If you are considering a Sub Compact tractor purchase - TractorByNet

I've noticed that frequent threads start out with an interest in possibly acquiring a Sub Compact tractor (new or used). That's reasonable to consider a SCUT because they can do numerous activities.

However too often when those threads are started it's with questions like these:

1. What's the best one to get?
Or

2. I want to get a XXXXX brand. . what do you think?
Or

3. I looked at XXXXX brand because a dealer is two miles down the road. . so what do you think?

To me, these type of questions are both confused and poorly targetted. If you go out hunting with a rifle . . . you want to aim it to expect to get your target. But to me, starting a thread with one of these three questions gets confusion.

Why? Because it shows a lack of understanding that each Brand of sub compact tractor has strengths and weaknesses. . . . and that satisfaction with a purchase is based on what you need a SCUT to do for you . . . rather than a focus on a brand or how close dealers are (within reason).

Each person on TBN will have differing opinions on size of tractor and brand of tractor and that should be based on needs they had. So "aim" your new thread to help keep it from being a jumble of responses that may make it very confusing.

As an example. . . . In Subcompact tractors there is a considerable difference in what their front end loaders can lift (both by brand and by model). So if you plan to use a fel often and want to haul heavy loads . . . you need to tell us that early on. If you plan on mowing nice lawns . . . some brands offer different deck sizes and option models. . . . o don't be shy about telling us that right away. If you have significant hill slopes. . . . some brands are better at that than others.

And if you looked only one day or one time and then the next day you want to buy something . . . then understand you probably won't get the quality of opinions you desire or need. Then what you are looking for is just approval .

Personally I always suggest the following method :

0. Figure out what you desire to do with your potential tractor. . . . and prioritize the issues and importance of each.

1. Find 1 or 2 brands that answer your needs well.

2. Then find dealers who can provide one or both of those brands.

3. Then find a price and distance you can live with.


If you have number 0. done well, and explain those things in the beginning, TBN can help you a great deal in my opinion. But if you want to skip right to a single brand or a mdel . . . it can get off track and confusing very quickly in my opinion and you'll get frustrated why you don't get the answers or opinions you want I the timeframe you want.

Just my opinion. Maybe others will express their's . Number 0 Is sometimes the hardest to answer until you learn more about tractors and their abilities and even then knowing your tasks going in doesn't mean they wont change once you get to understand how things work better and become a better operator with time. so in many cases they just need to start with a question to get started and hope they learn enough once started to learn how to make an informed decision.
Ask a kid who never saw a tractor or drove one and he will have a lot of questions on top of questions like whats the loader used for? You answer for moving those rocks over there. He will then ask how much does the rock weigh? How many can it move at one time? How fast does it move them? Is that all it can move? Can I try it? Do they make bigger ones? Do they make smaller ones?
Basically for many of those posters its more of a learning curve then we realize no matter how informed the poster tries to portray themselves and the best we can do is offer our knowledge based on our experience and hope things start to make sense so they can get what they need because sadly with many as they get older they loose that little kid attitude to honestly ask questions on top of questions till they get an understanding of the tasks, the tools and the fundamentals of the things being dealt with.

I've noticed that frequent threads start out with an interest in possibly acquiring a Sub Compact tractor (new or used). That's reasonable to consider a SCUT because they can do numerous activities.
Personally I always suggest the following method :

0. Figure out what you desire to do with your potential tractor. . . . and prioritize the issues and importance of each.

1. Find 1 or 2 brands that answer your needs well.

2. Then find dealers who can provide one or both of those brands.

3. Then find a price and distance you can live with.

We've tried to get a newbie form they could "fill out" for years.

From :

Can the collective wisdom come up with say a 12 or so step form of questions which should be answered BEFORE someone starts a thread "I need a tractor".

