buy them in the future if you need to.
Good luck and welcome to the forum!

 

[RC Wells]

Personal opinion: Try before you buy. With 400 feet of driveway and Minnesota snow, I would recommend both the cab and a tractor of at least 30 PTO horsepower. For snow removal, be it blade or blower you want stability and weight. The units you are considering are homeowner units for essentially very small acreages and pretty light work. Light mowing, yard work, barn lot cleaning, etc.

I have a lot of friends that buy the cute little hobby tractor then regret not jumping up to one with enough weight and power to handle implements more suited to the work at hand. Snowblowers in the 20 horse range would require a fair amount of seat time to clear a long driveway. That can be fun the first winter, but by the second February you will want something that gets you in the house by the warm fire a lot sooner. Same holds true for hauling wood or bags of animal feed, a light loader puts the work on your back.

Spend some time with the dealers getting their recommendations, also do not discount the compact LS, AGCO (Massey, etc.), when shopping. Look for good dealer support. When dealing with Deere be sure you specify the euro standard quick attach to be able to use your Bobcat attachments, Deere does their own standard.

 

[dozer966]

I agree with RC HP counts. I have 800 feet of driveway. 47 HP on the pto 6' snow blower on the back and a FEL. 3 passes down the driveway with the blower the back blade the car parks and other areas then blow that away. 45 minutes and I'm done. Blowing the snow away dose not leave snow banks so it doesn't drift verry hi in the driveway. But when I get a good amount and if it's a dense or wet snow the engine works hard. Box blade to maintain the driveway in the summer. The only thing I'm missing is a backhoe and maybe a grapple.

 

[Thomas]

As others said.....
Front loader,Cab,Rear blade,Mower and set tire chains rear tires fill would be my order.

 

[dae06]

Thanks, right now we are considering the Kubota 2650, Cab, front snow blower, (FEL and Mid mount Mower as well) this is really at the top of or budget. I like the width of the tires compared to the JD 2025R, along with the better beefier attachments. This isn't really and apples to apples comparison, but they are roughly the same price. Just to add, I will also be taking care of my parents driveway which is ~300 feet long, along with clearing off the front of garages and their shed.

If I get the front mount snow blower, is a front mount blade (for light snow falls) a waste of money since I have a rear 3-point hitch blade?

Would you put fluid in the tires, weights on the rims or chains? (Thomas, I did see your comments, thanks)

Thanks

 

[RC Wells]

My two cents:
I tried a front mount snow blower that used the skid steer mounting and hydraulic power. Lasted half a season and I found someone else that wanted it a whole lot worse. Reason being, I was out pulling the levers and hydraulic hoses in freezing weather, and trying to get frozen connectors to release, so I could use the bucket on the front end loader to move the snow berms containing gravel from the highway department that they push into the end of the drive, and from my snow blowing out of the way. I also lost about 20% of my power through the use of the hydraulic drive. Went to rear mount PTO powered snow blower that stays on all season, and it becomes counterweight so no fluid in tires is needed.

Yes, get good chains. A rear blade is real handy for end of season cleanup, leveling gravel drives, etc. But I use the bucket on the FEL in the winter because the blower is mounted until the snow quits falling. Tire ballast is not necessary with a rear mounted snow blower. If you use the tractor for FEL work the rest of the year then ballast is desirable. If you mow a lawn that gets soft make sure you have turf tires or you will have tractor tire rib prints squashed in everywhere.

 

[marc_hanna]

I think with snowblowers there is an optimal weight/power/width ratio. I think that Kubota has this figured out pretty well. Too wide of a cut and you can’t get enough traction even if you have plenty of hp. I think generally, a smaller tractor with higher torque and power with a fairly narrow cut will be more effective, but I’m by no means an expert.


Sent from my iPhone using Tractor Forum

 

[dae06]

Would I be stupid to scrap the snow blower and get the front mount blade instead? Mainly because the Blower puts me over my budget and the front blade would be faster. I leave for work at 4:15am so I would be getting up real early and blowing may take a little longer. Clearing away from the garage doors would be quicker with the blade too. I could always purchase the blower later if I thought I really needed it. I really want to be able to get the cab. Thoughts/opinions???

 

[marc_hanna]

If you get a tractor with a mid PTO, I would opt for the front mount blower. You will be able to clear snow almost as fast depending on the circumstance. Sometimes with blades, it’s difficult to get the snow out of the way because you’re always pushing. With a front mount blower, it’s easy to control and direct the snow where you want it to go.

 

[dozer966]

I have a rear mount blower and a FEL with bucket. I broke a shear pin on the last big snow storm of the year and had to use bucket instead. Mind you I have 800 feet of driveway but it took me about an hour more to clean up than thw blower. I use the bucket to back blade and then blow it away. I have no close neighbor so I blow it as fare as I can. And since I blow it away there are no snow banks along the driveway therefore the snow does not drift in as high. If you get the blower definitely get a cab to prevent you looking like a snowman on the tractor. As some have mentioned it's preference under certain conditions. No hills, no ballast in tires and no chains. My preference is chains and ballast in tires. Makes a big difference especially if you only have 2WD.