GC 2600 Buying Questions

[jwrambo]

First, I am new to the forum, and I am thanking everyone in advance for your help in making a buying decision. I have been through many of the forum posts, but would like to explain what I have, and want to do with my new tractor. I have just purchased five acres in the NE Georgia mountains. It is a mix of about 3.5 acres of cleared pasture that slopes up to 1.5 acres of wooded area. The pasture area consists of fescue and a mix of weeds, clover, etc. It is not the smoothest, and pretty bumpy when driving the truck or utv around the property. It is however relatively flat. It transitions into a slope going up to the wooded area. It rises about 3' every 10'. Through grading, I plan to lessen the steepness of the slope to make mowing easier. The wooded area is loaded with poison ivy and other undergrowth. Hopefully, I have described the property well enough to facilitate ya'll giving me informed advice. I really like the Massey Ferguson GC2600. Work wise, I will be mowing the pasture area, clearing brush in the wooded area, moving firewood, maintaining a gravel road, tilling and maintaining a garden, the occasional snow removal, and other small farm chores. Construction wise, I will be building a couple of pole barns, so an auger will be necessary, doing the site work for the barns, landscaping around the house and property, and doing some final grade work. Seems like used units in great shape are hard to come by, and with the free loader offer the difference between new and used is very small. Will the GC2600 handle the tasks above? What type of mower would be best for my situation? Some dealers are telling me the MMM is a pain to remove. Would a pull behind finish mower or a bush hog serve me better? What size mower/bush hog decks can I use? My head is spinning, and since I do not have any tractor experience I am leaning heavily on the opinions of others. I am also looking at the Kubota's, and like the Kioti CK20 equally well. It has a little less horsepower, but is quite a bit heavier. It is considered a CUT as opposed to a SCUT. Anybody have an opinion on the Kioti? Thank you so much in advance for everyone's help. Jason

 

[irvingj]

I have a 2310, the older version of the 2600 but with a backhoe.

1. The BH's expensive, but could be a useful addition you probably should consider. (See related thread.)
2. Almost sounds as though you're in the market for a CUT as opposed to a SCUT, but the smaller one would probably work.
3. If you could possibly get a concrete pad set in, it would make installing/removing/storing implements a WHOLE lot easier & safer.
4. The 60" MMM I have does a terrific job; on a concrete floor, I put a sheet of plastic under the non-swivel wheels and just slide it in or out for install/remove. It fits, and this with turf tires. 7-8 minutes. In 4WD, it will mow uphill or downhill on some pretty steep slopes (going straight, not sidehill!).
5. No experience with auger, limited experience with 3PH implements... though the little 40" tiller I recently got (used) does a great job; the GC handles it with no issues at all.

And welcome to TBN!

 

[ScottW]

I agree you may want a slighly bigger tractor for what you describe, but a GC should work with patience, especially once you get your land and driveway to just maintenance mode. If you anticipate any digging at all, or wanting to move trees and brush, a backhoe and thumb will be worth it. You'll probably want a box scraper for your driveway and general ground leveling. For snow removal, you'll want a front blade if you have a fairly long drive, otherwise just using your FEL should be ok. A GC and 4' rototiller is definitely enough machine for working a garden. We have a fairly big garden and can work it all in just 20 minutes.

 

[chuckd1277]

As others have mentioned, a larger machine might serve you better than the GC2600. As capable as it is, I think it's a little light for a lot of ground engaging work. It will do the job, it just might take longer. Massey just released a new CUT, the 1526, that looks like it will be a great new tractor. That being said, I really like my GC2600. I have 2 acres of established grass that I mow and some minor grading and landscaping that I am working on. It handles everything I do with relative ease. I have the 60" MMM and find it pretty easy to get on and off. There are easier set ups out there (drive over, auto connect, etc...) but this isn't bad at all.

 

[Kal130]

First of all, I wouldn't rule out the GC2400. If you do some research comparatively you may find it a better choice. As said before, GC will get er done, but something larger will get er done faster. When I was shopping I fell in love with the 1643. I just ended up deciding that the overall size was to big for the use I had intended. Price wasn't bad, about 20k for tractor and loader, R4 tires, and QA bucket. With that one you are going to need 72" implements to cover tracks and space and price starts adding up. The GC will give you a lot of tractor for not much money. Make sure you drive anything you intend to buy though. For me, the hydro pedals made the Massey a no brainer. If you get the TLB you may be more limited with the 3pt as the arm spread is limited my the backhoe mounts.