Agricultural tractors

[surreybloke]

I am thinking of buying the long term  g/f family an agricultural tractor for a small farm .   Her parents are long gone.     Call it a sort of sinsot.      Anyone got any thoughts on makes.   The orange ones look the most used.    I used to work on a horiticultural unit in the uk and remember using Kubotas.     Little experience on other small tractor manufacturers.    The local dealers had some second hand items.  I am guessing these could be repo s .    is there such a thing as farm auctions in Isaan.    I am sure there must be bailiff sales etc.         

[AndyAndyAndy]

Kubota 100% great choice.

[kickstart]

22 hours ago, surreybloke said:

I am thinking of buying the long term  g/f family an agricultural tractor for a small farm .   Her parents are long gone.     Call it a sort of sinsot.      Anyone got any thoughts on makes.   The orange ones look the most used.    I used to work on a horiticultural unit in the uk and remember using Kubotas.     Little experience on other small tractor manufacturers.    The local dealers had some second hand items.  I am guessing these could be repo s .    is there such a thing as farm auctions in Isaan.    I am sure there must be bailiff sales etc.         

Kubotas are good tractors, as you say a lot in dealers' yards are repos, but some are just secondhand tractors for sale, go in and ask 

If you have a large mug of coffee handy, they are a few tractor threads on this forum have look at them they should give you want you want to know.

My tractor is a secondhand import from Japan a Hino, you will know these they are Hino's, old Kubota's, the Sunshine rage seem good tractors, and some Isuzu god few of them about they just seem to keep going.

As far as I know no auctions or bailiff sales in Thailand. 

[HighPriority]

Do you mean a real tractor or one of the two wheel plow/trailer pullers ?

[In the jungle]

I use an old Kubota import.  Cost 80K in 2012 and it has given me 500 hours of very reliable service since then.

 

Imports are not for everyone as there is no parts backup in Thailand. 

[surreybloke]

yes a real   4 wheel    job 500k up        i see john deere  although I suspect they are something else with a JD  badge.   I also see small  New Holland stuff and yanmar iseki.       The kubota advantage to me is the possibility of patent parts/second hand parts.   I guess there are fitters around who have the skills to repair.       

[kickstart]

14 hours ago, In the jungle said:

I use an old Kubota import.  Cost 80K in 2012 and it has given me 500 hours of very reliable service since then.

 

Imports are not for everyone as there is no parts backup in Thailand. 

Wrong, my Hino and many other impot makes, can be repaired last time I had a new clutch pressure plate   fitted, you have just got to find the place selling the parts, in my local area I have 2 places you can get most parts for them.

Mine was 70 000 baht 17 years ago still runs ok it dose us, any problems a local guy can fit, the pressure plate and clutch thrust bearing cost me 2700 baht, he charged me 1200 baht in labor for fitting, and was for splitting the tractor.

 

Re JD tractors, they are genuine from America, some smaller models are made by Yanmar with a JD badge on, but none are for sale in Thailand.

[In the jungle]

9 minutes ago, kickstart said:

Wrong, my Hino and many other impot makes, can be repaired last time I had a new clutch pressure plate   fitted, you have just got to find the place selling the parts, in my local area I have 2 places you can get most parts for them.

Mine was 70 000 baht 17 years ago still runs ok it dose us, any problems a local guy can fit, the pressure plate and clutch thrust bearing cost me 2700 baht, he charged me 1200 baht in labor for fitting, and was for splitting the tractor.

 

Re JD tractors, they are genuine from America, some smaller models are made by Yanmar with a JD badge on, but none are for sale in Thailand.

 

I don't know how old your tractor is but parts may be more of an issue for my Kubota as it will be fifty two years old this year.  I have struck lucky with some parts.  For example when the rear axle seals needed replacing the part numbers cross referenced to those used on a Kubota produced in Thailand today.  Other parts have had to be made by a machine shop or adapted from other models.

 

We have a pretty good village tractor parts shop but most of what they have is for much bigger and younger tractors than mine.

