EldoNixon
Bronze Member
Well my wife went to London for a week and it was my birthday. I've been driving myself (and particularly my wife) crazy trying to decide what tractor to buy. So I (ok it was my wife’s idea) decided to rent a tractor and play with it--I mean evaluate it.
My situation: I have about 4 1/3 acres and finish mow about 3 of it. It's a B&B, so finish mowing is important. MMM is a must. I have about 30 mature maple trees to mow around and large open areas. Using my JD400 /60"MMM, it currently takes about 4-5 hours to mow. I also have a number of tight areas to get around. I also want to till maintain about 1/4 to 1/2 acre garden. I use a sled to lay plastic on the rows in the garden. And I want a loader and backhoe. I plan to use the backhoe to put in a septic system and leach field. I know I should rent an excavator, but I'm trying to justify a BH.
I began looking at the BX 22. I had a demo for about an hour and loved it for mowing, but I didn't think that the 3pt would let me pull the sled for the garden. I'd pretty much decided that a JD 4115 would give me the added 3pt power, let me keep the suspended deck, give me the option of using a mulch kit and still have the side discharge for "raking" leaves, and still be small enough to get around the tight areas.
The problem: In the back of my mind I keep hearing the TBN voices: "buy the largest tractor you can afford--you'll find new uses once you have it--Very few people wish for a smaller tractor--etc."
The solution: I went to the NH dealership because they rent. I talked to them and they're going to bring out a TC33D w/mmm and loader later this week. I figure that way I can try a larger--actually the largest conceivable tractor for my property.
The hitch: JD dealer doesn't rent or demo, same for Kubota.
But a local lawn care dealer who rents equipment had a used 4100 w/mower. I stopped into to see if I could rent the used 4100. Well he didn't want to do that, but he did offer to let me demo a ventrac. He's a dealer.
The demo: The ventrac is an articulated tractor with front mounted accessories. So he brought out the Ventrac 4200 with the 31hp gas engine, the 72" front mower and the loader. The mower was unbelievable. It has a full width roller on the back. It simply would not scalp at all. It's very maneuverable with the articulation. It also is unbelievably stable. I was able to go down and up the ditch along the road. I was able to mow my whole property in about 2 hours and it's never looked better. With the front mower you can go under everything and get in really tight spots. I was also real impressed with build quality. To me it looks real hokey, but everything is well made. Strong steel. Logical layout. Unfortunately the loader is not as practical. It seemed to have enough power to move dirt and to dig, but the articulation makes it feel real tipsy with the bucket loaded. It also doesn't have the availability for a BH. But most of my needs are mowing and it is unbelievable at mowing...
The result: I can't wait to try the NH. There's also a place nearby that has a BX22 for rent. I guess shopping can be fun.
My situation: I have about 4 1/3 acres and finish mow about 3 of it. It's a B&B, so finish mowing is important. MMM is a must. I have about 30 mature maple trees to mow around and large open areas. Using my JD400 /60"MMM, it currently takes about 4-5 hours to mow. I also have a number of tight areas to get around. I also want to till maintain about 1/4 to 1/2 acre garden. I use a sled to lay plastic on the rows in the garden. And I want a loader and backhoe. I plan to use the backhoe to put in a septic system and leach field. I know I should rent an excavator, but I'm trying to justify a BH.
I began looking at the BX 22. I had a demo for about an hour and loved it for mowing, but I didn't think that the 3pt would let me pull the sled for the garden. I'd pretty much decided that a JD 4115 would give me the added 3pt power, let me keep the suspended deck, give me the option of using a mulch kit and still have the side discharge for "raking" leaves, and still be small enough to get around the tight areas.
The problem: In the back of my mind I keep hearing the TBN voices: "buy the largest tractor you can afford--you'll find new uses once you have it--Very few people wish for a smaller tractor--etc."
The solution: I went to the NH dealership because they rent. I talked to them and they're going to bring out a TC33D w/mmm and loader later this week. I figure that way I can try a larger--actually the largest conceivable tractor for my property.
The hitch: JD dealer doesn't rent or demo, same for Kubota.
But a local lawn care dealer who rents equipment had a used 4100 w/mower. I stopped into to see if I could rent the used 4100. Well he didn't want to do that, but he did offer to let me demo a ventrac. He's a dealer.
The demo: The ventrac is an articulated tractor with front mounted accessories. So he brought out the Ventrac 4200 with the 31hp gas engine, the 72" front mower and the loader. The mower was unbelievable. It has a full width roller on the back. It simply would not scalp at all. It's very maneuverable with the articulation. It also is unbelievably stable. I was able to go down and up the ditch along the road. I was able to mow my whole property in about 2 hours and it's never looked better. With the front mower you can go under everything and get in really tight spots. I was also real impressed with build quality. To me it looks real hokey, but everything is well made. Strong steel. Logical layout. Unfortunately the loader is not as practical. It seemed to have enough power to move dirt and to dig, but the articulation makes it feel real tipsy with the bucket loaded. It also doesn't have the availability for a BH. But most of my needs are mowing and it is unbelievable at mowing...
The result: I can't wait to try the NH. There's also a place nearby that has a BX22 for rent. I guess shopping can be fun.