25HP HST tractors and low range speed.

[finn1]

Could be the area, but my dealer recommended two machines : a ztr or rider for mowing, and a tractor for "tractoring".

He was really down on mid mounted mowers.

 

[Rock Crawler]

Couple questions.
What do you need the backhoe for?
And why do you want a mid mower as opposed to a zero turn mower?

Okay... sit down and hold on tight!

I was saying to myself that I know that the beast (my GT) is going to die soon as his hydrostat is slowing down and the whine is getting louder. I've killed hydro garden tractors at a regular pace since building here in 1990. Time is short.

So I thought... I can go buy another $3500 GT and get around 4-6 average years of service from it, or I can go get a commercial zero turn for around $10,000 and be done for likely 20-25 years at 75 hours a year use.

So then I saw the Massey Ferguson GC1705-1720 tractors... and saw that for $12,500 to $19,500 I can get a sub-compact with a fabricated deck, or the same with a FEL/BH depending on what I wanted to spend. But this also should be a 25-30 year machine... or more.

So I started dreaming about the things that could do if I had a backhoe. I have 15 acres, there are about 3 that are yard and the rest woods. There are a lot of things that I can do if I only had a backhoe! So I really started to think along this path.... Yes, I went from a $3500 GT to a $19,500 SCUT in my head and it made sense. It would be a lifetime purchase and allow me to do so many things that I just would not otherwise do around here.

But then I learned that for just about $5,000 more, I could potentially move into a CUT with the same TLB/MMM and have more digging power for these dreams I have. Sure, a SCUT would get it done... but not as easily as a CUT and plus the SCUT just doesn't have a "real" tractor look. A CUT actually looks the part while delivering far better weight/hydraulic-power to get work done when I am not using it as a mower.

So I delve into the world of 25/26HP CUT tractors (stepping up from the MF GC1720 I was originally fixated on) and I see a bunch of potential options. Boy, this is getting exciting! But as I go down the list, I learn one by one that the machines have faults that remove them from the list.
TYM, Branson and Yanmar do not have dealers within a distance that I care to deal with.
KIOTI CK2510 can not do the MMM brackets and have the backhoe.
I just got a call from the LS dealer up in Sandy Lake, the XJ2025 has the same issue... you have to get out tools and swap brackets to go from backhoe to belly mower. Not cool.
So everything has dropped from the list at this point but the Kubota B2301/B2601. These are the only CUT machines that can do TLB/MMM and have a dealer in a palatable distance.

So... then in the back of my head I keep bouncing around the fact that I know a tiny little SCUT like the MF GC1720 or the Kubota BX series would suffice, but there is a the macho thing about the size as well as the natural male tendency to want more power.

I do want to see a B2601 (4" wider than the B2301 for my hills) and touch/feel it. If there is some unforeseen reason that it drops from my list.... then all CUT sized units have sadly removed themselves from my list and I am forced to go back and start really digging in to the SCUT details across the brands and see what has the fastest low range and best hydraulic performance and make a choice.

If I am going to give up the backhoe, I may as well go get another Craftsman/Husqvara unit and just give up on the fantasy of having a cool new TLB. Honestly, a zero turn doesn't cut much faster than a 7 MPH Husqvarna GT, a zero turn likely can not climb my 32 degree banks, and a zero turn costs more to buy. May as well stay with what I know works if the backhoe is out.

The front end loader is not something I would use as much as the backhoe. The FEL is more of a partner for the very useful backhoe. They work well together, but to have just the FEL on a tiny machine means that most of the projects I am dreaming of would not happen. It's got to have the backhoe.

 

[quotejso]

The 2601 looked really narrow to me and tiny axels. The b2650 might work if you put on really wide turf tires. Is there a reason you haven't mentioned the 2650?

 

[Olympus]

I think you're over analyzing things. I live on 6 acres and I mow probably 3.5 acres. I started out with a tractor finish mower when I first bought the place and after a couple years I realize a zero turn was the way to go. I've been running commercial grade zero turns ever since. I'm running a 2016 Ferris 3200Z with 37hp EFI engine (basically the biggest gas powered zero turn on the market). If you consider your total hours of seat time on any machine, I'm betting mowing will be the highest amount of hours you'll be doing one specific thing. So logic would think you should spend the bulk of your decision making around what would be best for THAT task. And that's a zero turn, hands down, no arguments. Buy a commercial grade zero turn and forget about the mid mower thing.

Then that frees you up for just a tractor and a backhoe. You're overestimating your need for a backhoe. Once you get all the jobs done with your backhoe, there's not going to be any more need for it. Or the occasional once a year use. Go rent a mini excavator for $150/day and do all the work around your house with that machine. You can rent a mini excavator and put 266 hours on it before you even get to the $5k it's gonna cost for a backhoe. I guarantee you'll have all your jobs done well before you get to 266 hours on an excavator.

