I recently bought 18 acres of land and am in the market for a used garden tractor. 7 acres are cleared and the rest are woods. I will probably regularly mow 2-3 acres every other week or so. The rest I'll get bush-hogged periodically. I don't actually live on the property and will be storing the tractor in a shed I just had built. I'll also be using the tractor to haul materials around as I plant fruit and nut trees, set up a large vegetable garden, and sustainably harvest wood out of the forest. Eventually I want to convert much of the cleared land into a productive orchard.
The best deals on used garden tractors seem to be a John Deere 425 with 560 hours. It is selling for 3000.00 and includes a bagging system. The other is a 1998 Cub Cadet HDS 3205 with 239 hours. It is selling for 1800.00. Both have 54 inch cutting decks.
I am completely new to owning/using tractors, so I have come up with these options after doing a lot of reading on the internet, talking to a few neighbors, and trolling craigslist for a few months. If you think that either of these tractors is not up to what I need to use it for, please say so. Otherwise, please tell me if you think one is a better deal than the other.
The best deals on used garden tractors seem to be a John Deere 425 with 560 hours. It is selling for 3000.00 and includes a bagging system. The other is a 1998 Cub Cadet HDS 3205 with 239 hours. It is selling for 1800.00. Both have 54 inch cutting decks.
I am completely new to owning/using tractors, so I have come up with these options after doing a lot of reading on the internet, talking to a few neighbors, and trolling craigslist for a few months. If you think that either of these tractors is not up to what I need to use it for, please say so. Otherwise, please tell me if you think one is a better deal than the other.