Buying advice and pricing :)

[8888]

I am buying the 3 acres of land next to me that includes a 912 square foot single story house built in 1885 that needs to come down, due to a crumbling foundation and groundhog infestation, when it's not flooded underneath. My plan is to dismantle the house and save the lumber and siding and roll/push the foundation over for removal.

The land also has a pond that was partially expanded but the expansion needs to be filled back in with a pile of dirt from the expansion on the property.

The land is flat, no hills to speak of in SW Ohio farm country.

I have three water cooled V twin JD's with 48" and 54" decks to cut the 3 acres I already have next door so finish mowing isn't a primary concern....I want something 4x4 with a FEL and a 3 pt blade for grading. Bonus points if I can attach a MMM to whatever I get so I can sell one of the JD's and save room in the barn, I don't have room for a 3 point mower. I plan on using the loader and straps to lift various pieces of junk still on the property (old weightlifting machine etc) into the back of my truck for scrapping.

I am personally better with gear drive because I'd rather replace a clutch than pay for a new hydrostatic but I'm told that the hydro is better for loader work. My "main" JD's are hydro but I have an old 180 gear drive I've had for 25 years so I get that gear drive might be a pain.

I'm retired so my budget is $10k which I know isn't a lot, it means I'll be looking at older options. I've owned and worked on diesel cars and trucks with the Bosch infection pump for years so I'm pretty good with diesels.

I've read a lot and done a lot of research but my problem is that I don't honestly know how much "power" a Kubota 3 cylinder diesel with less than 20hp actually provides. My JD's are 17 and 18hp so asking a diesel with the same HP to do loader work seems like a lot but I've never done it so I don't know enough to know better. I also don't know how many hours are "a lot" on these engines. I know it depends on the care they have received but I thought I would ask anyway.

I've excluded the BX/SCUT line in favor of a B or maybe an older L if I can find one.
Current options are:
B1550 HST with 2142 hours, a LA300 loader, and a MMM for $8k firm.
B7100 gear drive with 456 hours, a B1630 loader, no MMM for $10k.
L2650 with 1552 hours, a BF500 loader that has been sitting for a few years and needs a battery (this one was just removed from Marketplace, it was $6k)
The B7100 seems small and light for what I want to do, 16hp doesn't seem like much, but one owner and 456 hours seems good. Not a fan of idiot lights versus gauges.
The B1550 is larger and weighs 200lbs more, has the MMM already included (not installed) but 2142 hours seems like a lot.
I did read on here that there is a structural supprort subframe brace required on these tractors if you use a loader and I will be sure to ask about that.

Sorry for the length, I figured the more I explain up front, the better.

Thanks for any comments/suggestions.

 

[85Hokie]

The B7100 is a mule on steroids........... but I do not think it is the right one for you.

A BX with FEL will do more work than a B7100 with a FEL.

The L2650 in your list would have be ideal.........

As for hours - 2000 hours isnt really bad on a well taken cared engine... emphasis on the WELL Maintained!!!

I would get cash in hand ready and pounce on a find online.

I have learned from buying $$$$$$ online like MP and CL........ cash in hand and Patience wins!!!!!!!!

 

[8888]

The B7100 is a mule on steroids........... but I do not think it is the right one for you.

A BX with FEL will do more work than a B7100 with a FEL.

The L2650 in your list would have be ideal.........

As for hours - 2000 hours isnt really bad on a well taken cared engine... emphasis on the WELL Maintained!!!

I would get cash in hand ready and pounce on a find online.

I have learned from buying $$$$$$ online like MP and CL........ cash in hand and Patience wins!!!!!!!!

Thanks for the response.
I have the cash and have been watching for a while, I was waiting till the paperwork was done and closing scheduled for the land before pulling the trigger, that just happened on friday.
I sent a message to the L2650 seller to follow up on it. The ad was removed which doesn't always mean it was sold. It had been sitting for a few years and needed a battery. My plan was to bring a battery and see if I could get it going....buying something without hearing it run and seeing it work seemed like an unacceptable risk.
You didn't mention the B1550 other than the hours. Not a good option?

