Need help picking a Lawn or Garden Tractor

[LBrown59]

I also recommend an X700 series.

AN x700 is nothing but a glorified lawn mower .

I was also looking at a Kubota GR and a John Deere X series.
1*I ended up with a Kubota BX2350, which is a sub compact tractor.
2**They are a serious step up in price.
***the roll bar (ROPS) and seat belt make me feel a lot safer. They are also 4 wheel drive, which looks like a must for you. A front end loader is also nice and you might use it a lot more than you would think. .

1*Smart choice , why pay that kind of money for a glorified lawn mower when you can get a real tractor for that.
2*Not necessarly.In 2007 I priced an X700 for around $14600.
I wound up with 2 BX1500s and 2 48'' MMMwers along with a new 60'' front blade and a 48'' tiller for $15600.

 

[commok]

Thank you very much gents for the advice, and for the kind compliments. I have enjoyed the military but it is a young person's game and I, unfortunately, am no longer young! As for the size of my yard, I'd say I mow approx 3/4's of an acre, but it has some fairly tight spots - as an example, my front yard (the part you can't see in the pic) is about 40' by 60', with a septic tank cover in the middle, all with a 10degree slope - hence why I was thinking I may need a smaller machine. On the other hand, after reading hundreds of posts, I have even considered a BX1860, or a JD 2305, with a 48" MMM, so I could use the FEL and 3ph capabilities, but am worried that their weight would tear up the lawn, or that their size might not allow the maneuverability needed to mow those tight quarters. So, here is where I'm currently deliberating:

JD x300R - good size (smallest of the bunch), no locking diff, K46 diff, only 17hp, but has that rear shoot-through bagger. Probably can't handle the hills long term? Traction up the slope also debatable? (I am 6'5" and weight 235lbs)

GR2110 - good size, all wheel drive, diesel, arguably a great mower, but no attachments for it save a blade, bagger and snowblower. Dealer says no to a johnny bucket as well, though I see JB says they make one for it.

JD x540 - good size, locking diff, plenty of power, plenty of attachments (and JB will fit). Can the locking diff handle the slopes?

X7xx - Bigger size, 4wd and diesel avail, pretty darn expensive. Will the size be too much for the close quarters?

BX1860 (or JD 2305) - even bigger size and weight, but great capability. Can this size tractor mow in tight quarters? Is the weight too much for such a small lawn? Be nice to have this capability, but not sure I need it now (will no doubt love to use it, but don't need it).

I really need a mower that carries me up and down those slopes (my wife won't use our self-propelled Toro push mower on that, and frankly I'm getting a bit too long in the tooth to do it as well). I would use a bucket quite a bit, moving mulch, compost, firewood, yard stuff, etc... I would use a pull behind aerator twice a year (rent a self-propelled one now at $75/per), could groom my gravel driveway (box blade, rear or midmount blade) with the right machine. Other than that, I don't envision ground engagement needs. My wife would love to have a tractor she can use to pull a cart with mulch and stuff in it.

OBTW, the closest dealer is a Kubota dealer (small, but with a great rep) about 5miles away. The nearest JD dealer is 40miles away.

I guess the key questions are:
-will the x300R handle the slopes with no locking diff and only 17hp?
-will the GR2110 do what I need it to do, and to heck with the FEL or JB?
-will the x540 with locking diff handle the 20degree slopes
-will the x7xx, or the BX1860/2305 be too heavy or large to handle the mowing duties without tearing up the turf in the tight quarters of up the slopes?

I realize I am bouncing around like a superball in a shower stall on this purchase, so I truly appreciate the advice!

 

[bp fick]

Won't speak to ALL those choices, but can speak about the BX1860.

It turns on a dime and NO!! it will not hurt your lawn. Because of the high flotation and wide tires, it actually presses down with less psi than most lawn mowers. True. The 4WD is the ticket for safety up and down hills, imo. The FEL would far out work a Johnny Bucket and you'd never regret it as a better choice, by far.

Diesel. Huge difference. Power and fuel economy. It sips fuel.

My only advice is this. Don't spend 85% of the BX1860 price and only get 30% the machine. With zero financing, you can do it right, the first time.

Congrats on your new home!! Blessings upon it.

 

[mjncad]

AN x700 is nothing but a glorified lawn mower.

Give it a rest!

 

[mjncad]

Commok:

Looking at the picture posted, I'd say snow is a reality at your location. Since you say your getting 'long in the tooth', I'd suggest that any rig you look at be considered as one to last you out.

Although you have only 3/4 of an acre of yard that any big box mart lawn tractor can handle; the slopes that you have would make 4wd a necessity in my opinion. Also a locking differential is so handy. I have a flat yard; but the locking differential and 4wd has been a blessing when working the ditches out by the county roads. Depending on how much snow you get, a decent tractor could be used for snow removal too. The other thing I dislike about big box mart lawn tractors is no power steering. That can get tiring pretty quickly especially if you have lots of obstacles and turns to make.

It sounds counter intuitive; but a larger deck can in some circumstances gets closer when cutting circles around trees, etc. Look at the cutting radius of the models you're interested in.

