Buyer's Guide - Small Farm Equipment

Author: Alice

Oct. 28, 2024

Buyer's Guide - Small Farm Equipment

The word is spreading about mini round balers. Once a rare oddity, many small farmers are finding that they are the best choice for getting their hay in the barn. The mini round baler works on the same principle as its bigger cousin, rolling the hay inside a chamber until it reaches a certain size, and then wrapping the bale with either twine or net and ejecting it out the rear of the machine.

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The size of a mini round bale is roughly the same as the small square bales most people are used to seeing. They generally weigh 40-55 pounds and can be easily lifted by one person.

The mini round baler can be connected to the tractor either by the 3-point hitch or by a drawbar. Another feature to look for with a mini round baler is whether it has gathering wheels on the sides of the pickup. Because of their diminutive size, their actual pickup width is only about 30 inches or so. This requires you to make a fairly small windrow. With gathering wheels, the effective pickup width is increased by half again as much. That means you can rake a bigger windrow, reducing the number of passes through the field with both your rake and your baler.

Be sure to check what connections to the tractor are required for each brand of mini round baler. Some balers require connection to the tractor&#;s electrical system. Some use the tractor&#;s hydraulics for lifting the tailgate to dump the bale. Most tractors these days have hydraulics available, so this may not be not a big deal, but it is an additional connection to make. The only brand on the market that has both self-contained hydraulics AND electrical system is the Ibex baler. It only requires connection to the PTO shaft to power everything.

Most mini round balers also are available with the option of wrapping the bale in netting rather than string. There are a few advantages to net wrap. First, the binding process is much faster with net wrap, since the bale only has to turn 2 to 3 times rather than 8 to 12 in order to be wrapped. That means you are stopped for a shorter period of time while the bale is being wrapped, increasing production rate by 25% or more. Second, net wrap provides excellent protection to the bale against rain. Studies have shown that net wrap bales left outdoors for extended periods still only have spoilage in the first inch of the bale. This means the urgency of getting the bales out of the field and in the barn is reduced. Third, if the bales will be handled multiple times, net wrap will hold the bale together better, with less material loss. This can be especially important in the pine straw industry.

The main advantage of twine wrap is economy. Mini round balers use standard twine which is readily available at most farm stores and is fairly inexpensive. The cost per bale with twine is around 10 cents versus around 25 cents for net wrap. One other advantage of twine wrap is for the farmer who wants to leave the bales in the field for grazing animals to eat through the winter. This used to be a common practice for farmers who baled with the Allis-Chalmers Rotobaler. The bales from the last baling of the season would be left where they were dropped in the field. Animals grazing in the field could nudge the bales to roll them over, exposing fresh hay. Natural sisal or hemp twine was used which rotted off the bale over time, allowing the grazing animals to get to the interior of the bale.

Figure 3 shows several criteria that might be used to decide between net and string wrap.

The Complete Kubota Compact Tractor Buying Guide

The Complete Kubota Compact Tractor Buying Guide

Posted By:

Mike Kunert

Kubota compact tractors are legendary for power, performance, and reliability, but with so many to choose from, how do you know which is right for you? Whether you&#;re brush hogging through the Wisconsin wilderness or building the home of your dreams from the ground-up, having the right tractor is vital to getting the job done. Check out our guide to learn which Kubota tractor is the best fit for your next project!

Why Do You Need a Compact Tractor?

Tractors are highly versatile machines and critical pieces of outdoor power equipment, but some are better suited for certain tasks than others. In what conditions are you going to be using yours? Are you digging a sewer main through hard asphalt on a construction project, hauling seedlings across the dusty fields of a farm, or ripping out stumps and boulders on a new plot of land?

While there are plenty of tasks perfectly suited for a tractor, unfortunately, their large size often does become an issue. That&#;s where compact tractors come in. Kubota began developing compact tractors in the &#;70s for the Japanese market, which was dominated by smallholding farmers with plots of land typically only about 5 to 10 acres in size. They had a need for a small, powerful tractor that took up little storage space, and Kubota was eager to oblige.

Today&#;s compact tractors typically range anywhere from around 30 to nearly 70 horsepower and take up less space than their larger siblings. Subcompact tractors are even smaller and may have around 25 horsepower or less, but can work in even smaller areas that are unsuitable for larger tractors. Choosing the right Kubota compact tractor for the job can be hard, but it will make all the difference and help you get the most out of your machine. Find out when you might need a tractor and which Kubota could best help you.

Yard Work

Are you doing some light (but still heavy) yard work? A Kubota compact tractor could help with the following:

  • Moving dirt and plants

  • Hauling firewood and tree limbs

  • Knocking down trees and removing stumps

  • Removing boulders 

  • Dumping gravel

  • Spreading seeds or fertilizer

  • Mowing grass

Farm and tractor are a timeless match, and the Kubota B compact and BX Series sub-compact tractors are particularly suited for the tasks you&#;ll face on one. However, they&#;re also excellent for smaller holdings and can even double as beefy, no-nonsense mowers. A mid-mount mower can attach to the bottom of your Kubota tractor, letting you tame any yard in a pinch.

Construction

Tractors aren&#;t just for the farm &#; they can be powerful additions to any construction site. Your Kubota could help with the following:

  • Trenching

  • Loading and hauling materials

  • Excavation

  • Landscaping

Construction sites require a heavy-duty piece of machinery, and the Kubota Tractor Loader Backhoes are built for the job. The TLB Series features several different models, including the 24.3 HP B26, the 47.1 HP L47, and the 63.0 HP M62. While Kubota doesn&#;t specifically market the TLB Series as compact tractors, they technically qualify based on size and horsepower. The primary difference is the TLB Series features much more steel for holding larger implements than the other compact tractors, making them ready to take on any job.

