Buying Advice Help this refugee fleeing air cooled for small tractor

torqotrac · Jul 11, 2016

Only know one mowing machine here, a Craftsman dyt 4000 with Intek 24. The Intek pushed a guide after about 1 year which caused me to put a cooler and gauges on it. I have nursed it until present. One cyl has just stopped and I am temporarily unable to t-shoot so I am considering its age and looking to abandon the air cooled stuff for a compact. Here is where I need help....please.

The usage is on a 5 acre residential type lot with about 1 acre of grass....BUT the front 1/3rd acre is a septic drain field which I am leery of compacting during mowing. I notice the lower weight range of compacts seems to be about 850 lbs, more typically 1200-1500 lbs?? The rider I have is around 500 lbs I think. Need advice on this concern.

I would like at least traction control and the ability to clear snow, as well as to pull earth engaging stuff to replant grass. AND liquid cooling. Here Kubota is big as well as J Deere. In 2004 I was off- put by a kind of smug , superior aire at JD. I have not been to the Kubota guy.

The pull back to another air cooled unit is there, but I wanted Kawasaki motor (despite some problems I have unearthed) which is apparently being phased out of the low end riders. After the bad initial experience with the Intek it has held up and the rest of the rider has been good. On paper the "black" pro Craftsmen 52" deck unit would work (snow, earth), but the Intek and Kohler power still scare. I realize the even the low end of the compacts start at over $8K and I am prepared to pay up to $10K. BTW, poor, struggling Sears can't seem to move their black pro units, even with over $1000 discount.

mddorange · Jul 11, 2016

Back in early 2010 I got a black Pro Craftsman with a Briggs & Stratton 24HP twin engine and it still runs as good and powerful today as it did new and it is used on about 2 acres.

Part of the 2 acres that I mow is a septic field which grows fast and full and can get a little soft when it rains and my Kubota will definitely tear it up when soft.

torqotrac · Jul 11, 2016

Well that reliabiity is good to hear So you, too, feel a compact tractor may be too heavy for a drain field? From Mar thru June this lawn needs mowing about once weekly which suggests a lot of potential compactment. I recently had the front area replanted by a pro landscape outfit and noticed all their work was done with walk behind roto tillers so it seemed to confirm my concern. (If I had known more I would have bought a true garden tractor to start with which might have allowed me to put in the lawn )BTW I have tried to learn if Intek units had been improved with the so callled "plantinum" disignation and other terms , but they seem to be badge engineering to me. My feeling is that my dyt 4000 overheats badly , especially with the 3 bag system full of damp grass. You can watch the oil temp rise to almost 300F. So I attribute the guide movement to heat.

stevem5215 · Jul 11, 2016

I too have a Black Pro unit with the 24hp twin. It's been good and I can't complain as we use it to cut up to 4 ac at a time (wife did that when I was out of town). I did not use it for snow plowing and it does not have traction control which you will only find on much more expensive mowers. I got my Black Pro on clearance at the Sears outlet for $1100. It was 1/2 off! I have had to repair it a few times since we used it pretty heavily. I have had to drain and fill the K46 tranny with Synthetic as it was slipping and loosing power. I also changed the ground engagement belt at that time too with a Sears replacement (that was on clearance at the outlet as well). I've also replaced the Spark plugs, new OHV covers and gaskets (was leaking all over the exhaust manifold) and put on a new fuel filter this spring. The hour meter (a digital unit) quit working a couple years ago so I don't know the hours anymore. I do still adjust the deck for levelness of cut every year and the front control rods were bent and I replaced those this past winter. The front tires are worn out badly and I have a new set for it in the garage that I have to get the tire shop to swap out (got the tires and other parts cheaply off Amazon.com as they have very good prices for mower parts). Otherwise, it runs good still and I only use synthetic oil in it. This year I did buy a new Zero Turn to take the load off the Black rider. I bought a 2015 leftover ZT-2500 Simplicity. It has a fabricated 48" deck, (Craftsman was a 42") a 25hp Briggs Professional life engine, ZT2800 Hydro Gear heavy duty trannys and it was $2600 after all discounts and including the $400 rebate they were offering this spring. That made it a pretty great deal for a heavy duty consumer grade ZTR. It has bigger tires than most ZTR's as well for better handling and slope control (i use it to cut at least a 25 degree slope... Straight up and down only) It's very good overall. And it weighs about 850lbs. It also has a tow hitch for a trailer which is very uncommon on a ZTR. And that's probably due to the ZT2800 transmissions which are very heavy duty rated. The ZT2800 is the low end commercial trannys they use on the commercial ZTR's. Most common are the ZT3100 and ZT3400's for commercial use. The difference being the extra torque capacity of the heavy duty units. They all have spin off tranny filters which can be purchased on Amazon as well. First oil change and filter is at 80-100 hrs and 400hrs thereafter. After owning a unit with a K46 I was not going to repeat that again. I wanted long life lasting tranny hardware.

Sorry, got a little long winded but thought you'd want to know it all.

Steve

bcp · Jul 11, 2016

Drive a mile or two and visit Dan's Tractor. Kubota has some serious riding mowers smaller and lighter than a tractor.

Mower Product Series | Kubota Tractor Corporation

Bruce

mddorange · Jul 11, 2016

My Briggs & Stratton is air cooled by a fan in the middle of the engine with a screen on top that has to be cleaned once in a while but not as often as my Kubota. I thought that that was a good design and it has the Hydro transmission.

torqotrac · Jul 11, 2016

Thanks Steve , If you can I would appreciate you answering this question: Can zero turn designs pull earth engaging implements? I have never seen one advertised that way and have never seen a hitch plate on the back of one. I realize they are usually purchased for extensive lawns, but the engines can be better ( e.g., if one wished to try fuel injection, for instance). BTW Husqvarna does offer one model with posi traction ( or lock up- I have never heard the final answer) on one rider, but only with Intek. That unit is currently advertised at around $3500, I think, but locally I have been disappointed in the distribution "centers."

torqotrac · Jul 11, 2016

Bruce, Thanks, I have that visit on my agenda.

TheMadOne · Jul 11, 2016

Are you set on buying new? Because there's not much out there with a 3 point, snow blade, and mower that will come under your stated max of 10K new.

You'd be at the top of your extra with the smallest BX Kubota offers, probably just over it if your dealer doesn't have a special on.

Used, you have many options that will fit below your budget of 8K all in, like a B7100.

I really don't see how 1000-1500 pounds is gonna hurt anything, unless your land is a swamp.

stevem5215 · Jul 11, 2016

Nope, no earth engaging equipment on a ZTR. Grass cutting is the only option. I use the Steiner for snow clearing. It too is a air cooled engine but they are really quite a machine with tons of attachments. Heavy duty for sure and the price reflects it. I bought mine used 10 years ago and mostly just use it now for snow clearing and mulching the yard around the house. My ZTR engine has fuel injection or at least some form of it with a sticker advertising it as such. No choke to pull. Fully automatic fuel control of some type (as it says on the sticker on the motor). Simplicity is a great name in power equipment. Check the dealer out nearby.

Steve

torqotrac said:
Thanks Steve , If you can I would appreciate you answering this question: Can zero turn designs pull earth engaging implements? I have never seen one advertised that way and have never seen a hitch plate on the back of one. I realize they are usually purchased for extensive lawns, but the engines can be better ( e.g., if one wished to try fuel injection, for instance). BTW Husqvarna does offer one model with posi traction ( or lock up- I have never heard the final answer) on one rider, but only with Intek. That unit is currently advertised at around $3500, I think, but locally I have been disappointed in the distribution "centers."