Is a sub compact useful when you already have a compact.

[dragoneggs]

Yikes! Tractor death or human?

Hey if you and I live long enough, it will be hard to discern the difference.

 

[Texasmark]

You are the best judge of that. You see my lineup. I had the Fords for many years and when I retired and downsized I sold off my 100 hp JD and got the 6530, keeping the implements which the 6530 handled [amazing what a 2 WD row crop (1979 JD 4230DC) vs a 4 WD compact have in common].

In Jan. 2016 I bought the 2400 for jobs around the place. Fit right in. I work alone and it is my "right hand man" . So sir, the best person to answer your question is YOU!

 

[check]

Agreed... I have a JD garden tractor that is 25+ years old that mows a 1/2 weekly. Rear hard clamshell bagger... always enjoyed it. Never a major issue. Typical maintenance only. Should have crapped out long ago. Now that said, my renter will probably be calling me in the morning about a death in the family.

I also agree. Garden tractors are cheap and easy to come by. People give them away around here!

Never would I spent $2000 plus to get a mower deck on my Kubota BX25.

 

[willysmb]

One thing to note.... for less than the price of just a mower deck for a CUT or SCUT, you can get an inexpensive lawn tractor that'll cut an acre in an hour once a week for 15-20 years. That's something to think about.

I actually have a Kubota G1800 I picked up at auction for $1800 for this purpose. If I bought a sub compact, I don't see myself mowing with it. Silly to mow with a 15000 piece of equipment. I've also got a Massey Ferguson 10 that was working but recently decided to blow up some belts. Need to replace those still.

 

[radioman]

i got my BX for mowing because i was tired of the issues of cheap 3k mowers have. sure it works great when it runs and it did the job mowing, towing the little trailer to carry stuff. But when it breaks down due to cheap china stuff, its gets expensive. i switched the BX and i am glad i did . the feul costs was much less, i can do more, i had a front loader to lift things out of trailer, van etc. it does tillling work, i use the bh whenever i need it without renting . i use it to clear the snow. my snowblower has been sitting in my shed for last 8 years since i use the BX. its truly a more versatile machine.

getting a diesel motor simply means it wants to run and work. no bogging down in tall grass in the spring like the 3k gas motor does.

 

[plowhog]

I have a similar choice, but with three pieces of equipment. The tractor is a 58hp cab model for more "serious" work and brush hogging 15 acres, and a Husqvarna GT48DXLS mows the lawn. Also at the property, just temporary, is my Massey GC1710 SCUT. It was originally there because I was waiting on delivery of the cab tractor. I need to move it to another property soon and I will be sorry to see it go. It can brush hog in tight spaces where the cab tractor can't go, and it can drive on the lawn to help with around the house tasks without tearing up the grass. It is my go-to piece of equipment for most work. If I need a simple task done, it's the one I use.

 

[tractorshopper]

When I got my bigger tasks done and properties in order with my L3800, I sold it and bought the BX so I could do all those other things, plus mow the lawn and pastures. Yes, the MMM is expensive, but to me so worth it in time saved, ability to mow about anywhere on hills with zero slippage, and much faster mow times and much less fuel. There are times I miss the compact tractor, but I'm still amazed at what the sub-compact is capable of.

 

[Gary Fowler]

If all you have is a larger tractor (45+HP) then I would say that a sub-compact might be useful. I know my B26 TLB gets most of the jobs (except mowing) around my place. While not a subcompact, it is much smaller than my 70HP Utility cabbed tractor and thus gets into the small places. I really don't have any need for a BX style subcompact since I don't have any places that my B26 cant go.

I don't mow my lawns with a tractor and never would even if I had a subcompact. I prefer my ZTR for that which is much faster than any tractor type mower will mow and much more maneuverable than even the X series JD lawn tractors with the rear steering.
The only advantage that a tractor type mower has over ZTRs is in mowing close to ponds or ditches. ZTRs are notorious for slipping downhill in slippery locations where a tractor type might steer its way out. I get stuck almost every time I try to mow too close to wet areas with my ZTR.
Still I would put my money into a ZTR for mowing rather than waste it on a $3-4K mowing deck for a subcompact. Add a couple $thousand to the mower deck and get a commercial or at least near commercial grade of ZTR that will mow your 1.5 acres for a lifetime and do it in 30 minutes unless you have hundreds of trees to go around in which case it may take an hour.

 

[TheMan419]

i got my BX for mowing because i was tired of the issues of cheap 3k mowers have. sure it works great when it runs and it did the job mowing, towing the little trailer to carry stuff. But when it breaks down due to cheap china stuff, its gets expensive. i switched the BX and i am glad i did . the feul costs was much less, i can do more, i had a front loader to lift things out of trailer, van etc. it does tillling work, i use the bh whenever i need it without renting . i use it to clear the snow. my snowblower has been sitting in my shed for last 8 years since i use the BX. its truly a more versatile machine.

getting a diesel motor simply means it wants to run and work. no bogging down in tall grass in the spring like the 3k gas motor does.

$3k for a mower is a lot. I have a non ZRT lawn mower. It is a craftsman brand. I paid less than $1K for it new. It has been going for 16 years. Standard maintenance only. Mowed for the first time in two weeks due a lot of rain we have been getting. Had to slow down to mow properly so it took me 1.5 times the normal mowing time. That happens maybe once or twice a year.

If that one died today I'd get another one before I would get a deck for my NH Boomer 24. For example this weekend it will be very likely that I will be mowing the lawn with the garden tractor and SWMBO will be bush hogging or doing a few other chores with the NH.

 

[bspeedy]

We have 53 acres and three tractors. My Kubota Grand L does the big work and runs a 90" finish mower on the big part of the lawn. Last year we added a JD 2210 (22 hp SCUT) with FEL and belly mower. In the cooler months, the mowing deck comes off and it is an awesome wheelbarrow. Hauls mulch, grades the drive with 4' box blade, carries cut rounds close to the splitter, brings firewood from the wood pile to the back porch without tearing up the lawn. My two boys (9 and 7 years old) are able to run it safely as it is HST. In the summer, the loader comes off and belly mower goes on. Maneuvers like a go-cart and cuts around the house and around trees. Great for cutting in steep areas, as well. I also have a gas powered JD lawn mower, but it sucks at most everything. The diesel SCUT is a little mule, and I would not want to be without it.