And you will most certainly use your front loader a LOT more than you'll use a backhoe. Get yourself a set of pallet forks, and maybe a grapple and you'll be using that loader WAY more than any backhoe attachment.

 

[eng1886trk]

You're overestimating your need for a backhoe. Once you get all the jobs done with your backhoe, there's not going to be any more need for it. Or the occasional once a year use. Go rent a mini excavator for $150/day and do all the work around your house with that machine. You can rent a mini excavator and put 266 hours on it before you even get to the $5k it's gonna cost for a backhoe. I guarantee you'll have all your jobs done well before you get to 266 hours on an excavator.

Flip side to that, I have yet to see a backhoe attachment, especially in Kubota lose a ton of value. You can essentially buy the machine you need now, use it and when ever you feel the time is "right" to trade it in for a different size machine or sell of the backhoe itself or keep it if you feel that you still use it.

For me I am kicking myself for not getting a backhoe on mine. I still may go do that, the convenience is WELL worth the cost. When I want to go do something, even if it is just for a few hours; I could just go out to the garage and get on the tractor and do my thing as opposed to planning projects to rent one. Spending 2 hours in the morning to go get a mini ex and a trailer to haul it to my place, chaining it, transporting it, unloading and then finally starting to work. Then praying I don't run into an issue. Then having to hurry up and try to finish in time to not get charged extra. Then loading it up, stopping to fuel it up, and then dropping it back off.

The convenience of being able to work on a small project when I get home for an hour or two is worth its weight.

Its a tough decision. Like I said....I originally went with the rental theory, I kick myself every time I pull in to give my money to someone else vs investing in a better machine that will more than likely retain its value.

 

[Olympus]

If the $5k is worth the convenience, then by all means go for it. I never could justify it and I don't regret it.

 

[eng1886trk]

What I was trying to get out of my last post was, while it may be $5k up front, if you choose to sell it down the road, you make get back a good chunk of that which at the end of the day may be cheaper than renting it. Used backhoe attachment and the subframes (especially in kubota) are rare to find and bring top dollar. I know a lot of people want to hold on to things to pass down to their kids (which if fine), but tractors anymore are like vehicles. If you don't like it trade it in and recover your money, and buy another one.

If you look on craigslist or any dealers used inventory you will find tractors with backhoes that are 2-4 years old and they are asking for only a couple grand less than new..... just food for thought. Not saying anyone is wrong just a different view point.

 

[Rock Crawler]

Look at you go! Trying push me up another notch larger and more expensive :laughing:

Being that I mentally traveled from a SCUT to a small CUT, I was trying to stay at the smaller end of the CUT.
What is your reason for moving up another size, is it the 4" wider stance over the B2601?

Olympus, Looking at the 32 degree bank I cut, would you rather belly mow up it and back down, rear finish mow it up in reverse, zero turn the hill climb, or keep a Husqvarna GC on hand to cut it. I really don't have room for a GC/tractor/Rhino or Zero Turn/Tractor/Rhino. I need to fit these items in one 13 foot wide bay. Currently I have the GT/Rhino in there with a good bit of space. I planned to change it to CUT/Rhino with the GT outside until I build a shed or at least a covered area.

We had 2 garages and then did an addition on the house. We went from 2 to 7 garages and thought that we would NEVER run out of space. Wrong. We just bought more vehicles! I have 7 garages, 2 bays are 13'x36' that have 2 vehicles and a small metal shop in the back.... but I am tight as heck on space.

No doubt that mowing is the #1 job and will see the most time after the projects are behind. But a tool/toy like this can have the FEL/BH shoved back into a corner and when I need them in 10 days, 10 weeks, 10 months or 10 years.... I have them. And I agree with another post said about being able to poke at projects over time and when I want without dealing with the pain of renting. Your talking about $6,000 or so to have a BH added.... Sign me up!

 

[Olympus]

There's certainly more of a market for used backhoe attachments than for mid mowers.

If I was the OP, I'd buy a good commercial grade zero turn and then a CUT tractor and backhoe if he chooses.

 

[Rock Crawler]

There's certainly more of a market for used backhoe attachments than for mid mowers.

If I was the OP, I'd buy a good commercial grade zero turn and then a CUT tractor and backhoe if he chooses.

You just moved me from $27,000 to $34,000 in one sentence. You guys sure are good at spending my wife's money! (I don't have a paying job.... or at least I don't think I do.... I go to work and they claim to pay me electronically or something.... and my wife takes care of all money and bills and hands me a cash weekly allowance. So I'm not sure if I get paid here or not :laughing: All I know is that I get $30 a day play money. I hope I make more than that!)