two machine solution?

[beenthere]

Two machine??
I have 4 now. Three 54" decks on AWS JD 425 (for leaf/grass pickup), AWS JD X485 for sprayer and broom work (don't like the 54" deck mowing ability), and now an AWS JD 455 that I like the best of all. They go with a 4x2 Gator and a JD 4300 for loader and "big" tractor work. I should trim back to just two, but can't make up my mind which two to get rid of, at the moment.
I'll second the comment about AWS for getting around on 6 acres of lawn with many trees and hill sides to mow. Just the ticket.

 

[jenkinsph]

I had a shopsmith in my early twenties and learned what a pita it was to switch over every time you wanted to do a different function.

Never owned one but a friend of mine had one with all the add ons, worst table saw arrangement I have ever seen.:laughing: My buddy was blown away when he first saw my SCMI 3.2 meter sliding table saw.:thumbsup:

 

[jenkinsph]

Listening to others here helped make up my mind to skip the zero turn mowers, living in the mountains there are too many hills and steep slopes. I know I don't need my 820 much anymore and am looking to do some trading to eliminate the L130 riding mower and selling off the 820. Replaceing these with the X749. That would leave me with a decent progression of JS45 trimming mower with front caster wheels, X749 riding mower, 4520 and 110tlb. I can get most things done with this setup.

 

[beenthere]

And if you get the AWS, the JS45 will sit in the shed most all year long (like mine). What little trimming is left, is easily done with a good weed whip on a shoulder harness.

 

[jenkinsph]

And if you get the AWS, the JS45 will sit in the shed most all year long (like mine). What little trimming is left, is easily done with a good weed whip on a shoulder harness.

You might be right about that too. One thing I have in the shed that gets very little use is a DR trimmer mower, no one wants to use it, when it is used it isn't as neat as a mowerblade. Thankfully the trimmer mowers are a small investment at any rate.

 

[eepete]

When I was a kid, we had a 5 HP Wheel Horse with a blade on it, and a 8 (replaced later by a 12 )HP Wheel horse with a snow blower on it. Great pair, my older brother blew and I plowed as the tender age of 12. It was a good snow two machine solution .

20 years ago, when we moved to a 10 acre house, I got a JD318 garden tractor (18 HP Gas). It had a 52" MMM on it. Got the front blade for snow/gravel road maintenance. Also got a cart to help move things around. In 1997 I got the Kubota B21 TLB (21 HP, hydro, MFWD). Life was pretty good. Got a landscape rake and tiller for the B21. So I had the loader, backhoe, tiller and rake, and used the 318 to mow and do snow. For 10 acres, it was the perfect two machine solution :thumbsup:.

2009 got the JD 4520, no loader (since I had one on the B21). At our new house, I was killing the little 318. Original spindle bearings lasted 16 years, 2nd set lasted about 4 years. Bought a new 48" deck for the 318 for about $1K that had been sitting around at the dealers since 1994 and fit the 318. About twice the cost of having the spindles repaired, but I had used the heck out of the original deck over the years. So now it's like a new mower.

So I'm a big fan of a separate machine for close in lawn mowing, with all it's compactness and tight turn radius _and_ a larger tractor for tractor-like implements. If the 318 has a major malfunction, I'll replace it with the x700 series, the big win being the 4WD (the 318 is rear wheel drive only). My three tractor solution is a result of keeping things going over the years, and moving from 10 acres to 54 acres. If my B21 had a major failure, I'd probably get a loader for my 4520 and be back at the two machine solution. If I then needed a backhoe, I'd contract it out.

Also have a push mower, weed whacker, and hand trimmers. And I've occasionally pulled a blade of grass with my fingers :laughing:.

So I'm a big fan of the 2 tractor solution, and you can take your time getting there to spread out the financial hit. For a little more than a MMM cost, you can get into a 300 series lawn mower, and get some good years out of it. If $$s were critical, I'd even take the L130 instead of a MMM on a utility tractor.

Pete

 

[KevPH1]

My two machine system is the JD 4115 w/72"mmm and JD x300 42"mulch deck.
Dry conditions: x300 for trim/close work. 4115 for speedy finish.

Wet conditions: x300 only. 4115 is too heavy and creates damage while turning for soft conditions.

 

[joes_427_vette]

Very simple solution.... buy as many as you can get away with. I have a NH TC 55DA, JD 4110, Bolens HT18, 2 IHC Cubs with mowers and sickle, a AC D-15, and a melroe bobcat. The deere and New holland have loaders while the New holland also has a backhoe. Numerous three point equipment ( rototiller, brush hog, deep tiller, flail mower, pto rock rake, seeder/cultipacker ) to keep them busy. I just decide what color I want to drive. Who needs purpose or justification ? I guess that is why I have a shed full of cars also.

 

[Johndeere3720]

I originally started off with an old Allis chalmers lawn tractor that was on its last leg. It always chewed up every mower belt I put on it and the engine ran bad. So my neighbor scrapped it and a few years later I got my L118 Deere to mow the lawn after having to use a push mower for up to 3 hours to cut our lawn. With my L118, i can cut the grass in 1 hour. Next, i got my Yanmar 169D for work in the woods and grading the driveway. A month later, I contacted a guy i had helped build a barn for in the summer and got myself my 9518 simplicity diesel tractor. The simplicity doesnt run but by the end of this summer, it should be back again as I need it for the tractor jobs i am getting. (i.e. i have to cross lawns a lot and r1s arent the nicest to the soft ground) So with the simplicity, i can cross lawns with the r3s and have a deicent tractor for rotortilling, mowing small fields, and grading roads. The best part, if I get one stuck or one breaks, i have a backup machine. The r1s are actually a lot better on our yard as it is hard packed clay. I can drive the yanmar all over the yard and it wont damage it. Due to that, I'v though of getting a finish mower in the next few years as a backup lawn mower. I have to say, my team of 2 (since the simplicity doesnt run yet) is perfect for me.

 

[mjncad]

I had a shopsmith in my early twenties and learned what a pita it was to switch over every time you wanted to do a different function.

I still have my Unimat SL-1000 model-makers lathe that is similar to the ShopSmith and like the SS, it's a PITA for the same reasons you mention.