Buying Advice Looking to buy a GC1705 Thread

[nickgindy]

So I've had the bug of buying a sub compact of some type for a year or so. I've done a lot of research and narrowed down my search to a GC1705 with a fel, 60 inch mmm, and eventually a rear tiller. I live on a flat acre and a half with trees all around the perimeter. I have a larger back half of my driveway for my camper that is gravel that washed out a lot in the rain and I'm smoothing with a shovel and the front that is concrete that is a pain in the butt when there is snow due to drifting.

I currently have a 2012 Simplicity Regent Ex 23hp 46inch deck I mow with and have a snow blower attachment for. It mows beautifully and I love striping my yard. I use it all the time for hauling wood up to the house and all my other yard projects.

I need help and advice from veteran subcompact owners.

1.)I'm very cautious with my money and always scared I will get buyers remorse. I was the same way when I bought my BMW motorcycle ( that I've ridden all over the country and can't get enough of), my 13 Ram ( I love the crap out of too), and my camper (It's great when I don't remind myself of dealing with the sleezeballs of Camping World). This year I am getting married and we chose to have a back yard wedding which is going to require some fel style work filling holes where we added drainage last year and when I rip some stumps out. Renting a skid steer for all the projects I need will easily add up to $1000+ so I figure why not just own a nice mower with FEL capability. If it mows at least half as great as my Simplicity does I will be content and feel better about my purchase. I know I'll use the bucket more than I realize. My buddy has a grader box that I can use for my gravel. Having a nice lawn has turned in to a hobby of mine.
Anyone else get nervous while purchasing?

2.) How did some of you decide on what was the best deal, dealer, ect? I found a place in Georgia called Cain Equipment offering a gc1705 with a fel, 60inch mmm, rear tiller (unknown brand), and a 14foot utility trailer with brakes for $16,200. I'm not sure if that is a cash price or not but if not that seems like a **** of a deal. it would be a 9 hour drive but if I can save a couple grand in the long run it is worth it. I will need to get a bigger trailer when i get a subcompact anyway. My local dealer is pricing a 1705 with a fel and the mmm for $14873 financed at 4.99%, $17333 at 0% and a cash price of $14873.

3.)If I buy in Georgia or another dealer better priced than my local dealer and I need warranty work (the kind covered by Massey Ferguson), can I take it to my local dealer for any warranty work?

4.) Everything I have has gasoline engines but I live a mile exactly down a country road from a gas station with diesel. Would the gc1705 be alright to drive the mile for when I need diesel? I know it would only be at 9.9mph (if that). Anyone else do that? Besides Steve Jessup. "I know my rights." (Steves Riding Lawn Mower DUI Arrest Video - YouTube)

5.) Anyone else just working on an acre of property?

Thanks in advance. I am sure I am just over thinking and need to just go purchase one but always need the encouragement and incite of like minded people.

 

[jeff9366]

4.) Everything I have has gasoline engines but I live a mile down a country road from a gas station with diesel.
Would the gc1705 be alright to drive the mile for when I need diesel? I know it would only be at 9.9mph (if that).

If you drive in 2-WD rather than 4-WD the tractor will be fine.

I burned out the front wheel drive on a Kubota BX subcompact tractor during an unintentional 4-WD three mile road drive at max tractor speed.

Do not fuel up with bio-diesel unless your Operator's Manual specifically says bio-diesel is OK for your engine.


Calculate the cost of driving Indiana-Georgia-Indiana at 75 cents per mile outbound and $1.00 per mile inbound for a truck pulling a laden trailer and let me know what the trip cost is. Indianapolis to Atlanta is 550 miles one way. You may have to drive farther. You will need one hotel night and several meals.

I do not see how your travel expense could be less than $1,000. This trip projection values eighteen hours of your driving time at ZERO. I do not value my time that way.

 

[DuckSlayer1017]

Your local dealer will provide warranty work. Personally I’d take the low offer to my local dealer and see if he can come close to it. I’d rather keep my business local and have a good relationship with my dealer than save some money and drive nine hours.

 

[newbury]

<snip>
1.)I'm very cautious with my money and always scared I will get buyers remorse. I was the same way when I bought my BMW motorcycle ( that I've ridden all over the country and can't get enough of), my 13 Ram ( I love the crap out of too), and my camper (It's great when I don't remind myself of dealing with the sleezeballs of Camping World). This year I am getting married and we chose to have a back yard wedding which is going to require some fel style work filling holes where we added drainage last year and when I rip some stumps out. Renting a skid steer for all the projects I need will easily add up to $1000+ so I figure why not just own a nice mower with FEL capability. If it mows at least half as great as my Simplicity does I will be content and feel better about my purchase. I know I'll use the bucket more than I realize. My buddy has a grader box that I can use for my gravel. Having a nice lawn has turned in to a hobby of mine.
Anyone else get nervous while purchasing?

