Tractor Sizing Tractor for Mowing/Snow Throwing

[Aranyic]

Looking for some guidance on a tractor sizing for my new house. I've currently got a deere 2025r at the office (which will be about 15 minutes away) with a 60" deck and bucket I can use for land clearing/tougher stuff so I don't want to get into sub compact size with this one.

I'm purchasing 6.5 acres of which about 1.5 is mowed currently by the owner. The balance is scrub brush/pasture area. I'll probably expand the mowed area slightly but not a huge amount. The piece that will probably determine my needs is there is 750' of drive which I have zero desire to clear with a walk behind unit. Winters have been pretty mild mannered recently in our part of Ohio but I'm not holding my breath that it'll continue. We generally see a couple snows a year that are worth getting out the blower for. The driver is pretty flat has a slight dip as you get towards the middle then higher on either end. Very gradual incline both directions. I do burn firewood so there will be some hauling of a small trailer with it possibly; although I may just bring the bigger tractor out for that too I only move wood from the outside storage to near the house once a fall.

I'm not opposed to used I've considered possibly a 318 with a blower but I'm not sure that it would be enough machine for that long a drive? I had an early 80's deere 420 some years ago but sold it with another house as a way to get the deal done; with I would have hung onto it but it was a good machine. I'm also not opposed to buying new if they'll hold up to what I want. I don't know if any of the x300's would make me happy or take too long to process a large snow. I'm most familiar with the deere lineup but not exclusive to them. Seems like everyone has pretty good financing incentives right now. Hopefully they'll renew them over the next few months before we get through the end of the year if i go the new route.

Opinions?

 

[Tractorable]

It was difficult to determine what your needs are based on how your post was written. Lots of tangents.

After reading it a few times, I ascertain that you want something smaller than a SCUT that you can mow the lawn with and clear a 750ft driveway with a snow blower? and preferably John Deere?

A 4wd John Deere X700 series might fit the ticket, then use the 2025r on ocassion when heavier work is required.

 

[AxleHub]

It was difficult to determine what your needs are based on how your post was written. Lots of tangents.

After reading it a few times, I ascertain that you want something smaller than a SCUT that you can mow the lawn with and clear a 750ft driveway with a snow blower? and preferably John Deere?

A 4wd John Deere X700 series might fit the ticket, then use the 2025r on ocassion when heavier work is required.

I guess I'm a little confused. OP is talking about eqpment in the HD 300 series of mowers which is 3k plus snow blower.

But an x700 series is 12k as I recall plus snow blower.

So we're taking huge gap in pricing. It would seem there are a great many options that are less than 6k plus snow blower and used would be less of course.

What I'm amazed at is we don't even know if it's a gravel driveway or concrete for part and dirt for the rest of us it blacktopped. We don't know if it's 7 foot wide or 15 foot wide. And currently is the driveway by present owner plowed himself or he pays $125 to have it plowed or ???

 

[leonz]

I have the 44 inch snow caster for my LA115 and its JUNK and I believe its also ment for the X models.
An X series is too small for acreage and year round use. I brought a knife to a gunfight when I bought the LA115 to work on my mountain and it was a huge mistake. It certainly is no 1967 IHC cub cadet with a single stage snow blower

A used RTV with an enclosed cab in good condition with a motorized 2 stage snow caster will handle the snow for you too.

Short of that I can direct you to a used track drive 48 inch Zaugg snow bear that is for sale. Put it this way you will spend much less time clearing snow with a snow bear than anything new on a new cut or new scut.

 

[Aranyic]

I guess I'm a little confused. OP is talking about eqpment in the HD 300 series of mowers which is 3k plus snow blower.

But an x700 series is 12k as I recall plus snow blower.

So we're taking huge gap in pricing. It would seem there are a great many options that are less than 6k plus snow blower and used would be less of course.

What I'm amazed at is we don't even know if it's a gravel driveway or concrete for part and dirt for the rest of us it blacktopped. We don't know if it's 7 foot wide or 15 foot wide. And currently is the driveway by present owner plowed himself or he pays $125 to have it plowed or ???

