Any advice on specific tractors to look for.

[Fixingfarmer]

I have nothing against John Deere but the prices stay high.
I love my Kubota, never had a single issue with it, and I would certainly buy another one.
I actually have a new neighbor that has a small collection of old tractors, not sure on the brand, but I am going to have to stop in and get to know him once the weather warms up.
Before I started thinking about loader work with one, I was going to look around and find a cheap 9N to tinker with. They are a dime a dozen around here and I figured that would be a good starting point.

Those fords will pick up a surprising amount with some ballast on the back and that front mount hydraulic pump. I was looking at something kinda seriously a few years ago that would have been half the price of what I did. The only thing that got me was when I picked up a load of rock there’s no more steering. If you don’t do it every day that’s fine just moving something once and maybe there’s aftermarket power steering for them or this one wasn't working heck it might have had it and I missed it. If that’s what your thinking and a price range of more like 2 to 4 that’s kinda your option. I would think it should be able to scoot something that weighs a ton. Just keep a front spindle around and don’t be surprised when she gives way but you have a loader on it will be alright and that goes for even the 3020 too. We have a Ford 2000 that would also be a beefed up version of a 9n wonderful tractor but by the time you get a loader on one of those you are into the 3020 money and at that point...

 

[Texasmark]

I recently purchased a Case-IH 395 and a few months later an 895 with cab which had a loader on it at the dealer. I made him an offer on the 895 and he could keep the loader which he accepted. I am basically a Ford guy but was duly impressed with the heavy duty components on the 395 and that caused me to buy the 895.

I have a loader on a 2007 tractor I bought new and the difference in that loader and older Ford/IH loaders of the day is the fact that the loader bracing makes it almost impossible to get at the engine for whatever reason. The 2007, like modern tractors, has a beefed up mid section where the loader is mounted and once the loader is raised to full up you have total access to the engine as if a loader wasn't mounted.

 

[Destroked 450]

I have nothing against John Deere but the prices stay high.
I love my Kubota, never had a single issue with it, and I would certainly buy another one.
I actually have a new neighbor that has a small collection of old tractors, not sure on the brand, but I am going to have to stop in and get to know him once the weather warms up.
Before I started thinking about loader work with one, I was going to look around and find a cheap 9N to tinker with. They are a dime a dozen around here and I figured that would be a good starting point.

For the weight your wanting to mover and especially for loader use a 9N isn’t a tractor I would want
I’m a Ford person started out with 8N, then 850 and up to the multiple Fords I have today fo versus sizes
For loader use I wouldn’t consider anything smaller than a 4000 with its heavy duty straight axle, the 4600/4610 would be my first choice but only in 2wd, there’s not much parts support for the axles Ford used on those models
Since you have a Kubota I recommend you consider another, skip the compact L models and look at the M series. Higher priced but models built 1995-2012 were very good models, For the weight you mentioned start with the M470 and work up M4900, M5400, M57400, M6040, M6800, M7040
That gives you choices from 42 pto hp up to 65 pto hp
Cousin has a M6800 he’s had for years, 4x4 with loader with no issues from the front axle