Main questions I see are (and my examples):
Budget (20K)
Acreage to maintain and type (300, all forest)
Terrain (rolling hills)
Climate/location (I'm not going to plow snow in Mississippi)
3 primary uses (trails & ditches, ponds, fences)
Nearest 3 dealers (Kub, Mah, JD)
Transportation if needed (Ford E350 diesel)
Skill set w/ tractors (little)
Support other than dealers (relatives)
How soon (next year)
Business or Pleasure (pleasure)

For some reason it never happens. It's like urinating into blowing air. By the third post in a thread of someone saying they need a tractor usually somebody else steps and asks some pertinent questions but unless the original poster has done their research on the forum already they often miss many important points.

To me the MOST important point is Why The Heck Do You Want a Tractor?

I came to this forum in looking for a skid steer and Eddie Walker convinced me I needed a tractor (THANK YOU EDDIE!!).

Many people REALLY don't need a tractor for the jobs they describe (mowing lawns, digging foundations) and don't realize they have other things to do that a tractor will greatly assist, like cleaning up brush piles with a grapple.

I still think it would be a great idea for a "sticky", even as much as I dislike stickies. I looked at a lot of SCUT's a couple of years ago. I was seriously thinking about buying one to go along with my current tractor. I think before someone posts about buying a tractor they should have already gone and tried them out (but this is not always going to happen). When I was looking at them online I liked the r the best, but after actually going out and driving on all the ones near me, the MF was the one I liked. I drove and operated others also. I think that is the most important thing you can do when looking at tractors. Getting on them and operating them. That should get someone within a 80 % if not closer of an idea of the one they want. Then ask the questions "does anyone own one of these" and "how do you like them?" "whats the good and bad about them?".

I personally do not see much difference in all the SCUT's that are out there for the type of work that they can accomplish. They are all limited in what they can do. They are all very close in sizes and capacities. Again it boils down to getting on them and operating them. All the ones I drove would have been plenty capable of doing what I was looking for them to do. If someone has some bigger work to do or needs more FEL power they need to upgrade to a full size tractor.

My cousin and aunt have the most beautiful 5 acres you have ever seen. They have never owned a tractor and keep that place looking sharp. So sometimes the advice should be "do you really even need a tractor?". But you are always going to have "new" folks who know nothing about tractors coming on here and asking those questions. That is when the "experienced tractor owner" comes into the thread and starts asking those pertinent questions. The "new" person might not know to ask the right questions. They see a commercial or advertisement for certain manufacturer's and think this is the one I need. At least give them credit for posting and trying to find out some information on the tractors. Now if they keep responding with stupid questions and not heading the advice they are given then I could care less what they do and will stop responding.

We were all "new" at one time and did not know what we were doing or how to go about doing it. Like newbury said, he came on here looking for a skid steer and ended up buying a tractor. Thanks to a veteran tractor owner who knew the pertinent questions to ask. Something to remember is that people will respond based on their personal experience - which may or may not include all the equipment and conditions in the shopper's consideration. Often, opinions are colored by the local dealer as much or more than the brand of the tractor. The largest dealer in my area is a Deere dealer, and they assign their least experienced, least knowledgeable, most pushy salesperson to small homeowner-suitable tractors. Same outfit owns the four closest Deere locations. GREAT folks at the Parts counter, but terrible salespeople on SCUTs and CUTs. Makes it hard to love Deere for me, but someone else somewhere else loves their dealer and their Deere.

When I was buying (two years ago), the local choices were Case, LS, Kioti, Kubota, Mahindra, and Deere.
The Case dealer only had one model in stock, and it was a three years old demo with 87 hours on it - at current list price. He had lots of orchard and ag tractors, though. I mentioned Kioti to him, and he told me his grandpa had one he'd bought new 20 years earlier and still loved, and that the local dealer was a standup guy.
The LS dealer was new to the area, and the appearance of their dealership screamed "We'll move on - probably tonight!".
The Kubota dealer is well-established, somewhat knowledgeable, and had suitable models in stock. Even had a low-hours rental at a screaming price. That made them a contender.
The Mahindra dealer is a trailer sales outfit, no service department, no parts, and no tractor that fit MY requirements. GREAT prices on what they DID have. Eliminated by me based on after-sale support.
The Kioti dealer is a long-established local tractor dealer, family-owned and operated, and wanted my business. They were the only dealer that offered to demo the two models I was considering on my property for the weekend at no charge, no strings. Said if I scratched them up, he'd put them in his rental fleet. Did a dealer trade to get me the model I wanted, at a great price.

