SHAFT GARDEN TRACTORS, short list

[MT372HERE]

Ill toss in a word for the JD 445..awesome tractor.

Had one with the 54" shaft Driven deck, and never had any problems with it, even when it was sold with 1200 hours on it.

As far as shafts vs belts go...

Ive never burnt up a belt on any thing Ive ever owned...Ive pulled all sorts of rediculously heavy things...

for instance..

1962 Wheel Horse 702

8hp Kohler K181S
Factory Ag Lugs
Old Drive belt

I chained it to my old Farmall C, which had both front tires flat, and both rears soft. Weights on both rears.

Put it in 1st, and Dumped the clutch..it buried the tires for an instant then hooked up, and procedded to walk the Farmall Tires out of their ruts, the tractor had been sitting for almost a year.

I got it rolling, and quickly shifted to 2nd gear, for speed..then my dad, who was on the Farmall let the clutch out on the farmall, and proceeded to let the engine spin. At this point we were on asphault..we turned around and on the way back to the house, I went through some clay, the lugs hooked up, but had about 35% slip..The governor on the Kohler was slapped WIDE OPEN, but it grunted through, even as the flat front tires of the Farmall Dug into the clay. Then I dropped it to 1st, and parked it back in the yard..

The paint was cooked off the exhaust stack..and the engine itself..the block, and heads, smoked a little..but it never slipped the belt, even with the lowly little clutch spring for tension.

That belt is still on the tractor some 3 years later, still works fine.

On my dads Cub Cadet 1200, it has the Drive shaft, and Dry single plate clutch, and I hate it. The thing Vibrates, even with 100% new parts..It's a pain to work on, and you constantly have to grease the throwout bearing....

On the flip side, I love my JD 316..shaft driven Hydro, no issues, and it works fine!

Belts for Gear drives
Shafts for Hydros

But thats just me..

 

[orgt]

UPDATED LIST OF SHAFT GARDEN TRACTORS:

Cub Cadet GT3200
Cub Cadet GT2554
Cub Cadet 3235
Cub Cadet 3204, 3206
Cub cadet 3185

Ingersoll 3000 and 4000 series

John Deere 445
John Deere 455

Kubota G2160
Kubota G2460
Kubota GR2100
Kubota GR2000
Kubota GR1900
Kubota GR1800
G5200H G6200H
G5200H G5200H

 

[jlangton]

I didn't forget... I just didn't know LOL. Will add them.

and can you tell me about your G2160 when you have a minute? I was at a local dealership yesterday and the salesman never even mentioned that model, what's going on? Me be very confused...

Thanks a bunch.

It has a 21hp 3-cylinder liquid cooled diesel (D782 engine), and the G2460 has a 24 hp 3-cylinder liquid cooled gas engine.
Hydrostatic trans.
Hydraulic deck lift.
Shaft driven deck in a 54" or 60" size.
Manual PTO clutch with spring tension and dual belts that drive the PTO/Mower shaft-very simple and easy to repair if needed.
Extra heavy duty dual rib belt for the mowing deck.
Electrical servo assisted power steering.
Available rear Cat 0 hitch and PTO kit for use with a tiller,etc.
Available front PTO kit for a snowthrower,dethatcher,sweeper,etc.
I paid $7150 for mine new-it's still in production as far as I know,and is the top model Kubota garden tractor-the next step is a BX series.
It's 2WD,but with it weighing just over 1100 lbs-traction isn't really an issue.
It's a fast machine-with transport speeds right up there with the ZTRs, and the power steering system makes it a breeze to mow the yard with.
Seems like it makes diesel fuel too-it barely uses 1/2 gallon/hour with it under heavy load-even less under light load,so the 5.8 gallon fuel tank lasts longer than you wanna stay on it.
JL

 

[David_Kb7uns]

Will second the G2160 but just got one with the 60 inch deck for 7390 and 0% for two years. Also have a BX2230 but wanted something durable that mom could drive and was simple. But if you ever had any thoughts of rototilling or snow blowing or need all wheel drive consider the BX series real hard. They are pushing the GR2100 hard and am thinking this may be the replacement for G2160. There is also a version with a 48inch rear discharge deck with a integrated grass collection system that will allow close trimming on both sides. Looked at the Cub Cadets earlier in season but did not get by a dealer for the 3000 series but the Kubotas are well built and the engines are bullet proof.
David

 

[LBrown59]

