Buying Advice Best tractor, sub compact, etc. to landscape two ten acre properties

[lutt]

I have made trails/roads on my 16 acres,cleaning up the logging mess from back in June,made trails/roads on 26 acres of my father n laws deer hunting property,maintain 5 acres of rental property,a 3 acre family cemetary,and my mothers acre where our family home is with a 4200 hydro 4wd deere with a 4' bushog,4' boxblade, 4' finish mower,and 420 loader.. It does everything I ask and more.It loads the dump trailer,push out roads,punches up piles,and does a good job for me.Now I am not saying sometime I wish I had a 40 horse tractor,but it is not needed.I have access to full size equipment when needed,but rarely do.I would have been happy with any of the big 3,or some of the other brands I looked out also. Just run across a good deal on this tractor. I looked hard at a bx 25,but decided to go with a little bigger framed compact and will be purchasing a mini ex for the digging jobs.Now for mowing,going from a zero turn kubota to this, well it sucks. I will probly be looking for another z turn mower this year also. Like some said earlier,figure out what you need and bundle up a package deal,if they wont deal walk. Alot of good advice already given. LUTT

 

[boggen]

10 acres and a few miles apart....

get out of the oversize lawn mower on steroids, and get something with a frame that sets higher off the ground. this may put ya near the CUT (compact utility tractor) class tractors. that extra ground clearance distance can be nice in wooded areas and mud and snow.

on other hand, going with say a SCUT (sub compact utility tractor) and going with all the bells and whistles. TNT (top and tilt), extra work over head work lights, backhoe, FEL, maybe even a cab or en-closer for winter use. while small tractor may not be as strong, all those little bells and whistles can really help finish up jobs and get nice smooth finished professional look, with less effort and time on your part. part of bells and whistles could be a better trailer with good easy to ramps, and long enough to toss 3pt hitch attachment on tractor and still keep the FEL on the tractor.

if ya not interested in bells and whistles, then say go for larger tractor with extreme basics. to get you between the properties, and get things done.

get something with rear left and right split brake pedals, would be advisable, and some sort of auto transmission, and get away from manual transmission, alot of your work, will be going forward to reverse and manueving the tractor. get something that keeps your hand on steering wheel, and other hand on levers, and a foot for gas pedal, and other foot for brakes.

4x4 or MFWD or like doing, can be a nice feature woods to mud, to working the FEL.


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dealers may give you a larger discount, the more you buy, FEL (front end loader), and backhoe tend to be the top dollar ticket items. and then the tractor specific modifications (extra hyd remotes), lights, larger alternator, type of tires. you will most likely be better off getting that all at same time of tractor purchase.

3pt hitch equipment, can be bought from multi places and manufactures.

 

[kiotiken]

For landscaping jobs, you want weight. Mahindra, Kioti, LS are all heavy tractors and will serve you well. Grand L Kubotas fit the bill and I'm very jealous of the HST+ they have as an option, but are more expensive. After selling my last JD, I realized that I couldn't afford to shop for a green tractor that would suite my needs, but I'm sure you could rob a bank and find something that would work there to.

My biased view (and what I know the most about) is the Kioti DK40/45/50. All the same tractor, just different hp. About the strongest FEL I've ever seen on a similar sized CUT, heavy and rugged with just about every bell and whistle you could ask for and comes with a 4 year warranty. Bobcat is made by the same company and is exiting the tractor business, so there may be a deal to be found in white.