Buying A Tractor

[Livinginexile]

Sorry....here it is.

[Tanaka]

Tanaka,

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

John

Sorry John, I have not been here for a while. The 4708 was 585.000 in 2011 and they upped it last year to around 625.000 I think it was. Have not visited the dealer in a while so not sure about actual price now.

[Canada]

I haven't read all of the posts yet, but so far, agree with most. 15 rai is not much land to justify owning a tractor but as Jim points out, relying on someone to come and do it for you can be frustrating. This was our experience and what led to us buying a tractor. Even at 100 rai, hiring out would be a lot cheaper. I am not a great mechanic so buying new was my choice. I compared different Kubota models and dealerships with each other and with Ford /New Holland. I bought Ford eventually as I see them continually taking abuse from Thais and still running. I did learn that Ford has considerably lower interest rates than Kubota for financing. Financing was an option for us but we eventually chose to pay cash. New Holland does have available smaller hp 4wd tractors. I would consider these if you are considering Kubota. A drawback of the New Holland is the parts stores seem to be a little far from me. Ford 6610 parts are not interchangeable with New Holland 6610S parts. Not even the oil filter.

My tractor was expensive and not a wise financial decision. But my work gets done on time (which is important) and I have a lot of fun on it.

[Gary A]

Sorry....here it is.

Good luck with the little Yanmar. Mine is that exact same tractor but mine has the smaller engine, 30 HP while yours is 35 HP. Mine has been trouble free for five years.

[Livinginexile]

Sorry....here it is.

Good luck with the little Yanmar. Mine is that exact same tractor but mine has the smaller engine, 30 HP while yours is 35 HP. Mine has been trouble free for five years.

Nice!!

Say....do you have trouble changing from forward to reverse gear?

Sometimes I need to juggle the gears around, pump the clutch, to get the thing into reverse!

Other than that, really good tractor for it's size.

Edited January 14, 2013 by Livinginexile

[Gary A]

Sorry....here it is.

Good luck with the little Yanmar. Mine is that exact same tractor but mine has the smaller engine, 30 HP while yours is 35 HP. Mine has been trouble free for five years.

Nice!!

Say....do you have trouble changing from forward to reverse gear?

Sometimes I need to juggle the gears around, pump the clutch, to get the thing into reverse!

Other than that, really good tractor for it's size.

The synchro shift lever on the steering column moves easily and I have never had any problems with it. No grinding of gears and no pumping the clutch. It is the reason I bought the Yanmar rather than the Kubota. It's really handy for working in small rice paddies and when using the dozer blade. Forward to reverse with a single easy move of the lever.

[Livinginexile]

Sorry....here it is.

Good luck with the little Yanmar. Mine is that exact same tractor but mine has the smaller engine, 30 HP while yours is 35 HP. Mine has been trouble free for five years.

Nice!!

Say....do you have trouble changing from forward to reverse gear?

Sometimes I need to juggle the gears around, pump the clutch, to get the thing into reverse!

Other than that, really good tractor for it's size.

The synchro shift lever on the steering column moves easily and I have never had any problems with it. No grinding of gears and no pumping the clutch. It is the reason I bought the Yanmar rather than the Kubota. It's really handy for working in small rice paddies and when using the dozer blade. Forward to reverse with a single easy move of the lever.

Thanks for that, I'm going to get a tractor mechanic to have a look at it.

Other than that, really good, handy machine to have around, great for slashing!

[Monkeypants]

Sorry to Hijack but....

I am wanting one of them old small tractors, retailing about 40,000 baht, just to cut my grass and plough 6 /7 rai or so every now and again, just to keep the weeds down.It wouldn't be used for heavy work, anything to lookout for on these old machines?

[Livinginexile]

Sorry to Hijack but....

I am wanting one of them old small tractors, retailing about 40,000 baht, just to cut my grass and plough 6 /7 rai or so every now and again, just to keep the weeds down.It wouldn't be used for heavy work, anything to lookout for on these old machines?

Doubt very much if you can find anything for 40k!

Cheapest small tractor I came accross when I was shoping around was 120k for a 20 year old that hardly ran!

Good luck though

Edited January 29, 2013 by Livinginexile

[soihok]

Just decided today that we are going ahead with a purchse of a Tractor. I have seen the Kubota but really not too impressed, plus a friend of mine has had no end of trouble with a new machine purchased from a Korat dealer. They were hopeless in support.

The budget is about a million baht.

Ford seems to be the way forward, anyone any advice on a machine within this price range?

