Buying Advice to buy a garden tractor or a compact tractor

[cdodson21]

A hill is only too steep when the engine doesn't pick up oil lol.

 

[jenkinsph]

I vote for a SCUT or CUT. Excellent idea about talking with your neighbors about their tractor experiences. Do the same for a choice of a good brand. Despite all the bickering about green versus orange versus whatever on TBN, most major brands are good machines. In your case having a good dealer is crucial, so ask about dealers and go with the best. New will get you the best financing, but used is a lot cheaper. I'd also go with a rotary cutter for acres of land. A mower will quickly be worn out and costly. I don't know the slope of your steep areas, but from the picture I would try to just keep tractors off of it. If you have to try, mow it up and down only, and only with your seat belt fastened. Personally I'd consider letting it go back to forest, or planting stuff that will stay low - some kind of shrub or local bush.

Some good points above, particularly the last one. Might be better to leave the steep slopes alone and/or plant some low lying shrubs there.

 

[kevin37b]

Hello,
Thanks in advance for considering my request for advice!
I recently bought 35 acres in the mountains of North Carolina. We plan to keep about 7 acres for now (and maybe as many as 13 in the future) as pasture instead of forest.

We are entirely new to tractors, and not mechanically inclined, so intimidated by them. But mowing is the only reasonable way, so we gotta get one. We'd prefer something small so its more manageable since we have very little barn space. Of the 7 acres, about 5 are gently rolling and the other two have approx. the slope in the picture I posted. Sorry, I am not sure what percent slope that is. We just want to keep the weeds down and have it be walkable in normal clothing. I have no interest in it looking like a golf course.

My partner wants to get a "garden tractor" because they seem easier to use, smaller to store, more comfortable, with better turning radius, and won't require fussing with attachments. My feeling is that in the long run, a garden tractor won't cut it. It will take forever to mow with a small mowing deck and may burn itself out sooner. I am thinking a used (can't afford a new one) compact 4wd tractor such as a kubota b6100, with a bush hog or a belly mower.

But if folks think we could get away with something smaller, I would sure prefer that. Of course a real tractor would come in handy in other ways -- but only if we could afford to get other attachments and find a place to store them. Which we may not But it would be nice to know that if we neglect the mowing for a little bit, we can still do it instead of hiring a neighbor to bush hog again.

Thanks so much!

You have no business even attempting this . That is no place to learn about tractors .

 

[elicia]

Kevin: thanks. Even if we stay off the slope and just do the flattish parts?

 

[elicia]

Or would something like this cut it (pardon the pun)?
Tractor/Kubota 1500 BX, 4X4, 15 HP Diesel Low Hours--770-889-6085

 

[unbidden]

Concerning the slopes; I mow with FEL on and a RFM. I go straigh up and down the steep parts, seat belt on and save the beers for after you are done.

 

[elicia]

Concerning the slopes; I mow with FEL on and a RFM. I go straigh up and down the steep parts, seat belt on and save the beers for after you are done.

unbidden: thanks. Wish I could afford a FEL. What is RFM?

 

[unbidden]

unbidden: thanks. Wish I could afford a FEL. What is RFM?

Rear Finish Mower as opposed to using the belly mower. Much more stable due to the added length and low to the ground weight distribution.

Do what ever you need to do to get an FEL with the tractor... it's a must for a property like yours.

 

[willi67]

Or would something like this cut it (pardon the pun)?
Tractor/Kubota 1500 BX, 4X4, 15 HP Diesel Low Hours--770-889-6085

That's what I would buy .. the old B6100 with gears and clutch ,and no power steer, is not the ideal machine for hills

 

[Ted Summey]

Mow the 5 acres that are gently rolling and hire the other steep acreage. Still with 5 acres you need more than a garden tractor.