Will second the G2160 but just got one with the 60 inch deck for 7390 and 0% for two years. Also have a BX2230 but wanted something durable that mom could drive and was simple. But if you ever had any thoughts of rototilling or snow blowing or need all wheel drive consider the BX series real hard. They are pushing the GR2100 hard and am thinking this may be the replacement for G2160. There is also a version with a 48inch rear discharge deck with a integrated grass collection system that will allow close trimming on both sides. Looked at the Cub Cadets earlier in season but did not get by a dealer for the 3000 series but the Kubotas are well built and the engines are bullet proof.
David

I looked at a new JD Garden Tractor yesterday.
$7000.oo With the Mower Deck.The tiller was another $1600.oo for a total of $8600.oo.
By Contrast I've been quoted the following prices for a BX 1500 by 2 different Kubota Dealers.
Dealer A:
Bx1500 without a mower $5700
rear tiller $1450
Front Blade $1350
Total $8500
Dealer B:
BX1500 includes the mower $6050
Rear tiller 1400
Front blade 1400
Total $8850.

----->>

 

[orgt]

Will second the G2160 but just got one with the 60 inch deck for 7390 and 0% for two years. Also have a BX2230 but wanted something durable that mom could drive and was simple. But if you ever had any thoughts of rototilling or snow blowing or need all wheel drive consider the BX series real hard. They are pushing the GR2100 hard and am thinking this may be the replacement for G2160. There is also a version with a 48inch rear discharge deck with a integrated grass collection system that will allow close trimming on both sides. Looked at the Cub Cadets earlier in season but did not get by a dealer for the 3000 series but the Kubotas are well built and the engines are bullet proof.
David

Indeed I'm yet to see a G2160 around here, it looks like a rare beast! It's hard to understand why Kubota keeps that terrific rear discharge system so hush-hush and why they would offer it on just one model. The design is brilliant, they seem to work well even with fairly wet grass, no clunky stuff out the side or back with addtional belts or engines to improve flow, close trimming on both sides as you said, no extra power sapped or gas costs, etc. More and more people like me garden and farm organically and when you do that, you try to collect ALL your grass clippings in order to produce large amounts of high-quality compost (Mother Nature does this for free and the end product beats any chemical "fertilizer" by a million miles LOL.) If Kubota refined the system and offered larger versions, particularly for the BX series which have the power to generate even greater airflow straight out of the rear of a redesigned 5 foot MMM, they would make an absolute killing selling these things nationwide.

BX capabilities are really tempting but the main problem for us is that we may move 2000 miles away in a few years. Preliminary studies of moving costs show astronomical numbers. The only half-reasonable option I found is one of these companies that drop a big trailer in your yard, give you a week to load it, bring the tractor back to hook it up, drive to the destination and give you another few days there to unload. To be honest I haven't called them yet but while I think a BX would fit inside the trailor width-wise, it would still take an awful amount of room, not to mention the WEIGHT, probably over 3,000 pounds for the tractor and a few attachments. In contrast a garden tractor wouldn't be an issue at all.

BTW I have also looked at the Cubs, they are priced well but the more I learn and talk to people the more I lean towards Kubota's diesel models. There's just no comparison especially when you look at the engines. Seems to me even a (good) used one would outlast bost other GTs by at least ten years. I was absolutely shocked to hear for example that it's OK to expect out of a low-end Kohler or BS a whole... 750 hours before rebuild. Yikes!

 

[jlangton]

BTW I have also looked at the Cubs, they are priced well but the more I learn and talk to people the more I lean towards Kubota's diesel models. There's just no comparison especially when you look at the engines. Seems to me even a (good) used one would outlast bost other GTs by at least ten years. I was absolutely shocked to hear for example that it's OK to expect out of a low-end Kohler or BS a whole... 750 hours before rebuild. Yikes!

Lifespan is the main thing tha prompted me to buy the G2160.
We used an old dinosaur G4200 that was approx an '84 model at our old church. There were about a dozen of us that used it to cut the 3-4 acres there,and that little old diesel never hiccuped even with a bunch of 14-16 yr old kids abusing it. I don't think we ever changed the oil in it,and we ran it wide open across the field mowing thick,nasty grass with alot of old crawfish mounds-it was still going last time I checked,and the hour meter had stopped at roughly 4200 hours.
JL

 

[orgt]

I looked at a new JD Garden Tractor yesterday.
$7000.oo With the Mower Deck.The tiller was another $1600.oo for a total of $8600.oo.
By Contrast I've been quoted the following prices for a BX 1500 by 2 different Kubota Dealers.
Dealer A:
Bx1500 without a mower $5700
rear tiller $1450
Front Blade $1350
Total $8500
Dealer B:
BX1500 includes the mower $6050
Rear tiller 1400
Front blade 1400
Total $8850.

