[AT] Compact tractors

Tue Nov 17 06:17:17 PST 2015

Dean

He did mention that and the Kubota I looked at did not have draft control.
He specifically mentioned that as a strength of the Jubilee when plowing vs
the Kubota. Basically, he said all the other potential uses I listed
matched with the Kubota but if plowing was one of them we needed to talk
about a different class of tractor.

The rear weight is a concern for me though, when it comes to the use of
forks. There are many occasions when we have to receive a tractor trailer
on a jobsite with no loading dock. Forklift rental expenses add up to
several thousand dollars a year for me so if I can offload a 1000 lb pallet
with a tractor I can transport to the jobsite with a half ton pickup I will
recoup some of it's cost quickly.I figure antifreeze in the rears plus a
backhoe will add about as much weight as I'll need without over-riding some
of the weight advantages a compact has by design.

Thanks to all for the advice. There are apparently many good compacts out
there- Mahindras and Bransons among them, but only Kubota and New Holland
have a dealer nearby. I may take a look at the New Hollands today.

Warren

On Tue, Nov 17, 2015 at 2:38 AM, Dean VP <deanvp at att.net> wrote:

> Warren,
>
> First of all take this for what you paid for it.  $0.  I'm now an expert
> on Compact tractors, I've
> owned one since 1998. :-)  I fully understand your objectives but I think
> you may be underestimating
> how limiting a tractor is when it is light in the rear end.  The Jubilee
> is light in the rear end just
> like the 2n 9N and 8N. In many case they are close to worthless for
> pulling or pushing anything due to
> poor traction.  As an example: I've had to pull my neighbor's 8N  out of
> my pasture in an area where
> there was a 6% slope. However, they made excellent two plow tractors
> because of the Ferguson three
> point hitch to offer load and depth control.  So I don't understand why
> that dealer told you that a
> compact tractor cannot put full HP to the rear wheels when using the three
> point hitch. A tag plow I
> agree but not with a three point plow.  Unless Kubota doesn't offer load
> and depth control  on their
> three point hitches.  I don't know the answer to that.
>
> But if I've had any frustration with my compact tractor is its lack of
> traction due to being light in
> the rear end. I've only used a one bottom plow on it and the three point
> hitch sucked the rear end
> down to where I had plenty of traction.   It's only an 18HP 3 cylinder
> diesel and therefore I suspect
> a 2 bottom plow would overwhelm it power wise but I've never tried it.  If
> there is anything I would
> seriously look for on another compact was what its weight is on the rear
> end. I have both rear tires
> full of CC and it still is next to worthless on wet slopes. Now I will
> admit that I'm spoiled by
> antique tractors that typically have 70% of their total weight on the rear
> wheels. Makes a huge
> difference. So I don't know whether there is anything in compact tractors
> out there that has more
> weight on the rear tires it would raise to the top of the list very
> quickly. Since you  currently own
> a Jubilee you are fully aware of what the limitations are of a light rear
> end when not gaining
> traction from the three point hitch when plowing. If Kubota doesn't offer
> that ,  then I would look
> elsewhere. However, that deficiency would also surprise me.
>
> I've become so irritated by the light rear end om my compact I have an
> almost permanently mounted
> three point hitch heavy 50" Rotatory Tiller Mounted all the time when
> trying to do work. If I didn't
> have the tiller I'd probably have a  three point weight or weight box
> always on it.  Rear wheel
> weights are available but in my view I need much more weight in the rear
> than what they provide.  But
> having that on there all the time is often a PITA.  But it works.  I guess
> your needed applications
> will dictate how much that  light rear end is going to  impact you. Bottom
> line I'm really stunned
> that the dealer didn't sell the attributes of the three point hitch.
>
>
> Dean VP
> Snohomish, WA
>
> If we can employ guards with guns to protect money, we can and should
> employ guards with guns to
> protect people. Bernard Goldberg.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com [mailto:
> at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com] On Behalf Of
> Mogrits