Brush Hogging

Trying to clear brush to get your land ready for farming, construction, hunting, or another use? You could use a Kubota to help with tasks such as:

  • Clearing dead and overgrown brush

  • Removing vegetation while preserving the health of soils

  • Making way for greater biodiversity on your land

  • Cutting back saplings

The key to brush hogging is to make sure your attachments have enough power to hack through anything in their way. This makes the Kubota L and M Series tractors the ideal choice for brush clearing. Why? Each of these tractors has a Power Take-Off (PTO) shaft, which can more efficiently transfer power from the engine to the attachment, allowing your Kubota to really put its back into it.

Digging and Tilling

Tractors aren't just for hauling, they&#;re great for digging and tilling, too. You can set your Kubota loose in the dirt when you&#;re doing any of the following:

  • Grounds maintenance

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  • Residential landscaping

  • Gardening

  • Light farming

The Land Pride implements are excellent for tilling and seeding, whether you&#;re hobby farming or running an industrial operation. With their high power and incredible torque, Kubota&#;s L Series tractors are especially suited to utilizing them. Kubota&#;s TLB Series tractors are also ideally suited for digging, as are the BSU tractors, the most powerful of the B Series.

Material Handling

Nothing can haul a ton in a pinch like a tractor. Kubota tractors are adept at material handling, especially the following:

  • Transporting seedlings, soil, and fertilizer

  • Moving trees and limbs

  • Hauling bricks or cement

The BX or B models are excellent for acting as wheelbarrows on your worksite. They can attach a wide array of implements to their three-point hitch, making them highly versatile and ready to move whatever you need them to.

Property Maintenance

A tractor could be just what you need to keep up with property maintenance. A Kubota could help you with the following:

  • Landscaping

  • Groundskeeping

  • 10+ acre property maintenance

Kubota L Series tractors are especially capable of maintaining large properties. They can fit Land pride attachments and bring 30 - 50 HP wherever you need it. With an airy, comfortable cabin complete with contoured suspension seating, you won&#;t break your back even when you&#;re giving it your all.

Kubota Tractor Series and Models

There are different types of Kubota tractors with features that make each better suited to a particular set of tasks and operating conditions. Check them out to find the right one for your next job!

Kubota&#;s Tractor Loader Backhoe Series consists of three different models that combine the raw power and reliability of Kubota diesel engines with the utility and versatility of a compact tractor. Kubota TLBs include backhoe and loader attachments that make these tractors ideal for material handling, digging, landscaping, and trenching. The TLB Series consists of three main models: the B26, L47, and M62.

Kubota&#;s L Series tractors offer Kubota power at an affordable price. Known for their comfort and ergonomic controls, operators can enjoy contoured seats and an airy cabin with large gauges for easy monitoring. They're also built to last with steel construction and with diesel engines from the world&#;s #1 producer in its class. They also can handle a wide variety of attachments, including mowers, rotary tillers, and cutters from Land Pride.

Kubota&#;s Grand L Series takes everything about the L series and scales it up. The Grand L is the only Kubota tractor in its class to feature a Kubota Cab. It features greater ergonomic features, such as a tilt steering wheel, greater legroom, and a deluxe suspension seat. Thanks to its larger size, it can also handle larger implements than the smaller L model and features an optional mid-mount PTO, the only one in its class to do so. 

Kubota&#;s LX Series tractors were designed to be compact crossovers that combined the size of the power and capability of the L series with the small, agile chassis of the B series. LX series Kubota tractors offer anywhere from 24.9 to 30.8 of gross horsepower from a Kubota diesel engine. They can handle residential and commercial tasks just as well and can operate in hostile environments thanks to their tough Goodyear® R14 crossover tires.

Kubota&#;s BX Series sub-compact tractors have all of the features you&#;d want in a tractor in a small package. BX tractors include four-wheel drive, power steering, a three-point hitch, and a diesel engine, but are exceptionally nimble due to their size. The three-point hitch is also controlled by a quarter wrenching valve, allowing for simple and easy control. If you&#;ve got a smaller property but still want the capabilities of a larger tractor, the BX could be right for you.

The Kubota B Series compact tractors can be seen as a more robust take on the BX Series machines. B Series tractors offer more - more capability in its regular position control three-point hitch, more clearance to work in harsher terrain, a larger hydraulic system to lift and haul heavier loads, and a little more horsepower to tie it all together. These are the tractors you&#;ll want for the toughest jobs, from construction and agriculture to ranching and landscaping.

Check Out Our Inventory of Kubota Tractors at Powersports Wisconsin!

A Kubota tractor can transform your worksite, so it helps to have expert assistance when choosing one. At Powersports Wisconsin, we carry a wide tractor selection, including the following: 

  • Agriculture

  • Utility

  • Economy utility

  • Specialty

  • Tractor-loader-backhoe

  • Compact

  • Sub-compact

Check out our inventory of Kubota tractors today if you&#;re considering making a purchase. We can answer any questions you might have about Kubota tractor prices, the performance of individual models, and which one could be best suited to your needs. Contact us today to help you find the right one!


Mike Kunert is the general manager of Powersports Company. He is very passionate about the powersports and outdoor equipment industry. He does everything from sales to service at the store. With 23+ years in the powersports/outdoor equipment industry and many OEM factory certifications, he has a lot of knowledge about the industry.

 

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