----->>

I know what you mean about John Deere. Sadly, there's a large dealership only two miles from my property, the machines are nice BUT
1) The prices are WAY too high, including for used machines, a real turn-off 2) In spite of having dozens of tracs out there on the lawn they sometimes don't seem to even be interested in talking to customers. In fact, I've heard this about other dealerships and I wonder what kind of incentives they get to be so comfortable with NOT selling these millions of $ worth of equipment.

In theory, I couldn't agree more about the BX especially at the prices you got. Refurb tractors may be less fancy but they do the job and can also be very attractive, some can be had with a loader and deck for under 6K such as this Zen-Noh Yanmar YM1401 with New Koyker Detachable Loader -$5,095 Packaged with 42" Howse rotary cutter at Select Compact Tractor ( Select Compact Tractor)

You bring another great point which is that the smaller tractors (GTs) are way overpriced. For example, the Kubota GR2100 is an excellent machine but the last dealer I talked to started out my showing me an MSRP of $8,500... he looked up and saw that ARE YOU KIDDING ME face on me, then proceeded to pretend to make these absurd calculations on a crappy little sheet pulled out of this chest pocket (they all seem to do that LOL) and quoted me a more palatable $7,200 before tax. Now that's still an obscene price for a machine this size with just a mowing deck, and the JDs are far more expensive... that's just crazy. Couple that with the salesforce's often incredible lack of the most basic professionalism (at least around here), no wonder there are so many machines left out in front of the dealerships this time of year.

Anyway, as I mentioned to David, for now the BX size machine aren't an option for us but the GTs are so high-priced that we may have no choice but going used. What a shame.

 

[jlangton]

I know what you mean about John Deere. Sadly, there's a large dealership only two miles from my property, the machines are nice BUT
1) The prices are WAY too high, including for used machines, a real turn-off 2) In spite of having dozens of tracs out there on the lawn they sometimes don't seem to even be interested in talking to customers. In fact, I've heard this about other dealerships and I wonder what kind of incentives they get to be so comfortable with NOT selling these millions of $ worth of equipment.

In theory, I couldn't agree more about the BX especially at the prices you got. Refurb tractors may be less fancy but they do the job and can also be very attractive, some can be had with a loader and deck for under 6K such as this Zen-Noh Yanmar YM1401 with New Koyker Detachable Loader -$5,095 Packaged with 42" Howse rotary cutter at Select Compact Tractor ( Select Compact Tractor)

You bring another great point which is that the smaller tractors (GTs) are way overpriced. For example, the Kubota GR2100 is an excellent machine but the last dealer I talked to started out my showing me an MSRP of $8,500... he looked up and saw that ARE YOU KIDDING ME face on me, then proceeded to pretend to make these absurd calculations on a crappy little sheet pulled out of this chest pocket (they all seem to do that LOL) and quoted me a more palatable $7,200 before tax. Now that's still an obscene price for a machine this size with just a mowing deck, and the JDs are far more expensive... that's just crazy. Couple that with the salesforce's often incredible lack of the most basic professionalism (at least around here), no wonder there are so many machines left out in front of the dealerships this time of year.

Anyway, as I mentioned to David, for now the BX size machine aren't an option for us but the GTs are so high-priced that we may have no choice but going used. What a shame.

I was quoted $6750 for a new GR2100 when I bought my G2160. The thing is the diesel powerplant-have you ever priced one of those alone? I've seen from $3500-$5500 for 20-25 HP for liquid cooled diesels-engine only. I was pricing compact diesels for a generator,and decided that a different setup would work better for me. There's alot more to them than just a mowing deck,but I will agree that if you're on the edge in making a decision on a GT or a SCUT-a BX will likely serve you better. I almost got a BX2350, but the size was just a bit too much-this G2160 is just right for me, and I'll just get a more capable B-series later on for tractor duties instead having double-duty with the smaller BX.
JL

 

[MT372HERE]

I was quoted $6750 for a new GR2100 when I bought my G2160. The thing is the diesel powerplant-have you ever priced one of those alone? I've seen from $3500-$5500 for 20-25 HP for liquid cooled diesels-engine only. I was pricing compact diesels for a generator,and decided that a different setup would work better for me. There's alot more to them than just a mowing deck,but I will agree that if you're on the edge in making a decision on a GT or a SCUT-a BX will likely serve you better. I almost got a BX2350, but the size was just a bit too much-this G2160 is just right for me, and I'll just get a more capable B-series later on for tractor duties instead having double-duty with the smaller BX.
JL

I felt the hurt a few years ago..

JD 445, 54" deck, 3 point, 40 Loader, ballast...

$13,XXX

Served me well. Im looking for another one now.

That Fuel injected 22hp Liquid Cooled Kawasaki V-Twin is a smooth engine!