This guide is written for first-time small farm and rural property owners with 1–50 acres and a budget of $15,000–$50,000 who want one Kubota tractor to handle mowing, driveway maintenance, light dirt work, and year-round chores.

Quick recommendation by acreage:

• Under 5 acres: BX Series (BX1880/BX2380/BX2680) — lawn-friendly, fits standard garage
• 5–15 acres: B Series (B2301/B2601) — more lift and stability, still compact
• 15–50 acres: L Series (L2501/L3302/L3902) — serious loader work, heavier rotary cutters
• 50+ acres: MX Series (MX5400/MX6000) — utility tractor muscle without going full-size ag

⚠️ 3 Questions to Ask Before You Buy

1. What’s the heaviest implement I’ll realistically want to run in 3–5 years?

2. How tight are my spaces — trees, gates, barn doors, lawn areas?

3. How steep or rough is my ground? If terrain is challenging, prioritize weight and wheelbase over raw horsepower — a heavier B, L, or MX is safer on slopes than a lighter BX pushed past its comfort zone.

BX2380 Key Specs:

💡 Choose a BX If:

• You’re under 5 acres, mostly lawn and light pasture
• Your priority is mowing and light grading, not pulling a 6-ft brush hog through saplings
• You need a tractor that fits in a standard garage and works around landscape beds and tight gates
• You want one machine to replace both a zero-turn mower AND a small loader tractor

🛒 BX Series Owner Essentials

• Universal Tractor Cover — 600D Oxford, Air Vents, Fits Kubota BX — 4.5 stars, 25 reviews — UV protection, waterproof, storage bag included ($89.29)
• VEVOR 43″ Clamp-On Pallet Forks 2000 lb — Fits BX Loader Bucket — 4.2 stars, 531 reviews — turn your BX loader into a rough-terrain forklift ($82.90)
• YITAMOTOR 3-Point Ballast Box 800 lb — Category 1, 2″ Receiver — ⭐ Amazon Overall Pick, 4.3 stars, 639 reviews — essential counterweight for safe loader work ($199.99)

💡 Pro Tip: Add the ballast box before your first loader job — running a front loader without rear counterweight on any slope is the #1 new owner safety mistake.

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B2601 Key Specs:

💡 Choose a B Series If:

• You have 5–15 acres with a mix of lawn, pasture, and light woods
• You want to run a 5-ft finish mower or rotary cutter and move gravel with a box blade
• You want more ground clearance and hitch lift than a BX, but don’t want the size of an L series yet
• Many owners wish they’d gone B instead of BX once they start tackling heavier pasture work

L Series Highlights (L2501/L3302/L3902):

• Engines: 24–39 HP 3- or 4-cylinder Kubota diesels, PTO HP in high teens to low 30s
• Weight: Significantly heavier than B series — better traction and loader stability for ground-engaging work
• Implements: Comfortable with 5–6 ft rotary cutters, 6-ft rear blades, and heavier tillers
• L3901 specifically: 37.5 gross HP, 1,433 lb hitch lift @ 24 in, 2347 PSI hydraulics

⚠️ L Series Ownership Reality Check

Before buying a used L series, research the common issues. The L3901 has known HST quirks, safety switch no-start patterns, and a critical PCV recall you need to verify. Read our Kubota L3901 Problems Guide and L2501 Problems Guide before buying used.

💡 Choose an L Series If:

• You have 15–50 acres with real farm work: brush hogging, food plots, livestock chores
• You plan to run 5–6 ft implements regularly and want headroom instead of working at the limit
• Your long-term plans include haying even a few acres or pulling heavier implements
• You’re okay with a larger machine that’s less lawn-friendly but far more capable in fields

MX5400 Key Specs:

💡 Choose an MX If:

• You have 50+ acres or plan serious haying, livestock, or commercial brush cutting
• You want to run larger hay tools, heavier rotary cutters, or big box blades that overwhelm an L series
• Your budget stretches into the upper $40,000s and your land is rough or hilly
• You want the tractor you won’t outgrow in 10 years

⚠️ Don’t Undersize Your Tractor for a Rotary Cutter

Plan around the cutter size you NEED, then choose the tractor. A BX handles light 4-ft cutters, a B handles 4–5 ft, an L handles 5–6 ft, and an MX handles 6–7 ft depending on terrain. Trying to run a too-large cutter through heavy brush will overheat your HST and damage your PTO.

