Best new tractor for ~$4,000

Soundguy · Sep 10, 2005

( I'm guessing this should be posted in the 'Lawn & Garden' section )

I don't know of too many 'lawnmowers' with 3pt cat 1 hitch, AND rear standard pto.

I have seen a few units with cat 0 hitches.. and a 'mid' pto for a permanently installe dmower deck.. etc.

Soundguy

dave77 · Sep 10, 2005

Thanks the BX1500 looks like what i was looking for , be it more
expensive. Also im not sure it would work for mowing well, as
it has a SEVEN FOOT turning radius !?! My current cub cadet
as like 2 foot. I will probably just get a ZTR mower and fix
my old tractor up (a farmall cub).

MessickFarmEqu · Sep 10, 2005

I takes 7 feet of area to turn the tractor around, thats not the uncut grass radius. An average cub cadet probably takes 6 feet at least.

dave77 · Sep 10, 2005

What competes with the bx1500 in size and price ?

LBrown59 · Sep 10, 2005

( What competes with the bx1500 in size and price ? )
==========
None that I know of: The BX 1500 is the only tractor that size I'm aware of. I've never gotten a price better than a BX1500.

I just got a price on a bx 1500 tractor only $6200.
Tractor with 54'' mmm 7300.
I also Priced out a BX1500 as follows
Tractor 6200 tiller 1450 front blade 1350 total 9000.

I priced our a Simplicity Prestage as follows
Tractor 6200 tiller 1695 front blade 583 total 8478. It was 522 less than the bx1500 but here is what you get extra on the bx 1500 that you don't get on the prestage.
A Sub Compact rather than just a lawn and garden tractor.
Diesel engine.
3 point hitch
4 wheel drive
ROPS

I also priced the Simplicity Legacy XL with a tiller and front blade for 13231

You might beat these prices with a Power Trac but I have to tell you that they aren't exactly like a regular tractor.

KentT · Sep 10, 2005

( You might beat these prices with a Power Trac but I have to tell you that they aren't exactly like a regular tractor. )

Exactly! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Thats why I, and some others, have sold Kubotas (and other regular tractors) to buy a Power Trac... /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

BobRip · Dec 19, 2005

Yeah, a Power Trac is not like a regular tractor, but for my purposes it's a whole lot better. You have to look at your own purposes.

Bob Rip

IslandTractor · Dec 19, 2005

Yeah, you could come close with a PowerTrac 180 but it does not have a 3pt hitch or sickle mower option. That said, the PowerTracs are great looking machines for someone who doesn't absolutely need the 3pt and values versatility over tradition. I think if someone started from scratch today to design a utility tractor (not a farm tractor) it would very likely look like a PowerTrac.

Maybe Santa will bring me a diesel powered 425 with grapple bucket, rough mower, trencher, boom, power rake and mini hoe. I'm sure they would fit down the chiminey. And I've been pretty good this year, which is to say I could have been worse.

otus_branch · Dec 19, 2005

( This will be primarly use for mowing (about 300 hr/yr).

Requirements:
Belly deck must be included.
Must support a roto-tiller.
Must support a sickle mower.
Must be small, ideally a deck 42" or less.
Must support a front blade.

A BCS 852 2-wheel tractor will do all of these things excellently, if you don't mind a "walking tractor." New, the gas models go for around $3,000 I think.

The 38" mower deck has a great cut, and can turn on a dime. It also comes with a bagger, and the best vacuum power I've ever experienced (but I'm not a lawnmower expert - there probably are other mowers out there that are just as good).

The 26" (or 30") tiller can go to a full 8" depth, and is a joy to use.

BCS also makes great sickles. I own the 53" oil-bath, and it's very powerful (cuts well at low-throttle), and hardly rattles the user at all.

I've never used a blade on a BCS (bought a 4-wheeler instead - it was a good excuse), but Earthtools carries one with skid shoes and trip-springs that looks better for snow than the standard BCS "Dozer Blade." See their page:

Earthtools

Very much prefer a standard 3pt with PTO.

Not an option with BCS, but their quick-hitch system is also quite nice, and alll the options you're seeking are available in that format. It's good exercise too! /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

-otus ( ) ( )

flusher · Dec 20, 2005

300 hours/year of mowing is a lot to ask of a lawn tractor (which is what you're talking about if your pain threshold is $4K). I wouldn't expect to get many years of trouble-free service out of a 2 or 3 cylinder gas-engined lawn tractor at that rate.

You hear quite a few stories in these forums about folks moving up from gas-powered lawn tractors to diesel sub-CUTS because they're tired of wearing out their 25hp B&S or Kohler gas engines trying to mow a couple of acres during the growing season.