Another which tractor thread

BAYOUBENGAL · Apr 7, 2007

Been lurking a couple of months but this is my first post. About to pull the trigger on my first tractor and wanted some input. I have 12 acres in middle Georgia, about half of which is woods. I mow about 6. Slightly rolling but not rough. My only real requirement is mowing. But, what fun is a zero turn? - I want a tractor. We are building a new house and will be doing some landscaping, lawn leveling, tree planting etc... We also ride dirt bikes and want to build tracks with whoops, jumps, and table tops. What I require is a mower. What I want is tractor, FEL, finish cut rear rear discharge and a tiller.

So I go looking and surfing the net, and reading posts from you guys. I like the BX2350 but can't seem to get past the fact that it looks like a mower and I'm paying tractor money. Pretty shallow but that's where I am. So I look at the B7610/B7800/L2800/B3030. Funny cuz each step is "just a nickel more to go first class". I finally decided on the B3030 but the realization hit that I was spending nearly $21K and all I truly needed was a $8000 zero turn. So here I was justifying the unjustifyable. (Please no "justify to who" comments - I bought an airplane one time and THEN came home and told the CINCHOUSE)!

So this is what I've come to: B7610/Kubota FEL/Bush Hog rear discharge, rollers, solid tires/ about $15K/no tiller - look for used or even TSC cheap brand since tilling is my lowest priority.

Actually had a JD dealer talk me out of the 2320 I had planned to buy.

Standing by for incoming.

bayoubengal

Polaris Sportsman/Mule/DR Field and Brush Mower/WR450F/K1200LT/Junk Murray Rider that came with property & can't handle 12 acres/NO TRACTOR/No ZT in my future

DVR · Apr 7, 2007

just my opinion-
the lift height on the fel for the b7610 is not high enough. the 3 point hitch will not stay where you want it and requires constant adjustment.

i just sold my b7510 with fel and bought a L3400. the 3 point adjustment is much better on the 3400.

the b7510 was a nice little tractor though. lots of features that make it user friendly.
the L series tractors are pretty much no frills and value priced. you get alot more for the money in the L's.

DVR · Apr 7, 2007

btw- the bx's is a great machine but a very poor choice of you plan anything outside of lawn care. the underside is very prone to damage in rough terrain.

Jaybr · Apr 7, 2007

I'm not going to reccomend a tractor model, because I'm in the same boat as you - still shopping.

I will reccomend you get a decent tiller though. I built an MX track on a previous property, and once built, I used the tiller more than anything for track maintenance. We rode mostly quads on it, and I'd have big group rides a few times a year. I'd run the tiller over the track and it took all the ruts out and made for some great riding.

I had a JD 790 with FEL at the time, and it was almost useless for building jumps, just couldn't move enough dirt. I had a freind with a BIG track loader move most of the dirt into place for the jumps to get started, then rented a skid steer when I wanted to make any major changes.

Z-Michigan · Apr 7, 2007

I'm really curious how you got to $21k on a B3030, unless it was a cab model. Seems waaaay too high for a non-cab model.

I would look at the L2800 again, it may be a good size for your "Want" tasks and small enough for your one "need" task - mowing.

BAYOUBENGAL · Apr 8, 2007

Thanks for the feedback guys. The B3030 price breaks out as follows:
B3030 13300 (FWD/Folding ROPS/R4s/HSD)
FEL 3285 (Kubota)
RFM 2100 (Bush Hog)
Tiller 1800 (Kubota)
TOTAL 20485
Seems like some agreement on the L2800. It's been on my radar screen all along. I will go back and review and reconsider. Great feedback on the dirt bike stuff also. I just keep coming back to mowing being my only requirement and that being an $8K bill.

DVR - you mentioned on the small Bs the 3 point won't stay put. I'm a tractor novice. What does that mean and what can you do about it? Does your experience tell you the 7610 would not be sufficient for my property?

