?Diesel Garden or Lawn Tractors

[x595]

I'm in the market for a Garden/Lawn Tractor for 2.5 acres of moderately hilly grass around my house. I love the idea of a diesel engine but can't find many available. What brands should I be looking at. Ideally, there would be some available models in the price range below that of a Kubota 1850 sub compact tractor >$10,000. Would like to know if there are brands out there I should be looking at.

Hi all ,

New poster here , but have been lurking for awhile ...

bx24d , have you decided on a tractor yet ???

Later,x595

 

[bx24d]

Hi all ,

New poster here , but have been lurking for awhile ...

bx24d , have you decided on a tractor yet ???

Later,x595

Late last mowing season I took delivery on a simplicty legacy XL/Agco 2027 diesel. Love, love, love it to death. Outmows the BX by a mile (in regard to cut; power is the same). Low center of gravity for hills.

 

[ChuckinNH]

Since I have an older Legacy (pre XL), and have owned a BX, I would be interested in other thoughts in comparison. I'm thinking about upgrading the size of my mower deck, etc.

 

[bx24d]

Since I have an older Legacy (pre XL), and have owned a BX, I would be interested in other thoughts in comparison. I'm thinking about upgrading the size of my mower deck, etc.

Here's my thoughts in comparison in a nutshell: I use the xl for mowing and grass functions (spreading/dethatching/aerating) and plowing snow. I use the bx as a utility tractor/TLB and to brush hog the meadow twice per year. I can really only compare lawn mowing and snow blading functions between the two tractors because those are the tasks that I've performed with both tractors on my property over the last year or two. The legacy xl delivers a better cut (both have 60" decks). It may have slightly less power thru tall wet grass but this is a tiny advantage for the BX as both have more than adequate cutting power. The XL has more of a garden tractor frame and therefore seems to have a lower center of gravity. I have almost never had a pucker moment. The bx would be easy to turn over on my property....but of course I'm using it with the fel. I would never consider anything smaller than a 60" deck as the rops on both my units would have to be folded to get close enough to my trees.

The cost of the fel and bh for the legacy xl would be prohibitive for me.....I could almost by a whole new bx for what the xl backhoe and fel would cost me to add.

In regard to snow blading, the bx has more driving power, probably because of the way I've got it ballasted (I try to keep the xl on the lighter side for mowing).

I love my two tractors for the functions they serve. I often torture myself with the idea of trading the bx for a b model and more power but am concerned about an even higher center of gravity (i.e. more power but less places I can safely use it on my property). I don't find myself dreaming about trading the legacy xl because I don't thing they make a better mower for my property of hills and meadows. I think I'll stay the way I am, plus the wife would have a fit if she thought I was thinking about a
new(er) tractor.

 

[x595]

Late last mowing season I took delivery on a simplicty legacy XL/Agco 2027 diesel. Love, love, love it to death. Outmows the BX by a mile (in regard to cut; power is the same). Low center of gravity for hills.

Well belated congrats on the new Tractor , you gotta love that Diesel
...

Later,x595

 

[ChuckinNH]

Well, your wife isn't going to like me, but I have some thoughts on the BX vs B question. I had a BX22 that I used a lot on my land. I dug out rocks nearly the size of the tractor, and did loader, and backhoe work heading into my woods. I sold it, and bought my B2620, and was somewhat surprised to find that it feels much more stable, and well balanced doing loader work than the BX did. I go in relaxed comfort on my old logging roads where the BX felt pretty tippy. Recently, I've been hauling full bucket loads of gravvel in places I was a bit nervous with my BX with the empty loader on. Perhaps it is the larger loaded tires, though the rears on my BX were loaded too. but there is no comparison. I also did dethatching, etc. with the BX, but didn't have a mower deck for it. without the loader, and backhoe there was a big difference with that too, and I loved tooling around my 3+ acre yard with it.

I agree that the Legacy is about the perfect weight, and size for a larger rough yard. I find mine very stable as well, and mow places I might be nervous on something else. Still I have taken the B in a couple of those places jsut to see, and it actually felt a bit better. The difference in weight for mowing is still a concern though, and I haven't bought a mower deck for it yet. The Legacy leaves noticably less imprint, especially on turns, and yet has the weight it needs for traction. How do you like the 4wd? Is the turn radius adequate, and does the limited slip make a rear tire spin on tight turns?

 

[bx24d]

How do you like the 4wd? Is the turn radius adequate, and does the limited slip make a rear tire spin on tight turns?

No, chuck, my wife wouldn't like to hear that at all. Neither do I; now you've got me torturing myself again. I spent so much time contemplating a b2630 and b3030 and even a b26. On a trip to visit my friend in Maine, I had his father (kubota dealer) quote me on a trade in for a b3030 open station fel without a mower deck. Three reasons I didn't pull the trigger then (1 year ago). 1. transporting the unit to CT, 2. center of gravity concerns, and 3. the cost of a backhoe for the b3030 was quite high and I already own a perfectly good bh on my bx24.

In regard to the legacy, I love the 4wd but the turning radius enlarges by about 30-40% (my estimate). The turning radius in 2wd is excelent. I can tear the lawn a little with the rear on a tight turn in 4wd. The traction in 2wd is great with loaded rears so I don't use 4wd too much and I'm careful with tight turns when I do.
Now I'm going to try not to think about your b2630's stability on hills.

 

[LBrown59]

1*Here's my thoughts in comparison in a nutshell:
2*The XL has more of a garden tractor frame and therefore seems to have a lower center of gravity.
3*The cost of the fel and bh for the legacy xl would be prohibitive for me.....I could almost by a whole new bx for what the xl backhoe and fel would cost me to add.

1*Comparing the XL and JD x series garden tractors with a BX or MF 2000 series or a jd2305 sub compact is an apples to oranges comparison.
2*That cause it is a GT.
3*Over priced is the problen with both the XL and JD x series garden tractors.

 

[ChuckinNH]

Good news! I have the less expensive B2620, not the B2630.