Buying A Tractor

[JohnCC]

I am a long time reader but first time poster to this forum. Buying a tractor seams to be a lot more difficult here in Thailand than back in the US. That is it is easy to buy but hard to find good information about pricing, performance and availability. We have about 15 rai in several parcels some growing rice and some cassava as well as other items. I would like to purchase a smaller tractor, 30-40HP, 4wd w/bucket loader, disc harrow and maybe rottary tiller. The Kubota lineup looks very nice but appears a little pricey by comparisson to what I have bought in US. I would expect to pay less here. The local dealer (Sakhon Nakon) is quoting me on an L3608 @454,000 Baht. The loader LA508 @ 172,000 Baht!!! (made in Georgia, USA). He then offers a small discount of about 10,000 Baht.

What is the conventional wisdom over here. New or used. How do you get fair pricing from local dealer, if there is such a thing. Are the dealers likely to be receptive to lower offers. I can handle most repairs so used equipment is a consideration. I will probably pay cash but I get the feeling that the dealer may actually earn a good part of his profit on overpriced financing packages that aren't beneficial to the buyer (7%+).

Would appreciate any experiences or insights our members may have in this area.

Thanks, John in Sakhon Nakon

[Rsquared]

G'day JohnCC, welcome to Thai Visa.

Not that I can be much help, but just to give you an idea.

About 2 years ago my wife (while I was still in Oz) spent about a week with her nephews literally driving 100's km around the place looking for a second hand tractor.

She settled on a Ford 6610 and we paid 350k Baht cash for that, which came with a 7 blade plough and flat blade at the front.

We have since also got a 3 blade plough and a slasher.

Probably a bit bigger than what you are looking for, but I questioned my nephews why go with Ford instead of Kobata.......in their opinion the Ford is more reliable and parts are cheaper.

Sorry can't be much more help.

Good luck with your search.

Cheers.

[Khonwan]

Hi JohnCC. I fully agree with Rsquared. Most Thais that I know only go for the new Kubotas because of the cheap finance – most would prefer a used Ford, which is what I have, but that would require cash or expensive finance. I would recommend renting a Ford as required by the rai for 15 rai though I appreciate that choosing to buy may be motivated by more than simple financials – it can be fun to drive!

Rgds

Khonwan

[Gary A]

I farmed in Ohio and Ford tractors were few and far between. I figured that since Fords were not at all popular that they were not that good.

Then I moved upcountry here in Thailand. I was quite surprised by the large number of 6600 series Ford tractors. After being up here in farm country I became absolutely amazed at how tough they were and that even the Thais were not able to kill them regardless of how bad they abused them. Believe me, they do hammer them in ways you would not believe.

I have to agree that they are the very best choice for a second hand tractor if you can put up with having a tractor that big. I have a small 31 HP four wheel drive Yanmar. I needed a tractor that was much smaller than the Ford for maneuverability and working small pieces of land. It is a good tractor and does what I want to do but cost more than a Ford in good condition.

[somo]

As Khonwan says unless you are buying it to have fun you should think again before buying as opposed to renting.

I farm about 40 rai and hire a tractor to plough, ridge and unearth the cassava

Each run costs 300 Baht so 900/rai/year. The 900 baht includes fuel and a driver so the tractor is costing less than 600/rai. For 40 rai = 24,000 No way I could justify spending 500K on a tractor. It would take over 20 years to get my money back. I also have no running/repair costs. On a purely business basis you probably need to farm about 150-200 rai to justify buying your own.

[jamescollister]

Well I would love to have a real tractor, can't afford one and really not that much need for one now, but ordered some plowing so we could put in some corn, chilli and melons [hobby farming] 6 weeks now and still waiting my turn. Rice planting is still on going round here, small jobs are way down the operators list of to do's. Jim

[JohnCC]

Thanks folks, I agree that the Fords are tough tractors and you get a lot for your money but having had 2 Kubotas in the US I have gotten used to having 4wd when needed. Also in the small rice fields a short 4wd tractor is very agile. I do agree that Kubota parts are overpriced. I look at this venture as a retirement hobby mostly to feed the family and have fun. The bucket loader as a farm tractor accessory is a rarity here but I find it hard to live without. Hopefully they will be made here one day.

