Down to two and need advice

[Rob327]

I stopped by the Bobcat dealership yesterday and put a deposit down on the CT230. I decided not to go with the MMM because I've found a flail I can borrow to try it out first. I still opted to keep the factory mid PTO though just in case I do decide to get the MMM at some point.

After negociating I'm really happy with the deal I got on it.
I picked up the CT230 with FEL and delux trim (Mid PTO and rear remotes) for $13,000 Canadian. That works out to roughly $10,400 US.
I also added the 60" tiller for $1,920 for now but I'm still going to check out other options before signing the dotted line.

For the price I just couldn't justify going with of the other machines I looked at and I'll definitely make good use of the higher FEL capacities when compared anything else in my price range.

 

[BigD23]

I stopped by the Bobcat dealership yesterday and put a deposit down on the CT230. I decided not to go with the MMM because I've found a flail I can borrow to try it out first. I still opted to keep the factory mid PTO though just in case I do decide to get the MMM at some point.

After negociating I'm really happy with the deal I got on it.
I picked up the CT230 with FEL and delux trim (Mid PTO and rear remotes) for $13,000 Canadian. That works out to roughly $10,400 US.
I also added the 60" tiller for $1,920 for now but I'm still going to check out other options before signing the dotted line.

For the price I just couldn't justify going with of the other machines I looked at and I'll definitely make good use of the higher FEL capacities when compared anything else in my price range.

Congrats Rob...Enjoy!

Don

 

[Rob327]

Thanks! I'm pretty excited. It's going to be nice not spending 6+ hours anymore to cut the grass.

 

[vtfx4]

Wow, that is a great price. I have been quoted US $12,675 for a CT235 without mid PTO and rear hydrolics and 14,952 for a CT335 and I thought that was great. Now I may need to do some haggling.

I think I am going to go for the 335 because I don't need to use it to mow and may need the extra weight and power.

 

[NuBota]

Rob, I think you made the right choice. As a BX owner, I am committing heresy, but if I could do it again, I would probably go the way you did since there is already a lawn tractor in the mix. After about 20 months and 150 hours, I have only mowed with my BX MMM about 3 or 4 hours mainly because of the "setup" time. Since I have basically nothing but hills, in addition to attaching the mower, I need to drop the FEL and BH (or rear implement) to lower COG. Only takes about 15-20 mins, but with three hours of mowing, the swap at the beginning and end becomes a pain.

Part of my sales pitch to the DW (and myself) was that the machine was my "mower for life", even after the dirt projects were done. Now I know the latter is an ever growing list. I can't envision a time when the MMM will be the regularly attached implement while the FEL and BH just sit. And if the LT dies, I will probably replace it with another.

With your requirements, the rear mower would be the way to go - hit the big chunks of mowing with it and use the LT for the tight spots.

Don't get me wrong - the BX is a beast and pretty much perfect for my requirements - but more capacity for the same price leaves a slight, tiny, twinge of buyer's remorse.

 

[Dmace]

I stopped by the Bobcat dealership yesterday and put a deposit down on the CT230.

Congrats and Welcome to the extended Pack!

Be sure to post any questions in the Kioti forum as well.

 

[Redbug]

I just stumbled across this thread and after reading thru this morning, I think you made a good decision. People usually move up on tractor size and it's better to get more than you may think you need, now. I looked at the attachments. With the Kubota package I would not have wanted the ballast box. With your new Bobcat, get a good heavy versatile boxblade instead and use it for ballast on the back. I have noticed in the trade magazines with the advertising that Bobcat is doing, they are up and coming into the homeowner tractor market. Competition is better!

When you get your tractor delivered and you mess around with it some...how about a report and some pics?

 

[IslandTractor]

Good choice Rob327. I'm sure you will find that a very useful and versatile tractor. Let us know how you like the flail. Also, check to make sure that the flail you borrow is not a heavy duty roadway maintenance type as that might not be best for mowing grass. A medium or light duty flail is what you'd really like to test out. You should be able to run a six foot Caroni style (weight) flail which can be used with the standard multipurpose blades, or, if you choose you can switch out to lawn cutting blades without too much hassle or cost.

 

[Rob327]

Wow, that is a great price. I have been quoted US $12,675 for a CT235 without mid PTO and rear hydrolics and 14,952 for a CT335 and I thought that was great. Now I may need to do some haggling.

I think I am going to go for the 335 because I don't need to use it to mow and may need the extra weight and power.

I think the dealer told me it would be about $1,000 more to move up to the CT335 or about $2,500 more for the CT335. With so many numbers running through my head the last couple weeks I'm not 100% positive about that though. Also these were all prices for machines he had on the lot. It was going to be a minimum of $3,000 more for anything special ordered.

 

[Rob327]

NuBota
When I first started looking for a machine it never even crossed my mind that one this size would be in my price range. Granted the free FEL and $3500 cash in lieu of fianancing make it a lot more affordable. I guess good timing really helps. Both promos end at the end of May so if I had started my search a month or so later the CT230 may not have been anywhere near my price limit.

Redbug
When I was initially looking at the BX and the JD 2305 the small size left me with a bit of apprehension. I wasn't totally comfortable that either would be enough tractor for my needs and that I'd be dissapointed and looking to upgrade. Going to the bigger Bobcat gives me much better comfort level that I won't be dissapointed and looking for more.

Island
The flail I'm looking at is a Sovema FL 1500. It's a demo unit with the option to buy it if I like it. I had never heard of Sovema, they're Italian made and look fairly similar to the Caroni.

Thanks a lot to everyone who jumped in with advice. Between my thread and general research TBN has been invaluable while looking to make my purchase.