Need advise on buying new Lawn Tractor. Kubota GR or BX, JD, or ?

[mshumack]

Hi.
I'm a new forum member, but have been hanging around for awhile and reading/learning what I can.

I have 3 acres mostly flat with orange trees and some natural vegetation and a long drainage swale that I maintain. I have a Craftsman 3000 Lawn tractor (20 HP Kohler).
I cut about 2-1/2 acres with it and have a grader blade, sprayer, and utility trailer that get used a lot.

I have kept this mower running for 20 years now (I'm a retired diesel mechanic) - but my frustration level with the poor quality build has driven me to want to replace it now. Plus I have just about replaced every part on it (including several decks).

Here's what I want:
Price range $9K okay (this is to be my last tractor ever - so I want good quality)
First, I do not want anything "belt driven" (except of course the blades).
I need 4wd or AWD.
I prefer a diesel (20 to 25 HP is plenty)
I would like easy deck removal (for cleanup and blade sharpening/changing).

I'm looking at the Kubota GR2120 with 54" deck. The brochure mentions a "One-Touch" deck. What is that? How easy is to remove the deck?

The other Kubota is the BX1870 (but it looks like I would need to go with the BX2370 to get the "Easy Over, Drive over deck" which I really like. However the BX line adds about $4K to the price (not easy to justify).
If I go with this model could I add the "Loader" later (save $2500 at purchase time) or do I need to get the Loader kit (frame, etc.) at the time of purchase(I don't need a FEL on a regular basis but it would be handy a couple of times a year)?

Any other manufacturers I should look at.

 

[tractorshopper]

Pricing varies around the regions, but you should check JD, Yanmar, New Holland, etc.

I went with the Kubota BX2370. You can get it with the loader valve set up and just not get the loader now, or generally, if you buy the load and a mower deck, you qualify for some extra $ off.

I seriously considered getting a GR as a mower to complement my L3800 as a tractor, but for the little extra money, you can get the BX and have a mower that is also a tractor, where the GR is just a really nice mower. I sold my L3800 and now just have one machine to do all.

I started a thread you may want to look up with my initial review of the BX. The deck I have is not drive over, but I remove it frequently to do other jobs and it is pretty easy to do so. I slide it out on the concrete in my garage.

There are some really good manufacturers out there with great products. I really like mine. In my area, JD is the most expensive and not much for negotiations. Also, I didn't like the idea of plastic, but that's just me. My Kubota dealer is awesome, so that's a plus for me to keep looking at his equipment.

 

[GPintheMitten]

While loaders are extremely handy and I recommend having one, if you need to keep the price down you can get a BX1870 with a 54 mower and no loader valve and no loader for a little over $10 grand. Then get a 3pt rear scraper blade at TSC or buy a blade used. But I don't know about roll over mower deck or not.

It might be worth considering.

 

[Eric102]

For John Deere it would be the X700 series if you want full time AWD, diesel and the auto connect drive over deck, loaders are not available on the 2013 and up models. All wheel steer is also a great option if you have lots of obstacles to mow around. I have it on my X739 and will never buy another mower without it.

Then the 1000 series if you want a loader, but they only have part time 4 wheel drive.

Both series will be over your $9000 dollar budget but John Deere always has zero percent 60 month financing which is hard to resist even if you are a cash buyer.

 

[mshumack]

For John Deere it would be the X700 series if you want full time AWD, diesel and the auto connect drive over deck, loaders are not available on the 2013 and up models. All wheel steer is also a great option if you have lots of obstacles to mow around. I have it on my X739 and will never buy another mower without it.

Then the 1000 series if you want a loader, but they only have part time 4 wheel drive.

Both series will be over your $9000 dollar budget but John Deere always has zero percent 60 month financing which is hard to resist even if you are a cash buyer.

Thanks for all the advice.
The JD tractors are nice (I looked at the X734 through X754 models). They have a lot of options too.

It's a tough call. The Kubota BX2370 with 54" "Drive Over Deck" is about the same price as a X739 with 54" with Drive Over Deck. And the 739 has 4-wheel steering with 4wd. But the Kubota can add a front-end-loader and has a rear 3-point hitch/PTO standard.
This will take some more comparison time and thought.
BTW, Kubota is offering zero percent financing for up to 60 months.

 

[Eric102]

You can add the John Deere 3pt and rear PTO to the X700's as you need them and save a lot of money if you do the installs yourself. I did the 3pt and it was a pretty easy/fun off season project, from what I've read the PTO install is even easier. I'm probably going to that this winter whenever GreenFarmParts has a 10-12% off sale.

Good luck on your search, I'm sure you will enjoy whichever brand/model you choose.

 

[varmint]

You might want to consider buying something used... my experiences with Kubotas has been very positive, and I feel like the money I have tied up in a tractor is sort of a useful investment... they seem to hold their value nicely if you keep them nice. That's why I don't feel bad having more money tied up in a tractor than might seem to make sense. Besides, you can't tinker with money in the bank- it just "exists" and isn't really doing anything for you.

 

[RollingsFarms]

Since you're a former diesel mechanic you chose two good diesels to pick from (Kubota and Yanmar). That really is a tough decision. I had strongly considered a nicey, heavy duty garden tractor but when I began shipping I realized I was in the same price range as serious commercial zero turn mowers. Since I'd only be mowing grass with it, unlike you with all the different jobs you listed, I decided it would benefit me more just to get a true commercial zero turn and that's what I did. Matter of fact I'm on my second one and loving it!

 

[GPintheMitten]

I boughtyour B2620 Kubota used with 110 hours. It's very conceivable to find a good unit with less than 500 hours.

 

[Grandad4]

A couple of thoughts about your situation. If whatever you get is mostly for mowing, the BX-type tractor does a nice job but the high-end JD X machines are hard to beat for grass cutting duty. Conversely, if there will be more non-mowing chores, the little sub-cut tractors like the BX can do an amazing amount of work considering their small size. That little tractor is like having 3 strong buddies on hand to do your lifting, pulling and digging for you. I've lost count of how many times my little BX has enabled me to do things that would have otherwise been impossible to accomplish by myself.

The related thought is that many of those chores involved lifting something heavy, and that's where that loader on the front has been most useful. Unload a 300 lb tiller from the bed of the pickup? Piece of cake. Take a wheelbarrow load (or 3 or 4), of landscape rocks to the far end of your place for a project? Done in minutes, without throwing your back out. That loader is about the handiest contraption since the invention of the flush commode. You'll find uses for it that simply wouldn't have occurred to you otherwise.