 

[WI_Hedgehog]

....You didn't mention the B1550 other than the hours. Not a good option?

....My JD's are 17 and 18hp so asking a diesel with the same HP to do loader work seems like a lot....

^^^That's the reason.

 

[PoTreeBoy]

I may be a little biased, but I like the L option. Does it have the shuttle or glide-shift transmission? Probably doesn't matter much for your use. The 2000 hours wouldn't scare me as long as it starts and runs good. My L35 had at least that much; it wasn't babied and I'm not worried about it.

The L2650 was available with mid-PTO and belly mower but, since you didn't mention it, I assume this one doesn't have it. Don't count on finding a mower for a 30 yo tractor. The L may be too big to fit where a mower is, even if it has a deck.

 

[pigdoc]

I concur with 85Hokie.

If I were you, once I had the tractor loaded for hauling, I'd take it right to the nearest Rim Guard dealer and get the rear tires filled. This will add 800+ pounds to the rear, down low where it belongs. This will make the FEL much more useful, especially if you're going to be doing any landscaping with it.

Oh, and I'd spend some time with a metal detector down in the basement of that house before you push it in...

-Paul

 

[chim]

My vote would be for an L series.

You mention "crumbling foundation and groundhog infestation, when it's not flooded underneath" and "The land is flat" and " the expansion needs to be filled back in with a pile of dirt from the expansion". That sounds like you have a potentially troublesome high water table and you may be planning to have a basement in lieu of a slab-on-grade?

 

[8888]

Thanks for the responses.

It sounds like an L is the way to go.

I may be a little biased, but I like the L option. Does it have the shuttle or glide-shift transmission? Probably doesn't matter much for your use. The 2000 hours wouldn't scare me as long as it starts and runs good. My L35 had at least that much; it wasn't babied and I'm not worried about it.

The L2650 was available with mid-PTO and belly mower but, since you didn't mention it, I assume this one doesn't have it. Don't count on finding a mower for a 30 yo tractor. The L may be too big to fit where a mower is, even if it has a deck.

The L2650 has disappeared from Marketplace and my text to the seller has gone unanswered so I think it's gone. I never got a chance to see it and the ad wasn't great so I can't say which transmission it had.
I agree about the mower being hard to find, there are a few on the web with similar model numbers (going by tractordata.com) but I haven't gotten into the exact differences between the various versions (what all of the letters mean).
Primary need is the loader and the MMM falls under the "nice to have" category.

 

[8888]

I concur with 85Hokie.

If I were you, once I had the tractor loaded for hauling, I'd take it right to the nearest Rim Guard dealer and get the rear tires filled. This will add 800+ pounds to the rear, down low where it belongs. This will make the FEL much more useful, especially if you're going to be doing any landscaping with it.

Oh, and I'd spend some time with a metal detector down in the basement of that house before you push it in...

-Paul

Good idea on the rim guard.

Regarding the basement, there really isn't one. Just what's left of the dirt floor under the crawl space that I assume is now a labyrinth/breeding ground for the groundhogs.

 

[8888]

My vote would be for an L series.

You mention "crumbling foundation and groundhog infestation, when it's not flooded underneath" and "The land is flat" and " the expansion needs to be filled back in with a pile of dirt from the expansion". That sounds like you have a potentially troublesome high water table and you may be planning to have a basement in lieu of a slab-on-grade?

We do have a relatively high water table in the area. There is a lot of farmland to the west and it all drains our way towards the river where it gets diverted into a tile and ends up in a creek in the 40 acres of woods behind me.

We have a basement but our house was built on the highest point in the area based on the topographical map that came with the house from the previous owner's estate. We have a sump pump and it's pretty active in wet weather, and tapers off in the summer. We have had the basement flood twice when the pumps failed and we weren't home.

