New Tractor recommendation's ?

[cubs4lifeofme]

Guess its time to start looking for a new tractor. The 72 year old Ferguson just isnt reliable enuff . I prefer a 4x4 Preferably gas (for easy starting in the cold and only reason for purchasing to plow snow ) I want the least amount of electronics as possible. ?

 

[Jay Fetters]

If you're looking for a similar sized tractor, it's gonna be almost impossible to find a gas engine, that I know of new. A bit smaller option, with gas and 4x4, would be the simplicity legacy xl. A good non 4x4 option would be the cub cadet xt2 gx54d. The d means it has rear differential lock, and can be purchased new for 4300, plus the cost of a blower and weight kit. The cub is less than half the cost of the simplicity. Another option is the cub xt3 gsx, which also has a locking rear diff. This machine bridges the gap between the xt2 and simplicity legacy xl, both in price and utility. There is a green option, but the build quality of the small attachments doesn't match the price, or competition. I really like the simplicity, but couldn't justify the expense when I bought my cub last year. Those are the biggest gas engine machines that I know of, that are sold new. Used, there are hundreds of different good options.

 

[cubs4lifeofme]

I have a steep driveway and dont think a 2x4 would get the tractor back up the hill. At least my 2084 with snowblower and with 250# on the seat and 200# rear weight and 2 link chains wont climb it.

 

[Jay Fetters]

My dad's drive is really steep as well, the differential lock works for him. But if you're not sure, the simplicity is the the only 4x4, gas engine tractor that is current being sold new that I know of. Their web page will give you a complete run down of the machine. It's a really impressive unit when you see it in person. The build quality is top notch.

 

[dfrisk]

JAY - Sounds like you have had the plant tour of the Horicon plant. The green tractors are funny. They use heavy expensive gear boxes on some drivelines, made in Thailand IIRC, joint manufacturing plant between The Mother Ship and Volvo. But the wire harnesses they import from the far east simply fall apart as you take them out of the box. The gearbox lasts for decades, the wireharness will fail before your dealer can deliver the machine.
I used to have a good Simplicity dealer 5 miles away, their BIG tractors were impressive. They closed about 15 years ago.

 

[kharvey]

Kubota GR series has 4x4, but hang on when you see the price.

 

[Jay Fetters]

JAY - Sounds like you have had the plant tour of the Horicon plant. The green tractors are funny. They use heavy expensive gear boxes on some drivelines, made in Thailand IIRC, joint manufacturing plant between The Mother Ship and Volvo. But the wire harnesses they import from the far east simply fall apart as you take them out of the box. The gearbox lasts for decades, the wireharness will fail before your dealer can deliver the machine.
I used to have a good Simplicity dealer 5 miles away, their BIG tractors were impressive. They closed about 15 years ago.

Never been to any of anyone's factories. I would love to head to one someday, but not green. I've just always been the neighborhood small engine guy, and have seen the green quality head down hill over the last 20 years. Especially on attachments, and I can't tell you how many wiring issues I've seen. I saved my money working on other people's machines to pay for my cub xt2 new. I joked with the dealership owner that if it weren't for deere,I wouldn't be able to buy a cub! Lol It's sad too, they used to give ih a run for their money, but these days, they don't really stand up to mtd.

 

[kmcconaughey]

I have a 2004 John Deere X585 and love it. My parents bought one new in 2004. My father passed away in 2007 and I have been mowing the lawn and clearing the snow at the family farm with it ever since. I picked mine up used in 2018 and the serial number is 4 away from the one my parents bought. My brother and I bought a third one, a 2002 or 2003 model (not sure which it is) with a loader for use around the family farm. The one my parents bought has been trouble free as has mine. We haven't put very many hours on the loader tractor but so far it has been good. Mine has a 54" mower deck, the three bag vacuum and a 46" snow thrower. My parent's has a 54" mower deck, a 47" snow blower, a soft cab, a cat-1 three point and PTO and a 48" brush mower, I picked up a tiller for it as well. The loader tractor came with a 62" mower deck. These have gas, Kawasaki 25hp, V-Twin engines.