John

[OOTAI]

JohnCC

I couldn't agree more with the responses so far. If you only have 15 rai it will never pay you back and most likely cause you grief, unless of course you can do the repairs yourself. My missus has a bit over a 100 rai and I bought a new tractor, a Euro 55DI with a front blade, a rotary, plus 2 disc ploughs. It was about 60,000 cheaper than the equivalent Kubota package but I wish i had gone with the Kubota as it is difficult to get parts for the Euro and I can't do the repairs myself. So the missus hates it because she has to do the work organising to get it fixed. The main issue is the double clutch and the way my BIL drives it.

So if you want a "toy" to play farmer with, like me, then by all means go for it. If you don't have your own then as Jim says you wait in the queue which gives me the shits as you never know for sure when they will actually come. Luckily my missus also hates being dicked around, so if they don't come when they said they would, she rings them up and sacks them and gets someone else.

My advice to you is have a look at the "JSSR auction" site on the net, their 2 sites are located in Bangkok. I've bought a few things from there and you shouldn't have an issue finding a small second hand tractor. They have a delivery service, for fee of course, but I considered it reasonable. I even seen a smal tractor with a front bucket in the latest line-up, not very flash looking but might be OK.

Good luck and remember if you're not having fun you're doing something wrong!

[Gary A]

All my adult life I have wanted a small four wheel drive diesel tractor with a front blade and a rotary tiller. When I told my wife I was going to buy one, she thought I was insane and told me that our Kubota tak tak was good enough. I bought one anyways and of course she was correct in that it would never pay for itself and actually is seldom used. I don't care, it is my toy and I enjoy it. She does use it to pull the bigger trailer loaded with sugar cane to the weigh station. The tak tak can't pull the that trailer loaded with five ton of cane. She does put two ton on the trailer that was built for a tak tak.

ADDED - I wanted a four wheel drive pickup for the farming so the tractor was cheaper and more useful. The tractor will go through mud that a pickup truck can't begin to go through.

Edited August 9, 2012 by Gary A

[jamescollister]

Boys toys, just like when I bought THE CHOPPER, wife says why. Have 7 work bikes for the plantations, a pickup, a SUV and the two wheel tractor. The roads are crap, but I wanted the bike. A lot cheaper then a tractor.

Have to say though, every time I see a tractor at the side of the road for sale, I have to stop and ask how much. One day a new toy will arrive, not this year I think.

Life is for living and toys are fun, enjoy them if you can. Jim

[JohnCC]

Yes, toys are definitely fun even if not profitable. The more I think about it you could never justify the cost on productivity but the enjoyment value can't be matched. For brute power plowing I will still hire a local with a big machine but to move a meter of dirt here or there when you need it a small tractor and loader can't be beat, and no locals have a loader. It's just that the western puritanical mind set makes it hard to part with the money. I will definitely enjoy the tractor more than seeing the money in the bank at 0.4%interest. I've almost talked myself into it. Now it's just getting the best price.

John in Sakhon Nakon

[oldestswinger]

JCC: About 2 years ago we bought a Kubota L3608 for around the price you were quoted. The price included a front blade, a 6-disc harrow (now converted to a 5-disc), a rotary tiller, and a 2-blade ridger for the cassava.

[oldestswinger]

I should have mentioned that I paid 300,000 baht cash and the balance was paid interest-free over 2 years.

[JohnCC]

oldestswinger, regarding your purchase: What province did you buy in? Was dealer willing to negotiate? Do you know what you paid for each item or was it bundled together? Did they offer the deal for big down-payment and then 0% over 2 years or was that your suggestion. I don't really know how they do business around here.

