JD vs Kubota

[Ledgemere Farm]

John Deere used to make a 4100 N or Narrow. I don not know if this has been continued with the 4110 or not. Might be worth calling a dealer to ask. Were I you, I'd by a DEERE so that you only go to one place for parts and such.

 

[WiJC]

kubota makes a b7510 i believe in a narrow package. if i recall correctly it is under 40" wide.

John

 

[MikeFanelli]

I appreciate your repsonse and I will probably go with the smaller tractor. I realize the trees will grow in in some areas that will cause a problem. The prior owner used a 5 foot rmm and when I used that initially I did break a few branches. I expect to do some trimming on the lower branches anyway. Any mower smaller than 4 ft requires several passes through each row and we have about 15 acres of trees so that becomes way too much work. There never is an easy solution that is within budget constraints.
Thanks again

 

[MikeFanelli]

Thanks but I have not seen a Kioti dealer around here. I am sure there is one but I am relatively new to this area.

 

[mathey]

well, I wasn't pushing the Kioti's as i think they will be too big anyways...

just curious, do you spray weed killer along the tree edges? on our fields for example, there is a 2 foot wide "dead" area along the trees (one foot on each side of a trunk) so the actual grass area is only about 40 or so inches wide...so each row only requires one pass, except the roadways.

 

[MikeFanelli]

I plan to use weed control as well now that I understand the tree growing, maintaining process a little better. I should be able to make a single pass after I finish spraying. Oops now I need a spray rig. It probably does not end although I get more equipment.

Mike

 

[Bob_Skurka]

Mike, a guy near me raises a fairly small patch of Christmas trees, maybe 4 or 5 acers. He uses a front mount mower deck on a Steiner and just runs one pass between the trees. I've seen him do it a couple times as I drive by. He also has some deflectors to keep the branches lifted off of the tires so they don't get damaged. The Steiners have small wheels which might be an advantage in that type of mowing? I don't know of any other tractors like it near where I live but I have been looking at Steiners and Ventracs because I want to replace one of my tractors that is primarily a mowing tractor.

In the Ventrac brochures they show a 4wd articulated Ventrac 3000 with a Christmas Tree mower and they also offer a rear mounted spray rig. Ventrac is made by the guys who originially designed & built Steiners before they sold the company. I have no interest in a tree mowing set up, but as I was doing my research I stumbled on it.

Just to let you know pricing, I have been quoted a Ventrac 3000 with a 60" mower deck is running just over $9550. I have no idea what it would be if you substituted the Christmas tree deck for the 60" finish deck, but I would think the price would be similar??? I don't know if that is in your budget, but it gives you a reference point.

Ventrac Tractors

Steiner Tractors

 

[Bob_Skurka]

By the way, the price on the Steiner 415 with mower deck seems to be about the same as the Ventrac 3000 with a mower deck. Ignore the prices on the Steiner web site! Steiner and Ventrac seem to be fighting each other for business and the prices quoted by dealers are significantly different than the LIST prices.

 

[MessickFarmEqu]

The Steiner 415 and Ventrac 3000 are smaller, almost home owner units. If your not doing huge amounts of mowing they would work fine. The larger model, 430 has a 27HP Kohler. We sell that for $9800.

The steiner and Ventrac are simular machines, as you've heard the designers are the same. Ventrac has a few pockets where they seem to sell okay, Steiner has a much broader base of dealers. Resale value for used steiners is insane. They are built so well they really hold their value. If you compare them side by side the Ventrac is usually more expensive because the design is more complex. They use more rigging to get the controls to the side of the operator instead of the front. Visibility is also worse. I am a Stiener dealer, so I am biased... I am sure a ventrac dealer would know the flaws of my machine too.