Buying Advice I just signed the paper on a house with 14+ acres, need advice

[phiferpharm]

fwiw, I have 20 acres, which is now divided into app. 6 pastures comprising about 8 acres, two yards around a home/guest home, and lake edge, and then the rest is forest-type acreage. I use my ZTR- a Snapper Pro (I WOULD NOT recommend) on the yards and my DK45 with a Bush Hog brand Rotary (both of which I can recommend) on the other areas.

Even with the horses, I still need to mow the pastures maybe 2-3 times during the summer and use a chain harrow occasionally in lieu of mucking up the horse manure. When I am mucking, moving hay bales for the mini's or hay rolls for the Halflinger's, the FEL is invaluable. I can't imagine NOT having a front end loader.

Good luck on your quest.

 

[buickanddeere]

As a 2nd thought . Perhaps a dedicated grass cutter such as a zero turn. Then a plain Jane JD 5055D with a FEL ? Bigger is better

 

[TJP89]

I'm thinking you need 2 machines. ZTRN for lawn and tractor for everything else. Get a NEW tractor in the 30HP range with at least a FEL. With that, you can do everything you want. Be careful of weight as it will rut the lawn. DO NOT get an older tractor. Though the INITIAL cost is lower, unless you are mechanically minded and ready for lots of repairs, it will cost more in the long run in parts, things not done, time, and frustration. I know that from experience. In looking, don't stick with a few brands. Look at all the options and take your time. TBN is a great resource and will help you greatly in your search.

 

[MESSMAKER]

I think the two machine plan is the best. You could go a long way with a small compact tractor with a loader,finish mower and bushog, but You will be changing implements a lot. A new tractor and a good used ZTR can be picked up for about 20k. You might do a little better than that if you look hard.

 

[Deere Dude]

I rolled into a similar, but smaller situation last year. I have 8 acres of fairly flat lawn and the rest is woods. For the lawn I bought a 84" finish mower (because a 90" was substantially more money) and use a 62" belly mower on a garden tractor for around the 30-40 small trees we have.
I find it relaxing with the hydrastatically driven tractor with R-4 tires and finish mower and drive that about 2 hours a week. My wife uses the GT and 62" mower for the same amount of time. We mow at the same time usually.

What I like about the rear discharge finish mower is it has no windrow and all the dust is thrown way back there. With the center mount mower a lot of clippings get blasted up in the air and comes back at you and plugs the radiator screen quite a bit.

I like the idea of a 15" batwing to get on the job and out quickly, but my 7' deck can stay on all summer without coming off for the most part and I can still use the tractor for FEL work easily. Maybe you could get a 10' finish mower reasonably??? Your lawn maybe has some long straight stretches so I wouldn't think a dedicated monster zero-turn would be that important.

Possibly a 54-60" ZTR for the few trees and around the house and as wide of finish mower for the Compact tractor as you can handle would make the lawn work quick and you could still use the tractor for other things.

 

[JimRB]

My tractor was brand new to me 17 years ago. I maintain 9 acres plus a few acres along the road. Low hours now as the horses sort of keep the pastures down so they only need to be mowed 3-4 times a year. I racked up some hours when new mowing a lot and putting in fences. The tractor has 600 hours, two new front tires and a few hydraulic hoses. Practically no maintenance required on my now old tractor. The tires might have lasted longer if the tractor was stored inside. Note that some farmers I see have tractors with 6-8,000 hours or more. One of the hay guys had a Massey 135 under a shed that had 3-,4000 hours on it. He started it up. It started quickly and did not smoke at all. I have seen some pretty smokey tractors that probably needed new injector tips or a good injector cleaning.

I was raised helping Dad do maintenance on cars like all my siblings. We are all somewhat of gear heads that do not think twice about doing light maintenance like new engine bearings, clutches, brakes ... I do not have a huge fear of used equipment but a wee bit of trepidation.

I mow my lawn once a week or so with my 20 year old walk behind self propelled Honda 21". No desire to get a zero turn as that is too much money for me. Some days I wish the mowing went faster but I need the exercise.

If you are asking for recommendations it might be safer to find a newer low hours tractor as you will be racking up some hours if you insist on acres and acres of golf course.

 

[vanguard]

Thanks for the advice, I'm still listening to everything the guys around here are saying. My post count is low but I'm racking up the hours on the forum. In the new few weeks everything should start happening.

 

[HCJtractor]

As an owner of a 70 horse Kubota and a nicely restored 30 year old Massey ferguson 240, I can say that I agree that for a first tractor I would get a newer one. The Massey is sweet, but it's not as easy to operate as the Kubota, and it just takes more skill and concentration. The newer ones have features that just make things easier. If it were my property, I agree that I would limit my lawn to a minimal area around the house, and either fence the other for potential pasture, or just let it grow up. Then bush hog it seasonally to keep it under control. I think a natural field of grasses and wild flowers is prettier and more conducive to wildlife, butterflies etc. Why make a 14 acre lawn? It just creates more work and more expense. Therefore I would get a 30 to 45 horse tractor ( any of the name brands) with a FEL, and then start with a good 72" rotary cutter like a Woods BB 72. Then maybe a mid grade box blade, and if you want to garden, a disc or rotary tiller. And perhaps a inexpensive cone fertilizer spreader. Then I would mow my lawn with a riding mower or zero turn depending on size and budget. And don't forget a shed or barn to house your toys.

 

[TJP89]

And don't forget a shed or barn to house your toys.

Ditto, keep the tractor(s) under cover. The car can live outside.

 

[bspeedy]

As an owner of a 70 horse Kubota and a nicely restored 30 year old Massey ferguson 240, I can say that I agree that for a first tractor I would get a newer one. The Massey is sweet, but it's not as easy to operate as the Kubota, and it just takes more skill and concentration. The newer ones have features that just make things easier. If it were my property, I agree that I would limit my lawn to a minimal area around the house, and either fence the other for potential pasture, or just let it grow up. Then bush hog it seasonally to keep it under control. I think a natural field of grasses and wild flowers is prettier and more conducive to wildlife, butterflies etc. Why make a 14 acre lawn? It just creates more work and more expense. Therefore I would get a 30 to 45 horse tractor ( any of the name brands) with a FEL, and then start with a good 72" rotary cutter like a Woods BB 72. Then maybe a mid grade box blade, and if you want to garden, a disc or rotary tiller. And perhaps a inexpensive cone fertilizer spreader. Then I would mow my lawn with a riding mower or zero turn depending on size and budget. And don't forget a shed or barn to house your toys.

My South Carolina neighbor has it right. The only things I would add are to get a regular lawn tractor for around the house if a ZTR is not in your budget. I would spend the extra money on the 30+ hp tractor and skimp a bit - if necessary - on the lawn mowing machine. The tractor size can be determined by your budget. And a shed or barn will absolutely pay for itself over the long haul. All my equipment and vehicles are kept in enclosed buildings and the aging process nearly stops when they are sheltered.