Teachu2
Platinum Member
I have 5 acres, 4 of which is oak trees and native grasses, with some steep slopes. Most of it gets mowed with my Kioti DS3510 and either a 5' brush hog or a flail. The wife wants to be able to mow, and has been making do with a Deere L120 that was left by the previous homeowner. It barely climbs the hills with her on it, no way with me. The worst of it gets cut with string trimmers - probably an acre or so.
Yesterday, SWMBO was cutting the base of our ravine - which was a seasonal creek last month. Still too soft for the Kioti, OK for the old Deere, but SWMBO found an obstruction with enough force to tear a piece loose on the mower deck and bend it into the right blade. Hella noisy, she eventually shut off the PTO and returned to base to issue orders (purchase orders). I've been campaigning for some time to replace the Deere, but she wasn't ready. Now she is.
No point in buying another lawn mower and expecting it to work like a tractor, nor does she want a SCUT to mow hillsides with. That points me towards a medium- to heavy-duty yard tractor. I don't see the need for 4wd, but do for diff lock. Gas power is a must - she hates the smell of diesel. Local dealers are very limited, Deere is by far largest but Husky is long-term establishment as well. That leads me to these two models.
Budget is a consideration, but I believe in buy once, cry once. I bought the Kioti because I wanted a geared tractor in the 35hp range, and found the Kioti superior to the other available choices. If the Deere X570 is a better machine for my use, the extra cost may be worth it. If the Husky will do everything I need for just as long, at half the price, I'd just as soon not go green.
What say you, TBN?
Yesterday, SWMBO was cutting the base of our ravine - which was a seasonal creek last month. Still too soft for the Kioti, OK for the old Deere, but SWMBO found an obstruction with enough force to tear a piece loose on the mower deck and bend it into the right blade. Hella noisy, she eventually shut off the PTO and returned to base to issue orders (purchase orders). I've been campaigning for some time to replace the Deere, but she wasn't ready. Now she is.
No point in buying another lawn mower and expecting it to work like a tractor, nor does she want a SCUT to mow hillsides with. That points me towards a medium- to heavy-duty yard tractor. I don't see the need for 4wd, but do for diff lock. Gas power is a must - she hates the smell of diesel. Local dealers are very limited, Deere is by far largest but Husky is long-term establishment as well. That leads me to these two models.
Budget is a consideration, but I believe in buy once, cry once. I bought the Kioti because I wanted a geared tractor in the 35hp range, and found the Kioti superior to the other available choices. If the Deere X570 is a better machine for my use, the extra cost may be worth it. If the Husky will do everything I need for just as long, at half the price, I'd just as soon not go green.
What say you, TBN?
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