Branson Alterative. and I'm I going over Board?

[dodge man]

If you have not owned a diesel before it can be hard to wrap your mind around how the power curve works. If you have two engines both at 25 hp powering a 60” mower deck, one gas and one diesel, the diesel works better.

The horsepower is the same but if you run into thick heavy grass and the rpm’s drop, the diesel has the power and torque at lower rpm’s. Diesels just make more torque at lower rpm’s. On the other hand if the gas engine slows down it drops down out of its power curve and tends to try and die if you don’t slow down.

You need to think about a mid mount mower too. It seems to be a love hate thing on mid mount mowers. I love mine, some people don’t. I will agree a zero turn is almost always a better choice and faster.

 

[3gunr]

I have a 28 hp shuttle tractor and a 38 hp hydro tractor . I loved the shuttle for 13 yrs until i bought the hst, The shuttle is fine but i am 62 and have 2 bad knees, Clutching any more is a pain . I do lots of mowing and loader work on our 360 acre hunting tract, The hst is way easier especially when you need to get close to ditches or creeks and you want to creep a little, Much easier for your wife to run also.

 

[prometheus303]

If you have not owned a diesel before it can be hard to wrap your mind around how the power curve works. If you have two engines both at 25 hp powering a 60” mower deck, one gas and one diesel, the diesel works better.

The horsepower is the same but if you run into thick heavy grass and the rpm’s drop, the diesel has the power and torque at lower rpm’s. Diesels just make more torque at lower rpm’s. On the other hand if the gas engine slows down it drops down out of its power curve and tends to try and die if you don’t slow down.

You need to think about a mid mount mower too. It seems to be a love hate thing on mid mount mowers. I love mine, some people don’t. I will agree a zero turn is almost always a better choice and faster.

My zero turn beat up residential model that my son in law got lawn businesses. It seen abuse. It drink gas like champ. I use close 4 gallons to mow 3 acres

 

[dodge man]

I’d guess a diesel would use half that, but I wouldn’t recommend buying a tractor just to save $6 worth of fuel a week.

 

[prometheus303]

I’d guess a diesel would use half that, but I wouldn’t recommend buying a tractor just to save $6 worth of fuel a week.

I agree with that. I could by for 3 to 6k zero turn that would be better. But zero turn will not lift, dig, or grade. The fail or finish mower get gives me options. Backup when my zero turn needs repair or does.

 

[dodge man]

I bought my first tractor about 13 years ago and mow with mine. When I first got a tractor I figured 90% of it would be mowing. It’s turned out to be nearly half end loader work and other uses than mowing.

 

[finn1]

No doubt that an HST is the way to go.

Second, living where you do, consider a factory cab with air conditioning.

Third, unless you expect to be really pressing loader capacity limits, look into the ck3510 or ck4010 Kioti. I don’t believe the bigger is better folks understand the value of a smaller tractor when working in space constrained properties. The DK you are considering is also a decent tractor. Just maybe a little larger than you need.

Sit on both to determine which you are most comfortable with.

Also, forget the fear mongers who haven’t yet got their arms around the fact that electronics and DPFs have been with us for ten years or more now, and aren’t going away...ever. The electric tractors are much more user friendly than the old strictly mechanical tractors.

 

[kpsp50]

Check Keno tractor.com and call them talk to George or Eric great people to deal with great prices and they will ship to you. Talking from experience good luck

 

[robpm]

I live in NJ in a wooded area with 2.3 acres. I grew up on a dirt road in NH back in the 60's on a gentleman's farm. My dad was a master machinest and yet we always had some beef cattle, an occasional pig, we burned 12 cord of wood each winter in a Sam Daniels furnace which was in the basement of a 200 y/o house and we made maple syrup every March sometimes up to 100 gallons a season and burned an additional 12 cord of wood in about a months time making the syrup. We hayed in the spring/summer/fall and when I was old enough to drive my dad had bought an old used IH 330 utility with a FEL. Prior to that he had MF 30 and a 35 industrial with an FEL and a BH. He had several heart atacks and had to sell the MF 35. I loved that tractor and he had bought it new. They were all collar shift transmissions. The IH had a torque converter which I would use on an occasion but pretty much stuck to the standard gears.

About 10 years ago now I purchased a used 2005, JD 990 (collar shift, 3 FW, 1 R with 3 ranges giving 9 fw and 3 r) with a 300CX FEL and an 8B BH. It had only 75 hours on it. I have used it for all kinds of things for myself and neighbors and I have added a lot of things to it with a whole lot more that I want to do as well. I love the tractor. It has 40 hp and it is a MFWD. I wouldn't want anything smaller. I would love to have more lift power on the FEL and even more power in the BH. I have some times been tempted to look at something else but I always come back to the points that it is a simple tractor like what I grew up with. There are no electronics on it. It is a complete Yanmar JD tractor. It runs like a top and it is easy to service. When I am doing a lot of FEL work I could wish it was a shuttle shift transmission with 12 FW and 12 R but it isn't. It is built like a tank. I also would not want a HST drive. I have tried them before and yes they have their advantages but what happens when you run into a problem with them.

This is just one more perspective for your intake. I am in my 62nd year now. I still have a lot of things that I want to do with the 990. I am just too busy at my work with everything. That is what happens when you have to run a company. But there are times I am happy to just get on the tractor and work. The 990 has paid for itself over and over again. I have seen prices on it now where I could sell it for more than I paid for it so it has been a great investment. I hope this gives you a little more input to help you in your decision making process. See some pics below. The first two are when I got my PTO chipper and my winch.

 

[LS Tractor Owner]

What was hp scut & cut?

Both 25 hp, SCUT was a 2 range HST. The CUT has 3 ranges(L,M,H) and a 4 speed (so 12 speeds F&R). The SCUT had 17 pto hp, the shuttle has 19.5 pto hp