Gravel, approx 8' wide for all intents and purposes on this conversation. It's currently not in the best shape there's ruts where the tires go about 3" deeper than the middle which has grown over with grass. One of the first things on my list is knocking down the high point in the middle and then having a couple inches of gravel added to the entire thing to level things out. Current owner I would say is having someone come through and plow it out. He's getting older and has let a lot of the outside get overgrown I doubt he messes with the drive himself.

Guy at the local deere dealer thought I could get by with a 584 w/ 44" blower which could be done around for around 10k. He also recommended watching for a decent 212 or 318 with a blower which can be had for $1500-2500 depending on condition which he thought would get the job done for snow (and lawn). Then down the road invest in the lower end of a commercial zero turns for mowing and save myself a lot of time overall. Never mowed with a zero turn but he made it out to be a huge time saver over garden/CUT?

 

[leonz]

Looking for some guidance on a tractor sizing for my new house. I've currently got a deere 2025r at the office (which will be about 15 minutes away) with a 60" deck and bucket I can use for land clearing/tougher stuff so I don't want to get into sub compact size with this one.

I'm purchasing 6.5 acres of which about 1.5 is mowed currently by the owner. The balance is scrub brush/pasture area. I'll probably expand the mowed area slightly but not a huge amount. The piece that will probably determine my needs is there is 750' of drive which I have zero desire to clear with a walk behind unit. Winters have been pretty mild mannered recently in our part of Ohio but I'm not holding my breath that it'll continue. We generally see a couple snows a year that are worth getting out the blower for. The driver is pretty flat has a slight dip as you get towards the middle then higher on either end. Very gradual incline both directions. I do burn firewood so there will be some hauling of a small trailer with it possibly; although I may just bring the bigger tractor out for that too I only move wood from the outside storage to near the house once a fall.

I'm not opposed to used I've considered possibly a 318 with a blower but I'm not sure that it would be enough machine for that long a drive? I had an early 80's deere 420 some years ago but sold it with another house as a way to get the deal done; with I would have hung onto it but it was a good machine. I'm also not opposed to buying new if they'll hold up to what I want. I don't know if any of the x300's would make me happy or take too long to process a large snow. I'm most familiar with the deere lineup but not exclusive to them. Seems like everyone has pretty good financing incentives right now. Hopefully they'll renew them over the next few months before we get through the end of the year if i go the new route.

Opinions?

Gravel, approx 8' wide for all intents and purposes on this conversation. It's currently not in the best shape there's ruts where the tires go about 3" deeper than the middle which has grown over with grass. One of the first things on my list is knocking down the high point in the middle and then having a couple inches of gravel added to the entire thing to level things out. Current owner I would say is having someone come through and plow it out. He's getting older and has let a lot of the outside get overgrown I doubt he messes with the drive himself.

Guy at the local deere dealer thought I could get by with a 584 w/ 44" blower which could be done around for around 10k. He also recommended watching for a decent 212 or 318 with a blower which can be had for $1500-2500 depending on condition which he thought would get the job done for snow (and lawn). Then down the road invest in the lower end of a commercial zero turns for mowing and save myself a lot of time overall. Never mowed with a zero turn but he made it out to be a huge time saver over garden/CUT?

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Well, first off you can forget about what he told you, the 44 inch snow blower will be shearing pins like there is no tomorrow if he says I am nuts or don't know what I am talking about give me his phone number!!!


A used kubota BX 2200 or new BX2370 with a rear mount Pronovost with the rotating impeller drum or an Allied Farm King snow caster is the only thing short of a B3030 with a rear mount or the Zaugg tracked snow blower I told you about that will take care of your road.

A cut with a flail mower will bring your grass down to 2 inches in the first pass and you will be able to recut it the shred it finer to mulch. YOU cannot do that with a rotary mower unless the grass is brittle and by that time you have dead spots in the lawn or what passes for lawn.


A 318 with a single stage snow thrower loaded tires and V bar chains will take longer but will do it.

A 7 foot JD 290 flail mower with finish knives will be more than adequate and can be mounted on your current mule as long as you have the tires loaded.
A five foot pronovost rear mount snow caster with the rotating impeller drum will work well with your current mule.
The rotating impeller drum eliminates clogging with heavy wet snows and snow and ice that has melted and frozen.

