Kubota M4950

I have saved up a budget of 7000.00 to replace my ford 2000. The ford only has a 4 sp which does not have a good gear for my 5ft ruff cut mower and is a little underpowered for my 84 inch finish mower. I also want to get a tiller to make a ¼ acre garden. I was looking to get a 4610 or an equivalent Massey. There is a Massey, Ford and Kubota dealer each within ten minutes of my house. I really want more gears, those easy attach 3pt arms that have the inch or so of free play at the balls and enough power for my mowers to operate no greater than the 75% duty cycle of the machine at a good ground speed. My question is about Kubota tractors I have seen a M4950 that has what I want but only a 170cu engine. It is a six cylinder. Kubota claims it has a 49hp pto but any equivalent Ford or Massey has 30+ more cubic inches, 18% more displacement.

Are Kubota’s better engines or will the hp drop off quicker with a drop in rpm’s? The M4950 engine is a little smaller than a ford 3000 diesel. Is it really a ford 3000 equivalent?

Kubota’s are attractive for me since they are a little lighter and are easy to find with 12 to 16 speeds and hydraulics for my snow plow. I put a little over 50 hours per year on the Ford 2000. I will always have at least 7-10 acres minimum and consider my next purchase to be my last one.

Thanks,
Dean

If you like all three brands pretty closely, I would consider the dealer as a tie breaker. Talk to previous customers, check with the local Better Business Bureau, etc.