Clueless about tractors

[PJL13]

Hello all!

I'm in the process of building a house on 4 acres of old farmland (wheat). I am now at the crossroads of figuring out how to maintain my property when it is completed. I'm very clueless to the tractor world and differences between various types.

I my several of my searches, I haven't been able to determine what will be best for me to perform the following: Mowing, snow removal, landscaping (nothing crazy, maybe a small orchard and garden). I have had various sites, people and internet searches result in recommendations for:

1.) No tractor - Just buy a zero-turn mower and a snowblower
2.) Garden or lawn tractor with snowblower attachment
3.) Subcompact tractor with front loader for snow, and a mower attachment...and wallet permitting, a backhoe for other work

I certainly like the idea of subcompact tractor, but not sure what the difference is between that and a Garden (or Lawn) tractor. Furthermore, I wasn't sure if a subcompact tractor would even be too much for my needs.

Of course, the next issue would be which brand, model, options, etc to get.

Anyhow, I would welcome any thoughts, suggestion and input that anyone has.

Thank you!

 

[dickfoster]

You've come to the right place. How much grass needs to be cut and how often? How much snow needs to be removed ie. feet of driveway etc. etc. Backhoes are nice to have but not cheap to buy. Before making any firm decisions on brand, first shop for decent dealers that will provide the level of service you need. If the dealer is crappy the brand of tractor you have won't matter much.

 

[Thomas]

:welcome:
Lot of good reading also try SEARCH.

 

[BigBoyToys]

Seeing you don't have "woods" to contend with, something in the Kubota BX line or similar would fit the bill. Just see what local dealers are around and what brands they carry. Then test drive a few.

 

[TheMadOne]

Hello all!

I'm in the process of building a house on 4 acres of old farmland (wheat). I am now at the crossroads of figuring out how to maintain my property when it is completed. I'm very clueless to the tractor world and differences between various types.

I my several of my searches, I haven't been able to determine what will be best for me to perform the following: Mowing, snow removal, landscaping (nothing crazy, maybe a small orchard and garden). I have had various sites, people and internet searches result in recommendations for:

1.) No tractor - Just buy a zero-turn mower and a snowblower
2.) Garden or lawn tractor with snowblower attachment
3.) Subcompact tractor with front loader for snow, and a mower attachment...and wallet permitting, a backhoe for other work

I certainly like the idea of subcompact tractor, but not sure what the difference is between that and a Garden (or Lawn) tractor. Furthermore, I wasn't sure if a subcompact tractor would even be too much for my needs.

Of course, the next issue would be which brand, model, options, etc to get.

Anyhow, I would welcome any thoughts, suggestion and input that anyone has.

Thank you!

The biggest differences between a standard garden tractor and a SCUT(Sub Compact Utility Tractor) are(In my opinion, and in no way to be taken as gospel):

The hitch-Most garden tractors will have a single hole for towing a small trailer. SCUTs will have some manner of 3-point hitch for mounting implements.

Fuel-Most garden tractors are gas engines. SCUTs are diesel.

PTO-very few garden tractors have a rear 540RPM PTO.

Weight-most SCUTs will weigh more than most garden tractors. This allows them to do more work.

Strength-most (big box) garden tractors are much less capable of pulling, and are also less forgiving of abuse.

You'll notice that I said "most" in relation to things about garden tractors. The reason for that is there are some machines that toe the line between garden tractor and proper SCUT.

A good dividing line(I think) would be the rear hitch. Cat 1 hitch=SCUT Nothing/Single hole=Garden Tractor Cat 0/Cat 1 Limited=Questionable

 

[jeff9366]

The large rear wheels on traditional tractors provide substantial mechanical advantage when PULLING.

The Three Point Hitch, including Power Take Off (PTO) is the primary focus on a traditional tractor, Front End Loader (FEL) is secondary and rear/center drawbar is trailing tertiary focus.



A Zero Turn mower provides the fastest, highest quality cut of lawn.

How many obstacles, such as trees and flower beds, are in the area you will mow two to four times per month? The greater the need for maneuverability, the more a Zero Turn will shine.

 

[brasco426]

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/showthread.php?t=353157

Already great advice given, here's a thread I started of what I've been upto with our SCUT. We have just over 6 acres combined property to maintain with horses. Some of the things jobs it's tasked with is snow removal, loader work, grading, mowing, maintaining the horse rings to name a few. We enjoy having a SCUT around and I don't know how we managed before having it. Too add a little to what others have said I will add this, decide what jobs need to be accomplished throughout the year for your property and your needs and match a machine to those needs. Good Luck and it will get much easier keep reading and learning all you can before you take the plunge. . Donnie

 

[AxleHub]

Pjl,

You wrote "I certainly like the idea of subcompact tractor, but not sure what the difference is between that and a Garden (or Lawn) tractor. Furthermore, I wasn't sure if a subcompact tractor would even be too much for my needs."