2.) How did some of you decide on what was the best deal, dealer, ect? I found a place in Georgia called Cain Equipment offering a gc1705 with a fel, 60inch mmm, rear tiller (unknown brand), and a 14foot utility trailer with brakes for $16,200. I'm not sure if that is a cash price or not but if not that seems like a **** of a deal. it would be a 9 hour drive but if I can save a couple grand in the long run it is worth it. I will need to get a bigger trailer when i get a subcompact anyway. My local dealer is pricing a 1705 with a fel and the mmm for $14873 financed at 4.99%, $17333 at 0% and a cash price of $14873.

<snip>
5.) Anyone else just working on an acre of property?

Thanks in advance. I am sure I am just over thinking and need to just go purchase one but always need the encouragement and incite of like minded people.

If you work for your money consider how many hours a $15K purchase represents and what else you could do with the $15K.
A flat acre and a half is 6 times the size of my lot and I have a B7610, but I'm taking it to Mississippi where I've hundreds of acres.

Have you looked into renting for those few times you need a FEL? I can rent a small tractor w/ FEL for a weekend for $200, $100 for a tiller.

If you plan on getting more acreage in the near future a tractor may make sense, but your getting married - be ready for LOT'S of unplanned expenses.

 

[frugalangler]

So I've had the bug of buying a sub compact of some type for a year or so. I've done a lot of research and narrowed down my search to a GC1705 with a fel, 60 inch mmm, and eventually a rear tiller. I live on a flat acre and a half with trees all around the perimeter. I have a larger back half of my driveway for my camper that is gravel that washed out a lot in the rain and I'm smoothing with a shovel and the front that is concrete that is a pain in the butt when there is snow due to drifting.

I currently have a 2012 Simplicity Regent Ex 23hp 46inch deck I mow with and have a snow blower attachment for. It mows beautifully and I love striping my yard. I use it all the time for hauling wood up to the house and all my other yard projects.

I need help and advice from veteran subcompact owners.

1.)I'm very cautious with my money and always scared I will get buyers remorse. I was the same way when I bought my BMW motorcycle ( that I've ridden all over the country and can't get enough of), my 13 Ram ( I love the crap out of too), and my camper (It's great when I don't remind myself of dealing with the sleezeballs of Camping World). This year I am getting married and we chose to have a back yard wedding which is going to require some fel style work filling holes where we added drainage last year and when I rip some stumps out. Renting a skid steer for all the projects I need will easily add up to $1000+ so I figure why not just own a nice mower with FEL capability. If it mows at least half as great as my Simplicity does I will be content and feel better about my purchase. I know I'll use the bucket more than I realize. My buddy has a grader box that I can use for my gravel. Having a nice lawn has turned in to a hobby of mine.
Anyone else get nervous while purchasing?

2.) How did some of you decide on what was the best deal, dealer, ect? I found a place in Georgia called Cain Equipment offering a gc1705 with a fel, 60inch mmm, rear tiller (unknown brand), and a 14foot utility trailer with brakes for $16,200. I'm not sure if that is a cash price or not but if not that seems like a **** of a deal. it would be a 9 hour drive but if I can save a couple grand in the long run it is worth it. I will need to get a bigger trailer when i get a subcompact anyway. My local dealer is pricing a 1705 with a fel and the mmm for $14873 financed at 4.99%, $17333 at 0% and a cash price of $14873.

3.)If I buy in Georgia or another dealer better priced than my local dealer and I need warranty work (the kind covered by Massey Ferguson), can I take it to my local dealer for any warranty work?

4.) Everything I have has gasoline engines but I live a mile exactly down a country road from a gas station with diesel. Would the gc1705 be alright to drive the mile for when I need diesel? I know it would only be at 9.9mph (if that). Anyone else do that? Besides Steve Jessup. "I know my rights." (Steves Riding Lawn Mower DUI Arrest Video - YouTube)

5.) Anyone else just working on an acre of property?

Thanks in advance. I am sure I am just over thinking and need to just go purchase one but always need the encouragement and incite of like minded people.

