I WANT A TRACTOR, but ......

[cperky]

I’ve not been on here in awhile until recently. I’ve moved a couple times, varied acreage at different places but currently do not have a tractor and I miss it. I am now on 5 acres some wooded, some open with slopes being mowed. I’ve been getting by with a 17 year old 42 inch cut zero turn mower. It’s time to replace it. Currently it’s beating me up to mow with it on the slopes. I’ve put 4wheeler type tires on the rear for traction and it helped, I still feel like I’m taking my life at risk mowing with it on the slopes though. Mowing up and down I never know if it’s going to stop at the bottom of the steep slopes especially if it’s damp. Mowing along the slopes the crab walking really does a number on my back , it hurts for 3 days after. I need more stability and a larger deck. I currently will not allow my teenage son to mow it and he is a very responsible mature ( for his age) young man. I’ve been pricing scuts at dealers along with commercial zero turns. I could meet my mowing needs with a zero turn but I want a tractor with front end loader. I can’t really justify having fel for 90% of the time. I could justify the scut with mmm easily. Even though a scut loader is very limited I just want one. I also want something to help with leaf removal in the fall. To many leaves to mow/ mulch. Currently takes me 3 to 4 hours with a Stihl backpack mower times 3 or 4 different weekends to deal with all the leaves. I’m thinking rake the leaves up with rear rake of some sort behind scut then use loader to push them on into the woods or scoop them up for removal.
I’ve got quotes on Ls 25 hp scut , bx2680, Deere 1025. Also got some zero turn quotes mostly as an afterthought. Problem is when I sit in the seats the zero turns are more comfy and a bit smoother ride but I want a tractor. The zero turns are a bit cheaper but I want a tractor. The zero turns would mow faster.......BUT I WANT A TRACTOR. I kinda view the scuts as a toy tractor but I want one. There is a rear attachment called “big tool rack”. It looks so cool and I want one of those too. If allowed I’ll share a link.
Anyway to keep from rambling on here’s a question:I can afford either piece of equipment so am I crazy for trying to justify a scut when a Zero turn will suffice just because I WANT A TRACTOR?

 

[Rdrcr]

No, you’re not.

As long as you have more tasks to perform besides mowing, why not buy a machine that can do more than one specific task safely.

Mike

 

[redman135]

You mention steep slopes. When you buy your tractor get ADJUSTABLE rear rims to widen the track and improve your saftey on said slopes.
Beyond that Rdrcr has it in a nutshell.

 

[Diggin It]

Get a device with something to break up walls of words.

 

[RalphVa]

There are Ventrac and Power Trac ones to look at, too. These have 3ph models available if you want stuff other than mowing and the other attachments (incl. loaders) of theirs that fit in front. Not sure the Ventrac has a rear PTO. Think Power Trac does.

 

[JCoastie]

if you can afford, it, it's perfectly fine to have toys for no other reason then you want them. No additional justification necessary.

 

[fried1765]

if you can afford, it, it's perfectly fine to have toys for no other reason then you want them. No additional justification necessary.

ABSOLUTELY TRUE !!

 

[dodge man]

I have a little over 3 acres and your description matches mine, slopes and hills and trees. A lot of people say get a zero turn and a tractor and as you found out it doesn’t work. They make all wheel drive zero turns but they cost as much as a small tractor.

12 years ago I bought a BX 2350, no end loader. I added that a few months later. I also thought I wouldn’t use it much but nearly half my hours are end loader work.

Also take a hard look at a JD2025r or a smaller B sized Kubota. I traded for a JD2025r a couple of years ago. The bigger tires and frame size make it much better on rougher ground. For me it’s the perfect sized tractor.

For reference I paid $21k out the door for my 2025r, 60 deck, FEL, and rim guard in the rear tires. Prices have gone up some. I see a lot of used Kubota BX and JD 1 series used so there is money to be saved.

 

[arto98607]

I would suggest take a close look at used tractor market and be prepared to travel some before buying!

 

[jjp8182]

As mentioned by others the first thing that came to my mind was the Ventrac. While it may not have the front loader design quite like a SCUT the Ventrac is pretty much designed for mowing on slopes.

.....personally when considering buying something new/expensive I not only look at the cost of the piece of equipment, but the value of the work it can be used to accomplish ....and the potential medical costs/impacts that could be avoided (can be far cheaper to buy/rent a machine to help do things than routinely having to deal with the costs of things like heat stroke). Much of the same considerations made for buy vs rent vs make-do with what I have (which may include manual labor & hand tools).