All five brands had machines that fit my needs. Had all the prices been equal, I probably still would have bought what I did, where I did - but the prices were not even close. That actually made the decision harder, as I tend to expect better when I pay more. This forum gave me the confidence to buy the Kioti, and I'm very pleased with it - but you will find that most folks here who bought a new tractor are happy with their decision, no matter the brand or color. Usually if they are unhappy, it's with the dealer. Greetings,

I agree with most of the responses. A good thread needs to have some "research involved by the OP" to have a benefit. And research means effort - including multiple times considering what you would do with the tractor. I don't mean an hour of effort - I mean hours - bunches of hours. Most people don't walk into a car dealer and buy the first thing they see. They look around, they test drive, they look at sources like consumer reports etc.. I joined TBN in Sept. of but I started looking and collecting brochures at State Fairs on lawnmowers and sub compact tractors starting in . That doesn't mean I expect others to do that - but it does mean I think everyone should do some of that at the minimum

Maybe the 1st question to be answered is - can you afford to buy the wrong thing ?
In my case, I couldn't - it was going to be a one shot thing for a number of years, so I better do it right or don't even try

"a close dealer" might be convenient - but a "good dealer" is better imo. Why - because a good dealer will be truthful and informative and hopefully responsive - in other words - good business people. And if you find a weak salesman/woman - go around them if needed.

But the best dealer still doesn't mean the best product. I wanted a kubota or a yanmar sub compact for years - but I ended up with a Massey GC instead. And it wasn't because of a sales person - in fact exactly the opposite. I was already pricing BX Kubotas in early when I ran into a Massey Dealer near me - terrible experience. The tractor was rusty in the engine compartment (GC) from sitting next to the highway for ???? (years). And I had to look at it by myself because the salesman sat inside. Walked away baffled at why I would ever be interested in a Massey. Then I read a review from Tractors.com and discovered the GCs had front flow air movement (Just like BX product). So I started reading a ton on Massey sub compacts. 2nd dealer near me - salesman knew almost nothing about them. but I test drove one compared to a BX and liked the Massey better.

Then "the dog got the scent and started the hunt".

But my point is - sometimes what you don't know - can hurt you and sometimes it doesn't. I would have been mostly happy initially with a BX - until I'd seen or learned about the Massey's. They are both good products - but for my specific needs - one brand was far better. Then I had to find that "good dealer" - and I did - and I could have bought BX or Massey from that same dealer.

Again - to me - an OP is best served if they know what they want or are willing to learn what they need before getting too confused by users input. TBN was an invaluable source for information - but not until I got it down to just 2 brands and a wish list of needs.

JMHO

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1. What Type of Job Will You Use It For?

One of the first factors you may want to consider when purchasing a tractor is determining the type of work you're going to use it for. You may need it for tilling, snow removal, haying, grading, field mowing or material moving. You may likely require it for farming and agriculture applications, so the tractor you purchase should be able to handle your toughest jobs.

By knowing the types of work you'll need the tractor for, you can ensure you don't purchase a tractor that doesn't have the performance to handle crucial tasks. You also can avoid overpaying for a tractor with more power than what you'll need.

2. What Size of Tractor Do You Need?

One of the things to look for when buying a used tractor is the size. Your tractor's size will play into how efficiently it can complete tasks and the power it can offer. If you're planning to use the tractor on large work sites or fields, a bigger tractor may be better suited for your needs. For those with smaller areas or work sites who need a tractor to fit in tighter spaces or take sharp turns, a more compact tractor could be the better choice. The size of your tractor will also play into how and where you can store it when it is not in use.