> Sent: Monday, November 16, 2015 7:51 PM
> To: Antique tractor email discussion group
> Subject: Re: [AT] Compact tractors
>
> Hi Herb!
>
> I visited the Kubota dealer today and actually drove the L3901. I think it
> will do what I need. The salesman I talked to was an owner of the
> dealership so I did not get a lot of sales talk from him. He asked me all
> the right questions and knew his stuff. He educated me a good bit. One of
> the things he asked me was why I walked in thinking I wanted that model
> tractor. I told him I'd looked at the specs on line and thought the
> horsepower rating was about right considering my Jubilee was slightly less
> hp and considered a double bottom plow capable tractor. He was smart to
> tell me compacts didn't work that way because they don't weigh enough to
> get all their horsepower transferred to the ground. I'd never thought of
> that. Then again, I never planned to pull a double bottom plow with it
> anyways.
>
> I want a new compact for this tractor because #1, I want at least one key
> turner in my stable of tractors. If this makes sense- having an operable,
> reliable tractor will give me more time to work on my older tractors. As it
> is now, each tractor usage consists of 3 hours of expedient tractor repair
> to perform one hours work with it. If I can reliably do my chores quickly I
> can then have time to lovingly work on my old iron.
>
> #2 reason is precisely because it is so light. Trailering it will not be a
> huge hassle and this tractor will be used on my construction jobs to do
> light sitework with the bucket and to dig some footings and occasional
> trenches for conduits, etc. Truth be told a skidsteer would do this better
> but they weigh so much I then get into a situation of buying a road vehicle
> to tow one legally with all the additional insurance and CDLs that
> involves.
>
> #3 Reason is related to #2, and that is that I will have employees
> operating it sometimes. Now we all know employees are rougher on equipment
> than we are ourselves, but they are far, far rougher on equipment they
> perceive to be inferior or antiquated, and it is rare the employee that can
> diagnose an ignition or fuel issue in the field and meanwhile, their
> timeclock is ticking away.
>
> So for this tractor, it has to be new or damn near new.
>
> Warren
>
> On Mon, Nov 16, 2015 at 12:14 PM, Herb Metz <metz-h.b at comcast.net> wrote:
>
> > Warren,
> > Don't get around much any more; so had to google Nortrac.
> > There are some benefits to 'restored common tractors'; only problem being
> > finding one, especially with front wheel assist.  Don't know what JD,
> IHC,
> > and lessers offered;  AC only had a 6000 series where FWA was optional,
> so
> > parts availability may become a concern there.  After AC demise in 1985,
> > AGCO became eventual owner and they are not very interested in AC parts
> > manufacture.  Suggest monitoring various forums if you decide to
> consider a
> > used tractor.  One of the problems 'used'  do not have is "too much
> > blankety
> > electronics"; that comes from a Kubota owner of several years who was not
> > getting much sympathy or assistance from the local dealer when I was
> > shopping for a gin pole. The guys tractor was out in the woods (where he
> > could not get at it to retrieve it) and he was needing to know what all
> > electronics he could check  to determine what was keeping it from even
> > attempting to start. Unfortunately, this was not the first such
> occurrence.
> > On a side note, the Cumming, GA tractor show (Nov 13 & 14) had a restored
> > 1958 Ford with F.W. Assist ; a local guy found it in Minnesota.
> According
> > to previous owner, Dodge Power Wagon had a contract with Ford; primary
> > purpose was logging.  Today it has a soft future as a good looking
> trailer
> > queen.
> > Herb(GA)
> >
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Mogrits
> > Sent: Monday, November 16, 2015 8:31 AM
> > To: Antique tractor email discussion group
> > Subject: [AT] Compact tractors
> > I'm in the market for a compact tractor. I've narrowed it to a Kubota
> L3901
> > or a Nortrac 35XT.
> > Both come with a font bucket and a rear backhoe. Does anyone know any
> > firsthand information on the Nortrac or for that matter the Kubota?
> > We have a local Kubota dealer but I've yet to learn who or where I'd get
> > Nortrac service from.
> > Thanks
> > Warren
> >
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