Looking for a good compact tractor

[hornett22]

Having owned geared tractors, and Hydrostatic transmission tractors with treadle pedals and twin pedals. In my experience it takes about 1 full days operations to get comfortable in switching back and forth from treadle pedal designs to twin pedal designs. I sure would not base my whole decision to buy a tractor because I "hate" one or other of the designs. Many here "hate" treadle pedal designs, and they base that "hate" on a 5 minute test drive around the dealers lot. You CANNOT in any way make a valid decision on such a low time test. If you haven't operated the "hated" treadle pedal design at least a full 8 hours, you are just fooling yourself. BOTH designs are just fine. Sure it takes a little getting used to at first, but you CAN adapt. It just requires a little self enforced training. My current tractor is twin pedal design, but I have owned two that were treadle pedal, and they worked just fine.

I can promise you using that stupid design would cramp my leg and get old quick.

Weight is your friend and I also believe that the best way to get the most from added weight is from filling the tires.

Filling my tires was the best improvement I made to my tractor.

 

[Milo]

Well I do just about everything and I haven't found that situation yet.

Good for you but others might. Like maybe people who work their tractor where there's a higher likelihood of picking up nails, screws, etc. such as doing excavating work around new construction on a tractor which has a hoe hanging off the back. The hoe itself provides ample ballast, and they don't want to deal with the additional weight and mess of leaking liquid when making tire repairs. I myself have had two flats over the last 14 years and I was sure glad my tires were only filled with air.
Or maybe running a 25-30 hp tractor on hills pulling a heavy 6' cutter on the back where additional rear ballast isn't needed at all and another 600# of added liquid just makes the tractor slow down and struggle that much more.
Or maybe people who use their compact tractor to mow? They remove the ballast box, FEL and they then have a bare weight tractor that doesn't rut up their lawn. They certainly wouldn't need, and likely wouldn't want, the additional weight of filled tires.

 

[hornett22]

Good for you but others might. Like maybe people who work their tractor where there's a higher likelihood of picking up nails, screws, etc. such as doing excavating work around new construction on a tractor which has a hoe hanging off the back. The hoe itself provides ample ballast, and they don't want to deal with the additional weight and mess of leaking liquid when making tire repairs. I myself have had two flats over the last 14 years and I was sure glad my tires were only filled with air.
Or maybe running a 25-30 hp tractor on hills pulling a heavy 6' cutter on the back where additional rear ballast isn't needed at all and another 600# of added liquid just makes the tractor slow down and struggle that much more.
Or maybe people who use their compact tractor to mow? They remove the ballast box, FEL and they then have a bare weight tractor that doesn't rut up their lawn. They certainly wouldn't need, and likely wouldn't want, the additional weight of filled tires.

 

[IndyJay]

Good for you but others might. Like maybe people who work their tractor where there's a higher likelihood of picking up nails, screws, etc. such as doing excavating work around new construction on a tractor which has a hoe hanging off the back. The hoe itself provides ample ballast, and they don't want to deal with the additional weight and mess of leaking liquid when making tire repairs. I myself have had two flats over the last 14 years and I was sure glad my tires were only filled with air.
Or maybe running a 25-30 hp tractor on hills pulling a heavy 6' cutter on the back where additional rear ballast isn't needed at all and another 600# of added liquid just makes the tractor slow down and struggle that much more.
Or maybe people who use their compact tractor to mow? They remove the ballast box, FEL and they then have a bare weight tractor that doesn't rut up their lawn. They certainly wouldn't need, and likely wouldn't want, the additional weight of filled tires.

I have rolling hills that I mow so I do want the ballast. I use Liquitube Ballast Sealant so I am not concerned with screws and nails. I have the original (non-ballast) in the fronts and their newer ballasted formula in the rears with RV (non-toxic) Antifreeze. I don't know what your problem is with ballast.

 

[hornett22]

He just can't

I have rolling hills that I mow so I do want the ballast. I use Liquitube Ballast Sealant so I am not concerned with screws and nails. I have the original (non-ballast) in the fronts and their newer ballasted formula in the rears with RV (non-toxic) Antifreeze. I don't know what your problem is with ballast.

I have rolling hills that I mow so I do want the ballast. I use Liquitube Ballast Sealant so I am not concerned with screws and nails. I have the original (non-ballast) in the fronts and their newer ballasted formula in the rears with RV (non-toxic) Antifreeze. I don't know what your problem is with ballast.

Some folks just want to argue. Even when they have no basis for their argument.

 

[Jchonline]

I disagree on the weight but I would never mow my lawn with my tractor but that's just me.

I agree with you 200% on those stupid treadle peddles. I'll never buy one either.

Love my treadle pedal on the HST+ transmission. So I disagree on that one...but I agree on the loaded tires.

As mentioned...its all personal preference really. I dont mow anything in the mountains, so I dont need lite weight. I also have either a snow blower, a rear blade, or a chipper on my machine 100% of the time so there is no way I would deal with a ballast box. Wheel weights maybe, but as you mentioned never had a need.

 

[hornett22]

I DO mow in the mountains. I definitely WANT the weight. I'd be dead without it.

 

[Jchonline]

I DO mow in the mountains. I definitely WANT the weight. I'd be dead without it.

The Rockies?

 

[Milo]

I have rolling hills that I mow so I do want the ballast. I use Liquitube Ballast Sealant so I am not concerned with screws and nails. I have the original (non-ballast) in the fronts and their newer ballasted formula in the rears with RV (non-toxic) Antifreeze. I don't know what your problem is with ballast.

I have hills here in WV as well. Ballast in the rear or front is needed on tractors for most use, that is not what's being debated at all so where in the world did you come up with I "have a problem with ballast"?
What I'm saying is (and outlined a couple reasons why) everyone doesn't need or want liquid filled tires as their ballast. The way I use my tractor now I want (and have) liquid filled tires because I now have more property along with a smaller tractor and ZTR for mowing duty. But that wasn't the case when could only afford one tractor that also had to be the mower for my usually wet yard.
As mentioned one concern for me is potentially having to deal with a puncture, or as in my last flat an L shaped cut from a steel fence post that had broken off at ground level. To be honest I wasn't aware of Liquitube which seems like a great product, thanks for mentioning it I'll look into it further and probably will add it to my tractor that has Rimgard.

 

[gstrom99]

OP hasn't been heard from since the first post... ?