Buying Advice ARGH! Can't decide, need a SCUT...

[eskimo1]

Little background on me and the area.. This will be my first "real" tractor, I'm currently killing a '88 era Cub riding mower with a 40" deck. We have 10.x acres, most of it wooded (and we don't mess with it). There's ~1.5 acres to mow, but every inch of it is sloped, usually in both directions, to where over the 900' from the road to the house, you gain about 80' of elevation. The driveway is about 1/4mile long, and is gravel. I end up borrowing my neighbor's BX25 or Simplicity Legacy XL (27hp diesel with bucket) a handful of times per year for moving gravel and mowing once in the fall to use the yard-vac.

USAGE: Weekly for mowing, and then occasional use of the loader for dirt/gravel moving. I have an ATV for plowing snow that works great. Backhoe really isn't needed right now, and I'd appreciate the cost savings over the ability to use it. (I can rent one), but I do need a loader (quick attach strongly preferred) and MMM, 54" preferred.

Anyway, I talked a bit to Rick Wallace (SUPER nice guy and very friendly, but I want to keep my options open), and here's where I'm at, keeping in mind I would rather get freebies/cash back vs. 0% financing.

I'm not stuck on buying new, but prefer it.

Massey GC2400 - Right now Massey is giving away a free mower with purchase. retail is around $14,300 if I don't count the mower. Hopefully I could still get some $ off list even with the mower offer. I like the lower RPM of the engine.
JD 1023E - I like the location of the joystick and the auto connect mower, but can certainly live without it.. retail is $16,500, but I've seen one for $13,700 (new)
Kubota BX2360 - $16,100 retail, and well, everyone knows Kubotas. The resale value is insane (high) around here, but I'm not driving resale value, I'm driving my tractor!
Simplicity Legacy XL - drives very nice, but kinda pricy unless I do a gas engine - do I really NEED a diesel? a 27hp liquid cooled gas engine seems pretty stout. Wallace has a demo one for what seems a good price. Like the electric cut height adjustment.
Mahindra Max22 - Seems a little pricy for what I'm doing, ("more than I need" as they say?)

Anything else I should be looking at?

Sorry for the long post, but I wanted to try and answer questions y'all might have..

 

[bp fick]

Take a look at one of the Mahindra 1815, I think, is the number. These were prior to the current "Max" series. Might save a few dollars.

Also consider the J2020 or J2030 from LS. Might save even a few more dollars than the Mahindra.

Both will have Mitsubishi power plants.

 

[tjwoody]

OK. I have 6 acres mostly grass, but about 1/3 acre tilled as garden. I bought a BX2360 last year when we bought the house, tiller, FEL, 48" bx sized Taylor Way tiller, 60" MMM. It does everything I need and it sounds like you need even less (mowing, materials moving). I am pleased with what my BX can handle and it ales care of the property just fine. However, with that being said, I kind of wish I had bought the Deere 1023e or 1026r. I say this because I have had to horse around my tiller and mower deck a couple of times attaching and detaching. It has been both time consuming and physically a challenge. I would be happier being able to attach the tiller and use the auto hitch pto connection, drive over the deck and autoconnect. The 20-45 minutes I take to connect and the associated aches of moving 500 pound pieces of equipment would have been worth the extra $ but my local Deere dealer wouldn't give me the time of day. All in all though, if your tasks are limited to what you said any of the machines you listed should satisfy you. Since you are planning to do materials moving you need to think of some kind of rear ballast especially since your land is sloped.

 

[jimfuel100]

OK. I have 6 acres mostly grass, but about 1/3 acre tilled as garden. I bought a BX2360 last year when we bought the house, tiller, FEL, 48" bx sized Taylor Way tiller, 60" MMM. It does everything I need and it sounds like you need even less (mowing, materials moving). I am pleased with what my BX can handle and it ales care of the property just fine. However, with that being said, I kind of wish I had bought the Deere 1023e or 1026r. I say this because I have had to horse around my tiller and mower deck a couple of times attaching and detaching. It has been both time consuming and physically a challenge. I would be happier being able to attach the tiller and use the auto hitch pto connection, drive over the deck and autoconnect. The 20-45 minutes I take to connect and the associated aches of moving 500 pound pieces of equipment would have been worth the extra $ but my local Deere dealer wouldn't give me the time of day. All in all though, if your tasks are limited to what you said any of the machines you listed should satisfy you. Since you are planning to do materials moving you need to think of some kind of rear ballast especially since your land is sloped.