L3608 tractor 454K Baht

LA508 loader 172K

DH 226 6-disc 33.9K

RX163 1.6m tiller 53K

Discount 20K (not his final price he says)

In US small tractors give dealer higher margin than big ones so i figure probably the same here. Maybe more room to negotiate? Would appreciate any thoughts on this.

Thanks, John

[Samlula]

JohnCC,

I have owned kubota machines here in Thailand for the past 8 years. I have had various different models and machines, Tractors ranging from the B2420 up the M108s and the rice harvestors DC60 to the DC95. In total I have had 17 machines and in all that time, the only machine i had a problem with was the M105s with the backend hydraulics overheating (this ended up being caused by a faulty valve in the system). I think the kubota machines are pretty robust, but again, it is like any machine, it depends how you drive them and maintain them. I actually have the L3608 with the front loader. The loader as you say is made in the US but the bucket is made in Thailand. The main issue with these small tractors and loaders is stability, you need to be real carefull turning or on uneven land if the bucket is full and the loader is raised. I filled the back "weight bucket" that comes with the tractor full of concrete, the weight definitly helps, but you still need to watch what you are doing. Overall, it is a great small tractor and the loader hydraulic response is very smooth and easy.Also for taking the loader completey off, is simple and fast, less than 5 minutes.

The price that the guy quoted you i think is a little high, the price was 439,000 baht for the tractor, the loader for sure is 172,000 baht. Yo need to ask him what promotions Kubota are giving at the moment, Kubota have various promotions going on and they change monthly. SKL which is Kubota finance, have many different options you can choose from, 50% down, then pay the remaining 50% 1 year after, monthly, 6 monthly etc.

As for the implements, i think this is where the dealers can make money, i have always found that farm implements are very expensive and the prices vary way too much between different dealers..

You may know already, but Kubota also supply the L4708 with the loader, this may be a little large for what your needs are and obviously more expensive.

Fords are, as stated tough and reliable tractors, the ones we had back in the UK were anyway, but personaly for me here in Thailand, I will stay with Kubota, one problem in 8 years out of 17 machines is not bad going in my book.

My Kubota dealer is in Amnat Charoen.

Regards

[JohnCC]

Yes, stability is a concern. With a short wheelbase and a big bucket that lifts up to 3 meters it could be quite dangerous. As my Kubota dealer in the US told me many years ago when I bought my first Kubota "Dump high carry low". I don't know if Kubota in Thailand offers ROP's. Probably a good investment. As I get older I value my life more.

Any problems with under carriage? I noticed there are no protective guards on tie rods and a lot of control mechanisms are hanging down low.

Thanks, John

[Samlula]

I have had no problems with the undercarriage, but again, the tractor does not do any paddy work as such, it is used only for cattle feeding, straw bales and the odd jobs around the farm. I have used the L34 and L47 pretty hard in the paddies and again had no issues with them. If i were to use the L36 in the paddy, I would probably take the front loader off first, especially in the wet fields. Kubota say the their tractors come with ROP, I have been fortunate enough that i have never had to see if it actually works!...

I see there is a Yanmar with a loader for sale on TV, but i have absolutley no knowledge on these types of tractors.

[oldestswinger]

JCC:

I'm in Korat. I bought through the dealer in Huaythalaeng.

The deal was for all the items together. I'm afraid I'm not sure what the items cost individually.

As I recall, the price was not negotiable, although my recollection may not be correct. I do remember the dealer giving my wife 1 baht of gold. Not sure what the price was at that time.

They asked how i wanted to pay. I said I had 300k cash. They said that, if I could pay the balance over 2 years (by 4 equal payments), Kubota Leasing would not charge interest.

Hope that helps.

[mixedbreed]

I posted this back in 2009, after reading back through it i think my thoughts haven't changed that much.

All 4 tractors are still performing well. I purchased a small excavator and front loader, which has taken alot of the load off the tractors.

My Thailand tractor experiences.

Just thought I would put out my experiences, I am not advocating these brands but trying to give you my experiences. I am a slow mover and some of these decisions have taken years to be decided.

