Need tractor for hills

krumbles · Apr 1, 2012

We recently moved to a very hilly part of Virginia, and my old trusty Craftsman is just not safe on our hills - wheels slip and I worry about the center of gravity. I have read that commercial walk-behinds are the best for hills, but I think they will be too limiting - I want to pull a cart, roller, aerator, etc. So now I am trying to find which tractors are good on hills. The JD/Husqvarna dealer came by the house and he recommended the X500 for the differential lock. Any other opinions? 5k+ is a lot to spend for just over 1 acre.

High Compression · Apr 1, 2012

Welcome to TBN! :welcome: I would go with a Kubota BX2660, but your lookin at $10k. But it's also a real tractor that you can mow with. Not a riding lawn mower that you can try to use for other things. Just my :2cents: The BX2660 is 4 wheel drive with a rear diff lock standard. Also comes with the loader control valves standard as well. So you can get the snow plow, or a loader, or both, or an angle broom etc.

rekees4300 · Apr 1, 2012

Whatever brand you get, have chevron tires installed on the back. They will improve traction.

Verticaltrx · Apr 1, 2012

I'm not very familiar with the JD x500, but I think it is the closest modern day equivalent to the JD 265 that I have. With that said, mine works pretty well on hills. I have wheel weights on the back which help a lot with both side hill stability and traction, with a set of more aggressive tires (HDAP or ag) it would be even better.

Of course the best for hills would be something with 4wd, such as a sub-compact tractor. A good heavy-duty zero turn mower would also be good. My parents have a Kubota ZD 21 and Grasshopper 725k and both are very stable on hills.

flusher · Apr 2, 2012

krumbles said:
We recently moved to a very hilly part of Virginia, and my old trusty Craftsman is just not safe on our hills - wheels slip and I worry about the center of gravity. I have read that commercial walk-behinds are the best for hills, but I think they will be too limiting - I want to pull a cart, roller, aerator, etc. So now I am trying to find which tractors are good on hills. The JD/Husqvarna dealer came by the house and he recommended the X500 for the differential lock. Any other opinions? 5k+ is a lot to spend for just over 1 acre.

So you want something that's less than $5K?
I'd look at a ZTR riding mower.

dodge man · Apr 2, 2012

I don't think I'd look at zero turns, they are not so great on the hills. I'd also look at Kubota's BX line, or the JD equivalent. They are 4 wheel drive, have a roll bar and a seat belt. They will feel much safer on the hills. If you hunt for a used one, you can get one for less than 10k.

XSKIER · Apr 2, 2012

2wd anything really blows on hills. It doesn't matter how aggressive the tires are, or how much ballast you have you'll still slip. The problem comes when heading down the hill. The weight is biased forward, and with dynamic hydro braking, when one wheel breaks traction you lose all traction. The loose wheel will freely spin in reverse as the wheel with traction will gain speed. It gets really interesting while trying to pull something down hill. So at a minimum you need a rear differential lock, but it is a pain to use all of the time.

I started with a hydro walk behind. It worked ok on the slopes, but it wouldn't pull the stand on sulky. So you had to walk the steep parts. I then went to a HD GT with aggressive tires and ballast. Much better and more versatile, but still and hand full on the hills. I now have mfwd, works great, but having to engage and dis-engage the fwd isn't too fun either. I feel like the best slope mower value would be the simplicity prestige awd. I would readily trade the mfwd for awd, besides the prestige awd is about 40% the cost of a SCUT.

zlock24 · Apr 2, 2012

Sounds like you need a John Deere x728 or 748. They are the most stable tractors i know of. I sidehill 20-30 degree slopes and don't even have to sit on the fender. I have been on some pretty bad slopes up here in the mountains of WV and it's never came up on three wheels. I also have Kubota bx 1500 and it isn't nearly as stable

ernemats · Apr 3, 2012

Have you checked out the power-trac, they are really good on hills and you can get a lot of different attachments for them. Versatile Tractors,Compact Tractors,Trailer Packages,Landscaping,Utility Vehicle Rentals,Mowers-Power Trac

Gittyup · Apr 3, 2012

Certainly the JD Xseries will work. But they r not cheap. U could save some money and go with aused JD 400 series. The AWD models r awesome on hills, and virtually impossible to tip over. U can find 425 AWDs for around $3000. This is way better than anything new u could buy for that money.

Another cheap alternative if u can find one in good shape is a gravely 424 or 824. These would be under a grand and with the motor sitting under the rear axle, they climb great.

Ay subcut or larger would be more prone to tip over.

bcp · Apr 3, 2012

Plant flowers on the hills.

Bruce

krumbles · Apr 10, 2012

I have a lead on a 425, but it is a 1996 model...not sure I want something with so many hours. I agree on the flower beds...will be working on that for the steepest part of the yard. I still think I will demo the x500. They have a return they can sell me at a pretty good discount. Unfortunately, there is no Simplicity dealer nearby. Anything else in the $5k or less range I should be considering?

willi67 · Apr 10, 2012

I will agree with zlock24 .. X748 with HDAP tires is the best I have used/seen, dunno what they go for but the older X595 is just as good if you can find one. I see that you mentioned Husqvarna, they have a AWD rider that should do 1 acre, worth a look?

Gittyup · Apr 11, 2012

A flower bed is much more work than cutting grass. I wouldn't be afraid of the 425 if the hours are under 1500 and it's been well cared for. Mine is that year, 1035 hours and still going strong. I think it could use some new valve seals (tiny bit of smoke at start up), but still runs great with plenty of power.

jenkinsph · Apr 11, 2012

I agree with buying an older Deere that compares the x748 or x749 aws. I have worked some very steep slopes with the x749 and it is very stabile. I would have bought a used one but I couldn't find it in my locale. I would much prefer the higher quality machine to the newer yet less optioned x500 series.

I should add that you will wan't all wheel drive and braking as the less slipping you do the better, very important to keep the grass in good shape on a slope. Doesn't take long to have a mess on a hillside if your mower/tractor slips here and there.

9973720wb19 · Apr 11, 2012

I've got one large steep hill to mow and my JD 54" Walk behind works great - my JD 997 Z mower can't do it...nor my 4wd JD 4720 tractor. some spots between a large tree and the bottom of the hill, I can turn the walk behind almost sideways mowing across using the hydro steering. And it's almost 100% safe (for me not the mower) if I get into a jam.

woodlandfarms · Apr 12, 2012

Just how steep is steep. I second a power Trac for anyone on slopes or working tight spaces.

krumbles · Apr 14, 2012

Well, I was able to demo the X500 tractor on my hills, and it worked like a dream, especially with the differential lock. I was able to get package deal on a mower returned through the JD Promise program because of a small scratch (easily touched up) with some good-as-new implements (cart, aerator, and spreader). So the deal was just too good to pass up. Here are some pictures of the new machine. The shot on the lawn really doesn't do justice to the slope of the hill.

Thanks to all of you for the help deciding!

rekees4300 · Apr 15, 2012

That's a nice mower. :thumbsup: Just curious, does it have a drive shaft or belt drive. If a belt I'd be concerned it would break on the hill and you wouldn't have any way to stop.