compact tractors / sub compact?

[Russell]

I like the idea of getting a compact tractor but dont know anything about them. I want something fairly small so I guess it would be sub compact?
Are there any sub compacts with more than 20 hp? I would like to be able to run a stump grinder and chipper if possible as well as a flail and mower ( topper?).
Also i think a finger bar hedge trimmer would be usefull although pricy.
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Do alpine tractors have any dissadvantages?
Any other advice?
sorry for all the questions

 

[Smiffy]

Only disadvantage of an alpine is they don't do loaders very well. But then I'm not sure any compact does that much better.
They are quite low with a big nose if you are traveling heavily rutted ground all the time but for general tractoring they are really nice to use.
If looking at flails and stump grinders then a reverse drive one would be nice to use

 

[Lancs Lad]

Join the club...I was about to buy one about time doob did...but something else cropped up and ive had free loan of lil Kubota BX261 which Ive been very impressed with.
Pulls a 5ft flail in waste high grass with a bit of grunting..
Deffo get HST if you mowing etc. Gears are a pain in ..
Keeping an eye out again atm as fancy my own .
Lot of overpriced old crap about .
Be interested to hear anyones experience of new Solis?

 

[craig]

a finger bar hedge trimmer

Does a nice finish, but a lot of waste to clear up afterwards, compared to a flail.

 

[V8Druid]

Does a nice finish, but a lot of waste to clear up afterwards, compared to a flail.

can't see our lanes around here after they've been flailed, for crap .. and at least with a finger bar it'd be a lot more rake-able in big bits and not puncture alley that we currently get

 

[diggerjones]

Join the club...I was about to buy one about time doob did...but something else cropped up and ive had free loan of lil Kubota BX261 which Ive been very impressed with.
Pulls a 5ft flail in waste high grass with a bit of grunting..
Deffo get HST if you mowing etc. Gears are a pain in ..
Keeping an eye out again atm as fancy my own .
Lot of overpriced old crap about .
Be interested to hear anyones experience of new Solis?

Think my flail is 5' and makes a brilliant job. My tractor is only 17hp and drives it ok unless your in old feggy grass and that does slow you down.
And yes get hydrostatic.

 

[Giles]

Be great tools with nice set of attachments for prepping areas and levelling. Blec stone burrier leaves lovely finish, I’ve looked at them for doing horse arenas etc with Harley rake or power Harrow

 

[Lancs Lad]

can't see our lanes around here after they've been flailed, for crap .. and at least with a finger bar it'd be a lot more rake-able in big bits and not puncture alley that we currently get

Get solid tyres then gramps

 

[JD450A]

I love mine...... Little NH TC21D..... it's the later version of diggerjones's Ford..... (I need to fix the Hystat following too much exuberance)

The right tractor will handle the right loader fine. TC21D is 20hp which is just big enough to run what you want to run..... I've a stone burrier and tbh it stays with that and the loader..... I do have a linkbox and a flail but TBH I might sell them both as unlikely to ever be used. I'd like to get a backhoe for it as we occasionally have jobs it would suit (the backhoes are utterly pointless BUT if I had one with the Auger on it'd be handy)

 

[Monkeybusiness]

Don’t rush out to buy any type of hedgecutter for a compact (particularly without a cab) without demoing one first.
They seriously lack reach and you basically need to drive in the hedge, and they cost a lot of money!

 

[Giles]

We’ve had loads of hedge cuttes over the years from huge belt drivenn chassis bracket ones to fairly modern hydraulic long reach ones, always sit around all year bugger to hitch up then the hassle of actually cutting the hedges. Now pay a lad to do them every year makes a lovely job of them and no hassle lol

 

[Monkeybusiness]

We’ve had loads of hedge cuttes over the years from huge belt drivenn chassis bracket ones to fairly modern hydraulic long reach ones, always sit around all year bugger to hitch up then the hassle of actually cutting the hedges. Now pay a lad to do them every year makes a lovely job of them and no hassle lol

And they don’t even charge much to do it!
The lads who do it all the time make a much nicer job as you say, it’s a no-brainer really!

 

[doobin]

Join the club...I was about to buy one about time doob did...but something else cropped up and ive had free loan of lil Kubota BX261 which Ive been very impressed with.
Pulls a 5ft flail in waste high grass with a bit of grunting..
Deffo get HST if you mowing etc. Gears are a pain in ..
Keeping an eye out again atm as fancy my own .
Lot of overpriced old crap about .
Be interested to hear anyones experience of new Solis?

Solid are s**t, used to have one. God awful non synchro three speed box and not a live pto. They do a hst version but they are still cheap s**t with the steering lock of a dead goat.
Bought a kubota 2350 from a local dealer but the mid mount and rear pto selector was off- used to crunch every second or third time you started it up unless you re-selected the range lever and held it whilst engaging. Dealer refused to fix it despite saying there was six months warranty. Did give me my money back without hassle. But don’t buy the kubota 2350 for £8750 plus vat from Chichester farm machinery. In fact don’t buy anything from them. They said it had been through the workshop- all they had done was a spit of welding. I got them to do all the filters as part of the deal as they clearly hadn’t been done (hydro filter was marker 900 hrs- ‘been through the workshop’ my arse!). after doing that the owner there apparently decided that the broken pro selector wasn’t enough of an issue - ie. he would start to loose money. Well tough mate, that’s the game you play being a ‘reputable dealer’ as I’m sure @Regy53 would agree. Daft thing is he’s just shot himself in the foot- they are Avant main dealers, which I didn’t know when loader shopping But buggered if I’ll be asking for a price for anything from them when it’s time to change the multione.
Anyway, it was otherwise a lovely tractor and totally sold me on what I needed- hst, compact not subcompact and orange. So I have a brand new b2650hst on order. I’m the meantime I picked up a 2004 40hp iseki with creeper and shuttle box cheap which looks handy.

subcompact or compact depends a lot upon what you want to do with it. Subcompacts are a lot cheaper but very limited in lift capacity and also ground clearance. But fine for large garden work.
New Holland are the cheapest and look good- under £12k plus vat for a new boomer compact hst. But hard to get a mower deck to fit. Subcompact new Holland must be even cheaper and the mower is standard I think.

for stump grinder and chipper the more hp the better and you’d deffo want hst for the stump grinder unless it’s the sort with a hydraulic frame in which case you need a bigger tractor anyway. Been thinking bout getting one myself.