My first tractor purchased in Thailand was the Ford 6610 (It came with new paint and tires) the rest of the machine is probably 30 years old. It is an incredible work horse. We have one operator for it, who treats it carefully, But there is generally one major problem each year, be it transmission, PTO, oil leak etc. Considering the huge amount of work it performs, it is not surprising. But as others have pointed out, due to parts availability and knowledge of the old Ford, the team generally repair it overnight and it is back operating next day.

The Ford is operated up till the time of the first rains and after that it is parked till next dry season. It gets stuck just looking at a puddle.

For general around the farm work we next purchased a Yanmar 28hp 4wd, it came with a small blade and front loader that could be switched out easily. Due to very limited experience at this time, we purchased a rotary for it that we felt would be fine, It was actually just 1 size too big, most of the time it would be no problem, but in some of the paddies it would bog down the engine and they would have to operate it with the rotary partially lifted to bring the rpm’s back up.

It was at this time Yanmar (Thailand) gave us a trial version 35hp 4wd tractor for 6 months to use. The rotary worked perfectly on this machine. It was when they came to take the tractor back, that we realized that probably we should go ahead and purchase a unit for ourselves, so that is how we ended up with the 2 yanmars. They operate extremely well, they do our 150 rai of paddies and also contract outside. With the 2 tractors and a 12 meter manila rope, they perform very well, if one should get stuck, a quick pull from the other and it is operating again in just a few minutes. We bought the extender steel wheels for both tractors, but never use them.

For the last 4 years, I have been looking for an alternative to the old Ford, I have visited the John Deere and New Holland dealers many times, looked at purchasing a second old (reconditioned) Ford 6610, as a back up, in my mind I just couldn’t justify the costs. In dealing with Kubota for the DC60 Rice harvester I became familiar with the M7040, so after 1 year of thinking about it, we have just gone ahead and purchased it. The tractor will get a solid work out in the next 3 months while it is still in warranty.

We now have an excavator for things like tree stumps, klong building etc.

Summary:

• Ford 6610, almost indestructible, we have managed to break ours, but it was doing work that should never have been attempted by a tractor. Now we have the proper equipment eg. Excavator, Front loader. I expect it to be much more trouble free. 2wd and only used in the dry season.

• Yanmar 28hp 4wd. With the front loader attached, this is the daily work horse for all the farm chores, with a small trailer attached it does everything, all year round. (hauling people, fence posts, pipes, concrete etc) We purchased a new smaller rotary for it and is excellent each year for use in the rice paddies.

• Yanmar 35hp 4wd. This machine is used for operating all the attached equipment, silage making, hay baler, post hole digger, rotary, brush cutter, virtually all the PTO equipment has been sized for this tractor. Used all year round.

• Kubota 70hp 4wd. I have big expectations for this tractor. The M series looks like a real tractor, as opposed to the smaller L and B series, (They probably are good machines, I just never had a good feeling about them). I will keep the Ford and share the annual load between both machines. During the last couple of weeks we have been using the Kubota for knocking down the rice paddy walls to get the harvesters in and also for pulling out the harvesters when they get stuck. It has been accomplishing this easily.

We have paid cash for these machines, buying just the basic machine and going outside for the attachments, blades, plows, etc. It involves waiting a bit while someone else fits the attachments but generally we are not in a hurry. With the new Kubota, we have purchased the blade from the dealer (Buri Ram), when he realized that we where serious about not purchasing the attachments he actually matched the price for the outside blade. He would not budge on the plow price. It appears he has some flexibility on the blade but is constricted on the plow.

[Gary A]

I have the Yanmar EF 312. It is a 31 HP three cylinder diesel and four wheel drive. I think it is more advanced than the Kubota because it has a feature called synchroshift. I can go from forward to reverse by shifting a steering column lever up or down. That is very handy when using the dozer blade or the rotary tiller. I was comfortable buying the Yanmar because John Deere in the US buys all their small tractors from Yanmar. They are pretty much bullet proof.