Forget about a belt drive snow blower and a modern belt drive front mount (Too Expensive) period. I have no reason or incentive or desire to lie to you and I am telling you that you will go through $130.00 drive belts for the 44 inch models at least 2 times per year even with moderate heavy wet snows.

I dont have my hand on your wallet nor do I need to.

you need crushed bank run gravel for your road and a back blade to level it if you just order the crushed bank run gravelof which your going to need at leas t3 truck loads to fill the wheel ruts as they did not build the road right and you cannot use the blower without letting it freeze first or you will be digging it up unless you have long skids made for the rear mount snow caster AND YES the front mount will dig gravel and snow like there is no tomorrow!

 

[AxleHub]

Honestly, the way people want to spend money to fix simple issues.

The OP already stated he has a HD 2025r at work he can bring home when needed . . so he doesn't need a SCUT or some expensive high end new mower.

And instead of loads of added gravel. . . Get loads of recycled blacktopand spread that on your driveway. Recycled blacktop 'knits together unlike gravel'so it will give a harder surface that with some summer heat will firm together and keep weeds from growing and allow much easier results with a snow blower or plow.

But Ohio hasn't been having heavy frequent snows . . So a Sears or older cub cadet or HD or used knots gr2120 souls work super for mowing and snowblowing. . . And not spending 10k or even 7500.

Honestly. . . Money doesn't grow on trees for many of us.

 

[leonz]

Honestly, the way people want to spend money to fix simple issues.

The OP already stated he has a HD 2025r at work he can bring home when needed . . so he doesn't need a SCUT or some expensive high end new mower.

And instead of loads of added gravel. . . Get loads of recycled blacktopand spread that on your driveway. Recycled blacktop 'knits together unlike gravel'so it will give a harder surface that with some summer heat will firm together and keep weeds from growing and allow much easier results with a snow blower or plow.

But Ohio hasn't been having heavy frequent snows . . So a Sears or older cub cadet or HD or used knots gr2120 souls work super for mowing and snowblowing. . . And not spending 10k or even 7500.

Honestly. . . Money doesn't grow on trees for many of us.

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No, money does not grow on trees, nor do I have a hand on his wallet, nor am I the salesperson that shifts in thier chair, blinks their eyes a lot while speaking in glowing terms about a product that will fulfill all his needs.

There are more than a handful of members that have sub compacts with wider rear mounted snow blowers and front end loaders with driveways as long or longer than his and they move slowly on the first pass and take half cuts for the rest of them to clear their access.


How is he going to get his current mule to his new home when he cannot get out of his driveway?


He has to figure out what he wants and avoid a salesperson at all costs and not be talked out of buying more power for his needs. The more power he has the longer the mule will last and he will not struggle to clear snow or mow.

He needs to understand that some of us only offer only our "Real World Experience With Junk" and just buying up in a lawn mower power class does not solve real world problems like snow removal.

2 stage snow casters V belts do not last long with shock loading from heavy wet snows and the JD equivalent A116 V belt for a 44 inch snow caster is $130.00 + tax.

And a tractor being used 16 miles away will not help him get rid of heavy wet snows at his home when he cannot get out.

Pavement millings are still property of the municipality they were milled from and are either recycled to create paved shoulders or new used pavement or just sent to the landfill.

Until that driveway/road is fixed with a crown in the center with compacted gravel it will still be a problem as there is little to no drainage apparently.

He has to figure out what is more important and hope he has money left to do something like buying a used RTV with a new motorized snow blower.

 

[AxleHub]

For leonz: I'm confused by your commentary on recycled blacktop. It gets bought by the truckload and delivered by the truckload just like gravel. its ownership is the person who pays for it. . . and it has nothing to do with the county landfills unless it is used un-recycled blacktop just being hauled to the landfill (a terrible loss of value and use).

New learning : I recently discovered today, someone who's has a newer j. D. Series 300 lawn mower that has a fel. Never knew something like that's existed. The fel bucket can quickly also convert to a plow. This person has it for sale with only 12 hours on it including mower deck, fel, and cart. About 1 year old. Interesting option at an under 6k price. . . Just add a snow blower.

 

[leonz]

Pavement millings cannot be sold like that here in NY as they are considered a waste product owned by the municipality and reused by them for making road shoulders instead of using crushed bank run gravels.