 

Thankfully it has not needed that much in parts as it is pretty well designed and robust.

[kickstart]

9 hours ago, In the jungle said:

 

I don't know how old your tractor is but parts may be more of an issue for my Kubota as it will be fifty two years old this year.  I have struck lucky with some parts.  For example when the rear axle seals needed replacing the part numbers cross referenced to those used on a Kubota produced in Thailand today.  Other parts have had to be made by a machine shop or adapted from other models.

 

We have a pretty good village tractor parts shop but most of what they have is for much bigger and younger tractors than mine.

 

Thankfully it has not needed that much in parts as it is pretty well designed and robust.

I Know what you mean my Hino was made between 1976-1979, that would be classed as vintage now in the UK, along with all the Ford 5000's you see about.

It is 4-wheel drive, I have had problems with some bits, front wheel drive universal joint splines went on one side, so I just got the splined shaft, and my mate and his lathe sorted it out, a few things, like you, bearings and oil seals no problem, my local guy just puts his measuring calipers on them and comes back with the bits.

[In the jungle]

28 minutes ago, kickstart said:

I Know what you mean my Hino was made between 1976-1979, that would be classed as vintage now in the UK, along with all the Ford 5000's you see about.

It is 4-wheel drive, I have had problems with some bits, front wheel drive universal joint splines went on one side, so I just got the splined shaft, and my mate and his lathe sorted it out, a few things, like you, bearings and oil seals no problem, my local guy just puts his measuring calipers on them and comes back with the bits.

 

I guess our experience is probably similar.  Overall it has been positive.

 

For the OP I think a budget of 500K for a small farm is plenty but my main advice would be to match the tractor to the scale and nature of the work.  No point in buying some huge beast for, say, 20 Rai.  Another way I look at tractors is measuring the purchase price against farm annual income.  For my farm a 500K tractor would make no sense by that metric.

[it is what it is]

15 minutes ago, In the jungle said:

 

I guess our experience is probably similar.  Overall it has been positive.

 

For the OP I think a budget of 500K for a small farm is plenty but my main advice would be to match the tractor to the scale and nature of the work.  No point in buying some huge beast for, say, 20 Rai.  Another way I look at tractors is measuring the purchase price against farm annual income.  For my farm a 500K tractor would make no sense by that metric.

 

na, get the biggest one you can afford, they are awesome beasts!

[kickstart]

22 hours ago, In the jungle said:

 

I guess our experience is probably similar.  Overall it has been positive.

 

For the OP I think a budget of 500K for a small farm is plenty but my main advice would be to match the tractor to the scale and nature of the work.  No point in buying some huge beast for, say, 20 Rai.  Another way I look at tractors is measuring the purchase price against farm annual income.  For my farm a 500K tractor would make no sense by that metric.

Good point, how many farangs have brought a big tractor for more as a "boys toy", also what are going to grow, we rented some land a few years ago to grow maize, we used local guys to do the work, for maize you would need a 3 and 7 plough for land work, a drill machine for applying fertilizer and ridging up, and may be a sprayer.

Like you we only had 17 rie they is no way buying even very secondhand equipment would it be viable so as I said we used local guys for the work just used our own tractor for harrowing after the 3-disc plough and for harvesting the corn and when needed on a water pump for some irrigating, our 20 hp tractor is more than adequate for the job.

If the OP is going to grow some rice then say a 40 hp tractor could pay for itself equipment needed is less, but saying that our neighbor grows rice does all the work himself with his old 25 hp Kubota and a 2 wheeled Kwie Lec, walk behind tractor.

 If you had all your own equipment, you would need 100 rie ,which in English money is 40 acers, to make it pay, they are some bargains out they a dairy farmer friend I know has just brought a Ford 6600 and a 3 disc plough for 260k baht, that was cheap, but he also grows 50  rie of sugar cane so he could make it pay.

A lot of farmers will buy a big Ford then go contracting to help pay for the thing. 