This house floods mostly because it was built close to the road as most houses were back then and the road bed is now higher than the house and there is a ditch out front. For whatever reason, they never tiled under the driveway to the east so water from the west builds up in the ditch in front of the house and ends up under it. I will probably also use the loader to dig out that driveway and allow the water to move east the way it is supposed to.

I'm just going to dismantle the house, eliminate the foundation, and turn everything back to grass. It's right next door to our house so it's an investment in a building lot we can sell when we decide to move. It's probably 200' wide and 700' deep so there is plenty of room to build back away from the road and by the pond where it's higher.

The well is amazing on that properly and it's actually inside part of the house. The current owner filled a fairly large above ground pool off of the garden hose with no issues. I'm going to leave power to a structure over the well head and keep the well going.

 

[8888]

The people have spoken...an L series it will be. Just need to find a good one at/below $10k.

 

[pigdoc]

I like your attitude eightquad.

I bought a used L2500 at a live equipment auction 3 years ago. It was sold with the FWD not working, but it ran great, seemed to have good service records, and low hours (<1400). I was able to drive it around the sale grounds before it sold. I knew it had been no-saled at two previous sales at this same auction. [You can search prior auctions online at tractorhouse.com.] I got it bought for $6500.

PO had replaced front wheels and tires, going from 7-16 to 8-16. This created a severe mismatch between tire ratio and gear ratio, which tore out the splines on the FWD shaft and front coupler. I replaced those parts and it's been fine since. I need to go through the front end ASAP...

Anyway, shop around on tractorhouse, and see what turns up. It has a nice search function, where you can select multiple models to search.

Before I bought the L2500, I made a database of the L-series to capture WB, cubic inches, etc. I used that to make a list of preferred models. I wanted something with no plastic on it, too. I can send you that database, PM me if you want it.

The only criticism I have of the L2500 is that the ergonomics SUCK! Most offensive is how tight it is to get on and off of. You gotta be a contortionist., and I'm not a big guy. Needs to be about 6 inches longer than its 61.2 inches...

-Paul

My short list of preferred older Kubota L-series included these:
L3450
L3650
L3750
L4150
L4350
L4850
All 4 or 5 cylinder direct-injection engines, all built from the late 1980s to early 1990s, WBs 68" to 72", selliing in the $7K to $12K range. I've watched about a dozen tractors of those models sell in the last few years. Most of them had been rode pretty hard...

 

[85Hokie]

I am not very familiar with the B1550.

On another note - there is nothing wrong with a geared machine, used one for many years, the ONLY reason I would consider one, is IF I needed all the HP at the PTO. Any type of moving back and forth, the HST will win hands down, as for open field cutting without obstacles, the gear may be better.

As you already know - the HST is more user friendly and can do more work in a shorter time - the kubota's hst is bullet proof - that is, as long as you place the CORRECT fluid in them and change the filters.

 

[8888]

I like your attitude eightquad.

I bought a used L2500 at a live equipment auction 3 years ago. It was sold with the FWD not working, but it ran great, seemed to have good service records, and low hours (<1400). I was able to drive it around the sale grounds before it sold. I knew it had been no-saled at two previous sales at this same auction. [You can search prior auctions online at tractorhouse.com.] I got it bought for $6500.

PO had replaced front wheels and tires, going from 7-16 to 8-16. This created a severe mismatch between tire ratio and gear ratio, which tore out the splines on the FWD shaft and front coupler. I replaced those parts and it's been fine since. I need to go through the front end ASAP...

Anyway, shop around on tractorhouse, and see what turns up. It has a nice search function, where you can select multiple models to search.

Before I bought the L2500, I made a database of the L-series to capture WB, cubic inches, etc. I used that to make a list of preferred models. I wanted something with no plastic on it, too. I can send you that database, PM me if you want it.

The only criticism I have of the L2500 is that the ergonomics SUCK! Most offensive is how tight it is to get on and off of. You gotta be a contortionist., and I'm not a big guy. Needs to be about 6 inches longer than its 61.2 inches...