My two big fears are overspending and underbuying. I notice many people's signature blocks mention their current tractor plus the one they used to have. I'd like to finish my signature block initially. Again, thanks for the feedback. It's great to get advice from someone who doesn't have an economic interest in my decision.

bayoubengal

ToddW · Apr 8, 2007

For what its worth my L2800 HST has handled every task I've thrown at it so far, FEL work, bushhogging and rear blade work. I can never get enough seat time on it.

/Todd

jbrumberg · Apr 8, 2007

BAYOUBENGAL:

Welcome to TBN

! I have a blue equivalent to the L2800HST and I agree with Todd as to this size tractor's competencies. I jumped into the Orange Forum due to boredom as well as avoiding the task of picking up all this Winter's large dog deposits on the "lawn", but my comment is related to the L2800's weight for lawn mowing. The L2800 weighs in at 2600+ pounds which would require unweighted R3's in order to not chew up your lawn. My "lawn" is just a motley collection of low lying weeds with a lot of dog droppings so it does not matter what my weighted R!'s do to it (I also use a RC.). I do have a rider lawn tractor for that little area of real grass. Just my $0.02- Jay

Bob_Young · Apr 8, 2007

Hey Bay,
Welcome!

I've got a B7610 and love it for mowing around trees. The small size makes it quite agile. However, I think it's a bit small for what you've got planned.

On the other hand, when you get into the L2800/3400, there's enough weight to do serious damage to a damp lawn....though they'd be ideal for the other work.

Best compromise, if you're restricted to one tractor, would probably be the B7800/B3030 machines. Heavy enough for some tiller work without being too heavy for the lawn. The B3030 will give you position control which corrects the 3pt. hitch issues raised by DVR. The B7800 still has quarter inching which can be a pain...though you do get used to it with use.

Might be better to look down the road a bit and see that a tractor plus a dedicated mower would be the best solution. The long-range plan might then be to buy the small L-series and keep the Murray going until you can replace it with a Zero Turn or a BX.
FWIW
Bob

DVR · Apr 8, 2007

BAYOUBENGAL said:
DVR - you mentioned on the small Bs the 3 point won't stay put. I'm a tractor novice. What does that mean and what can you do about it? Does your experience tell you the 7610 would not be sufficient for my property?

bayoubengal

do a search on the 1/4 inching valve. tons of info from people who understand it better than me. all i can tell you is- i did not like it at all. i had to lock the 3 point in place with the knob and the could not adjust it by lever until the knob was loosened. otherwise it would not hold the position i needed. nothing i cut was ever level so constant adjustment was required.

i am sure the 7610 would be sufficient. great tractors. the 7800 has about a foot more lift height though. we fenced in 2 duck ponds with drive posts to keep wild pigs out. my (LA302) loader hardly came up high enough to drive them. countless other times extra height would have been helpful.
the L series has the higher lift and better 3 point. if you plan alot of loader work the hst (although pricey) is money well spent. also a great option if you have a wife or kids that might want to operate the machine.

i liked the b7510hst i sold. i don't buy unless i find a deal. my needs have changed. this time i find myself with a gear model.

as a novice all of the tractors you are looking at will be great. some just have features and options that will make your life easier. power is not a big issue as the 7610 makes the most of it. why thay can't extent the lift and change the 3 point valve is beyond me. that considered it is still one of the finest compact tractors available today.

bottom line you will get more for your money in the "L" series. I would consider the L3400 in your group. if you want to turn 5ft attachments some (if not all) of the machines you are considering are too small. at 5ft width the options are greater and the work gets done quicker. we all love our tractors but bush hogging with a 4ft cutter gets old quick.

i'm no pro but i will be glad to try and help with your decision.

i will also tell you- decide on a tractor and price shop it all over.
don't fall for the local dealer at any price bs. kubotas hardly ever require service. most you can do yourself if you can change the oil in your car. i'm fairly confident if you are serious enough to make your own mx track you know how to turn a wrench?