I don't think any of the "X" series and their equivalents from other manufacturers will be too heavy unless you have overly soggy ground.

Please keep us informed of what you decide on.

 

[LBrown59]

Won't speak to ALL those choices, but can speak about the BX1860.

It turns on a dime and NO!! it will not hurt your lawn. Because of the high flotation and wide tires, it actually presses down with less psi than most lawn mowers. True. The 4WD is the ticket for safety up and down hills, imo. The FEL would far out work a Johnny Bucket and you'd never regret it as a better choice, by far.

Diesel. Huge difference. Power and fuel economy. It sips fuel.

My only advice is this. Don't spend 85% of the BX1860 price and only get 30% the machine. With zero financing, you can do it right, the first time.

Congrats on your new home!! Blessings upon it.

Very good point.

 

[LBrown59]

1*I have even considered a a JD 2305, with a 48" MMM, so I could use the FEL and 3ph capabilities,
2* but am worried that their weight would tear up the lawn, or that their size might not allow the maneuverability needed to mow those tight quarters. -
3*GR2110 - good size, all wheel drive, diesel, arguably a great mower, but no attachments for it save a blade, bagger and snowblower. Dealer says no to a johnny bucket as well, though I see JB says they make one for it.
4* X7xx - Bigger size, 4wd and diesel avail, pretty darn expensive.
5*Will the size be too much for the close quarters?
6*BX1860 (or JD 2305) - even bigger size and weight, but great capability.
7*Can this size tractor mow in tight quarters?
8*Is the weight too much for such a small lawn?
9*Be nice to have this capability, but not sure I need it now (will no doubt love to use it, but don't need it).

1*How come you haven't considered a Kubota BX2660?
It's comparable the JD 2305.
2*Not a problem .
3* and 4* Cost of these Lawn mowers on steroids
is to close to that of a real tractor such
as a JD2305 BX 1860 or BX 2660.
5*No.
6*But not much greater .
7*My BXs are quite maneuverable .
8*Nope.
9*But why pay for it and not get it simply because you don't need it ?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Have you looked at the Cub Cadet 2000 and 3000 series garden tractors.
They are hard to beat when it comes to bang for the buck.

 

[arrabil]

There is a big difference between an X700 series and every sub compact tractor... the X700 sits closer to the ground so it can go places a sub-cut can't. And it can get under places the ROPS would otherwise stop you.

A lot of people will tell you the X700 is nothing but a glorified lawn mower. This is exactly true. Its an excellent lawn mower for difficult terrains. Plus will do everything else that was on your list...

 

[jinman]

Folks, I just retired after 31years in the military, and have settled down in a place where I actually can own my first lawn or garden tractor, so I need advice! My needs are pretty simple - mow the lawn you can see here, including the gulley, and the slope that leads to it (measured at 22degrees). Going up and down that slope has me concerned that whatever tractor I get needs good traction, and a robust hydro. Since I want to bag, and have a lot of obstacles, I was thinking a JD x300R (the model with the direct shoot fan-assisted rear bagger) but it has a K46 hydro, so that has me concerned about longevity.

Congratulations Commok, and thank you for your dedication for 31 years of military service. My impression is that you may be way, way overthinking a simple issue. I think your needs are very simple and you might be overspending a bunch of money. Since you have never owned a lawn or garden tractor, and you say your need primarily to mow your lawn with a rear bagger, why not spend some quality time on craigslist and see if you can find a great deal on a good used mower? I don't know where you are located, but in the Dallas, Texas area, good deals are easy to find. I'd first look to see if I could find a good used lawn tractor that will meet your needs. Why spend $10k+ on a lawn tractor if a $2k deal off of craigslist will do the job? If the craigslist deal turns out to be a bust, sell it and move up. At least then you will have a better feel for what you need.

I would not see any problem with buying a JD x300 for your small yard either. How may K46s can you buy for the price of moving up to the x500 or x700? My guess is that you will never have an issue with the K46. The x300 has a rear bagger you'll need and may climb your hill without any issues. With the weight of the rear bagger and your substantial weight, you just may be wasting money to get 4wd or a locking differential. You have a small yard with a few challenging spots. If you buy the x300 and turns out to be inadequate, what have you lost? You'll be able to sell it or trade it back in without any great loses.

Finally, as LBrown will surely tell you, there are lots and lots of B-series Kubota tractors out there for very little money. These can all be fitted with turf tires and mid-mount or rear finish mowers, but rear bagging may be harder to find. I don't think you really need one of these, but if you want one machine to do everything including having a small FEL, then maybe this would be a solution.

I just don't think you have the yard and acreage to justify an x500 or x700 lawn tractor that will set you back $10k to $15k.

 

[dooleysm]

My local Kubota dealer has offered in the past to drop off machines for me to test. I never took him up as I found a sweet deal on a Kubota from a private individual, but I think if you spend some time with your dealer down the street you might find that he has some machines you can try out before you buy. Same with the JD guy a bit further away, especially if he knows the Kubota guy already has let you test his machines.