[AT] Compact tractors

Tue Nov 17 09:25:27 PST 2015

If you are going to have a Backhoe attached then you won't need to worry about rear wheel weight. I
know nothing about them but Mahindra has become quite popular here in NW WA state. May be partially
due to our geographic situation affording lower transportation cost from the Far East.   The closest
dealer is 7,5 miles away and he used to be  big Cub Cadet  and Kiota dealer.  We have a Kubota and New
Holland dealer about 25 miles away. A JD Dealer 13 miles away.  If I were in the market I would take a
hard look at Mahindra to find out why they have become so popular locally.  I would be surprised if it
was just cost issues.

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: Tuesday, November 17, 2015 6:17 AM
To: Antique tractor email discussion group
Subject: Re: [AT] Compact tractors

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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