A scut is more about hydraulics and lifting plus the added things a garden tractor does. So a scut can lift a pallet of landscape blocjs or patio blicks ans carry it to a location while a faeden teactor pylls a xaet ans yoy dobthe loadibf in and our with muscles.

A garden tractor pulls the little cart of dirt you shovelled into it while the scut scoops up the dirt in its bucket and to drive ir to where it gets dumped.

Both cut grass, both can plow snow, both can have a snowblower . But a scut can lift and carry snow while a garden tractor pulls a xart of snow you shoveled into it.

But the point is pjl . . Yyou have 4 acres in upstate New York apparently. Do you want a lawn tractor/garden tractor that requires phtsical work from you or do you want a scut that wants to do a bunch of the physical work?

I think TBN is effective at telling you ideas and information about mowers and tractors uses and capabilities. But you should " sit on some seats " furst just to gain an idea of the sizes that separate the categories. Stop into a Kubota dealer and ask to see and sit on a couple sizes of BX products. Keep a blind eye to color or name. You are only there to see price tags and physical size of units. Don't ask for quites . . Just general price ranges.

Now do the same thing at a Home Depot or Lowe's or ???. Or that same Kubota dealer also sells lawn tractors in 2 wd or 4wd. Again . . . you aren't there for bids and test drives . . you are there ti fet an udea what $ 3000 looks like vs $ 10,000 vs $ 15,000. Not brand not color.

Then come back to tbn with more idwa what you want to do with your money ans your land.

Tbn forums cover $ 1500 lawn tractors and $15,000 scuts. My point is . . you need to "aim us" more than you are to get more valuable input from us.

 

[JFoy]

PJL13,

First, welcome. Second, as to the uses of a SCUT, while I've used tractors for plowing gardens over the years, I bought my first true SCUT (Kubota BX25D) back in December. Up to that point, around the house, I used a regular riding mower with a little tow-behind cart. Now with the SCUT, I mow about 1.5 acres with it. I brush hogged 3 acres with it last week. Had a tree service here a couple months ago and I told them to leave anything over 2 inches in diameter for my wood stove. I moved and piled all of that with the pallet forks from the tree sites to the the wood storage area with the pallet forks. Every couple of years, we get a couple dump truck loads of mulch in for landscaping. I've always moved it by wheelbarrow. Next time, I'll use the Front End Loader (FEL) and be done in a half day instead of two days - not to mention my back won't hurt from all the shoveling. I've got a collapsed septic line that needs to be replaced. I'll use the Backhoe (BH) to dig it up instead of shoveling that or hiring it out. I bought some gravel for the flooring of my storage shed area. Used the FEL to move it. Wife wants a privacy fence that will require around 30 4x4s. I'll use the post hole digger aka auger to make those holes instead of doing that by hand. It used to take me upwards to 3 hours to mow my lawn with my 42" riding mower. Now it takes less than 2 hours with the 54" Mid Mount Mower (MMM) on the tractor. Bought a new wood stove back in December. Unloaded it at home with the pallet forks.

Get the idea?

 

[MF283]

Pjl,

You wrote "I certainly like the idea of subcompact tractor, but not sure what the difference is between that and a Garden (or Lawn) tractor. Furthermore, I wasn't sure if a subcompact tractor would even be too much for my needs."

A scut is more about hydraulics and lifting plus the added things a garden tractor does. So a scut can lift a pallet of landscape blocjs or patio blicks ans carry it to a location while a faeden teactor pylls a xaet ans yoy dobthe loadibf in and our with muscles.

A garden tractor pulls the little cart of dirt you shovelled into it while the scut scoops up the dirt in its bucket and to drive ir to where it gets dumped.

Both cut grass, both can plow snow, both can have a snowblower . But a scut can lift and carry snow while a garden tractor pulls a xart of snow you shoveled into it.

But the point is pjl . . Yyou have 4 acres in upstate New York apparently. Do you want a lawn tractor/garden tractor that requires phtsical work from you or do you want a scut that wants to do a bunch of the physical work?

I think TBN is effective at telling you ideas and information about mowers and tractors uses and capabilities. But you should " sit on some seats " furst just to gain an idea of the sizes that separate the categories. Stop into a Kubota dealer and ask to see and sit on a couple sizes of BX products. Keep a blind eye to color or name. You are only there to see price tags and physical size of units. Don't ask for quites . . Just general price ranges.

Now do the same thing at a Home Depot or Lowe's or ???. Or that same Kubota dealer also sells lawn tractors in 2 wd or 4wd. Again . . . you aren't there for bids and test drives . . you are there ti fet an udea what $ 3000 looks like vs $ 10,000 vs $ 15,000. Not brand not color.

Then come back to tbn with more idwa what you want to do with your money ans your land.

Tbn forums cover $ 1500 lawn tractors and $15,000 scuts. My point is . . you need to "aim us" more than you are to get more valuable input from us.

:thumbsup: