Do I really need a tractor on 1.5 acres?

[rScotty]

A football field less endzones is pretty close to an acre. I don't want to mow a football field size yard with a self propelled lawnmower ever again. Been there. Done that.

We live on a little more than 1 acre. However, after I factor in the footprints of the house, shed, large garage, driveway, parking spaces, swimming pool, deck, garden, flower beds, etc., I am left with about 3/5 of an acre to mow. I have a 60" deck for the PT425. Many times I've left work at lunch, driven home, mowed the yard quickly (no trimming), ate a sandwich, and got back to work in less than an hour.

If I go fast, it takes about 20 minutes to mow. If I take my time, about 30. It's more than twice as fast as our old Simplicity riding lawnmower with the 32" deck. And that was way more than twice as fast as the walk behind mower that we had before that.

So, what used to take a couple hours with a walk behind mower now takes 20-30 minutes.

I think a lot of people feel like you do about the savings in time being important. At one time I would have too.

It became different when I are retired, and you are correct - I should have mentioned that. So much of what rural folks do does change with age. I agree that there are much faster ways to get the mowing done than walking behind a self-propelled mower.

For us older guys, the emphasis changes from getting things done quickly to the advantages of gentle inexpensive exercise. So a simpler mower that takes longer but costs less does have a place.

A tractor is still a big part of our life because it can lift, dig, and carry things that we can't.
Not needing to double as a lawn mower really expands the choices of tractors we can look at. And makes them cost less too.

rScotty

 

[MossRoad]

I think a lot of people feel like you do about the savings in time being important. At one time I would have too.

It became different when I are retired, and you are correct - I should have mentioned that. So much of what rural folks do does change with age. I agree that there are much faster ways to get the mowing done than walking behind a self-propelled mower.

For us older guys, the emphasis changes from getting things done quickly to the advantages of gentle inexpensive exercise. So a simpler mower that takes longer but costs less does have a place.

A tractor is still a big part of our life because it can lift, dig, and carry things that we can't.
Not needing to double as a lawn mower really expands the choices of tractors we can look at. And makes them cost less too.

rScotty

My father in-law had a riding mower but preferred to push his self propelled walk behind. He gave the rider to me, then my brother in-law. He'd put the walk behind in neutral and push it because it wasn't fast enough. He mowed his lawn every other day until he was 91! About 1/3 of an acre, less house and driveway.

 

[dj1701]

Only thing I would recommend is you not get a sub compact. To me, they don't really do anything well. For the price of a [AFFILIATE='1, nofollow=true, newwindow=true, title="Kubota"']Kubota[/AFFILIATE] or JD sub compact, you could get a nice compact from another brand like Kioti or Mahindra for the same or probably even less $ and have A LOT more bang for your buck. You might even save enough to get a backhoe or other attachments like a third function and grapple.

Mine exceeds in many things. Mowing under trees where larger tractors won't fit. They are lighter when the ground is not firm enough for a heavier tractor. All the implements are sized smaller which means they will be cheaper to purchase. They are less expensive to run. Easier for the wife and kids to learn tractor skills on. I can plow my 400' driveway without a problem, and I live south of Buffalo. I have pulled trees out of the woods with this little tractor, and it never grunted.

I understand that a larger tractor has its advantages as well, I have one. Rember this, it's not just the tractor you're buying, you need parts availability and dealer support. That must factor into a large purchase like this. I know JD and [AFFILIATE=1, nofollow=true, newwindow=true, title="Kubota"]Kubota[/AFFILIATE] have been great for me.

Just don't sell the littles guys short, they will suprise you.

Dave

 

[4570Man]

Mine exceeds in many things. Mowing under trees where larger tractors won't fit. They are lighter when the ground is not firm enough for a heavier tractor. All the implements are sized smaller which means they will be cheaper to purchase. They are less expensive to run. Easier for the wife and kids to learn tractor skills on. I can plow my 400' driveway without a problem, and I live south of Buffalo. I have pulled trees out of the woods with this little tractor, and it never grunted.

I understand that a larger tractor has its advantages as well, I have one. Rember this, it's not just the tractor you're buying, you need parts availability and dealer support. That must factor into a large purchase like this. I know JD and [AFFILIATE='1, nofollow=true, newwindow=true, title="Kubota"']Kubota[/AFFILIATE] have been great for me.

Just don't sell the littles guys short, they will suprise you.

Dave

A zero turn will mow far better than either tractor will. A bigger tractor has bigger tires which reduces that problem. It doesn’t take much to get a small tractor stuck either because the ground clearance is so low. The implements aren’t sized far enough apart to make much difference. 1 or 2 sizes bigger tractor operates practically identical. You’re really splitting pennies on the cheaper to operate line. If you make a more meaningful comparison in cost to plow your driveway vs cost per hour you’re probably actually paying more to use the smaller tractor.

 

[dj1701]

A zero turn will mow far better than either tractor will. A bigger tractor has bigger tires which reduces that problem. It doesn’t take much to get a small tractor stuck either because the ground clearance is so low. The implements aren’t sized far enough apart to make much difference. 1 or 2 sizes bigger tractor operates practically identical. You’re really splitting pennies on the cheaper to operate line. If you make a more meaningful comparison in cost to plow your driveway vs cost per hour you’re probably actually paying more to use the smaller tractor.

True, a zero turn will mow better than either tractor until you start getting into the woods and mowing trails. I have yet to see a zero that could mow where I can mow on my BX. I know they make them with tracks now, but I don't think they come with front loaders yet. LOL

I think the OP wants just one tractor to do all he needs. Where he decides to store it may determine just what size he will ultimately buy.

Dave

 

[MAX-24-Dean]

The answer to the original question is clearly no. The OP does not "really need" a tractor. That would probably be true for most of us who do not make a living with one. Plenty of alternatives abound that may be cheaper and/or easier...hire out the work, rent, etc.

That being said, many of us get enjoyment from working for ourselves and prefer the convenience to do the work when we want it done.

Food, water, shelter are "needs". Unless the tractor is providing those, it is a want. Nothing wrong with that at all, though.

I will agree with your post as it is an honest asessment.

I really didn't need a tractor for my 10 acres, as at the time I still had draft hosres. But I had lots of work that a tractor is more efficient at completing than the horses.
I could work 40 hours or more per week all summer getting projects done with physical labor. 40 hours * 4 weeks * 4 months = 640 hours. OR, buy a tractor and get the same amount of work done in 40 to 60 hours per year.

A barrel of oil (42 gallons) is said to have the energy equivalent of 10 years of physical labor! I belive that to be fairly accurate.

How much energy is there in a barrel of oil? | Peak Oil News and Message Boards

 

[hornett22]

Mine exceeds in many things. Mowing under trees where larger tractors won't fit. They are lighter when the ground is not firm enough for a heavier tractor. All the implements are sized smaller which means they will be cheaper to purchase. They are less expensive to run. Easier for the wife and kids to learn tractor skills on. I can plow my 400' driveway without a problem, and I live south of Buffalo. I have pulled trees out of the woods with this little tractor, and it never grunted.

I understand that a larger tractor has its advantages as well, I have one. Rember this, it's not just the tractor you're buying, you need parts availability and dealer support. That must factor into a large purchase like this. I know JD and [AFFILIATE='1, nofollow=true, newwindow=true, title="Kubota"']Kubota[/AFFILIATE] have been great for me.

Just don't sell the littles guys short, they will suprise you.

Dave

I've used many of them. I've never found a reason to want one.

 

[4570Man]

True, a zero turn will mow better than either tractor until you start getting into the woods and mowing trails. I have yet to see a zero that could mow where I can mow on my BX. I know they make them with tracks now, but I don't think they come with front loaders yet. LOL

I think the OP wants just one tractor to do all he needs. Where he decides to store it may determine just what size he will ultimately buy.

Dave

 

[gstrom99]

View attachment 779085

Yeah, nice but... I don't think the OP wanted a ~$60k solution.

 

[4570Man]

Yeah, nice but... I don't think the OP wanted a ~$60k solution.

More than that actually but it satisfied the requirement for a zero turn on tracks with a loader that mows.