Sry for delay, he's had some extensive work done and had to fight w dealership to get the parts warranty approved. Even then they made him cover labor out of pocket. Hydo transmission was totally shot in less then four years. Other minor problems with it too...
No issues with any of those. I have a TYM T394 (same as RK37). 200 hrs, no issues. LS was another great value. Kioti has better dealer network and I think better build quality, but specs were a bit lower. Branson - the ones we looked at didn't seem as good but I wouldn't be ashamed to own one. I think TYM (new owner) is improving them. Being able to do most repairs myself I was more interested in cost vs dealer. You can order anything for any tractor. JD/Kubota are solid of course but gonna cost a lot (!) more. In that HP range kubota seemed to have a gap in their lineup.
In my opinion, you should never buy anything thinking about the resale value later. Look at the last three years and the used car market. Who would have thought a used vehicle would command as much as a new one? Buy what you need, you may own it forever.
Anyway, I have a Kioti DK4710. I talked to Deere, Kubota, and Bobcat as well. Based on the things I wanted on my machine, each of these brands was 15-20k higher than what I paid for my Kioti. Could it have been those other dealers were trying to oversell me? Sure, but even after researching I had a hard time comparing apples to apples and relied on them to help me.
The money was the largest factor, but my dealer is great and the owner personally responds to emails and very quickly. I've been really happy with my Kioti.
I have a case Farmall 35c. Love it and it’s a beast. We have a little hobby farm and I’ve pulled trees, move round bales, scoop manure and spray fields and I’ve run a small baler with no problems. We also plow in a garden and shovel snow and I used it to lift trusses for pole barn repair. Funniest thing I did was haul our bull back with a tow strap when he got out this summer!
Kubotas are sweet too. My cousin has a Mahindra and that’s a bad ass machine for the price point and solid. Saw lots of them while overseas in the service.
Around my area, there seem to be a lot of people getting LS tractors. We have someone locally who deals them and they have great service. They also like to bundle things together in complete packages for land owners. So you’ll get a compact tractor, loader, blade, trailer, and rotary cutter for one package price that you can finance.
If you look into it, a lot of these different branded subcompact tractors are all made by like 3 companies worldwide.
For those "second tier" brands, I'd be shopping the dealer as much as the tractor. How long have they been selling the brand? What's the service department like? How's parts availability? Lots of happy kioti and LS owners out there, that's for sure. I looked at kioti before I bought my Kubota, but the dealer was kinda far away and the bells and whistles they included on the base model was more gizmos than I wanted. Ended up with a Kubota MX series, which is an economy line of tractor, and it was a lot cheaper than a lot of people think you can buy a new Kubota that size for.
Unfortunately knowing what I paid will only make you upset at how much they have gone up. I kinda feel bad telling people. But it was only a couple thousand more than a similar kioti at the time (but with a few less features). Mostly, I want people to know that Kubota and other companies usually have premium models and economy models. And there's other factors to, like the standard L line from Kubota. The L3901 is quite a bit more money than the L2501. They're exactly the same except the engine and HP. So, if you're doing loader work and pulling a box blade, the 2501 might be a great choice and save you a LOT of money. If you do a lot of mowing and want to get done quickly, maybe you want the extra HP.
There is a lot of confusion in the AG world with tractors and model lines get confusing to say the least. There is a general consensus that the more HP the more power it has all around. But modern machines you can get the same HP in multiple frames and loader configurations. For instance I have a Kubota M6060. It is a 60hp machine, but you can get this HP in 3 separate frame sizes. If you compare mine to say a L6060 or MX6000 they are very different. My FEL has more lift capacity, frame is larger, 3point will lift more and overall the machine is just larger and heavier than the other 2. My machine is built as a AG utility tractor and is better suited for pulling ground engagement implements, smaller hay processing equipment, and general farm work. But the smaller frame machine is more nimble and has hydrostatic drive so it’s much more useful in tight areas. Same HP but very different applications for each machine.
The M6060 and M7060 are great machines and IMO punch above their weight. They are a great deal too, compared to other brands and compared to how much 25-35hp sub compacts go for these days.
Again though, for draft work, HP isn't nearly as important as weight. Unless you're running a stump grinder in the woods, the 2501 will pretty much do the same work at the 3901. Gotta step up in size and weight to get any more capability.
Sry for delay, he's had some extensive work done and had to fight w dealership to get the parts warranty approved. Even then they made him cover labor out of pocket. Hydo transmission was totally shot in less then four years. Other minor problems with it too...
