Hello from Minnesota!

Slowpoke Slim · Jul 26, 2019

My only thoughts are, I would want (and have) a heated cab for snow work in winter. Especially with a snow blower, but even without one. It makes the difference between comfortably moving/throwing snow, and a a survival test of endurance. Or, actually enjoying the work you're doing, vs. can't wait to get done (and get off the cool new toy you bought) and get inside and get warm again.

I also have an engine block heater (which I'm sure you will have), an oil pan sump heater (stick-on), and a hydro sump heater (stick on). With those 3 heaters plugged into an outside outlet timer, I have no problem starting up my tractor and taking off right away to clear snow. I don't have to wait for anything to "warm up" before I can begin.

Second, for a tiller, I'd want one that was at least as wide as the outside of my rear tires.

Everything else sounds like you should be good to go.

finn1 · Jul 26, 2019

Heated cab and front mounted snowblower, depending on where you are in Minnesota, would be my recommendation.

Also, mid mounted mowers don’t make sense to me. A 3 pt finish mower can be wider and will reduce your weekly seat time. Keep the Cub for trim work.

ArlyA · Jul 26, 2019

Nice to have you here with us Jim. I'll agree with Finn, get a belly PTO for a front blower. Why not a compact? As apposed to a sub.

Imold · Jul 27, 2019

Ok let痴 see, salesmen said it will have a block heater put in as part of the sale and I will ask about the cab or if ones available, I need to add that I do have a Polaris Full size Ranger with a heated cab and plow that I use now at my home in the winter for moving snow and have used it on the long driveway at the property but the snow wasn稚 to deep only a few inches and it seemed to do ok but a pto snowblower would be better, my craftsman 42 blower on my other mower seems a bit small although I also put it through the challenge at the property and it was a workout for it, deeper or packed snow would be a no go but fresh fall snow seems to be ok as long as it痴 not to deep, I did do some heavy snow removal with it and snapped the shear pins twice so I did use it hard.

Compact vs Sub. I just don稚 think I need a bigger size tractor for what my needs are, it would be nice but just don稚 think I need to go bigger but it痴 up for debate I guess, I would need a bigger trailer if I went bigger then sub being I only have a 14ft steel trailer and that would work for now with the 1723e I think, I still need to check it out.

Ok I was talking with my wife/financial adviser and I知 thinking of going with the 1723e with the FEL and instead of a MMM I知 gonna go with a 48 brush hog tiller instead, I致e found a 60 finishing mower and a 60 back blade locally on CG and can get both for 1000.00 bucks, on a side note I could just get the MMM and Tiller all as part of the tractor sale and just put 2k down and be done with it except for the back blade and I could just go buy that.
He doesn稚 have a 1725m on the lot but would that make more sense then the 23e, 2hp on motor and 1.5 difference on pto hp, is that enough difference or is the 23e good enough? If I went with a front mount snowblower later on would I wish I would of got the 25M instead?

Jim.

Imold · Jul 27, 2019

I’m going back Monday to talk with the salesman about all this and could end up signing papers if it all looks good.

Imold · Jul 28, 2019

Is 5 hp per foot a basic rule of thumb when it comes to equipment on pto and 3pt. A 60” MMM, blade and rake should be fine on the 1723e but as far as a tiller, box blade and hedge hog go they should be no more then 48” from what I read, I do have some property I could open up if I had a hedge hog to go over it with or back into it with, could be close to another acre.

It seems like the MF 1723e is bordering being able to use all 60 inch attachments on pto and 3pt hitch, a tiller is pretty straight forward as being only a 48 inch on the 1723e which is ok with me.