A friend of mine told me that Kubota now has the same option. When I was shopping, it was not available.

[linno2]

I purchased the Kubota M7040 about 3 years ago - the first Kubota in the village and the first of this size in the district. What have I learned? A major consideration re the choice of tractor is the type of soil it has to work. I am near PhiMai in Nakhon Ratchasima and it has a high clay content and is very very sticky or like concrete. Being a more powerful 4WD gives us much more work in the district than the 2WD tractors - especially the iron horse Fords that are extra heavy. The first rotary tiller was rubbish made in Pitsanulok - couldn't cope with Phi Mai sticky. The second one much better and allegedly now produced by Kubota. The tractor has worked hard in these conditions and has had problems with the 4WD change on the fly system, gearbox, the hydrolic system, the injectors. We have worn out the front tyres, battery replaced and a new clutch and pressure plate - normal wear. Our absolute major problem has been getting spare parts. Kubota has continuously let us down, even with things like bearings. The price is also very high for locally manufactured Kubota parts and the M7040 is the least catered for by the large local agent. The floods of course made a very bad supply problem absolute - there was no phone contact from Kubota re the parts. No response from Kubota Japan (calls and emails) when we were seeking help about sourcing parts.

We have had to be creative and with some success. We sourced all the bearings through non Kubota labelled but identical specification bearings. Friction plate for the clutch was from a truck. The failed hydraulic pump spindle was made from a cut down version of another truck component (sized up on the lathe). Now there are numerous aftermarket service kits appearing on the market - again not with a Kubota logo but so far they have worked. Still unable to buy some components for the hydrochange spacers and a changer yoke. The badly worn yoke was 'rebuilt' with layers of weld and hand filed to the new specification and we have heard about a process that can rebond the friction surface on the spacers - still trying to find the place. Getting a parts manual is a must (cannot buy one from Siam Kubota) but can download in English from US parts suppliers and the part numbers seem to be the same. Also found a tyre supplier that was selling identical product for 40% cheaper than Kubota so shop around. Service charges are very high as well and doing as much as we can has helped a lot. The per km transport costs also add up quickly. We find that many other Kubota owners have the same service problems with smaller models. One poor local farmer has been waiting for over 1 year for parts to fix his tractor, and this is with the Kubota agent conducting the repair!

In summary the Kubota is much less thirsty than the large fords and has a greater scope of work in difficult situations. It is powerful and technically more refined (a much more recent design). My main disappointment is the seeming disinterest in helping us to keep it on the road. 'i on promise at the time of sale - low on delivery once we had purchased it. Having said that we will probably buy the M6040 later this year - the word is that it "has been designed for Thailand". It is technically dumbed down substantially. e.g. no on the fly shifting between 4 and 2WD. Unfortunately they do not supply a bucket for it - I really would like to get a 4 in one - but will need to go to another supplier for this implement. I have been looking to import parts from the US as they are all for sale on line - but the horror stories of Thai customs has lessened my enthusiasm so far.

In Australia I have a truly bullet proof 45 year old MF135 with the the 3 cylinder Perkins - what a legend!

Any helpful info on keeping the M7040 alive in Thailand would be very welcome! Happy farming!

Cheers

[Gary A]

I would think that shift on the fly four wheel drive is a waste. The only time I take my little Yanmar out of four wheel drive is when traveling from home to the farms and back. I do use the differential lock regularly but the brakes can serve the same purpose.

I have no idea how expensive or available Yanmar parts are because I have been lucky so far and have had no problems.

I think an option to a front loader would be to build a sort of bucket to attach to the blade. It wouldn't lift very high but likely would be quite handy. I would guess that the front of the bucket with the blade lifted to maximum would be about high enough to be level with the lowered tailgate of a pickup truck. They do make a bucket that attaches to the three point hitch. The problem with the three point hitch bucket is that there is no down pressure.

