Compact tractors

[KierDurrant16]

I am back again seeking the advice of the knowledgeable…

This started with looking at ride on mowers at local dealers, very shiny but all built to a price and must be serviced by dealer to keep warranty valid.
Started looking second hand but not much available from local dealers and most on marketplace etc look on their last legs but still asking strong money.

This got me looking at compact tractors in the 15-25hp range, with a flail on the back to fulfil mower duties. Also considering out front diesel mowers.

£3-4k budget, around 1 acre garden not mega steep, few trees, paths and “obstacles” to mow round.

Is a compact tractor what I need?
I already have 2 other tractors (international 434 and 444) but they’re both a bit big and cumbersome for mowing everywhere.

There’s a few for sale within reasonable distance, mix of Kubota, iseki and yamnar. Ranging from 15-23hp mostly manual gearbox, 1 hydrostatic. All from around 80’s.

Are they all pretty much the same? Are parts widely available? Is there any common issues to look out for? Hoping to keep for the foreseeable future so want to buy right first time.

 

[zzr1200]

imho. Manual transmission would be a must....

 

[Mick Annick]

Dad has mown his 3 acres of grass for 30+ years with Kubotas, he’s on his second one and it’s still going strong. I believe Iseki are good but they have a reputation for being very expensive for parts. No knowledge of Yanmar, never as popular as the other two but that doesn’t make them bad machines.

 

[KierDurrant16]

imho. Manual transmission would be a must....

Have been thinking same thing, know what I’m looking at a bit more with a manual.

Dad has mown his 3 acres of grass for 30+ years with Kubotas, he’s on his second one and it’s still going strong. I believe Iseki are good but they have a reputation for being very expensive for parts. No knowledge of Yanmar, never as popular as the other two but that doesn’t make them bad machines.

Kubota has always sounded like a safe bet. There is a local dealer but not sure if they’d still be able to get parts, pretty sure there is good aftermarket back up tho due to popularity

 

[sako243]

This is my lawn mower. New Holland 1220 with 4ft Winton flail.

19hp engine, 17 at the PTO. 2 and 4 wheel drive, independent rear brakes, hydrostatic with two ranges, diff lock. Lifts about 300kg on the 3 point before wheel start going light and it's got a midmount PTO, hydraulic spool, and cruise control.

We've got about 4 acres of lawns to mow and normally takes about an afternoon if I do the bank as well (1 in 3 and can only be mown downhill). Flail is neater than the old John Deere ride on that we used to have.

@8ob runs one but on ag tyres.

Good example of a tractor I fetched from Durham area and paid £4250 I think for it and about another £800 for the mower if I remember.

Personally I'd always have a hydrostatic or shuttle transmission as your not often changing ranges but shunting a lot. Highly recommend the 1220 as its been faultless and packs a punch above it's weight.

 

[sako243]

First cut this year where the grass kept growing over the winter. Decent finish I'd say considering it's damp.

 

[jmp49]

I mow about the same size with a old fz2100 kubota diesel mower with front mounted deck powered by a d1105 3 cylinder. It has a HST hydraulic transmission that people are telling you to avoid, and for me its great. I put new filters in every year and run it on hvb46 hydraulic oil. Same oil & pump runs the transmission, the hydraulics to lift the deck and runs the steering which is done by a orbital valve on the column and steering with a hydraulic ram same as my jcb. Two pedals for motion, one to go forward, one to go back & a brake pedal that hardly ever gets used, selectable 2/4wd, zero turn, just mash the forward pedal down and go as fast as I can mostly. I bought it as a non runner and fixed the diesel injection pump problem myself and have ran it for about 6 years since. This year it got the usual full filters/oil change, did the valve clearances, fettle of the deck blades and some new rear tyres and I'll just run it the whole year on fluid top ups now.
I have a old massey harris pony tractor, and I used to use it with a finger mower, then later a topper to do the same job, but the kubota is so much safer, faster & more sure footed on slopes, just starts on the key with no faffing about and its been great. I sold the topper a few years back, and I'll probably get rid of the pony when I stop being sentimetal about old tractors.
If I find a flail for reasonable money, I'll buy it and adapt it to out front on the kubota rather than on the pony's pto, but currently I raise the deck on the hydraulics and just drive it into the rough stuff and drop the deck being an animal. If I needed a small tractor I'd go for a compact kubota powered one, but the commercial mower beats it out for that one job for sure.

 

[Bornfree]

I gave £3k for this about 10 years ago. 5ft cut and nothing has ever gone wrong with it not even a belt.

 

[addjunkie]

Kubota are good, but there are many jap imports around, some are hard to get bits for, unless you can find the equivalent us model number. The odd ones where the PTO turns the wrong way are to be avoided.

There are a a fair few iseki and yanmar that arejap imports too.

I use a kubota too but mines mid size.

You want turn tyres if its for a lawn.