Buying Advice Tractor I need vs tractor I want.

[nards444]

So am I understanding this right?

The majority of folks that have or once had MMM do not like them and do not use them? In hindsight they would by a riding mower instead?

Speed is not that important to me, and with my wife's ear and balance issues a zero turn is out of the picture anyways. She'd be comfortable putting along on a riding mower where all she has to do is glance down a few times while mowing and pretty much just drive it like a car. This quick movements of a zero turn wouldn't work for her.

As for mid deck, I've seen anywhere from $1700-$3500 quoted for them depending on the brand, and you can grab a Cub Cadet at Home Depot for less that any of them. When I say maybe 2 acres of lawn, that may be an overestimation too, I won't know for sure until we get everything built, but it is our desire to have minimal lawn except right around the house and basically the septic field. The rest can be brush hogged a few times a year and remain semi wild. Any saplings that aren't undesirable types will be allowed to grow for the most part. We don't need pasture or anything and we want some trees to grow in. We have some woods already on the land but really its only along the back edge near the water and there's a few scattered trees elsewhere. Most of the land was cleared in 1998, but it hasn't been touched since then.

The need for HP is an interesting point because when I rented a tractor a couple weeks ago, it was a JD 3039R with a 5 foot Razorback Bush Hog. It cut the brush really good but when I would get into groves of saplings it would bog the engine down 500-600 rpm's. I suspect a 25HP would really struggle. These were saplings in the 1 1/2 to 2 inch range and about 10 feet high, so it was significant and there was some volume to them, but this is something I rent a machine for a day and take care of for the most part. I foresee most of my cutter needs just being brush and weeds that pop up. Again this is after the property is established.

I really appreciate all the feedback, it's helping my change my perspective and consider things I wouldn't have thought about otherwise.

I bought my land I used my buddies 60 hp tractor for clearing, later on I used my B2560. I can tell you with normal grass etc they worked about the same. As far as thick stuff even the bigger tractor got bogged down at times. I think people including myself have this idea with brush cutting a tractor can just through it at full speed, but none of these scuts can, really have to get into like the big highway tractors to do that.

What I found was this. First few times before any tractors I took bobcat and rented a big brush hog knocked everything down that I wanted permanently gone. From there I have been using tractors to maintain once a year. Its been 4 years and nothing has grown back. Also with a tractor would you want a cab or not?

 

[desertdog71]

After I bush hogged it a couple weeks ago. It's not too hilly and not all of this will be yard. Just to that first tree line really.

 

[GeneV]

So am I understanding this right?

The majority of folks that have or once had MMM do not like them and do not use them? In hindsight they would by a riding mower instead?

Speed is not that important to me, and with my wife's ear and balance issues a zero turn is out of the picture anyways. She'd be comfortable putting along on a riding mower where all she has to do is glance down a few times while mowing and pretty much just drive it like a car. This quick movements of a zero turn wouldn't work for her.

As for mid deck, I've seen anywhere from $1700-$3500 quoted for them depending on the brand, and you can grab a Cub Cadet at Home Depot for less that any of them. When I say maybe 2 acres of lawn, that may be an overestimation too, I won't know for sure until we get everything built, but it is our desire to have minimal lawn except right around the house and basically the septic field. The rest can be brush hogged a few times a year and remain semi wild. Any saplings that aren't undesirable types will be allowed to grow for the most part. We don't need pasture or anything and we want some trees to grow in. We have some woods already on the land but really its only along the back edge near the water and there's a few scattered trees elsewhere. Most of the land was cleared in 1998, but it hasn't been touched since then.

The need for HP is an interesting point because when I rented a tractor a couple weeks ago, it was a JD 3039R with a 5 foot Razorback Bush Hog. It cut the brush really good but when I would get into groves of saplings it would bog the engine down 500-600 rpm's. I suspect a 25HP would really struggle. These were saplings in the 1 1/2 to 2 inch range and about 10 feet high, so it was significant and there was some volume to them, but this is something I rent a machine for a day and take care of for the most part. I foresee most of my cutter needs just being brush and weeds that pop up. Again this is after the property is established.

I really appreciate all the feedback, it's helping my change my perspective and consider things I wouldn't have thought about otherwise.

I use a craftsman garden tractor with a mmm for mowing, and it also doubles as my second tractor which works in conjunction with my massey ferguson. A regular riding mower wouldn't work here, I got terrain to deal with.