what is the best combo tractor?

[aesanders]

The Simplicity Legacy XL has the same hitch type (LIMITED CATEGORY 1) as the Kubota BX and is almost identical in size.

 

[RickO]

Cool!

Then I would add that one to my short list to consider Rory, Because I know Simplicity makes good stuff. Just compare lift capacities on everything and ask lots of questions - because they are not all created equal.

Make sure you determine what you want to do with the rig before you go shopping. That will help you get the right equipment. If you have a lot of trees and things to mow around stay away from a Rear Finish Mower and go with a Mid Mount Mower.

 

[rory_h]

great feed back guys! I really appreciate it. I am intrigued by the gang mowers. Somehow the thought of mowing in big 10' chunks sounds appealing to me. Do these mowers work on uneven terrian? any pro's and cons of these machines?. It seems i could get one of these and pull it with a garden tractor for about 5 grand,then pick up an used tractor for fel and phd work, for maybe another 5 grand. That might be an alternative to buying one machine that does everything, that is if the gang mower system is really that much more effecient than the rotary mowers.

 

[IslandTractor]

<font color="blue"> Do these mowers work on uneven terrian? </font>

That is not their strength but I think you can imagine them being used on a golf course with that type of undulating terrain. Not a rocky hillside however. I am sure they are best at flat close cropped lawns which is what I inferred from your original post. Call one of the manufacturers of gang reel mowers, obviously they will be somewhat biased but should be able to give you a sense of whether your land would be appropriate.

 

[ddivinia]

I tried the one tractor does it all and it just didn't work very well. I bought a John Deere 2210 and it most things well but it was too small to mow with a shredder very well. The ride hieght was kinda low, etc. I ended up selling it and getting a John Deere 757 Z Track (awesome mower). The 2210 with the 62C desk did a great job mowing but this z track blows it away. The 757 is a dedicated mower, but oh well - it works really well at it.

How often do you need ot punch holes in the ground? Perhaps you would be better off renting it.

If you want to try the one does it all, I would try the HD 3120. You can do it all with it. You have to figure out if you want a mid mount mower or a rear finishing mower. I have not used a RFM much, but I would think it would be hard to get into tight spots.

D.

 

[Volfandt]

I've had very good service out of my "all in one" tractor solution. My BX23 has done all that I have tasked it with and the fully suspended 60" MMM finish cuts as well if not better than my previous dedicated lawn & garden mowers.
It will not produce a fast cut like a commercial grade ZTR nor will work full size farm implements like a farm tractor either but it does a pretty good job of finish mowing and has it own line of smaller implements to work a garden or upkeep an estate. And it does it all whilst being stingy on fuel.
I can change it from being a dedicated finish mower to a TLB and back in minutes without using any tools.
In my case the BX23 fits the bill.
Good luck
Volfandt

 

[LBrown59]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( If you want a single machine that will provide an excellent cut and also have a PTO and handle a FEL or Backhoe, look at the Simplicity Legacy XL w/ a 60" deck. It's not as widely known about as the Deere's or Kubota's or other (S)CUTs but it performs great. There is a PHD digger available for it, but I think you have to get the one from simplicty due to clearance issues. )</font>

There's nothing wrong with the cut of a BX JD 2210 or MF GC tractor.

 

[LBrown59]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I don't know what quality of cut your wanting but chances are if you've been mowing with a rider all these years any of the tractors mentioned above will acheive that quality if you set them up right and keep the blades sharp. I have been mowing with a B7800 Kubota with a 72" RFM and have had good luck. Simplicities may mow great but the are expensive for what your getting and they are light weight. Good Mowers though. I wouldn't even classify it as a sub-compact.A good Sub-Compat is a Kubota BX and a good compact is the Kubota B series. Stay with either a Sub-compact or a Compact. The Compacts are a little larger in weight and horsepower and will run bigger implements. IF you stick with 30Hp or larger you can usually run 6' implents for mowing and 5' ground engaging implements like tillers and box blades etc. Anything below 30 Hp and you may need to go down to a 5' mower and 48" tiller etc. You would have to check your tractor's specs to see since the PTO HP is what really determines this. Compacts are slightly lighter and lower to the ground and make a little better mowing machine but are somewhat limited in what they will do compared to a Compact. Stick with a Category 1 3-point hitch if possible - which you will find in most of the subs and compacts. But I don't think Simplicity has a category 1. The reason for sticking with category 1 is that most of your implements you'll find at your local TSC or in the paper are category 1. Simplicy may take a sort of proprietary attachement that you have to buy from them.For 5 Acres, Get at least a real sub-compact (Not a category 0 3pt.). There are lots of them out there. Massey, Deere, Kubota, Farmall (Same as the New Holland) )</font>
<font color="brown"> 1*Simplicities may mow great but the are expensive for what your getting and they are light weight. Good Mowers though.
2* I wouldn't even classify it as a sub-compact.
3* Simplicity may take a sort of proprietary attachment that you have to buy from them.