[farmerjo]

You should look at what implements you want to use first,ploughs,power harrows,sprayer,post hole digger,water pumps,etc.

Two wheel drive or FWA,front blade and remote hydraulics.

Time spent in the field to do the job.

A lot of clay soil here so timing is everything.

Too wet or too dry.

Will it be stored in a shed,are rats a problem with chewing wiring harness's.

Will you have a pressure water cleaner,grease gun and air compressor to maintain tractor.

The Kubota 34 and 47 horsepower are most common around here although not unusual to see the tractor bonnets up from overheating,working to hard.

 

 

[IronByron]

We have a New Holland 5610 tractor that needs some work. Since I have been working overseas for the last 15 years nobody has been really looking after it (apart from using it). The work that needs to be done is mainly overdue maintanace, new tyres, new seat and so on. Can someone recommend a Ford - New Holland Dealer or a serious repair shop near Khon Kaen - Kalasin - Mahasarakham?

[surreybloke]

On 1/31/2024 at 7:15 AM, IronByron said:

We have a New Holland 5610 tractor that needs some work. Since I have been working overseas for the last 15 years nobody has been really looking after it (apart from using it). The work that needs to be done is mainly overdue maintanace, new tyres, new seat and so on. Can someone recommend a Ford - New Holland Dealer or a serious repair shop near Khon Kaen - Kalasin - Mahasarakham?

any half decent plant fitter should be ok  do not forget to grease the centre bearing on the front axle  often get neglected.    You need get an owners manual .   When were the filters last changes and the fuel filter drained.     Gearbox / transmission oil checked  ??   pto guard in good condition ??       

[IronByron]

On 2/9/2024 at 5:43 PM, surreybloke said:

any half decent plant fitter should be ok  do not forget to grease the centre bearing on the front axle  often get neglected.    You need get an owners manual .   When were the filters last changes and the fuel filter drained.     Gearbox / transmission oil checked  ??   pto guard in good condition ??       

I have a Ford Series 10 Tractor repair manual Vol. 1 and 2 in english. What I don´t have is time, since my question.

[surreybloke]

On 2/12/2024 at 12:38 PM, IronByron said:

I have a Ford Series 10 Tractor repair manual Vol. 1 and 2 in english. What I don´t have is time, since my question.

I meant that you should make sure a decent fitter carries out those tasks.    To be honest if you listed the tasks a bus /  hgv  fitter should be able to do most jobs.    I used do tractor servicing/repairs in a previous life.  I did notice a new new holland (ford) dealer being built recently on route 2 south of KK.      The annoying thing about dealers is that they will insist  on using NH branded spares etc.   

[kickstart]

On 3/1/2024 at 4:55 AM, surreybloke said:

I meant that you should make sure a decent fitter carries out those tasks.    To be honest if you listed the tasks a bus /  hgv  fitter should be able to do most jobs.    I used do tractor servicing/repairs in a previous life.  I did notice a new new holland (ford) dealer being built recently on route 2 south of KK.      The annoying thing about dealers is that they will insist  on using NH branded spares etc.   

The Ford 5610 was manufactured between 1988-91, about the same time as our main work horse the Ford 6610.

Finding someone to the job should not be too difficult ask your local tractor dealer about servicing Ford tractors.

I would have thought the 5610 and the 6610, would share some parts, my local spare parts place Carrey's most spare parts for Ford, and might find a lot are made here in Thailand. 

[IronByron]

The tractor that we have is a New Holland 5610 built in September 1997. It is very similar and in a lot of parts identical to the Ford 5610 and to the 6610. I agree with you that it is not difficult to find someone who claim that they can do the job. Unfortunately I have been disapointed more then once on these kind of repair jobs, both with tractors and cars. I have decided that I will do most of it myself.

[surreybloke]

or very closely supervised

[IronByron]

I am looking for a PTO driven wood chipper for our NH 5610 (70 horse power). Does anybody know suppliers for this type of equipment?

[kickstart]

Not easy to find, try patipong.com, they have a lot of chippers.