SCUT or CUT advice

[erda]

So, some background information to start: currently have a John Deere 318 with mower, rototiller, and single stage snowblower (and an older sears lawn tractor that is used only for mowing). It's getting a little long in the tooth, and I'd like to get something with a bit more capability. The property that it is being used on is a farm (160 acres), with the land and pasture being rented out. Having said that, there are still a few times when I need to go into the pasture to haul wood and/or rocks. The house is located 400 yards from the county road and has a fairly large yard-none of what could be called lawn in an urban sense. The lane way is "old style" with two gravelled tyre tracks and grass in the middle and on the edges. Snow in the winter is a issue as is general maintenance of the lane (put 9yds3 of road crush on it this year and still need more). Also, whatever is purchased needs to be able to fit through a regular garage door.

I've begun the looking stage, but am a bit overwhelmed by all of the "options". I've looked at a Kioti CS2410 with fel, 60" mmm, 50" snowblower, 4' box blade, and 4' rough cut mower as an option. One concern that I have about the CS2410, is the low ground clearance. (this is also an issue with the JD318) I haven't yet looked at other models, other than a brief look at JD-the salesmen were "too busy" to give me the time of day:thumbdown:

So, just wondering about other models and whether or not the increased cost (not sure what that would be as I only have the one quote on the CS2410-am waiting for them to get back to me about other models) would be worth it for the limited use in those rougher conditions.

 

[nybirdman]

I would look at a slightly larger tractor and cut the grass with a mower.It's tough to find a "do all" type machine.A machine that doesn't hurt the lawn is going to be too light for your road work.

 

[Rocky Hoffler]

I would suggest something around 30 h.p. 4wd with FEL its not to big but would have enough power for most jobs

 

[HEC]

I would look at a slightly larger tractor and cut the grass with a mower.It's tough to find a "do all" type machine.A machine that doesn't hurt the lawn is going to be too light for your road work.

I couldn't agree more , as for me I went with kubota b2650 with a cab , it has good ground clearance and a slight modification to my garage door to keep it garaged . I mow my larger lawn area with the 2650 and a land pride rc cutter , and around the house with a riding lawn mower, works great for me .

 

[bp fick]

I'd agree with the direction the guys ahead of me are posting.

A larger tractor, around 30-40 hp for the rough work, which is then far too big for a lawn mower. Mowing? Nothing wrong with a zero turn or heavy duty lawn mower around $2000 range. Done.

 

[DMW]

I haven't yet looked at other models, other than a brief look at JD-the salesmen were "too busy" to give me the time of day:thumbdown:

I had a similar response from a JD dealer. The salesman told to come back when I was ready to buy. Went to MF a couple weeks later and the dealer there sold me a SCUT.
Kiotti is well regarded IMO, but the CS2410 will eventually seem too small. If it fits in your garage the CK2510 with a cab might be a better choice. Weight/ground clearance makes a big difference.
If your able to use a rear snowblower it can ease the cost of adding a cab. Leaving the loader on can also speed up snow removal around buildings. By going to a 60" blower, box blade, you may only require 2 passes on the driveway, instead of 3 with a 48". HST is desirable when clearing a lot of snow. Especially when it is heavy and deep.
Turf tires are nice for snow. I've slid sideways into a ditch a few times with AGs, they have no side traction. The low ground clearance of a SCUT makes it hard to get out again. Over the years I've re-contoured the ditches along the driveway into swales that are a lot easier to mow as well. If you have slopes and need extra traction, inquire about chains for turfs.
The rough cut mower should do a decent job of keeping the grass down, using the 318 for around the house.
You will never regret the cost of the cab when out clearing snow. I couldn't afford a cab tractor when I bought my GC2300, and regret it every time I blow the driveway, and mine is only @150yds long .

Whatever you do, demo the unit first.

 

[lobsterman1]

A scut will do most all you need . I have a long driveway that I grade with a rear blade a few times a year
I use a 48 inch brush bull for the old pasture twice a year , a 60 inch rear blower and front loader for winter .Make sure to ballast the rear tires and chains will almost double your traction .The limited ground clearance helps with stability .If you need the extra ground clearance then go with a cut , if your budget allows it , get at cut ,if you wife will allow it, get a cut . That being said I have no need to upgrade to a cut (yet) after two years of using my M F GC2400 .And I also had my doubts when my dealer said it would be big enough .