A few thoughts from my first year of SCUT ownership:
1-I'm also very 'frugal' about spend, but... Owning a tractor of any kind is much more expensive than lawn type units. I certainly don't consider mine a glorified mower, and your Simplicity would better serve that IMHO. I keep a ZTR and lawn tractor for mowing duty even though I bought the MMM for the GC. But, should you choose a SCUT, dealers are worth gold if they're good, if your local dealer is great (ask neighbors, etc.) then stay local with the purchase - as others mention, take the remote offer to your local dealer and see what he can do. A good dealer is a good coach, he'll walk you through all aspects of operation, maintenance, and all other questions that arise. Having the personal relationship is valuable especially for a newcomer to SCUTs. Warranty work is the responsibility of the selling dealer but any dealer will do warranty work, but you won't get preferential treatment and may have additional 'shop charges' not covered. Tractor warranty is MUCH different than automotive warranty.
2-I did an extensive price/capability/dealer comparison to determine the GC was the best unit for me, you won't regret choosing it, but most all the SCUTs are quite good. there are a few features that weren't available on other brands or ergonomics I didn't like.
3-Warranty work - yes, all MF dealers will honor the warranty but.....as noted above, you will be placed behind their customers, and ........see above
4-I wouldn't drive the tractor to get fuel, it's a small enough tank that one or two 5 gallon plastic jugs is a better solution - what I do. I have found it pretty easy to grab the fuel cans (2 #2 and 2 gas) and run into town periodically to get fuel for the GC and the 2 lawn tractors etc. Plus, 10MPH on a 2 lane road with 50 MPH traffic is simply not safe IMHO.
5-My property is about 2AC, but I seem to always have use for the tractor - I went 15 years w/ just a lawn tractor and ZTR and ended up with a lot of neglect projects that I couldn't take on and being I'm 20 miles from the nearest rental yard, it was an option, just wasn't a good option so it didn't happen.

Maintenance - parts and supplies are more expensive and it uses more than a lawn tractor - so a simple 50-hour maintenance will surprise you if you're not prepared. Greasing it is a ritual, so plan on getting greasy periodically, regardless it's a messy job to some extent. But, take care of it and it will take care of you. Just in general, you're gonna marry this tractor in some ways, not necessarily bad, but it's a fact.

Also, consider where you'll park it, it's bigger than your Simplicity, and if you buy new you'll want to keep inside or under cover, and attachments are BIG, so plan ahead for storage/parking - and theft prevention, they are targets for thieves and anyone w/ a MF key can start a MF tractor! Don't forget if as you implied you're going to acquire a trailer also, where will you park it, you likely won't use it a lot, you might consider having your local dealer deliver it (if you choose to buy local) instead, unless you believe you'll be doing work off site that requires transporting the tractor, you may find it's an expensive luxury vs. a need to have.

 

[Fiziksgeek]

1.)I'm very cautious with my money and always scared I will get buyers remorse. I was the same way when I bought my BMW motorcycle ( that I've ridden all over the country and can't get enough of), my 13 Ram ( I love the crap out of too), and my camper (It's great when I don't remind myself of dealing with the sleezeballs of Camping World). This year I am getting married and we chose to have a back yard wedding which is going to require some fel style work filling holes where we added drainage last year and when I rip some stumps out. Renting a skid steer for all the projects I need will easily add up to $1000+ so I figure why not just own a nice mower with FEL capability. If it mows at least half as great as my Simplicity does I will be content and feel better about my purchase. I know I'll use the bucket more than I realize. My buddy has a grader box that I can use for my gravel. Having a nice lawn has turned in to a hobby of mine.
Anyone else get nervous while purchasing?

Buying a tractor is a big purchase for many of us. Always hard to know if you are making the right decision to buy or and, and if you do, what brand will work best, what dealer will treat you right, etc. Is not like getting married, buying a house, having kids...but its more significant than buying a pair of jeans and hoping they fit right and last a long time....Some nerves and excitement should be

The Massey will mow great, won't strip as well as the simplicity, but it mows evenly and probably at a higher speed than your regent. You mentioned stumps...are those already out and you need to do some fill/grading? One misconception I see from new buyers is an expectation to be pushing over giant sequoias and pulling out the root ball with a curl of the bucket. Realistically, not going to happen on even a 6" tree. Again, filling and leveling sure, pulling out stumps, no.

2.) How did some of you decide on what was the best deal, dealer, ect? I found a place in Georgia called Cain Equipment offering a gc1705 with a fel, 60inch mmm, rear tiller (unknown brand), and a 14foot utility trailer with brakes for $16,200. I'm not sure if that is a cash price or not but if not that seems like a **** of a deal. it would be a 9 hour drive but if I can save a couple grand in the long run it is worth it. I will need to get a bigger trailer when i get a subcompact anyway. My local dealer is pricing a 1705 with a fel and the mmm for $14873 financed at 4.99%, $17333 at 0% and a cash price of $14873.