3. What Attachments or Accessories Do You Require?

Tractors can come with a variety of accessories and attachments. You may need a tractor that can accomplish more than its base functions, so it's crucial you determine which attachments will be needed for your applications. Do your research on the attachments and accessories compatible with a tractor before you make a purchase.

4. Who Owned the Tractor Previously?

Before you purchase a used tractor, it's a good idea to know its history. Part of that history should take into account who previously used it and what they used it for. This information can alert you to a tractor with heavy workloads or extensive repairs in its history, which could be warning signs that you'll want to look for a different option.

There are a few used tractor inspection tips that can help you find a tractor in good condition. By knowing what to look for when buying a used tractor, you can ensure the tractor's main components are working correctly and are likely to last a long time before needing repairs. Below you can find the main things to check before buying a used tractor:

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1. Appearance of Body and Tires

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2. Engine Compartment

As far as tips for buying a used tractor go, ensuring the engine is in good condition is one of the most important recommendations. To check the engine, lift the tractor's hood and start the tractor. While it's running, see if there any leaks from the hoses, hydraulics or engine. Also, inspect the engine for cracked or worn fuel, coolant or hydraulic lines. You can check the engine plate to ensure the engine meets your area's emission standards and has the amount of horsepower you require.

Next, hold a mechanic's stethoscope to the engine block and listen for sounds like scratching or knocking from the engine cylinders. With the tractor shut down, take the air filter off and look at it. If the air filter has been changed regularly according to the manufacturer's recommendations, it shouldn't appear dirty.

3. Articulation Point

The articulation point of the tractor is key to the machine functioning properly. Start by performing a visual inspection. Look to see if the articulation point has been properly greased, and check if there are any metal shards. These shards are an indicator the tractor hasn't been maintained properly.

In addition to your visual inspection, you should also conduct an operational inspection. To begin this inspection, start the tractor and begin to drive it forward and backward. While driving the tractor, listen for a knock, which could be a sign there's an issue with a transmission slip.

After moving the tractor back and forth, turn the tractor left and right, feeling for any wandering or looseness in the steering wheel. If you feel any looseness or wandering, the tractor's primary pin could've been bent or otherwise damaged. Tight or hard steering could mean the pins require some grease or the tractor's hydraulic cylinders may not be functioning correctly.

4. Power Take-Off Shaft

To check the power take-off (PTO) shaft, run the tractor and turn the PTO. While turning, make sure there's a smooth rotating movement and there are no strange noises coming from the running output shaft. If you hear any knocking or the rotating movement isn't smooth, it could be a sign the PTO shaft is damaged, with potential repairs being quite costly.

5. Hydraulic System

Checking the hydraulic system is another major piece of the inspection process. If you see loose seals or leaks in the system, the hydraulic tank or the outlets could be damaged. If you plan to use attachments with your tractor, check that there are enough auxiliary lines and hydraulic outlets with the appropriate power to handle all the attachments you want to use.

6. Cab

The cab is another good place to inspect for proper functioning and signs a tractor has been taken care of well. A muddy and dirty interior is a warning sign the cab hasn't been properly maintained. For cabs with a guidance system, inspect the receiver, electronic components and displays to ensure they're in good condition.

While in the cab, you can also see how many hours the tractor has been in operation. High hours of operation could be a sign the tractor is going to need maintenance sooner. However, a tractor with higher hours that's been taken care of properly can still be a smart investment.

7. Maintenance Log and Other Documentation

Any used farm tractor inspection tips should include the recommendation to check the tractor's documentation. When you go through the tractor's work orders, inspection lists and maintenance logs, you can get a clear picture of how the tractor was used and the types of repairs that were performed on it.

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