New acerage need tractor

[DieselBound]

I dunno... I have a BUNCH of equipment and while "specialized" stuff is nice it's also yet more to maintain: I have two identical cars in order to help make maintenance less of a headache.

Not sure how rough your ground is, but I'm not thinking that I'd be using a ZTR on much of what I have to mow. I've got about 1/2 acre or so of "lawn" that is mowed with a conventional riding mower (not a box store mower), only a 42" deck though; I find that while it can mow fast, it doesn't necessarily mow well at high speeds- it'll mow grass fine, but the d@mn weeds seem to escape unless I slow down. But, while speed is definitely a factor, the other thing to consider is how frequently you have to mow. You can look at what you have, how fast your grass grows, take the approximate figures here that people have provided for deck and cutting speeds and calculate how much time each of your options would take. Is one clearly more cost-effective?

I've got probably about 10 acres that I'm mowing with my B7800 and a 5' rotary cutter: it's amazing at how well this combo can mow grass; if you don't require a golf-course turf-like finish then this might be a consideration (rotary cutters are pretty cheap). I have blackberries and tree debris to contend with, something that I would suspect would be harsh on a ZTR. MyB7800 isn't zero-turn, but it ain't the Titanic either; and, I'll guarantee that I have a LOT more to dodge than most folks. Much of your navigation can be optimized over a period of time as you adjust.

My B7800 sips fuel. Unless a ZTR is diesel, which is going to be in the $4k to $6k range (at least), it isn't going to be more fuel efficient. I'm a bit of a diesel snob; if I have to burn a bunch of fuel I'd rather burn diesel because I can safely store/trasport diesel whereas that's not the case with gasoline (not a fan of lugging around fuel containers, I've got a big tank that I have filled with diesel).

I'll toss in the idea of a flail mower here. I'm planning on getting one: it'll be for my new Kioti NX5510, it'll be a 7' flail. Popping on and off a flail should be, I'd think, much easier than popping on and off a mid-mount mower. Also, it's my understanding that flails are safer than blade mowers. A flail is going to be cheaper than the other options discussed here. Savings can go toward up-sizing the tractor and or the purchase of other productive tractor implements.


Regarding tires, ground conditions will dictate what kind of tires you should be looking at. I'm running R4s, and while I've gotten stuck pretty good, I will continue to run R4s. Only if you have a bunch of mud and or are looking to do really hardcore tillage would Ag tires make sense. Further, R4s are what you want for loader work: Ags don't rate as high for bearing weight. I've found that machine weight makes a big difference for traction (it's kind of one of those "duh" things!): after several years I finally broke down and put ballast in the rears of my B7800; I was always concerned about doing so with my soft ground, but since ballasting I have not seen any negative effects- and, if anything, I have to say that I actually disturb the ground less now because I'm not slipping/spinning.

If I had a lot of open ground/pasture with grass I'd bring in a couple/few grazers. That's what I'm planning on doing. My goal in life is to be a grass farmer and not a lawn mower.

Feel fortunate in that you can actually be in this position of having to decide (it's good to have options!)

 

[Rcsask]

What are the hydraulic remotes used for?

 

[motownbrowne]

What are the hydraulic remotes used for?

They are used to extend and retract hydraulic cylinders that aren't part of your tractor, like to raise and lower the wheels of a disc, open and close a grapple, or raise and lower scarifies on a box blade, for example. You can also replace one of the lift arms and the top link of your three point hitch with hydraulic cylinders and make adjustments to the front/back and side/side angle of your implements. This is called a top and tilt setup, or TNT. You can also use remote hydraulics to power a log splitter or something else that uses hydraulic flow.

 

[Rcsask]

Oh ok thanks for the explanation

 

[dpb800]

I would agree that something bigger would be best. The 30-40 HP range would be good. We have 4 acres and we're looking for something smaller but couldn't pass up the deal we found on a Mahindra 3616.

I keep smiling Everytime we use it for something new and are so glad we got something bigger. It helps with mowing, bucket work, tilling, etc. It also has a cab. The cab is worth the cost, so much better snowblowing in the winter.

 

[Rcsask]

I'll maybe look at the bigger models to see if it's feasible to go that route. A cab would be sweet but not in the budget also I drove a jd 2025r with a cab and it was really loud inside. Plus I have lots of winter clothes from work

 

[DieselBound]

I'll maybe look at the bigger models to see if it's feasible to go that route. A cab would be sweet but not in the budget also I drove a jd 2025r with a cab and it was really loud inside. Plus I have lots of winter clothes from work

Not sure at what power levels/sizes common rail [CR] diesels come in to play, but for sure, CR engines are a lot quieter. I'm going to have to adjust to "quiet" once my Kioti NX5510 arrives; it's a cab model, so it being a CR engine is a good thing. But... I still like the sound of older diesels as they give you more of the feel that they're doing work

As dpb800 notes, you will continually find uses for a tractor. Seems that any time I go to do something I think whether the tractor can be utilized. Tractors are the MacGyver of machines:thumbsup:

 

[jeff9366]

My open station Kubota L3560/3-cylinder 'Grand L' is not loud. However, I consistently wear hearing protection to preserve my hearing at age 69.

In four Florida cooler months I wear ear muffs over a long-bill baseball cap. Ear muffs protect my hearing and my external ears from sunburn/cancer. There is some variation between muff brands and models; not too much.

In the eight Florida hot months I wear in-ear plugs while wearing a wide brim straw hat for greater sun protection. There are a hundred plus brands and models of in-ear plugs sold on eBay. After trialling numerous models procured via eBay, I found one type both comfortable in my ears and effective, which I buy in bulk, cheap. Properly fitting plugs attenuate tractor noise more effectively than muffs.

Wide brim straw hats are $11 at Walmart. I decorate mine with $40 military cap badges, XIVth Bengal Lancers (WWI) being my favorite.

Save your body now, because you pay later.

I have friends whose Dermatologists whittle their ears, scalps or noses every 90 days. Ugly.

I am still beautiful.

 

[DieselBound]

Speaking of hearing protection, anyone use noise-canceling stuff? I was contemplating this as my Polaris Brutus is just horribly loud: mitigated because I'm not using it for extended periods of time.

Some of my hesitation toward using hearing protection is that I want to be able to listen for problems.

jeff9366, you don't have a canopy on your tractor? I don't think I could survive down there without one.

 

[jeff9366]

jeff9366, you don't have a canopy on your tractor? I don't think I could survive down there without one.

No, I do not.

I bought one of the earliest L3560 tractors. Kubota still had some specs from the L3540 lingering on its web site, including folded height of ROPS @ 84".

When my L3560 arrived I was surprised to find folded ROPS height at 87". So I had to take it to my exceptionally skilled local welder, who sectioned the ROPS by 4". (Weld is almost invisible.) Even so, it barely, barely fits in my humidity controlled garage.

So a canopy is out. And thus the straw hat. I am accustomed to the heat and humidity of working in Florida. In the summer I start early and quit by 12:30 PM. During that period I drink at least two liters of cold liquid, from insulated bike rider's plastic containers.