Tractor Decisions

[CurtisB]

I currently have a 4 year old B7610 with 381 hours on it. We live on 25 acres in Northern Minnesota with 7 acres of grass to mow and 12 acres or so of pasture for our horses. Currently I have a BB, tiller, post hole digger, loader and 60" MMM. I use the tractor to mow the grass but it takes about 4 hours and is pretty wide open in most areas.

So, to my thinkings. I have been debating either buying a larger tractor, GL3540, or buying a Bobcat skidsteer. The main reason for the larger tractor would be for loader work. I want to be able to lift and move bales for the horses. The bales are either 900lb square or 1000lb round bales. These are currently unmoveable with my B7610. The thing I worry about with the larger tractor is the mowing, I would probably go with an 84" rear finish mower which should cut my mowing time quite a bit.

The other issue that I see is that if I choose to trade my B7610 I am worry that I am going to take a royal kicking on the trade.

Any oppinions?

Thanks.
Curtis

 

[Erik_in_Hoyt]

talk to the dealer about your trade -- then instead of getting mad, post an ad here and on craig's list (cash sale - no checks)
or, if you can afford 2, keep the smaller one for cleaning out paddocks and finish mowing close to things like fences and out buildings that you don't want to get too close to with the 7' RFM.

good luck!

 

[savageactor7]

Curtis I think your tractor is big enough to do want your want. You just need a set of long forks secured to your loader to impale that hay bale and you can move it anywhere.

Save yourself thousands of dollars and ditch the MMM and get a 3PH 72" woods or something from TSC.

MMM are a pita pos. OK they cut a little better than a 3ph finish mower but you just can't take off/put on with any efficiency.

But otherwise goods folks take exception to my observations and think my criticisms are about their pie faced ugly sisters.

If you have a 3PH why would anyone ever consider a MMM? The whole theory of a 3PH is easy on easy off...that's impossible with a MMM.

 

[LD1]

Have you tried to use the 3ph to move the bales?? Provided you dont have to lift them that high, it might just work.

If you want to lift them with the loader, you really need to look even bigger than a 3540, if you are going to be doing it all the time. The smallest I would consider would be a mx5100.

As for the mowing, I'd consider getting a ZTR. A 61" ZTR will cut almost twice as fast as a 84" RFM. And a 72" ZTR would just be icing on the cake. They are really the only way to mow efficently IMO.