[AT] Misc tractor recommendations?

Sun Nov 3 12:36:38 PST 2013

I have a MF255 also :-).  I bought the 255 to be more HP than anything else we had on the farm, then bought the K3130 to be a landscaping tractor we could haul and it's the only loader I have.  The 3130 does a lot of work for it's size, I have the gear drive - shuttle shift tractor, not the HST.  We have done a lot of pretty heavy work with it, piling brush with the loader.  I got a tooth bar for the loader so it digs pretty good and haven't bent the bucket.  It is a Bush Hog loader, I think it's heavier built than the Kubota.  I have to be careful, limbs can occasionally find their way inside the engine compartment and attack the belts.  A weakness of these is breaking the plastic radiator tanks, loosing coolant and overheating the engine, which usually ruins it. 

The Kubota will run out of traction before it runs out of HP for loader or heavy/slow work, but for field work, say pulling a 10' drill, but it may be that that task hit the gap in the Hi/Lo range.  1Hi was out of HP, 4Lo was slow with excess HP.   The 255 would have left tracks the drill wouldn't cover :-)  

My 255 is in pretty good shape, just under 2900 hours, I bought it with about 1500.  My power steering is weak after it warms up, but only when going slow, it's not noticed at field speed.  

The 3130 has probably earned it's keep.  The landscaping business (my sons) still uses the tractor some, but a skid steer is faster for dirt work and he often just rents one when he needs one.  For me, the 3130 is the right size, a few more HP might be nice at times if it fit in the same package and didn't add much weight.  

Len Rugen

rugenl at yahoo.com - May also be used when responding as rugenl at prairiehome.k12.mo.us

On Sunday, November 3, 2013 11:36 AM, Mike <meulenms at gmx.com> wrote:

Len, how do you like your 3130? Like I said before, I have the Massey 
255, but it's becoming a maintenance intensive machine. The use I give 
it is actually pretty hard on it. Small little jobs, running for 10-15 
minutes at a time and a lot of shifting; and it's too big for tight 
quarters. Do you ever wish for more power, or traction, or does the 3130 
give you everything you need? Thanks, Mike M

On 11/1/2013 10:14 PM, Len Rugen wrote:
> I have a Kubota L3130, it's not antique, but there is a time for modern.....  It is MFWD, had a loader and industrial tires.  It handles up to 18" snow pretty good, deeper and you "dig" through it.  I have a 6' 3pt finish mower, the industrial tires are a compromise between turf and ag, they don't seem to tear up grass as bad a ag tires.
>
> A loader is VERY handy, on small tractors, a loader without MFWD is much less handy.
>
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>
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>
>
> On Friday, November 1, 2013 8:03 PM, "jtchall at nc.rr.com" <jtchall at nc.rr.com> wrote:
>  
> Unless I'm confused, the M you have is WAY too nice to get dirty. Having
> said that, other than towing a trailer around, there isn't much you can do
> with it. The one here is only used for field work, no farm chores, just too
> cumbersome.
>
> For maintaining the property, I would want something fairly modern--3pt,
> live PTO, 12 volt, power steering. Also it would have to be something
> reliable and that parts and a knowlegable mechanic are available locally.
> Green, Red, Blue or Orange, you need the same work machine as everyone else
> in the neighborhood.
>
> Every tractor here is older than me except one. It is a chore sometimes to
> keep all of them ready and reliable at a moments notice. We got in a
> situation just a few years back in which all the lawnmowers were ancient and
> worn out (dad had amassed 3 Deeres and 3 Cadets). Not having enough money to
> put them all in top condition, I got dad to sell 3 and I bought a huge
> Cadet. He never complained and I don't have to help fix a lawnmower every
> week. Plus it covers 3 times the grass in the same time frame.
>
> If you really want an old tractor to maintain the place, look into one that
> has been rebuilt from the radiator to the drawbar, or get a fixer-upper and
> do the work yourself.
>
> Woods makes a great finish mower. My cousin mows his 2 acre front yard every
> week with one, aprox 7 foot cut, behind a 35-40hp Deere. It has 4 gauge
> wheels heavy enough to carry the mower completely. It cuts as pretty as any
> lawnmower ever built.
>
> Just my $.02
> John Hall
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Dean Vinson
> Sent: Friday, November 01, 2013 7:19 PM
> To: 'Antique tractor email discussion group'
> Subject: [AT] Misc tractor recommendations?
>
> My rural home-hunting plans are proceeding, and it appears we may have a
> deal on a very nice old 35-acre place.  That's prompted me to consider what
> types of equipment I'll need, and I'd be happy for any advice you folks on
> the list can offer.
>
> Going in, my lone piece of equipment is a 1953 Super M Farmall, which
> besides being just cool as heck will no doubt serve nobly on a whole range
> of general chores--but isn't ideal for some of the things I'm considering.
>
> First up is plowing snow.  This place has a moderate-length gravel driveway
> (couple hundred yards maybe) that according to the current owners tends to
> get drifted over pretty deep now and then during the winter.  Any
> recommendations on how to handle it?  I'm thinking 3-point rear blade on a
> utility tractor, which would be a useful combination anyway.
>
> There's also a sizeable amount of lawn to mow, more than I'll want to do
> with my trusty walk-behind push mower.  The current owners use a Kubota ZD28
> zero-turn mower which they might sell rather than haul to their new home.
> I'm tempted, especially if the price is right (don't know yet), but I'd
> previously envisioned something like a Farmall Super A with a mower deck.
> Any ideas for an old-tractor option that would let me finish mow in the
> summer and do some light snowplowing in the winter?
>
> (An Oliver OC-3 with a dozer blade and a flail mower, maybe?  Can't blame a
> guy for trying).
>
> Dean Vinson
> Dayton, Ohio
> www.vinsonfarm.net
>
>
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