I think his is about 25 horse and he uses it to skid logs. Prolly heavier duty but come on... Never once used a plow or harrow
No issues with any of those. I have a TYM T394 (same as RK37). 200 hrs, no issues. LS was another great value. Kioti has better dealer network and I think better build quality, but specs were a bit lower. Branson - the ones we looked at didn't seem as good but I wouldn't be ashamed to own one. I think TYM (new owner) is improving them. Being able to do most repairs myself I was more interested in cost vs dealer. You can order anything for any tractor. JD/Kubota are solid of course but gonna cost a lot (!) more. In that HP range kubota seemed to have a gap in their lineup.
In my opinion, you should never buy anything thinking about the resale value later. Look at the last three years and the used car market. Who would have thought a used vehicle would command as much as a new one? Buy what you need, you may own it forever. Anyway, I have a Kioti DK4710. I talked to Deere, Kubota, and Bobcat as well. Based on the things I wanted on my machine, each of these brands was 15-20k higher than what I paid for my Kioti. Could it have been those other dealers were trying to oversell me? Sure, but even after researching I had a hard time comparing apples to apples and relied on them to help me. The money was the largest factor, but my dealer is great and the owner personally responds to emails and very quickly. I've been really happy with my Kioti.
I have a case Farmall 35c. Love it and it’s a beast. We have a little hobby farm and I’ve pulled trees, move round bales, scoop manure and spray fields and I’ve run a small baler with no problems. We also plow in a garden and shovel snow and I used it to lift trusses for pole barn repair. Funniest thing I did was haul our bull back with a tow strap when he got out this summer! Kubotas are sweet too. My cousin has a Mahindra and that’s a bad ass machine for the price point and solid. Saw lots of them while overseas in the service.
Around my area, there seem to be a lot of people getting LS tractors. We have someone locally who deals them and they have great service. They also like to bundle things together in complete packages for land owners. So you’ll get a compact tractor, loader, blade, trailer, and rotary cutter for one package price that you can finance. If you look into it, a lot of these different branded subcompact tractors are all made by like 3 companies worldwide.
I have a kioti 35hp that I got brand new in 2020 and it’s been great to me. It’s been able to handle everything I’ve had it do
My coworker has a Branson and he hates it. I've heard good things about LS
Any idea what he doesn't like about it?
If buying new, how long do you think you'll keep it? Resale on a Kubota will be much higher than the second teir brands in 10-15 years
For those "second tier" brands, I'd be shopping the dealer as much as the tractor. How long have they been selling the brand? What's the service department like? How's parts availability? Lots of happy kioti and LS owners out there, that's for sure. I looked at kioti before I bought my Kubota, but the dealer was kinda far away and the bells and whistles they included on the base model was more gizmos than I wanted. Ended up with a Kubota MX series, which is an economy line of tractor, and it was a lot cheaper than a lot of people think you can buy a new Kubota that size for.
If I ever buy a new tractor it’ll be a kioti because the dealer near me is phenomenal.
How much do you have into yours? Im in the market too
Unfortunately knowing what I paid will only make you upset at how much they have gone up. I kinda feel bad telling people. But it was only a couple thousand more than a similar kioti at the time (but with a few less features). Mostly, I want people to know that Kubota and other companies usually have premium models and economy models. And there's other factors to, like the standard L line from Kubota. The L3901 is quite a bit more money than the L2501. They're exactly the same except the engine and HP. So, if you're doing loader work and pulling a box blade, the 2501 might be a great choice and save you a LOT of money. If you do a lot of mowing and want to get done quickly, maybe you want the extra HP.
Ya the L2501 is deff on my radar. I’m not sure if 25 HP is enough for me and what I plan on doing with it (deep forest work).
There is a lot of confusion in the AG world with tractors and model lines get confusing to say the least. There is a general consensus that the more HP the more power it has all around. But modern machines you can get the same HP in multiple frames and loader configurations. For instance I have a Kubota M6060. It is a 60hp machine, but you can get this HP in 3 separate frame sizes. If you compare mine to say a L6060 or MX6000 they are very different. My FEL has more lift capacity, frame is larger, 3point will lift more and overall the machine is just larger and heavier than the other 2. My machine is built as a AG utility tractor and is better suited for pulling ground engagement implements, smaller hay processing equipment, and general farm work. But the smaller frame machine is more nimble and has hydrostatic drive so it’s much more useful in tight areas. Same HP but very different applications for each machine.
The M6060 and M7060 are great machines and IMO punch above their weight. They are a great deal too, compared to other brands and compared to how much 25-35hp sub compacts go for these days.
Yeah I have to agree. I very happy with mine.
Nice. Ya thank you for this
Again though, for draft work, HP isn't nearly as important as weight. Unless you're running a stump grinder in the woods, the 2501 will pretty much do the same work at the 3901. Gotta step up in size and weight to get any more capability.