Mine is the one in front with the bagger and turf tires.

 

[cubs4lifeofme]

Can ya still buy a Tractor built and assembled in usa ?

 

[Jay Fetters]

Those are very nice deere's. We had two of those at work, and two x495, which is same chassis, but with the triple cylinder diesel and two wheel drive. The tractors are almost bullet proof. We have the two x495 with the bagger set up for spring and fall cleanup. And they are the last two we have. Thank you for showing what's available in the used market. They still offer a comparable tractor today, it's the x590, which is only two wheel drive, and over $8k with a stamped steel deck. The x734 is the first 4x4 model, and is well north of $13k, with the same stamped steel deck. And the throttle system is fly by wire, no longer cable controlled. However, we sold both our x585's with right at 2000 hours, for $2500 each, with baggers. Good used equipment is out there, but a good deal is hard to find.

 

[Curt Doles]

You might reconsider the diesel options? I own two older diesels, an 87 Ford 1220 and an 87 Case 245. The Case is a 4x4 with Ag tires, the Ford has turf tires. I plow with the Case about 300 foot with a slight (10%?) grade. I've never had trouble starting either in the winter. I thought about a dipstick heater but just haven't needed it. I will say I've never tried starting either at zero degrees or colder. Adding diesels to the mix will give you a lot more options...

 

[cubs4lifeofme]

It will probably sit outside in 0 degree weather that's why I was concerned with the diesel starting in cold

 

[tkhoffman]

Block heater with the glowplugs will help. My neighbors Kubota and other neighbors Ford, fire right up in below 0 F
My backhoe, however, is very cranky in cold. It always starts.
I have manual go plugs, none of this state at the light 'til it goes out
Cranks slow and with a few cycles of 10 second intervals with glowplugs. It'll fire.

 

[rkuik]

Can ya still buy a Tractor built and assembled in usa ?

the answer is YES, Kubota BX series is made in Georgia, along w/the loader and the decks are made somewhere in the USA. matter of fact, the Georgia plant makes the BX'x for Europe also.

 

[cubs4lifeofme]

So cubs come from Japan now ?

 

[jknight]

All my Cub Cadet Kubota diesels start fine in the winter. Unheated garage helps. My Kubota 4x4 tractors sit outside. The two cyl starts easier than the three cyl. But looking for a new tractor I would just look for a B series 6100 or 7100 Kubota 4x4 and do what it takes to make it a decent running machine again. Most around here are just driven into the dirt lol Whatever the price is figure almost half to make the tractor right. That will still be below the price of a new one.

 

[Jay Fetters]

So cubs come from Japan now ?

No, cub cadet is still American owned and American made. While some models have Chinese engines, mainly the cheapest of the big box store models, most use Kohler, and some have kawasaki. My xt2 is a 21 model year, with the kawasaki, the 22 have the Kohler. Not sure why they switched back to Kohler, other than maybe price, or availability. Many of the lawn tractor and garden tractor brands are made in the states still. Once you jump up to the sub compact and compact tractors, the majority are made overseas by daedong, or LS, and get rebranded forsale here. McCormick, case, new Holland, kioti, bransen, and other value brand machines are this way. JD is American owned and American made, with global parts. Kubota has American made models, but are obviously not an American owned company.

 

[John Will]

I was told that Kawasaki didn't have enough capacity to supply Cub with all the engines they wanted, as well as they are more expensive. The last time I talked to the Kawasaki rep they were doing a BIG addition to their plant in the midwest. That may help. The Cub factory reps all plce great emphasis on not shifting the Cub locking rear axle while moving at all. They do seem to work well, though.

 

[cubs4lifeofme]

I was leaning towards a Massey Ferguson 1800 E series but the engine is made by some unheard of company. ugh

 

[Jay Fetters]

Massey runs, at least they used to, Iseki engines. They are very reputable, more so than most of the engines you've heard of. Here's what Google says about them.