-Paul

My short list of preferred older Kubota L-series included these:
L3450
L3650
L3750
L4150
L4350
L4850
All 4 or 5 cylinder direct-injection engines, all built from the late 1980s to early 1990s, WBs 68" to 72", selliing in the $7K to $12K range. I've watched about a dozen tractors of those models sell in the last few years. Most of them had been rode pretty hard...

I am hoping for a 4 cylinder, would be delighted with a 5. I'll have a look at those models.

I did something similar with options that come up on Marketplace, made an Excel file with selected data for each model, that's how I knew the B7100 was smaller than I wanted. I'm making the assumption that tractordata.com is pretty accurate, it's been pretty solid for the JD's.

I'm also keeping track of decks and loaders that come up for sale in case I find something that is missing one or the other, haven't updated it with that info yet.

I will DM you for your list, thanks.

I've been warned about trying to fit on some earlier Kubotas...I'm around 6' and it appears the early ones might be a bit small for me. I was thinking I would have to find one before I can test that theory but the wheelbase might be a good measure of that.

I just started checking out tractorhouse, not much on CL around me since Marketplace started up. I have time before the weather breaks and even then, it will be a swamp while we get rid of this foot of snow. I just thought cold weather would be a good time to find something but maybe spring time will have more options.

 

[8888]

I am not very familiar with the B1550.

On another note - there is nothing wrong with a geared machine, used one for many years, the ONLY reason I would consider one, is IF I needed all the HP at the PTO. Any type of moving back and forth, the HST will win hands down, as for open field cutting without obstacles, the gear may be better.

As you already know - the HST is more user friendly and can do more work in a shorter time - the kubota's hst is bullet proof - that is, as long as you place the CORRECT fluid in them and change the filters.

TractorData.com Kubota B1550 tractor information

www.tractordata.com

It's decent sized but 3 cylinder and only 17 hp.

For years, I cut a few acres of ground with closely spaced trees, so close that a 38" deck was the only thing that would fit between and I used a JD 180 (that I still have, been 20+ years now). It's 5 speed gear drive and it was a mighty pain with the gear drive until I figured out a pattern to best weave between the trees.

The HST (TuffTorq K series) on the JD 345 and LX188 is certainly easier to navigate and they are pretty durable. I just got an LX188 to rebuild that has a new HST but I found out they jacked up installing the cooling fan and it came off of the shaft not long after they installed the new HST. Oil is pretty dark and doesn't smell great but it drove into my truck bed and seems fine since I've changed out the oil.

I'm glad to hear that the Kubota HST is pretty solid, thanks for that information. I guess I look at it from the standpoint that I'll be lucky to find something with service records to tell me that the HST has been well cared for and if it lays down on me, it will be expensive to fix. Clutches and mechanical bits are cheaper, if more labor intensive to deal with and I buy manual cars and trucks if I can find them.

 

[GrumpyFarmer]

Good day.

Congratulations on the additional acreage!

I think you got pretty solid advice above, so I don’t have much to add. For what planning I would go with whichever machine weighs more (assuming all in similar running condition).

only thing I would add regarding the house and varmints is that my vote would be to do it right like Carl Spackler, or maybe use tannerite if your in a pinch. (vs pushing it in).

Gunga galunga

 

[8888]

Good day.

Congratulations on the additional acreage!

I think you got pretty solid advice above, so I don’t have much to add. For what planning I would go with whichever machine weighs more (assuming all in similar running condition).

only thing I would add regarding the house and varmints is that my vote would be to do it right like Carl Spackler, or maybe use tannerite if your in a pinch. (vs pushing it in).

Gunga galunga

Thanks, can't have too much land in a rural area near a good school district.

The house is pretty close to a fencerow of evergreens I want to save and I believe there is a lot of good 1885 lumber in there so I'm going to try to disassemble the top half of the house. I know there is wood siding under the vinyl and suspect there are good planks under the relatively new shingles.

I have about 5 gallons of bleach to start the eviction process. It worked when they started tunneling into my barn a few years ago and also convinced a family of skunks to vacate the space under my deck at the last house. It may be the same groundhogs in there that I evicted from the barn!