=== </font>
1*I couldn't agree with you more. It was the most expensive tractor i compared when I was shopping for my tractor.
2*Neither would I. For one thing every Sub Compact I've seen comes standard with a ROPS; however that's not so with Simplicity.
3*perhaps at a premium price. Some examples
BH for my bx $3800-Simplicity BH $6000
BX ROPS $0.00-Simplicity ROPS $750

 

[Bob_Skurka]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I've just purchased a 5 acre property that is almost all in closely cropped grass, so i need a really good finish mower. I also have alot of projects that i would like to do that would require a post-hole digging attchment and maybe a scoop on the front , so i guess i need something with a pto. I know that kubota has some compact tractors, that are also belly-mowers, but i wonder if that versatility would come at the expense of effecient mowing. it seem that for pure mowing it would be hard to beat one of those big zero-turn mowers, but i don't see any of those with a pto? Any one been down this road before? thanks for the feedback.
rory )</font>

ZTR mowers mow fast because they are very manuverable, not because their ground speed is really any faster than a tractor. The larger the tractor the slower the mowing will be if you have landscaping, buildings or other obstructions to mow around. I would want a 72" mower deck.

My preference is much like the advice given to you by ronjhall in the very first reply to this thread. A small, light, tight turning tractor, that has high PTO horsepower and a 72" Mid-Mount Mower will be the fastest mowing tractor I can think of. MMM are faster to use around landscaping, amonst trees, and around flower beds. A Rear Finish Mower is certainly a less expensive option, but as I've owned both types, I think that if there is a lot of landscaping the MMM is a better choice, especially for anyone new to tractors as they don't 'gator tail' and hit things unintentionally like a RFM is prone to do. I also strongly prefer a lightweight tractor for mowing, it tends to cause less turf damage and rutting than a heavy tractor. As Ron suggested, I would also suggest the compact, lightweight, high horsepower B7800 or B3030 from Kubota. I would also suggest you learn how to remove the Front Loader, they have a quick attach system, and any tractor with the FEL removed will be much easier to steer around your wife's prized rose bushes.

As for gang/reel mowers, you need to have a smooth lawn to utilize those effectively. As has been previously mentioned, think in terms of a golf course. If your lawn is rutted, pocked with holes, or even just lumpy and bumpy, then a set of reel mowers is not going to work well for you.

 

[LBrown59]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( great feed back guys! I really appreciate it. I am intrigued by the gang mowers. Somehow the thought of mowing in big 10' chunks sounds appealing to me. Do these mowers work on uneven terrian? any pro's and cons of these machines?. It seems i could get one of these and pull it with a garden tractor for about 5 grand,then pick up an used tractor for fel and phd work, for maybe another 5 grand. That might be an alternative to buying one machine that does everything, that is if the gang mower system is really that much more effecient than the rotary mowers. )</font>
<font color="brown">The thought of mowing in big 10' chunks sounds appealing to me.
===== </font>
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Here is how I do it if I'm pressed for time or just want to get it mowed quick.
The wife mows with the 4 foot Power craft wile I mow with the BX 5 foot MMM.
At 9 feet it don't take long.
If I had someone to drive the Bolens with the 3 foot belly mower I could cut 12 feet at a time.

You could also pull an off set tow behind mower to increase your cutting swath.