Buying Advice Tractor for newbe , new home, 5 acres, lawn, brush, garden, driveway

[ejb14]

This has been a lot of great advice - very much appreciated and helpful..
Thanks!
-Ed

 

[AxleHub]

This has been a lot of great advice - very much appreciated and helpful..
Thanks!
-Ed

Ed,

You spoke about your back and bx and Deere.

Bx products are great . . . but they don't offer a drive on mmm and their fel lifts 745 lbs (that includes the bucket so actual lifting is about 590 lbs.)

But the Massey GC loader lifts 870 lbs including bucket (so 715 lbs after bucket). But unlike the BX line Massey does offer a ride-on deck AND also offers a unique mulching deck like no others . . Its 54 inches wide . . has 6 blades (not 3) . . and is capable of cutting without the need for any chute (and the added width required). And of course Massey GC units have a 5 year warranty. If you have any knee or ankle stiffness, you'll be glad to know the Massey has a flat floor, an ability to adjust the seat back further than most subcompacts (using all stock mountings but my bracket reversing trick). Because it doesn't use a treadle paddle foot control but instead uses 2 separate pedals for forward and reverse on the right and easy to access brake and diff lock on the left . . . Your legs/knees/ankles will appeeciate driving the unit. And seats are spring suspension AND coil spring supported for comfort on bumps and rough lawns.

Now both the Massey GC choices and Kubota BX choices offer some special benefits many others do not . . as an example both use a forward direction cooling flow for the engine compartment rather that other's back flow. Why important? It kerps dirt, dust, and heat from blowing on the operator and keeps dirt and dust out of the engine compartment. Both brands use very well recognized engine builders that have 30 year histories doing it. But both brands have the engineering and manufacture also done by the same engine builders. So matching and longevity of product are tested considerably.

Some will claim you require a zero turn mower and 30 or 40 hp tractor. Thats exactly why they say you need the mower . . Because compact tractors are hard on lawns and manueverability . . while sub compacts are designed to handle lawns and slopes and not tear up the ground or feel unstable on hills and steeper driveways or sidewalks.

Everyone isn't a candidate for any one particular size or brand of tractor. If you anticipate doing a great deal of work in a rough woods . . you then need greater ground clearance to go over stumps and deep ground furrows. Yet I can easily carry logs . . Use a grapple or tiller or 3 pt sprayer or plow or snowblower. And moving trailers or trucks of dirt and gravel or big rock is fine as well with a subcompact like my Massey GC1715.

If evrryone likes their brand and model . . its not a surprise . . because they chose it. But just remember . . you are looking at some very common needs and sizes of work that sub compacts do regularly. So far the only thing I rent or hire done is I have a 2 acre lot cleared by a track drive skidsteer with firelane cutter on it . . Once every 1 or 2 years. The 175.00 it costs once a year or once every 2 years is very reasonable instead of spending 15,000 more in tractor size and implement to do that one activity and then sacrifce other needs because its too big and also takes way more storage space as well.

Kubota and Massey make great products.

 

[dodge man]

I'm pretty sure Kubota is offering the driver over deck, but I don't think its an auto connect setup.

 

[jeff9366]

Consider a Kubota L2501 tractor/loader paired with a 3-Pt Finishing Mower.

Kubota web site LINK: Compact Tractors | L2501 | Kubota Tractor Corporation

 

[AxleHub]

I'm pretty sure Kubota is offering the driver over deck, but I don't think its an auto connect setup.

I think you are correct.

 

[ejb14]

I think you are correct.

Yes, I see that now. Does not have the quick PTO attach (or whatever they call it), but it is still better than trying to drag the MMM (did I get that right?) from under the tractor to the side. I don't have enough room in my garage to do that. I think I can hear some of your thoughts - "probably need a bigger garage then "....yes, probably so, but one thing at a time..

Thanks again everyone..
-Ed

 

[AxleHub]

Yes, I see that now. Does not have the quick PTO attach (or whatever they call it), but it is still better than trying to drag the MMM (did I get that right?) from under the tractor to the side. I don't have enough room in my garage to do that. I think I can hear some of your thoughts - "probably need a bigger garage then "....yes, probably so, but one thing at a time..

Thanks again everyone..
-Ed

Greetings Ed,

I sense you are looking for every method that you can attach or hitch something with as little lifting as possible. I have some ideas andvsome questions for you:

1. There is whatbis called a quick attach process used to quickly bevable to connect or unconnect the front end loader bucket from the front end loader arms. You would desire to do it to attach a set of front forks or a grapple or some front mount attachment/implement . . . Or you might do it to take 155lb bucket off and out of the way for lawn cutting (butbstill plannef to keep loader arms on.

My Massey I added a quick attach to my front loader so that instead of unscrewing pins/bolts over a 25 minute period . . I can drop it off in less than one minute and then hook up my forks in about 30 seconds (instead of another 25 minutes of buting the bolts back in and tightening them down)
But the same vendor that I git the quick attach from also makes an automatic version which allows you to do everything from the tractor seat which is even faster for attaching or detaching.