Cheers

[NeverSure]

I have been reading about how it doesn't pay to own a tractor, and it's cheaper to just hire it done. That's probably true, but then I didn't see anyone take into account that having one around, sometimes just for ten minutes, is sometimes priceless. Also, I don't know how much a good tractor depreciates in LOS.

When I bought the acreage I have in the US and determined to build, I bought a 35 hp Yanmar 4wd tractor with a loader and box scraper, and also a Bobcat excavator. Both were about ten years old and in great shape with low hours. I kept them for 2 years until the house was finished and the landscaping and land shaping was done, and several French drains I needed were installed. I also installed the septic system and all of the water lines and sprinkler system.

At the end of 2 years, when I was finished, I sold them for what I paid for them. Not once did either have mechanical problems so it was down to oil, filters, and diesel.

I put just over 200 hours on each one of them. The BEST part was that they were always here for that small odd job like dragging a stump to a burn pile, piling up brush, adjusting the lines on the sprinkler system, reshaping something after I decided it should be done etc. etc. 24/7 I could just hop on and do whatever.

Oh, and the excavator had a hydraulic thumb and was that ever handy. I'll post a couple of pics. NO real cost except loss of use of the money at a tiny interest rate. BTW they cost me about US$10,000 each.

BTW, this land is very steep and extremely dangerous if not careful with the equipment. Thus for sure the ROPS. If you look at the picture above of the close up of the Bobcat and its relationship to the house and pickup, and then look at this pic below you can see why I had the blade planted in the back and the bucket stuck. That bank goes right down into an irrigation ditch.

Be careful guys.

Edited April 1, 2013 by NeverSure

[soihok]

Well, going ahead with the purchase of a Ford 6610.

Off to the dealer today.

[Canada]

Well, going ahead with the purchase of a Ford 6610.

Off to the dealer today.

You won't get one for a million baht. I hummed and hawed about tractors for a while and finally decided that the 6610 was the correct purchase. Aside from the initial outlay I haven't regretted it yet.

How much did you pay??

[PhayaoPete]

Due to a tragic death in the family...the golden Brother-in-law (may he rest in peace) has left a major hole in the family's reality...I am going to become a tractor jockey to help out with the major loss. He left a Kubota L3608 tractor, which I am pretty sure isn't quite paid off, which is no big deal...I will gladly do that...but I need to find out a wee bit more about said machine and start getting in some steering wheel time. It came with the two main attachments for rice farming...a multi-blade disc harrow and what I think is a box tiller (?) of sorts. Any pointers would be greatly appreciated. I have operated various construction equipment in the past....back hoes, front end loaders and even a very large cherry picker (all hydraulic, no clutch types) Thanks in advance....PP

[Canada]

Due to a tragic death in the family...the golden Brother-in-law (may he rest in peace) has left a major hole in the family's reality...I am going to become a tractor jockey to help out with the major loss. He left a Kubota L3608 tractor, which I am pretty sure isn't quite paid off, which is no big deal...I will gladly do that...but I need to find out a wee bit more about said machine and start getting in some steering wheel time. It came with the two main attachments for rice farming...a multi-blade disc harrow and what I think is a box tiller (?) of sorts. Any pointers would be greatly appreciated. I have operated various construction equipment in the past....back hoes, front end loaders and even a very large cherry picker (all hydraulic, no clutch types) Thanks in advance....PP

Just get out there and do it. Try not to break anything. I know nothing about Kubotas. Sorry. But I do know about doing new things. Just do it. Good luck.

[pigeonjake]

moneypants, hi mate,

i bought this little L200 for 45,000bht with plough and deliverd, ill ask my with if she still has the blokes number, i found it on that link in the farming eqipment topic,

take care jake

sorry was going to put pic on but its on a bloody vidio, sorry, but its a kabuta L200, Its ok for what i want

[soihok]

We bought a Ford 6600 in the end.

Cost was 780K

Part of the family now and works night and day.

[Canada]

We bought a Ford 6600 in the end.

Cost was 780K

Part of the family now and works night and day.

Great that you got one. How old is it? How many hours? 4WD? Pics? Thanks, just curious. There is a guy selling fairly decent looking machines in this area for around the same price range. Most of them still have the cab attached as they are imports from England.

Got to agree with Neversure's post. Tractors are invaluable for those spur of the moment ten minute jobs. I use mine to turn my large compost pile, move heavy things, spread gravel on my long driveway, tow a large trailer with equipment to different plots. We are rigging it now for spraying weeds (the trailer) as the tractor cannot get in to all plots.

