Best sub-compact and compact tractors

The John Deere 1025R may be one of the smallest tractors in the John Deere range but I am very interested to find out if it lives up to John Deere’s reputation for quality. Personally I hope it does because I am a self-confessed Deere fan and have been for quite some time.

I have owned from new, a John Deere 6220 tractor that has performed admirably for the past 12 years. Apart from routine servicing my 6220 has cost nothing on repairs or breakdowns.

Now that I have made it very clear on where I sit regarding John Deere products I give my personal guarantee I will not let any preconceived favouritism prevent me from giving you a completely unbiased review on the 1025R.

• See it here: John Deere 1025R review
  

I’m feeling a bit like a kid in a toy shop picking up the Kubota BX25D Tractor/Loader/Backhoe from the sales team at Warrnambool dealership Agrimac.

If this little BX25D can do everything that Kubota claim it can, I may never need to pick up a shovel again.

A quick run through of the machines loader and backhoe attachments, with Kubota salesman Damien Etheredge, covers all the major functions, the rest he says I should be able to work out on my own.

Enough mucking around in the yard, I am keen to get home and start playing to see whether it’s actually as good as I hope it is.

• See it here: Kubota BX250 review 
  

Honestly speaking, mowing the lawns is one of my least favourite chores. However, after spending some time this month destroying a backyard with the smallest of the Kioti range of tractors, the CS2610, my views may have changed a little.

I was provided a new Kioti CS2610 fitted with front end loader and 60-inch mid-mounted mower deck, a Swiss army knife-type machine for the lifestyle block owner.

And it works as a handy addition for some of the smaller jobs on bigger farming operations.

• See it here: Kioti CS2610 review
  

I must admit that during my time in farming I haven’t had any experience with Branson tractors and confess to a preconceived idea about what the little forty horsepower compact tractor might be like.

I am expecting a tiny little, lightly built, uncomfortable tractor but to my pleasant surprise found quite the opposite.

My first impression is it is extremely well-constructed and shows no sign of being a cheaper lower-speced alternative to the major brands.

And if my gut feeling is on the money it will be up there with the best in its horsepower category.

• See it here: Branson F42R review 
  

One thing I’ve come to realise after years of testing machinery is that when it comes to buying farm equipment, everyone’s needs and situations are slightly different and what works for one person may or may not suit another.

Luckily there are usually plenty of options, and in particular if you’re in the market for a smaller, lower horsepower tractor then there are loads of options to choose from.

It is the sub 100hp market that Mahindra concentrates on and the company, along with its local dealer, Prescott’s in Hikuai on the Coromandel Peninsular, recently gave me the opportunity to see what the Mahindra 4025 has to offer, which is built by Mahindra in India as a robust and reliable 40hp tractor.

• See it here: Mahindra 4025 review

The compact utility tractor sector is one of the fastest growing machinery markets in Australia.

For a particular machine to achieve more than its fair share of the market, it has to stand out from the crowd, have a point of difference, and offer more than the opposition.

The Ventrac 4500P does all three. With its dual wheels and low, squat stance, it certainly looks different, it can go where most of its competitors can’t, and it has more attachments than you can poke a stick at.

• See it here: Ventract 4500P review