 

[erda]

Thanks for the input so far.

I really think that using a rear mount snow blower down the quarter mile long lane way would get old FAST! The one that was quoted with the CS2410 is the SB50, which is front mount. Are there front mounts that aren't too much more expensive for CUTs?

Based on the past few winters, using a loader to move the snow would be an issue-one of the neighbours has cleaned it out once in a while with a skid steer, and the snow piles become so large that there literally is no place to push the snow anymore; and heaven help when the wind starts to blow around those piles. Even the single stage snow blower on the JD318 blows the snow far enough that it doesn't accumulate too much.

Keeping the JD318 isn't an option according to SWMBO-one new thing in means one old has to go!

 

[George2615]

You can check with Kubota, Deere, LS, Kioti, Cub, TYM, New Holland, Mahindra, Massey and a score of others that may be in your area. Most will have a small CUT with a front mount blower available. Most will also have dealer incentive programs but sometimes you have to ask. I also agree to look for something in the 30 HP range.

 

[GManBart]

Thanks for the input so far.

I really think that using a rear mount snow blower down the quarter mile long lane way would get old FAST! The one that was quoted with the CS2410 is the SB50, which is front mount. Are there front mounts that aren't too much more expensive for CUTs?

Based on the past few winters, using a loader to move the snow would be an issue-one of the neighbours has cleaned it out once in a while with a skid steer, and the snow piles become so large that there literally is no place to push the snow anymore; and heaven help when the wind starts to blow around those piles. Even the single stage snow blower on the JD318 blows the snow far enough that it doesn't accumulate too much.

Keeping the JD318 isn't an option according to SWMBO-one new thing in means one old has to go!

Pretty much all front-mount snow throwers are going to be expensive regardless of what size the machine is. An alternative that's very popular in places that get a lot of snow is a rear-mount snow thrower that works when you drive forward....sometimes called "inverted" or "pull-type" throwers. Most of the manufacturers are in Canada, and they seem to by quiet popular there.

 

[erda]

Thanks. I've started looking at the "inverted" snowblowers. Not that easy to find out much about them. The Kioti dealer is trying to source them, but said that he doesn't think they're much cheaper given the need to add hydraulics to operate the chute. (?)

On a different note, does anyone have a source for chains and or wheel spacers for the CS2410. Looks like not very much clearance for chains.

 

[lobsterman1]

Tire Chains by TireChains.com here is a link for chains .

 

[aginn]

If they are too busy to talk to you now, just wait until you own their machine and have an issue. I made that mistake. Never again. Buy somewhere else. There are too many great tractors that will do the job for you to get stuck with a lifetime commitment to a dealer with a poor attitude.

 

[bcjmmac]

Too bad about your dealer. I will second everyone's comments. Have a JD2520 (~27HP) with FEL, rear blower, chipper, 5' finish mower & 5' rotary cutter for 85 acres (maintain ~10-15)/house is 600' in from the main road. Use a JD140 for the main lawn, most of the time, as the 2520 will leave tire tracks when it is damp. I have industrial tires on my unit - better traction when using the FEL & have never had an issue in the snow. I kept the 2520 in my garage the first winter/until I built my "barn".
You can do a lot with a CUT. I've done a ton of landscaping around the property, relocated my ditch to make the lane easier to maintain & am currently working on my pond (~75x100') below the house - will be fed from the outflow of our artesian well (throws out 3-5 gal/min unless we are running the water somewhere). Should be done all the main work (have about 25' of retaining wall/dam to go in the deepest area) except for the outlets & inlets by the weekend - I'm down over 6-7' in some areas. May get around to posting a few pics one of these days.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I guess my response is "Do you want a tractor or a glorified lawnmower?" If it is a lawnmower then go with the SCUT's in your favorite color. I would upgrade to a CUT which has decent ground clearance, better capacity in all areas and is only a few thousand more than a SCUT. Something like the Kubota B 26XX or 29XX series tractors. They make good mowers as they aren't extremely heavy but do have an adequate lift with the FEL, bigger tires so the weight is distributed over a wider track. My daughter has a 2620 with FEL and belly mower that they bought 3 years ago and she mows their 2.5 acres with it and hardly ever cranks the lawn mower. No snow in Texas but I would expect it to handle a snow blower much better than a SCUT. I think all the major brands have a similar sized machine.