Edited August 12, 2012 by Gary A

[Samlula]

Linno2,

I used to have both the M7040 and the M6040, just a few of my personal views on these tractors:

The M7040 i would class as a fair tractor, It was dissappointing that they did not put the synchroshift on the machine, although they put the forward / reverse shift beside the steering wheel but still having to clutch all the time. As for the shift on the fly for 2 -4WD, I did not know that the Thai machines had this, One of the guys who works for me decided to put one of the tractors into 4WD as he was moving slowly and i heard a loud clunk, so he was told not to that again !, i know that the US machines have the shift on the fly. Same goes with the Diff lock, do not try to engage that with the wheels spinning nor with the front wheels at a full turning radius, one of the neighbours did this and cost him a fortune on repairs (L3408). By your mail, you seem to have had a lot of repairs / wear and tear on the M7040, i only kept my M7040 for about 1 year but had no problems in that time, although this cannot be a comparison with 3 years on your M7040.

Kubota never give Thailand the exact same model as the US or UK, cutting out certain features most likely to make their machines cheaper. A prime example of this is their KX-080 excavator, the Thai spec has done away with the swing boom, arm rests, refueling pump along with some other features, most of the items that made the overseas KX-080 best in its class. I ended up having Kubota import me a Canadian spec KX-080 beacuse of the that.

As for spare parts manual, Kubota will give you that if you push them hard enough, i am offshore at the moment, but i am sure i have the parts manual for the M7040 at home, if i have, you are more than welcome to it. Kubota dealers need to be constantly pressured if you want anything done, and i mean constantly, as in a daily basis, i found that out the hard way. If a buy a new machine from my dealer now, the first thing he does is set down the parts manual and and A4 piece of paper in front of me, he knows that i will automatically order critical spares with the machine. Kubota BKK were in a major bind with spares, during and after the floods, although they were attempting to take shipments in from Japan during this, they still had major issues, no-one including Kubota had a plan "B" for floods.

As for the M6040, I was not impressed with it at all, it is good to look at, but my M5000 i had at the time was performing just as well. I was told a few months back that Kubota were stopping production of the M6040, so there may be a new model coming to replace that machine.

Again, this is just my opinion, your best bet would be to get Kubota to give you a M6040 demonstrator for a few days.

Regards

[jubby]

I have a Kubota 3408. had it about five years, only got a few hundred hours on the Clock So it would be classed as a Toy by most of you .

The thing is I need it. Its my only reliable 'worker'. and always available when I need it. Should last a good 20 years +. It can cut as much grass in 30 mins as a guy with a brushcutter can cut in a day or me in 2 days.

Its does the Lawns so I don't need a ride on mower, and it cleans between the trees on most of about 40 Rai. I get someone to tidy up where the tractor can't go. and it goes where a big ford certainly couldn't. You can reverse up a very steep incline to the point of spinning all fourwheels. drop the front spade and the rear slasher and your going nowhere. Then cut on the descent.

I think I'd have a Guy constantly using a brushcutter for 6 months of the year without it.

Sometimes you just need to get things done rather than wait in a queue for the Tractor man. I'm just tidying up as I may have some work abroad shortly.

My Neighbour has the latest version with some sort of syncro shift. I think the Tractor is the only way he can get to his land this time of year. I tried to visit him a couple of weeks ago on my Kawasaki KLX250 and failed.

[linno2]

Linno2,

I used to have both the M7040 and the M6040, just a few of my personal views on these tractors:

The M7040 i would class as a fair tractor, It was dissappointing that they did not put the synchroshift on the machine, although they put the forward / reverse shift beside the steering wheel but still having to clutch all the time. As for the shift on the fly for 2 -4WD, I did not know that the Thai machines had this, One of the guys who works for me decided to put one of the tractors into 4WD as he was moving slowly and i heard a loud clunk, so he was told not to that again !, i know that the US machines have the shift on the fly. Same goes with the Diff lock, do not try to engage that with the wheels spinning nor with the front wheels at a full turning radius, one of the neighbours did this and cost him a fortune on repairs (L3408). By your mail, you seem to have had a lot of repairs / wear and tear on the M7040, i only kept my M7040 for about 1 year but had no problems in that time, although this cannot be a comparison with 3 years on your M7040.