 

[Lancs Lad]

Solid are s**t, used to have one. God awful non synchro three speed box and not a live pto. They do a hst version but they are still cheap s**t with the steering lock of a dead goat.
Bought a kubota 2350 from a local dealer but the mid mount and rear pto selector was off- used to crunch every second or third time you started it up unless you re-selected the range lever and held it whilst engaging. Dealer refused to fix it despite saying there was six months warranty. Did give me my money back without hassle. But don’t buy the kubota 2350 for £8750 plus vat from Chichester farm machinery. In fact don’t buy anything from them. They said it had been through the workshop- all they had done was a spit of welding. I got them to do all the filters as part of the deal as they clearly hadn’t been done (hydro filter was marker 900 hrs- ‘been through the workshop’ my arse!). after doing that the owner there apparently decided that the broken pro selector wasn’t enough of an issue - ie. he would start to loose money. Well tough mate, that’s the game you play being a ‘reputable dealer’ as I’m sure @Regy53 would agree. Daft thing is he’s just shot himself in the foot- they are Avant main dealers, which I didn’t know when loader shopping But buggered if I’ll be asking for a price for anything from them when it’s time to change the multione.
Anyway, it was otherwise a lovely tractor and totally sold me on what I needed- hst, compact not subcompact and orange. So I have a brand new b2650hst on order. I’m the meantime I picked up a 2004 40hp iseki with creeper and shuttle box cheap which looks handy.

subcompact or compact depends a lot upon what you want to do with it. Subcompacts are a lot cheaper but very limited in lift capacity and also ground clearance. But fine for large garden work.
New Holland are the cheapest and look good- under £12k plus vat for a new boomer compact hst. But hard to get a mower deck to fit. Subcompact new Holland must be even cheaper and the mower is standard I think.

for stump grinder and chipper the more hp the better and you’d deffo want hst for the stump grinder unless it’s the sort with a hydraulic frame in which case you need a bigger tractor anyway. Been thinking bout getting one myself.

Thanks Doob confirms what I thought about Solis...seem suspiciously cheap.
Dealers like that deserve a rocket...
The futures orange what's lead time?
Looked at a new boomer as local lad recommended them did seem good money.

 

[doobin]

Thanks Doob confirms what I thought about Solis...seem suspiciously cheap.
Dealers like that deserve a rocket...
The futures orange what's lead time?
Looked at a new boomer as local lad recommended them did seem good money.

Apparently six/eight weeks for kubota.

 

[V8Druid]

'bot with a limited vocabulary @Regy53 ????

Hello im peter nice to meet you

Hello im peter nice to meet you

Hello im peter nice to meet you

 

[Gunners]

Don't want to make you all jealous but I've got this coming in January when JD can finally get its replacement here. 45hp and been trundled round a school all its life. Pre DPF Yanmar engine and has radio, air con etc all the modern luxuries. You cant have a tractor without a cab boys.....

And yes before you all say, I have asked for the matching overalls for Christmas. As I understand it, you cant own a JD without having a set

 

[V8Druid]

Don't want to make you all jealous but I've got this coming in January when JD can finally get its replacement here. 45hp and been trundled round a school all its life. Pre DPF Yanmar engine and has radio, air con etc all the modern luxuries. You cant have a tractor without a cab boys.....

And yes before you all say, I have asked for the matching overalls for Christmas. As I understand it, you cant own a JD without having a set

"jealous" .... green more like

 

[doobin]

Don't want to make you all jealous but I've got this coming in January when JD can finally get its replacement here. 45hp and been trundled round a school all its life. Pre DPF Yanmar engine and has radio, air con etc all the modern luxuries. You cant have a tractor without a cab boys.....

And yes before you all say, I have asked for the matching overalls for Christmas. As I understand it, you cant own a JD without having a set

It's no Multione though is it?

Looks nice mate, is it hydrostatic? What kind of money? What are your plans for it?

 

[Gunners]

It's no Multione though is it?

Looks nice mate, is it hydrostatic? What kind of money? What are your plans for it?

Its not, and a little loader will probably be my next big purchase - unfortunately the school are keeping theirs otherwise I'd have snapped that up too!
This isn't to try and compensate for a loader in particular. It was cheap, like half price kinda cheap, its not been abused too much and hasn't done silly hours (just over 2000 if I remember from when I last saw it and 1200 of those were idling hours!) It will do much what my current Massey 240 does for me now at home, but from the comfort of a cab. I cut a few local bits of grass, hedges etc and can run a bale out to the cows in winter.
I also might get one of those mid mounted laser graders for it as the mounting points are all there, for the MUGA sports pitches I sometimes do. This would solve the 6mm tolerance issue I had last year if you remember.... And like all these things, once you have the machine, the work seems to come to you for it.
Its a bit more money than I would like tied up in a tractor that currently does 50hrs a year but its the right machine and at more than the right price. I couldn't not buy it really.