I'm looking for a Compact tractor.
A used Kubota BX 25D and the BX 23S with loader and back hoeare what I have been eye balling.

I starting looking at Rural King but don't know that much about them.
They are several thousands less and seem to have a good warranty and there performance specs look good.
I have a Kubota M series so I have some experience with Kubota.
Any opinions from members that know each brand?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: armored,

I cringe when I hear some of these ‘off’ brand tractors. As a homeowner, I have owned 3 under 30 HP tractors. 2 have been Kubota and I’d never buy anything but Kubota. My current tractor is a 2920 with loader and snowblower.

If you want to keep it for a while and be able to get parts and support for it, I would stick with the big name brand manufacturers like Kubota, John Deere, Massey Ferguson, New Holland/Ford, etc. Kubota owns the subcompact tractor market. Big box stores, even if they sell name brand stuff, it is all built to their price point...read as cheapened up so the sucker consumer will buy it instead of the better one. You can get JD riding mowers at Lowes, but they are made in India and super light weight.

Kubota or John Deere. Would not consider off brands.

I had a Kubota BX2200 for about 15 years. It was superb at driving a 60" mower, and the 4WD was great in the snow or mod. The loader was pretty good for lifting delivering loads of river rock. Balance was tricky and rear weights were needed. I used it to plow snow and move snow (serious heavy snow, in the foot plus sometimes). In the end, I think a blower is better. It lacks the weight to gain the traction to brute big snows around.

Mechanically flawless wit the maintenance done as prescribed. Blew a steering line once was ay only unexpected maintenance. Probably around the 13 year mark.

I sold it after 15 years for VERY nearly what I paid. Go orange. Or maybe green. Avoid the Chinese stuff.

It's your money and you can spend it any way you want but I bought a 31 horse 4 cyl diesel Land Trac back in 2003. It has a Mitsubishi engine and made in Korea. That tractor has not cost me one single penny outside of maintenance over the last 16 years.

I would buy another in a heart beat except for the fact they went out of business a year or so after I bought it. Take a look at Tractorbynet. It's a great tractor forum and has a ton of information.

Here is a pic of my Land Trac loaded up with a brush hog on my trailer ready to go work.

All good advice above.

Stay with the Big Names. Which one should be based on the dealer: How far away, reputation for service after the sale, how long have they been around?

 
Check out TractorByNet forums for everything you'd ever want to know about compact tractors, not just Kubota, but all other brands as well.

Name brand US, or name brand from elsewhere in the world?

I have a Bobcat tractor (US company) made by Daedong (known as Kioti in the US) out of South Korea. They've been in business for a long time, and the tractor has been an excellent machine. Even John Deere has sourced out some of their production to other manufacturers.

The Rural King tractor that you're looking at isn't an "off brand" either. It is a private label TYM. They are also a South Korean manufacturer who assembles their machines sold in the US here in the US. They've only been in business since the 70's, but make many brands, some of which you've likely heard of. Same/similar machines with different stickers.

I bought a JD 3046R in June and it was made in Augusta, Georgia. I guess a 3 series may be bigger than what you are looking for, but I'm loving it so far!

I have a 25 year old Massey Ferguson, which is actually an Iseki from Japan. Great tractor, very reliable, tough and well made.

I also looked very seriously at Mahindra, which seem to have a pretty good reputation around here. I see a fair number of them working.

quote:

I also looked very seriously at Mahindra, which seem to have a pretty good reputation around here.

Some of which were built by TYM, the same manufacturer the OP is looking at.

Let me throw out a little different way of looking at tractors. Find the best dealer regardless of manufacturer. Nearly everyone makes a pretty good tractor these days. But your dealer will make or break you in regards to setup, servicing and parts. Find a good dealer first. BTW I have a Mahindra. Also I would strongly recommend 4W drive.

4WD is essential on a small tractor. They don't have the weight to put enough power to the ground to use implements without 4WD, and even then, they are sometimes lacking. They have more power to turn the wheels than they have contact patch, weight and traction to hook it up.

Get one with a cab. Doesn't add much to the new cost, and greatly increases comfort and safety.

Here ya go, just drive south about 5 hours.

https://louisville.craigslist....ours/6928984373.html

If you don't need the backhoe Kubota has a decent package deal running right now with one of their subcompacts.

After looking around the Kubota is surprisingly not that much more than the Rural King.
As stated, TYM in Korea makes many of the private labeled tractors and many parts of some of the "big" US tractor makers. Kubota makes all there own parts.
TYM seems to be the equivalent of MTD in the garden tractor market. Not saying they are bad.
For what the used older Kubota BX25 models are selling for I might as well buy a new BX23.
The resale is great, I may use it for a few years and then sell it.I suspect the resale on the Kubota will be significantly higher than a TYM made tractor.

Now to hunt for the best price. There does not seem to be a big discount offered off of list.

The thing that would concern me about buying a tractor from a big box store vs. a dealer is...Who is going to service it?

Take it back to Rural King and see how that works out for ya.

I think Scott from Big River Leather is a Kubota dealer. It might be worth hitting him up by email...