You will find the difference in size between the 2 is the most telling difference. You will be able to do soooooooo many more things with the JD than the Kubota and when it comes time to sell it or trade it in you'll retain a lot more value.

And besides you get to wear a cool JD hat.

 

For reference of "age is not a factor" my father had a Harry Ferguson tractor. That is not a misprint, it was before the merger Massey-Ferguson merger in the 50's so that tells you something about how old it was. This was only a few years back and gave him no major issues with normal maintenance. He now has either a late 80's early 90's JD and again has not had any problems.

 

Go for the JD. My family owns a tree farm, we have tractors from the 1940s up to 2005; they last forever. We have one international with an enormous straight 6 that runs on gasoline, no joke. The think literally putters around but does everything you need.

Things to check:
- Hours: like miles to a car, hours on a tractor are an indicator of age
- Rear tires: These are pretty expensive, make sure they have significant paddle tread remaining. Fronts are cheap. Driving a tractor on the road will increase tire wear dramatically
- Components: Check less used components like PTO, 3 point hitch, diff lock, independent brakes, etc. When not used some components can freeze up
- Visual inspection will tell you a lot about how well it is maintained

I personally would go for a tractor that looks better maintained with all working components over a newer tractor any day.

After writing all of the above I looked up the 510; why do you want a backhoe? What are your goals of the tractor? To mow? If I was to buy a tractor for a 20 acre plot, I would NOT buy a backhoe.. that is unless you are going to be digging multiple foundations or putting in pipes.

A backhoe is a pain to always have that digger hanging off the back.

Just my opinion

Kevin

 

I bought the Craftsman LT1000 based on price, deck size, and the use of a Briggs and Stratton engine. I mow about and acre and a half so the 18hp - 42 inch deck was an improvement over the 12hp - 38 inch deck I had been using for more than ten years.

 

We had a Massey-Ferguson as well, and it was awesome. At 40+ years old it ran virtually like new with regular maintenance. I'm trying to think of what parts ever broke on it, and I can only come up with rotten/dryed hoses and new front tires.

Like you said already, get the features and power you want, then ensure it's been maintained appropriately and you'll likely be in good shape.

 

http://www.lamborghini-tractors.com/united.../defaultuk.html

 

And the pricing is?

 

http://www.tractorhouse.com/list/list.aspx...anu=LAMBORGHINI

 

I mowed with a Dixie chopper once. It was pretty quick. It maybe be large enough to mow 20 acres with.

 

You stated you were going to raise vegetables, some fruit trees and maintenance. The Kubota will be more than adequate for these simple chores. It will pull a light six foot disc to plow, will pull a shredder and can handle an optional front end loader. That model (if it has front wheel assist) has excellent traction in all kinds of terrain and burns less fuel than the JD.
The 510 is nice old unit, but is more tractor than you will need unless you are chisel plowing, heavy discing which I doubt on twenty acres.

The Kubota will be a reliable, fuel pinching workhorse and they hold their value well. I know this, I own several large JD's and two Kubota's. I prefer the JD when I need a large tractor, but the smaller (90 hp) kubotas are mighty handy too.