Kubota never give Thailand the exact same model as the US or UK, cutting out certain features most likely to make their machines cheaper. A prime example of this is their KX-080 excavator, the Thai spec has done away with the swing boom, arm rests, refueling pump along with some other features, most of the items that made the overseas KX-080 best in its class. I ended up having Kubota import me a Canadian spec KX-080 beacuse of the that.

As for spare parts manual, Kubota will give you that if you push them hard enough, i am offshore at the moment, but i am sure i have the parts manual for the M7040 at home, if i have, you are more than welcome to it. Kubota dealers need to be constantly pressured if you want anything done, and i mean constantly, as in a daily basis, i found that out the hard way. If a buy a new machine from my dealer now, the first thing he does is set down the parts manual and and A4 piece of paper in front of me, he knows that i will automatically order critical spares with the machine. Kubota BKK were in a major bind with spares, during and after the floods, although they were attempting to take shipments in from Japan during this, they still had major issues, no-one including Kubota had a plan "B" for floods.

As for the M6040, I was not impressed with it at all, it is good to look at, but my M5000 i had at the time was performing just as well. I was told a few months back that Kubota were stopping production of the M6040, so there may be a new model coming to replace that machine.

Again, this is just my opinion, your best bet would be to get Kubota to give you a M6040 demonstrator for a few days.

Regards

Thanks for the offer of the manual for the M7040 - I have an e copy so OK now. Re the M6040 thanks big time for the intel. I will wait to see what comes out in the near future. I agree the shift on the fly is a luxury but even the M7040 gets bogged and the 4WD is used so many times. Happy tractoring!

[Tanaka]

oldestswinger, regarding your purchase: What province did you buy in? Was dealer willing to negotiate? Do you know what you paid for each item or was it bundled together? Did they offer the deal for big down-payment and then 0% over 2 years or was that your suggestion. I don't really know how they do business around here.

L3608 tractor 454K Baht

LA508 loader 172K

DH 226 6-disc 33.9K

RX163 1.6m tiller 53K

Discount 20K (not his final price he says)

In US small tractors give dealer higher margin than big ones so i figure probably the same here. Maybe more room to negotiate? Would appreciate any thoughts on this.

Thanks, John

I am looking at the 4708 model and maybe some of this equipment is different for this model. The 6 disc plower is called DH 246 and I was quoteed 32,9K. The loader is the same, the dealer in Udon priced the bigger 1,8m2 L588 to 172500.

[JohnCC]

Tanaka,

What price are they asking on 4708? The 4708 is definitely a more robust configuration.

John

[JohnCC]

Thanks for all the help everyone. Looks like we finally decided on Kubota L3608 with loader. Its a nice small tractor with a short wheel base that works well in small rice fields and bamboo. I appreciate all of the input and ideas. Its a big investment and need to consider all the options. Looked at Yanmar also but the loader they offer is the same price as Kubota and a really poorly designed option. The demo we tried had already broken and the hydraulics looked like they would probably last about 1 year. Tempted to buy the next size up Kubota but I really need a smaller tractor.

Thanks, John

[Canada]

Well I would love to have a real tractor, can't afford one and really not that much need for one now, but ordered some plowing so we could put in some corn, chilli and melons [hobby farming] 6 weeks now and still waiting my turn. Rice planting is still on going round here, small jobs are way down the operators list of to do's. Jim

That's the problem with hiring tractors and precisely why I just bought one. We have waited in line only to be thwarted by rain when it was our turn. Probably the biggest issue for us so far has been getting the tractor work done at the right time.

[Livinginexile]

I just bought a second hand tractor. This one cost 220,000 with the plough.

My new toy

Oops....no attachment

Edited November 22, 2012 by Livinginexile