🛒 Essential Small Farm Attachments

• Titan Attachments 60″ Clamp-On Pallet Forks 4000 lb — B/L/MX Series — ⭐ 4.5 stars, 7,100 reviews — best-selling tractor pallet forks on Amazon, fits most B/L/MX loader buckets ($249.99)
• YITAMOTOR 3-Point Ballast Box 800 lb — Category 1 — ⭐ Amazon Overall Pick, 4.3 stars, 639 reviews — fill with sand, gravel, or rock for custom counterweight ($199.99)
• Heavy Duty Grease Gun — Keep all zerk fittings serviced on loader arms, pallet forks, PTO shaft, and 3-point hitch ⭐ Essential maintenance tool
• Universal Tractor Cover 189″ — Fits B/L/MX Series — 600D Oxford, air vents, waterproof — protect your investment between uses ($89.29)

💡 Pro Tip: Clamp-on pallet forks are the single best first attachment upgrade for any loader tractor — they turn every delivery, hay bale move, and equipment shuffle into a 5-minute job instead of a 45-minute one.

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💡 New Makes Sense If:

• You want 0% dealer financing with full factory warranty
• You’re not comfortable wrenching yet and want maximum dealer support
• You’ll put serious hours on the machine and want a known maintenance history from day one

⚠️ Used Can Be a Mistake If You Skip the Basics

Always check for hour meter tampering, irregular paint around serial plates, sloppy welds on loaders, and signs of chronic leaks. If you’re not comfortable inspecting a machine yourself, pay a dealer or experienced owner to look it over — the cost of one inspection is tiny compared with an engine or HST rebuild. Use our Kubota Serial Number Lookup Tool to verify age and check for open recalls.

Common Financing Structures:

• 0–low% APR for 36–60 months on select models, sometimes with larger down payments
• Standard retail rates for 72–84 months — lower payment but more interest over time
• Cash back rebates if you use your own financing instead of the promotional rate

💡 Smart Financing Moves:

• Get quotes from at least two Kubota dealers AND your local credit union
• Negotiate the out-the-door price (tractor + loader + implements) FIRST, then talk financing
• Ask dealer to show you both the promo rate AND standard rate + cash rebate side by side
• Don’t forget to budget for implement costs — add $5,000–$10,000 to any tractor-only quote

QWhat is the best Kubota tractor for 5 acres?

The Kubota B2601 is the best all-around choice for about 5 acres with mixed lawn and light pasture. It gives you more ground clearance and 3-pt lift than a BX while staying compact — you can comfortably run 5-ft mowers and a box blade without feeling maxed out.

QIs a BX2380 big enough for a small farm?

A BX2380 works well for “house on a few acres” situations — mowing, snow removal, and light grading. If your small farm includes heavier brush, food plots, or frequent heavy loader work, a B or L series will feel more appropriate long-term.

QHow much horsepower do I need for a 5-ft rotary cutter?

A 5-ft rotary cutter needs at least mid-teens to low-20s PTO HP on flat light brush — closer to mid-20s PTO HP for heavier material or hills. The B2601 at 19.4 PTO HP and L2501 are popular choices for 5-ft cutters.

QGear drive vs HST — which is better for first-time owners?

For most first-time owners, HST is easier to learn — car-like pedal control, no clutching, quick speed changes. Gear drive can be more efficient for constant-speed work like tilling, but most compact tractor owners prioritize ease of use and HST resale value.

QHow many hours is too many on a used Kubota?

Kubota compact tractors routinely run thousands of hours with good maintenance. Overall condition and service history matter more than raw hours. A well-maintained 1,500-hour machine can be a better buy than a neglected 400-hour one.

QAre MX series tractors overkill for a small farm?

An MX5400 is overkill for a 3-acre lawn, but on 40–80 acres with heavier brush, hay, and livestock chores the extra horsepower and Cat I/II hitch are a real advantage. If your plans include haying or heavy implements, MX is often the smarter long-term buy.

QWhat size trailer do I need to haul my Kubota?

A BX with loader fits on a 16-ft tandem-axle trailer. B and smaller L models need 18–20 ft. MX series tractors need heavier 10K–14K GVWR trailers with more length and stronger ramps — always verify tractor + loader + implement weight against your trailer’s rating.

QWhat are the most important maintenance tasks for long tractor life?

Regular engine oil and filter changes, fuel filter changes, transmission/hydraulic fluid and filter changes on schedule, and keeping the cooling stack and air filter clean. Newer emissions models need proper DPF regeneration. See our Complete Kubota Maintenance Checklist.

Bottom Line: Match the Tractor to the Work

The best Kubota for your small farm is the one sized for the hardest job you’ll do regularly — not your average day. Most buyers regret going too small within two seasons. Size up one step from where you think you need to be and you’ll thank yourself every time a tough job comes up.

• Under 5 acres, mostly lawn: BX2380
• 5–15 acres mixed use: B2601
• 15–40 acres real farm work: L3901 or L3302
• 40+ acres hay and heavy brush: MX5400