Small Tractor Purchase Decision

[arnoldziffel]

OK, I'm giving serious thought to buying a small tractor to use to finish mow a 5 - 7 acre lawn (wide open, flat RECLAIMED farm field.) This would be a dedicated mowing machine. (3 point, five foot finish mower we already own)

My finalists:

- 2006 New Holland TC26da. 68 hours. Nice shape. Has FEL. $12,200 bottom line price. (FYI this is a pre LS tractor, a Shibaura built machine. Some would say, "one of the good ones".)

- 2012 Bobcat CT122. Brand new. Warranty. Has FEL. $12,400 bottom line price.

- 2014 LS J2023H. Brand new. Warranty. Has FEL. $13,100 bottom line price.

This would be a second tractor for us. We already own a 30hp CUT.

I don't know why, but I'm leaning toward the New Holland. Am I nuts????

 

[/pine]

Just curious...why you are not considering a machine that was specifically made for mowing ? other than the fact that the more tractors the better...!

 

[arnoldziffel]

My wife will be the operator of the machine.

She has tried zero turns and does not like them. She will only consider a tractor with a steering wheel. We cut the lawn at our house with a Toro Wheel Horse 522xi (a large, 1400lb. garden tractor). That is her frame of reference.

 

[/pine]

My wife will be the operator of the machine.

She has tried zero turns and does not like them. She will only consider a tractor with a steering wheel. We cut the lawn at our house with a Toro Wheel Horse 522xi (a large, 1400lb. garden tractor). That is her frame of reference.

Gotcha...makes perfect sense...!

 

[deanwerden]

Keep looking, I paid 11 for my cub with fel and bh no mower 150 hours.

 

[DK35vince]

My wife will be the operator of the machine.

She has tried zero turns and does not like them. She will only consider a tractor with a steering wheel. We cut the lawn at our house with a Toro Wheel Horse 522xi (a large, 1400lb. garden tractor). That is her frame of reference.

When we first got a zero turn my wife hated it.
She had a hard time figuring out the steering.
Once she got used to it she liked it.
Now she absolutely loves the zero turn. She flies around the yard mowing with the thing like she is racing a go cart.

 

[cruz54982]

8 years newer for me and being brand new for just 900 bucks dif. would be a no brainer . that is if the comfort level and all else was equal - my 2 cents worth .

 

[lobsterman1]

A new scut would work with your 5 foot mower have a lower center of gravity and would cost a bit less .

 

[arnoldziffel]

One more thing.

The used New Holland can be purchased WITHOUT the FEL for $8400. (A brand new loader was going to be installed by the seller if need be).

I don't need the loader as the CUT we already own has one. On the other hand I know that a tractor without a loader may be more difficult to sell if we choose to get rid of the machine at a future date.

 

[paulfun9]

With the price of a new machine being less than a thousand for two of your choices I would definitely be looking at NEW with Warrantee before even thinking about used.