2025 marks twenty-one years since the first piece of orange machinery arrived.
I would never present myself as an expert on tractors. We have a 20-hectare (50 acre) property today, a 16-hectare one before that. Most of the work is maintaining lawn around the homestead and keeping grazing paddocks weed-free for grazing. Before purchasing acreage, I had preferred low maintenance inner city properties because I travelled for work a lot. I only had four stroke push lawnmowers.
Once the contract was signed on the first farm, the plan was to source a low hour 1970-1980s Ford tractor. I was keen to minimise any risk given my limited knowledge. I figured purchasing something I had some experience with was sensible. Of the two tractors I had driven previously, both were Fords.
For the lawn around the house, I initially used one of my old push mowers and very quickly upgraded to a hand-me-down ride-on from my in-laws. Neither coped with the workload (the property was hilly) and relatively shortly we purchased a new Cox Stockman ride-on mower. The lawn part was easy, the previous owners had managed to maintain the house yard. The paddocks on the farm however were derelict. The long-established ratio for determining your tractor requirements is as such: one horsepower for every acre and another 10hp for hills, another 10hp for a cabin. As mentioned, our new place was very hilly, So I needed a 50HP machine and preferably all-wheel drive. As it turned out; very few second-hand machines fitting my requirements ever hit the market, and when they did, they fetched a healthy premium.
MX5000 In the end I found a run-out model Kubota MX5000 advertised by a dealer a short drive up the highway. I had considered a Kubota previously but had determined it best to start with an older machine until I knew what I was doing. In this particular case, the machine was reduced in price and in configuration that suited our needs.
The MX5000 series is what Kubota describe as a utility tractor (read: utilitarian). It was a simple, agile 4WD model perfect for beginners. The only thing I regret was not equipping it with a loader at the time.
The MX5000 did a fantastic job slashing, clearing brush and hauling rocks. We doubled our grazing paddocks space and cut a new access road around the property. Importantly it coped with Queensland’s’ hot weather, although, I wish I could say the same for the operator.
When we eventually sold that first farm and moved to the current one, we moved to an altogether different landscape. The first place was tucked away in the hills. It was lush with undulating hills; it was also very rocky.
The new farm was in a dryer, flatter traditional rural setting. We had purchased the property after many years of drought and poor management. What grazing was there, was humble. Most of the activities I undertook were related to cleaning up old junk and reinstating fence lines.
BX25D
The Cox Stockman purchased for the last property wasn’t coping. We needed a new lawn mower urgently and this coincided with another Kubota model runout. I made a somewhat hasty decision and purchased a BX25D, a multipurpose subcompact tractor with a mid mounted 60” cutting deck a loader and backhoe. I can try to make excuses for not undertaking a more formal requirements gathering process. The machine model was in fact being retired after a spate of complaints from owners.
‘Darrel’ as I eventually named the BX25D was an attractive offering on paper at least with all the included attachments. The reality was these machines were far from the workhorse I had previously become accustomed to. The BX25D was overly complex and seriously underpowered, and importantly not made in Japan, but Georgia USA. This became apparent in the substandard build quality and numerous failures we encountered. Reconfiguring the machine between activities was arduous. It did not have the power or manoeuvrability to cut grass with the backhoe and loader attached. The cutting deck impeded the BX’s ground clearance for earthworks. The hydraulic pump pressure that powers the implements was half that of equivalent dedicated machines. To make matters worse, the machine is unpleasant to service. Generally speaking, farmers service their own tractors, and hence, it’s usually straightforward to do. Darrel’s various filters and drain plugs being located in strange places require considerable disassembly and elevation. Darrell weights 1200kgs and we don’t have a hoist in the workshop. On the positive side, spare parts are cheap and easily sourced. I perform a complete service yearly regardless of use, I replace broken parts and pieces as I need to.
Darrel is a ‘Jack of all trades, master of none’. Although we intend to keep this machine, it’s only because Darrel is not worth selling due to the poor residual price.
M6040
After a long dry period, our region experienced more regular rainfall. I had sold the MX5000 a year or more beforehand because of disuse. The new farm had double the grazing area and was much hotter and dustier. Upgrading to a machine with cabin was high on my list, and the Kubota M series offered just that. After a seven-month Covid affected wait, the new M series turned up.
The m6040 although not the top of my list, has not been a disappointment. It has great air conditioning and it’s easy to service. I would have in retrospect purchased a more powerful model and again got a loader included. We need to be realistic however as the farm is not a commercial enterprise. The M series machines have been around for many years, and they are very well thought out. They are made in Japan and of a very high standard. My only gripe is the gear change can take some getting used to. Can I take this time to stress the benefits of having a dust free air-conditioned cabin. Slashing our property is a task completed over a few days typically. You might as well be comfortable.
I have an upgraded stereo and a sheepskin seat cover. The cabin allows me to mount a tablet for use with FieldBee a handy little application for gathering information about your work and can assist with navigation (spraying typically). Knowing what ground you have already covered is easy when the grass is long and you are cutting, but spraying herbicide, you need the GPS tracking abilities.
ZD1211
Our most recent addition is a dedicated lawn mower. I recommend purchasing models that have been around long enough to have any design issues addressed. A lesson from my late father. The ZD is what is known as a zero-turn lawnmower. I have longed for the manoeuvrability and speed of a zero-turn but our properties were never suitable. The new homestead’s yard was until four years ago a horse paddock. Only the house pad itself was profiled, the rest of the 7-acre space remains as it would have been after clearing in the 1800s. Zero-turns have castor wheels on the front, these do not take kindly to bumps, rocks and dips. It perhaps worth mentioning they are essentially a one trick pony. They cut grass, but they do this extremely well.
The previous lawn mower (BX25D) has been cutting the grass here for ten years and doing an acceptable job. But its half the speed of this machine and lacks the manoeuvrability. As our trees have grown (we planted hundreds of trees in 2021) there is a new requirement to avoid running into them. The ZD has other party tricks. Its very comfortable and has a much bigger fuel tank and more available power for cutting grass due to the simpler drivetrain. The BX has four wheel drive, mid and rear power take offs and hydraulics for the front loader and rear backhoe. The ZD has only two wheels and the deck to power. The ZD has the engine behind the operator making for a much ‘cooler’ operating experience.
I don’t regard myself as a Kubota fanboy in the true sense. I have a solid appreciation for the brand’s value proposition, but like anything purchase, you should perform your requirements analysis and make a shortlist of products or services that meets those needs and understand your appetite for risk.
I don’t like surprises with tools, especially something too heavy to haul easily into a local workshop. It’s worth noting that service call-outs for broken machinery can be very expensive.
Kubota’s are generally easy to service. The parts are extremely easy to source (provided you have an Australian delivered machine) and generally cheap. Even the BX has been reliable with regards to the drivetrain. Kubota’s are an excellent tractor for N00bs. They will give you 1000s of hours of reliable service and can be serviced with a few simple tools and a tablet for watching YouTube guides while you do it. There are plenty of guides for all manner of machines and modifications. Provided you follow the operating instruction and service intervals you are unlikely to have any problems. A well maintained machine should be easy to sell or trade.