2. There is a similar types of units called quick hitches . . That allow you to backup to 3 pt. Implements and quickly hookup to your 3 pt unit also.

Question A. You mention a ride on mower deck often. I'm curious how often you will need to remove the deck during a cutting season . . as I keep mine onmost of the time. And I'm going to create a castor wheeled assist unit as is often mentioned by others on t.b.n. which makes moving decks out or in position qiiteveasy. I'm just asking this because I deliberately did not want a drive over deck . . I wanted a deck that did not have any discharge chute and did a superior job of mulching my lawn.

Question B. Would you be plowing the driveway or using a snowblower or ???

 

[ejb14]

Greetings Ed,

I sense you are looking for every method that you can attach or hitch something with as little lifting as possible. I have some ideas andvsome questions for you:

1. There is whatbis called a quick attach process used to quickly bevable to connect or unconnect the front end loader bucket from the front end loader arms. You would desire to do it to attach a set of front forks or a grapple or some front mount attachment/implement . . . Or you might do it to take 155lb bucket off and out of the way for lawn cutting (butbstill plannef to keep loader arms on.

My Massey I added a quick attach to my front loader so that instead of unscrewing pins/bolts over a 25 minute period . . I can drop it off in less than one minute and then hook up my forks in about 30 seconds (instead of another 25 minutes of buting the bolts back in and tightening them down)
But the same vendor that I git the quick attach from also makes an automatic version which allows you to do everything from the tractor seat which is even faster for attaching or detaching.

2. There is a similar types of units called quick hitches . . That allow you to backup to 3 pt. Implements and quickly hookup to your 3 pt unit also.

Question A. You mention a ride on mower deck often. I'm curious how often you will need to remove the deck during a cutting season . . as I keep mine onmost of the time. And I'm going to create a castor wheeled assist unit as is often mentioned by others on t.b.n. which makes moving decks out or in position qiiteveasy. I'm just asking this because I deliberately did not want a drive over deck . . I wanted a deck that did not have any discharge chute and did a superior job of mulching my lawn.

Question B. Would you be plowing the driveway or using a snowblower or ???

The quick connect on the Deere is a big plus for me, but a great deal ($$$) on another quality machine could win out. I think the MMM will be on most of the time, but if it is real easy to take off, then it will come off for other chores; the same goes for the Loader or any other attachment. If I don't get a quick connect, I would probably do something like you say though with casters so I can wheel the deck off to the side if I needed - that is a great idea.

I don't see much need for plowing as it doesn't snow all that often. If that changes, then yes, I will get a plow.

Also, the dealer for Deere is right down the road a couple of miles, and Kubota is not much further - so probably looking at one of those two for ease of service.

Thanks!
-Ed

 

[RalphVa]

I'd go for the B Kubota or 2 series JD. You do not want an underbelly hydraulic cooler and fan like is on the BXs if you have uneven and brushy property. I've had the dipstick ripped from the engine on a Gravely and numerous people on this forum have ripped away the fan blades on their BXs.

The 1 series JD at least has the hydraulic cooler in front of the radiator like the bigger tractors, but it's a very rough tractor. Engine idles @ 1650 rpm, and rough. Mine was a lemon. I finally traded it in on a 2025R. Came close to getting a B2301 but the dealer is much farther away that the very convenient JD dealer.

Oh, and the hydraulic screen on the JD 1025 is a beast to get to. The one on the 2025R comes out easily, but you have to remove one rear wheel. Did this twice on my 4010, which was an earlier version to the 2025, fairly easy with a floor jack.

There is no hydraulic screen to muck with on the Kubota B.

Oh, both the BX and the 1025 have an awful underfloor fuel prefilter that should never have been placed there. Don't know why JD and Kubota did it. The 2025 has an almost identical engine in size and all but has the same in-bowl fuel filter to that on the 1025 but no pre filter. Why?

The B series owners manual is online. That's how I found out about the hydraulic filter (does not have that underfloor fuel pre filter) and all on it. (It's a spin-on hydraulic filter like is on the 1025 and the 2025.)

Ralph

 

[AxleHub]

Ralph,

If Ed looked at a Massey GC1700 series . . he'd discover the fan underneath is much better protected than the kubora and if damaged is significantly less replacement cost too . . But even better . . Thete is a 3rd party skid plate available that makes it a none isdue and is even usable with the mmm on as well as when its off.


And weball remember where tje hydraulic hosrs converge on the J.D. . . Just waiting foe a branch to grab and pull a hose or rip it.



I also think this concept of how close a dealer is important only if you expect slot of problems. I lnoe Ive been told do your own fluids on a Massey is a pretty simple process and if there is some warranty issue you get it resolved and done. My continuing focus is . . . Get the manufacturer and model you want and can best use and afford . . then and only then . . find a dealerbwho can sell ut to you.

With Massey . . Its a 5 year warranty . . .

To me . . distance to a dealer is the lowest priority of any I could list. I want a good dealer way before I want a close dealer. I want the machine that not only lasts and functions well . . I want comfirt in the seating and a unit that is easy on my back, knee, and ankle/feet because I want to bevrunning the machine with a smile on my face