If a dealer treats you poorly during a potential sale, they will probably treat you poorly if service is needed. Not always true the other way around. See if you can get reviews/recommendations on forums like this one. Ask friends and neighbors. If you see another Massey in town somewhere, pull over and ask the owner where he bought it and what his experience was like..can't hurt to try! Sometimes it comes down to intuition.

3.)If I buy in Georgia or another dealer better priced than my local dealer and I need warranty work (the kind covered by Massey Ferguson), can I take it to my local dealer for any warranty work?

Yes, Warrantly work would be supported at any dealer. I have heard some comments where people who bought from out of town don't always get prompt service from the local dealer. But I have only heard this a couple times. Service is an important part of the business...I din it hard to believe a dealer would turn down business....

4.) Everything I have has gasoline engines but I live a mile exactly down a country road from a gas station with diesel. Would the gc1705 be alright to drive the mile for when I need diesel? I know it would only be at 9.9mph (if that). Anyone else do that? Besides Steve Jessup. "I know my rights." (Steves Riding Lawn Mower DUI Arrest Video - YouTube)

Seems fine, though I dont know why you wouldn;t rad a 5 gallon can and just stop by the station when you run out for other errands.

5.) Anyone else just working on an acre of property?

I have 1.5 acres.

 

[LS Tractor Owner]

Very good advice posted previously. I too, went almost 19 years trying to maintain a 5 acre property with a garden tractor. Been there done that, shoveling stone on the drive, raking it out by hand. Cheapest rental here for a tractor is $400 for the weekend. I purchased an LS mt125 TLB (similar to GC1720) last April. Don't know how I did without a real tractor for so long. The only dealers local to me (if you call 40 miles local) were JD and Kubota. Both of those dealers were arrogant S@B's, and were way high priced because they are the only dealers within 250 miles. I found an LS dealer in Colorado that was 550 miles away. Got the best deal out of all the brands, $16,900 T,L,B, and a PHD. I rented a local trailer for $60/day and went and picked it up. 1100 miles round trip. (Have since purchased an 18'x83" 15k trailer for $1950). I do all of my own service/maintanance so not an issue. Any warranty issues have been minor, the dealer sends me the parts, and sometimes a check for labor, depending what it is. I have not had any major problems, I would probably haul it to them should the need arise.
The main reason why I finally bought the tractor is because I subdivided out property and will be building a new house. I have already saved $4500 on the septic system, and another $1600 in rental costs for trenching elec and water lines. I'll probably save another $1500-2000 when I put the drive in. Now I have the PHD for when I put the fence posts in. Looking at what I have saved so far, I paid for half the tractor.

As previously stated, you need to analyze your situations and base your decisions tailored to your needs. I will definitely have uses for the tractor long after I finish the new house. I'll still use the garden tractor for mowing the small front/landscaped yard, the scut for cutting the remaining acres, driveway maintanance, landscape work etc...

There are a few dealers out there that will ship "nation wide" for free. Never had any dealings with 'Bruno's power sports" in Arkansas, but know a few that have and their deals were pretty good, delivered w/o any problems.

 

[nickgindy]

Thanks all. Some good advice. Im fortunate enough to have plenty of parking and a nice barn with electricity, heat, water, and a concrete floor to park it in. I pretty mechanicly inclined. I do all my own work on just about everything I can that isnt a Chrysler electronic issue. I put my Simplicity on craigslist and it is getting some hits and suprisingly none seem to be tire kickers. If I traveled to Georgia, I'd either sleep in my truck, camp, or mix of both. I actually bought my Simplicity used from the local dealer a fdw years ago but it was on consignment so Im sure the sales guy didnt make hardly anything. It was still an easy experience.




I know dealing sales on tractors arent like vehicles, but what are things you can try to work in to a deal when buying a subcompact tractor?

 

[nickgindy]

If you work for your money consider how many hours a $15K purchase represents and what else you could do with the $15K.
A flat acre and a half is 6 times the size of my lot and I have a B7610, but I'm taking it to Mississippi where I've hundreds of acres.

Have you looked into renting for those few times you need a FEL? I can rent a small tractor w/ FEL for a weekend for $200, $100 for a tiller.

If you plan on getting more acreage in the near future a tractor may make sense, but your getting married - be ready for LOT'S of unplanned expenses.

We've been living together for 3 years and together 5. I'm used to these unplanned expenses. It is sort of my life story. Lol

 

[nickgindy]

We've been living together for 3 years and together 5. I'm used to these unplanned expenses. It is sort of my life story. Lol

As far as the stumps, the tractor would be to help fill in the hole. I've got a nice winch on a utility trailer or a custom made setup on my Ram.