help a damsel in distress

   / help a damsel in distress #21  
The only person who wished they had a smaller tractor was the person who got their tractor jammed between two trees, or knocked the tail light off their car cutting to close, or broke the gate going through./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

Chris
 
   / help a damsel in distress #22  
Bunny, that's a lot of land to mow. I think it takes me about an hour an acre to mow the lawn with a 4' front mower. You can't go too fast if you really want it to look nice and I bag. I don't think a 72" mid mount mower would be out of line if the ground is flat and their aren't a lot of obstructions. You will want a big rotary mower too. If it were just weeds and grass I might think about a flail mower which is a safer kind of rough cut mower but not as good for cutting down trees. I don't want to restart the war but I really like the John Deere Company even though I own a Yanmar. JD is a big company that has been in business a long time. Their dealers are for the most part real businesses. My family has a JD front mower to cut the lawns at the farm. The dealer picks it up and returns it. They do the work right and on time. The parts are in stock or they get them the next day. They have all the proper fluids, everything you need. Some of the other tractor companys have changed hands so often it is hard to keep up with. How do you know they will be there when you need them. JD is really good about supporting their products. You can still get parts for old JDs from the '40s. There are lots of great tractors out there but are you going to be happy with it 25-30 years from now? If you have a good local JD dealer it may be worth the extra money for the real deal. Ok everybody hit the foxholes I think I hear incoming./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Chris
 
   / help a damsel in distress #23  
I mow about 7-1/2 acres weekly. It takes about 45 minutes per acre with a Kubota B7500HST w/ R4's and rear finish mower (RFM).

This is my third tractor. The first was a gasoline 2WD gear unit w/ turfs and had a 60" belly mower (MMM). When we built our house in 1989, it was obvious the 30-some inch deck on the MTD wouldn't be something I could live with, doing 2 acres of mowing. Once I had a bigger machine, I started mowing a couple other places.

The second is a Ford 16HP diesel 4WD/HST w/ R1's and a 60" RFM.

I got the Kubota w/ a 302 FEL, and it's surprising how much use it sees. Just before coming in to see what's going on at TBN, I did about 4 acres of mowing, then slipped the loader on to load our dead refrigerator on my pickup for disposal tomorrow.

I bought a used KK 60" "brush hog" that I used one time so far. At some point this week, I'll use the FEL w/ toothbar to comb through some high brushy weeds at Mom-in-law's prior to 'hogging it. If I were planning on using the brush hog to mow over big saplings and heavy woody stuff, a smaller one would probably be better. The purpose of getting it was simply to save wear and tear on the finish mower from small rocks and stuff the kids let in the high grass.

I don't know what the HP rating of my first tractor was. It was a 154 Cub Loboy. It was OK, but it didn't have a 3-point hitch. The Ford was just a couple horses short for doing heavy grass uphill, but the Kubota walks right up places where the Ford puffed black smoke and slowed way down.

The 7500 suits me perfectly. It has sufficient power and is fairly nimble................chim
 
   / help a damsel in distress #24  
I think you said it right Chris. No doubt that alot of the other dealers sell these tractors as part of another business and not as a stand alone business. It is hard to beat the availability of jd. Another thing is that I really think these new jd's, FOR A NOVICE, are so easy to operate. Everything is pushbutton and it's all been made so easy to use everything is at the push of a button. For a seasoned guy I think that yes any of the tractors you can operate. But for a beginner these new jd's are hard to beat in my opinion.
 
   / help a damsel in distress #25  
Chris, as a Platinum Member, I'm sure you're speaking from experience. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif/w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif
 
   / help a damsel in distress #26  
Bunny, is Hef driving the Craftsman? /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
 
   / help a damsel in distress #27  
Apparently, Chim, your tractor is not big enough to suit Bird, Bunny (can we all have animal names). Hmmmm, I know what, just get a huge tractor and spend lot's of money and make these guys happy, they are always right in their own minds /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif . Meanwhile, consider that much of the planet mows similar acerages with things like Murray riding mowers and in poorer countries they still use old men with sickles /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif .
I will add to my recommendation a 60 inch rear finish mower and forget the Brush Hog entirely.
Because you are a sensible woman I expect that you will understand the "guy" thing of having a huge tractor and will instead opt for sensible. Don't know what ya got till it is gone but if you never had it you won't know you need it. Oh, I will never be a part of the concensus.
3crows
 
   / help a damsel in distress #28  
OK Ladies & Gentlemen

Never being one to beat around the bush (and often have a case of foot in mouth to boot)

Fill in that profile bunny!!!!

It helps us get a better idea of all our members and what they are up to.

Anyway, your post title sure got some responses.

I am sure if I titled one "Fat middle aged man needs advice on tractor purchase" I'd have about 2 responses by now /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

Cheers
 
   / help a damsel in distress #29  
My wife still longs for the days when we had the "cute" little B1750. She finds Clementine rather intimidating and much less maneuverable.

Pete
 
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