tommorley
New member
Thanks for advice on the IH Trike. I have 3 acres for mowing. How about a Kubota L235 diesel with 1100 hrs. for $3700.00. Sounds like I need finishing mower vs. brush hog. Grass gets to 2 ft. Will mower attachment be sufficient?
Buying Advice need additional tractor advice.
- Thread starter tommorley
- Start date
dickfoster
Elite Member
Do you want to mow grass or do you really want a tractor and are using the mowing to justify it? LOL
We all know how that is so it's OK.
Tractors are made for doing many jobs while mowers are purpose designed to do one thing and do it well. What is the terrain like, hilly or flat, for your 3 acres? Is it just grass or is there brush too.
What is your budget? You are going to spend more for a tractor to do the same mowing job that a dedicated mower is going to cost. However a mower is just going to mow well and really do nothing more than that. If you have other jobs then a tractor might make more sense.
That three acres is gonna go pretty fast with a tractor and mower then just set around and collect dust unless you have other work to get done with it.
dickfoster
Elite Member
Well that's gonna be really tough on a budget of $4K. Tractors aren't cheap and you'd be looking at over that even for a used tractor by the time you put a mower behind it.
I think you'd have better luck sticking to the zero turn mowers and save the tractor for another day. In the meantime keep your eye on the grass till then and not let it get too high.
dickfoster
Elite Member
Yeah but your budget is already just about shot, it's a used tractor with stuff to do most likely and you haven't even got a mower behind it yet. Last time I heard the tooth fairy wasn't giving out mowers so that's another grand or so on a good day even for a low cost four footer.
The PTO on that machine puts out about 19hp so bear that in mind when shopping for a 3pt mower and don't go too big. About 4' is about all it's gonna do.
It's also a gear driven tractor so the HST guys on here are gonna probably say you just gotta have HST for mowing. LOL
Soundguy
Old Timer
- Joined
- Mar 11, 2002
- Messages
- 52,238
- Location
- Central florida
- Tractor
- RK 55HC,ym1700, NH7610S, Ford 8N, 2N, NAA, 660, 850 x2, 541, 950, 941D, 951, 2000, 3000, 4000, 4600, 5000, 740, IH 'C' 'H', CUB, John Deere 'B', allis 'G', case VAC
At 3700$ for mowing you are looking at a ford 55-64 00/01 series. Should be able to get a good runner with servicible mower.
2' grass? That will kill a finish mower......
2' grass? That will kill a finish mower......
TheMadOne
Platinum Member
I'm a little behind here and trying to catch up. Please bear with me.
In the other thread you wanted to mow three acres, and not have to make multiple passes. You found a tractor that several of us suggested you avoid because it's a large tricycle. You were also going to buy a bush hog. I made the comment that the bush hog would do the job, but wouldn't be pretty. And I asked if you wanted/needed pretty.
Then you found another tractor and started this thread. Smaller and lighter than your previous choice, the Kubota will do a better job, but is still quite large for a dedicated mower.
You express your desire for a finish mower of some type instead of the bush hog(I guess you do want/need "pretty"?). That's fine. Plenty of options to size for the Bota. Then you mention that the grass gets to 2 feet tall. Red flag!
I'm sorry to be the one to say it, but I can't name a single mower that will take 2ft tall grass and turn it into anything that'd pass muster as "pretty". There's just to much material. Maybe get something with a MMM and a bagger, but you'd be filling and emptying the bags a lot. And constantly battling clogs. Or a mulching deck and go really slow?(Never used a mulching deck, don't know if that'd work or not.)
I have to at least partially agree with dick, the solution is not letting the grass get so high. Tractor or zero turn, that's your choice. If you want a tractor with a finish mower, then I wish you luck on your search, but you'll still need to mow just as often as if you had bought the zero turn. And it will take longer. If you want to do one and done, then get a bush hog. It won't be a fairway at St. Andrews, but it will be knocked down.
In the other thread you wanted to mow three acres, and not have to make multiple passes. You found a tractor that several of us suggested you avoid because it's a large tricycle. You were also going to buy a bush hog. I made the comment that the bush hog would do the job, but wouldn't be pretty. And I asked if you wanted/needed pretty.
Then you found another tractor and started this thread. Smaller and lighter than your previous choice, the Kubota will do a better job, but is still quite large for a dedicated mower.
You express your desire for a finish mower of some type instead of the bush hog(I guess you do want/need "pretty"?). That's fine. Plenty of options to size for the Bota. Then you mention that the grass gets to 2 feet tall. Red flag!
I'm sorry to be the one to say it, but I can't name a single mower that will take 2ft tall grass and turn it into anything that'd pass muster as "pretty". There's just to much material. Maybe get something with a MMM and a bagger, but you'd be filling and emptying the bags a lot. And constantly battling clogs. Or a mulching deck and go really slow?(Never used a mulching deck, don't know if that'd work or not.)
I have to at least partially agree with dick, the solution is not letting the grass get so high. Tractor or zero turn, that's your choice. If you want a tractor with a finish mower, then I wish you luck on your search, but you'll still need to mow just as often as if you had bought the zero turn. And it will take longer. If you want to do one and done, then get a bush hog. It won't be a fairway at St. Andrews, but it will be knocked down.
Soundguy
Old Timer
- Joined
- Mar 11, 2002
- Messages
- 52,238
- Location
- Central florida
- Tractor
- RK 55HC,ym1700, NH7610S, Ford 8N, 2N, NAA, 660, 850 x2, 541, 950, 941D, 951, 2000, 3000, 4000, 4600, 5000, 740, IH 'C' 'H', CUB, John Deere 'B', allis 'G', case VAC
I don't think I saw the prev thread, but will add that trikes make some great mowers.
I mow with one weekly during non winter.
On a hog that's mowing 'lawn' and not shrubs, rocks and weeds, you can sharpen the blade more lil a finish mower, and run it close and get a cut just a little worse than a cheap rider
I mow with one weekly during non winter.
On a hog that's mowing 'lawn' and not shrubs, rocks and weeds, you can sharpen the blade more lil a finish mower, and run it close and get a cut just a little worse than a cheap rider
TheMadOne
Platinum Member
You're in Forida. What winter?
I didn't know about the trick with sharpening the hog's blades. That makes sense, but don't you still end up with a large amount of clippings to deal with? Ones that aren't going to go away for weeks?