You should really invest some time in checking out the other dealers besides Kioti and JD. LS has been favorable reported on for several years and lots more dealers are popping up than there was when I bought mine. They have been cheaper to buy for the last 3-4 years than all other brands (that may still hold true) and generally come with standard features that all other brands charge extra for. They also have a 5 year powertrain warranty and 2 year "bumper to bumper" warranty which is much better than almost all other brands.

 

[GManBart]

Thanks. I've started looking at the "inverted" snowblowers. Not that easy to find out much about them. The Kioti dealer is trying to source them, but said that he doesn't think they're much cheaper given the need to add hydraulics to operate the chute. (?)

On a different note, does anyone have a source for chains and or wheel spacers for the CS2410. Looks like not very much clearance for chains.

All of the inverted blowers I've seen offer manual and hydraulic rotation of the chute, and a few offer electric as well. On a smaller machine like the models you're looking at, manual should work fine.

The companies I'm aware of that offer the inverted blowers are Erskine, Lucknow, MK Martin, Normand, Smyth Welding, and Pronovost. I'm pretty sure they all have websites, and the bigger brands often have Youtube videos of them in action, good pictures, etc. Also, there are a lot of private folks (some members here) who have posted videos of them as well, so you might find some info that way as well.

 

[tractorshopper]

I agree with the others; lots of SCUTS and CUTS to choose from. I'm most familiar with Kubotas, and in that color, I'd be looking at the BX or B series tractor. They both have belly mower options and mid-PTO that drives the mid-mount-mowers and also enables front snow blower options. I have an L, which does not have a mid-PTO, is the next size up and I park it in my garage with the ROPS in the upright position. I had to work on my garage door opener settings to get it to pull the door to the absolute highest spot and it barely fits, so I would assume the B wouldn't have a problem fitting without modification. I know the BX would go right in.

 

[Cherokee140]

So, some background information to start: currently have a John Deere 318 with mower, rototiller, and single stage snowblower (and an older sears lawn tractor that is used only for mowing). It's getting a little long in the tooth, and I'd like to get something with a bit more capability. The property that it is being used on is a farm (160 acres), with the land and pasture being rented out. Having said that, there are still a few times when I need to go into the pasture to haul wood and/or rocks. The house is located 400 yards from the county road and has a fairly large yard-none of what could be called lawn in an urban sense. The lane way is "old style" with two gravelled tyre tracks and grass in the middle and on the edges. Snow in the winter is a issue as is general maintenance of the lane (put 9yds3 of road crush on it this year and still need more). Also, whatever is purchased needs to be able to fit through a regular garage door.

I've begun the looking stage, but am a bit overwhelmed by all of the "options". I've looked at a Kioti CS2410 with fel, 60" mmm, 50" snowblower, 4' box blade, and 4' rough cut mower as an option. One concern that I have about the CS2410, is the low ground clearance. (this is also an issue with the JD318) I haven't yet looked at other models, other than a brief look at JD-the salesmen were "too busy" to give me the time of day:thumbdown:

So, just wondering about other models and whether or not the increased cost (not sure what that would be as I only have the one quote on the CS2410-am waiting for them to get back to me about other models) would be worth it for the limited use in those rougher conditions.

You really did not tell us too much on what you are going to be using it for....or I am too stupit to find it. I got mowing and hauling firewood and rocks across a field, snow blowing, and the JD318 is not cutting it (one of the best tractors ever made BTW)

I just lased my house and my driveway is 384 to the street. I doubt that middle Missouri has snow like you but we do get some. Up to this year I did the snow blowing with a sears tractor and a 2 stage snow blower....worked pretty well. I have not had my "glorified lawn mower" over the winter yet.

I really don't know how much you are mowing, or really taking care of out of that 160. After knowing that and knowing what you really want to be doing with the machine I think only then can we really help.

Perhaps I missed it, and I am going to re-read your posts....I am pretty tired and pretty under the weather.

 

[erda]

There's about 1.5-2 acres of mowing, and as I said the rest is rented out. There's will some more landscaping to be done.

I've looked at and priced out a BX2670 with fel, 60" mmm, and 50" snowblower and a B2620 equipped similarly (63" front mount snowblower). The question is is the B worth the extra money, and how would the B perform when mowing the lawn (too big, heavy, turning, damaging the lawn)?