Compact Tractors: What to Consider When Buying

I bought a Kubota BX-25 tractor loader backhoe a year ago. I usually do more research going into a purchase of these kind of $$ however I was looking to do a project ASAP. Fortunatly it is a great fit. I have a 16' landscapers trailer that fits it perfectly (with Backhoe). So... think about the weight of your potential new purchase and think about having to float it for jobs or service. Next thing I did not know was hydraulics. Mine is about 5gpm verses 11 or 15 on larger units. This makes for a slower backhoe or other attachments (don't even think about a woodsplitter). With RPM at 2700 it is fine for most digging work. 1500 RPM is half that speed and idle is slow motion. ROPE bar makes a great mount for the sunscreen. On a hot day 8 hours in the sun makes an additional $300 worth every penny. My backhoe mounts right to the frame. This comes on/off in 3 minutes. It also gives you more ground clearance that a 3Pt hitch mount unit. Last point for me was the comparison between new and used. I'm cheap and went looking for a deal on a 500 hour gently used unit. Forget it. Everyone wants 90% of the price of a new unit. Especially if you are a newbie, the value of a good dealer is priceless. I hope that give you something else to consider when shopping. Mike

This is a good article. One thing missing should be considered for future articles on tractors, SERVICE. I live in a remote area of Wyoming. Tractors are sold in Idaho Falls, a drive of an hour and a half. For work under warrantie the John Deere comes out, fixes it, no charge. The Bob Cat dealer charges $90 per hour travel time plus a "courtesy" charge of $15 per hour. If his trip is for 5 ranches, each gets charged the full amount. If something like a golf ball size rock is found in a snow blower, then they charge for both travel and work time. While I am sure that these policies are set by each dealer, you should always ask about service charges on new equipment.

Good article! It answers a lot of questions I've had over the years. My Kubota BX1500 was a good fit for my rural, 1+ acre lot, but when we move to 5 or more acres, I would like to have a little more power at the PTOs, and the capacity for a backhoe, even if I have to wait to add it later. The 1500 is paid for, and tricked out with a 54" belly mower and a loader, so maybe trading it in on a slightly bigger model would take some of the pain out of the purchase. Maybe in the Spring! Thanks again for the useful information.