We are now looking at the new little Kubota for running up and down our rows of sugarcane. It'll be a great asset seeing as how help is so <deleted> hard to find and unreliable when you do find it. I'll eliminate a lot of labor requirements and get jobs done that Thais would not do period.

Pretty soon the locals will all be going to look for work in Bkk as people are looking for ways to eliminate the need for them. But we were talking a bout tractors.......

[Samlula]

Does anyone have information or own a Claas tractor here in Thailand? We had Claas machines back in the UK and they were pretty good. I see that they have introduced the Talos 130 tractor and the Crop Tiger 30 rice harvester here in Thailand, trying to get some of the market from Kubota? Just wondered if anyone has one of these? If so, how are they performing.

Regards

[farmerjo]

Does anyone have information or own a Claas tractor here in Thailand? We had Claas machines back in the UK and they were pretty good. I see that they have introduced the Talos 130 tractor and the Crop Tiger 30 rice harvester here in Thailand, trying to get some of the market from Kubota? Just wondered if anyone has one of these? If so, how are they performing.

Regards

Pretty sure there made in india,the dealer i know tends to sell more of the made in india john deere's(tractors).

Think for me would come down to a reliable service and parts backup or it would be thai modified before you know it.

I brought a european ford 6610 that has all but been thai modified now for spare parts purposes.Should have just brought a thai modified one to start with,would have saved a lot of time and heartache.

[soihok]

Sorry it took so long to get a photo on.

Anyway, here it is.

Cheers

[Canada]

780K is pretty steep for that tractor. You can get newer models with 4 wheel drive for that price around here. Nice paint job though.

[soihok]

The budget was a million Baht, so quite happy as it is thanks. Four wheel drive not required.

Edited June 21, 2013 by soihok

[Canada]

Actually 4wd comes in really handy. The locals around here drool over my tractor. I can plough deeper than all of them that have the old 6610 like yours and easier and more efficient. It's a great old workhorse though and all that's really important is that you're happy with it.

[soihok]

How much did you pay for it?

[soihok]

Actually 4wd comes in really handy. The locals around here drool over my tractor. I can plough deeper than all of them that have the old 6610 like yours and easier and more efficient. It's a great old workhorse though and all that's really important is that you're happy with it.

Sorry mate, you are sounding like a bit of an anorak.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anorak_(slang)

Edited June 21, 2013 by soihok

[Canada]

How much did you pay for it?

I bought mine new so it's price is not really relevant. But I did say in an earlier post that you can get a newer than you bought, 4wd used, 6610 for the same price that you paid for your old 2wd tractor with the nice paint job in this area. Not trying to be a prick, but just saying. Your comment "re: anorak" is as I understand the term, completely off base. Call me a prick if you want and you would be more correct. I just happened to do a fair bit of research before going out and spending a lot of money on a tractor. You may have wanted to do the same.

[soihok]

No worries mate, being a prick is not being an anorak.

Anyway not to worry, it was your comment about having the biggest and best over your nieghbours which was rather pompous. Happy ploughing!

[Canada]

Only trying to emphasize the difference between the 4wd and 2wd. Being the best...or having the best is just that. And there is nothing wrong with saying it. Pompous is another affair. And BTW as far as being an anorak, this is a thread about tractors in the farming forum. Is there a better place to talk about tractors??

[Cashboy]

I am planning on increasing the farm from 20 rai to 40 rai in 2014 and over the next 5 years to 60 rai.

I would like to buy a second hand tractor to:

1) make farming easier of up to 60 rai and not have to rely on contract tractor and driver.

2) Thai girl's father used to drive and repair and service lorries and tractors so thought he could do a bit of contract ploughing

3) Buy a trailer and use for taking sugar cane to factory (2kms) and produce to market (1.5kms).

4) Later buy a bore hole machine to drill for water and use tractor to drive it.

5) A toy for me.

I had my heart on a Kubota L4708 or older L4508.

I went to look at new Kubota Tractors when in Kumpawapi to see the current model and pick up a brochure.

The Thai girl's father said that the Yanma tractor is easier to work on and also easier to get into rice fields.

Then I read on this forum that the Yanma is sold as the smaller John Deer and John Deer have quite a good reputation.

I would appreciate your opinions on the following:

1) Is Kubota L4708 sufficent for the list of requirements above or should I even consider the Kubota M series

2) Is the Yanma a better buy. I mean by this; reliable; servicing; spare parts.

I would also appreciate a link or contact for buying a trailer suitable for a tractor or where I can have one made to my specification.

I am looking at buying a second hand 2 year old tractor.

I had my heart on a Kubota