Thanks for sharing your experience. I need to maintain about 6 acres...mow about 4.5 - 5. 90% of the advice I receive says go big...not SCUT.

I REALLY like the 1026R. How long does it take to mow your land with the 60MMM? I prefer a single unit to maintain and do not want a ZTR and SCUT. Your answer may change my mind...

 

[eskimo1]

BP, thanks, I just looked at the Mahindra 2216, which would seem to fit the bill.. I think the 18 might not be enough.

Hadn't even heard of the JS tractors before, but there's a local dealer pretty nearby I should go check out..

TJ - thanks for your input as well. the auto hookup on the JD is appealing, as is the joystick position for the loader, but it looks like I'd have to drive to Indiana to get a good deal on it... :\

 

[tjwoody]

Thanks for sharing your experience. I need to maintain about 6 acres...mow about 4.5 - 5. 90% of the advice I receive says go big...not SCUT.

I REALLY like the 1026R. How long does it take to mow your land with the 60MMM? I prefer a single unit to maintain and do not want a ZTR and SCUT. Your answer may change my mind...

Jimfuel,

I feel no need for anything larger. My place is almost completely grass with the exception of my garden. I don't have any major trees to take out and don't need a backhoe or anything similar. My yard has a several ruts and bumps (Tennessee with some flatfish rocky spots and some deep ruts left by previous owners wallowing in wet soil) that slow me while mowing, I'd say it takes 3-4 hours usually spaced over a couple of days. If my lot were mostly "smooth and level" I estimate it would take about 2 hours.

If your maintenance is like mine - some materials moving, tilling a garden and mowing a SCUT will most likely do all you need. I have found (and mean no offense to those in the forum) that the advice in the Deere forum is almost always to go larger. That being said, it all depends on what your uses are beyond mowing.

 

[cdaigle430]

The Massey GC2400 is a SCUT that feels and looks like a big tractor. You wont be dissapointed if you go with it. My advice is to test drive all of them, then decide-I did and went with the GC2410 because it felter and looked heavy duty compared to Mahindra, John Deer and Kubota. Check out the Youtube videos by searching GC2400 or GC2410. I hear alot of good thinks about the MF mower deck.

As for the new MAX that everyone is talking about-the numbers look good but no one can give you an opinion otherwise because they are too new to have an opinion yet.

Also-keep the dealership in mind when purchasing your tractor.

 

[IslandTractor]

.

Anyway, I talked a bit to Rick Wallace (SUPER nice guy and very friendly, but I want to keep my options open), and here's where I'm at, keeping in mind I would rather get freebies/cash back vs. 0% financing.

I'm not stuck on buying new, but prefer it...

I can promise you will not go wrong listening to or buying from Rick. I knew him only through his participation on TBN forums when I called him about four and half years ago to talk about upgrading my tractor. I ended up buying, sight unseen, a new DK40se which he delivered a few weeks later. I will always be grateful that he talked me into that tractor. It is perfect for my needs which he assessed pretty carefully by asking questions and knowing what I was using at the time.

Bottom line is that 1) he gives excellent honest advice, 2) he is an excellent dealer, 3) an excellent businessman 4) a really nice and straightforward guy to work with. I'll also mention, as high praise, that he has a beautiful smart wife and that she chose him despite of his looks means she saw lots of good qualities too.:laughing:

All the tractors you are looking at are fine for your purposes. A little too big is probably better than a little too small. Having dealt with Rick in the past if I were in your shoes I would literally ask him for his advice, his best price and then the delivery date. Not many dealers for any product that I would do that with but I would with Rick.

 

[murphy1244]

If I was to go to a scut i would get me a Simplicity. I have a Cornet and a Conquest. They last forever if you take care of them . If you go with the Simplicity go diesel.

 

[manganos]

The Mahindra line is a good tractor. I'm happy with my 2516 but selling it to move to a smaller tractor. I think you will be happy with any you have mentioned.