Never owned a compact utility tractor, yet

[Cherokee140]

Personally I think even with just 1ac you will have something to do all the time....if nothing else you can mow that in short order with it, and if you ever need to move mulch around, dig trees.....whatever you will have a handy machine to do it with....bottom line is you can do so much more with the tractor then you can with a zero turn.

 

[Poopdeck Pappy]

Yah, my FIL built it for his kids and grandkids. He spent a lot of time and money on building it and maintaining it. When his house was up for sale, he always made sure the pool and yard was in great shape and he sat by the pool with lemonade, making it appear as the life of riley. A coworker of his bought the place and said, man could I relax around here.

LOL! That cracked me up.

I'm happy to say that I've had my last swimming pool. Don't want to mess with one any more.

But if I was young and had kids at home, I wouldn't dig out that pool. The OP would be surprised at what a few gallons of shock and a few days of cleaning would do on that pool.

 

[pinetree10]

Everyone I know with a pool resents it, they take over your life. Pumps, filters, chemicals, pH levels.........no thanks, if I want to swim I'll hit up one of the many pits near the house.

That's why we got a salt water pool. It requires much less attention.

 

[whizdbiz2]

So many issues that are familiar to me... pool: our first house had a pool, cement block with vinyl liner. It was small and in bad shape and leaked, but something we wanted to keep it, at the time. I rebuilt the block wall making it one block deaper and got a new liner. On the bottom I used vermiculite and mortar mix, mixed it in the driveway and carted it back with a wheel barrow. My brother mixed and hauled and I troweled. Made for a weirdly springy bottom that didn't chafe the liner. Sides had a thin foam liner material over the block. I put in a small bottom drain and new skimmer and filter. Was pretty nice afterward, but nothing like what you have there. That pool will definately clean up, scoop the debris out and shock the crap out of it and filter, filter, filter. With one that nice I wouldn't fill it in, even though I'm so done with a pool. Season is way too short in Ohio unless you have a heater, a luxury we couldn't afford at the time. Don't have time for one with our current venture...

I now have 8 acres and raise llamas (have a herd of 41) and most of my land is pasture and a newer tractor with at least a FEL was needed. My old Ford 8N and 9N are still in use but had lots of project that only a FEL could do well and a hoe would be nice too, but would have limited use. I looked on and off for almost two years at the used market and saw some nice and not so nice used equipment. We didn't have all the cash so something would have to be financed and transporting something would be a small issue as I have no equipment trailer (just a livestock trailer) to go get something. For example I did find on Craigslist a Kubota B24 or 25 (don't recall what exactly) with a FEL and hoe for something like $15,000 with just under 300 hrs. I also was looking at new just for grins and was surprised that a new SCUT was affordable with favorable interest rates, the monthly payment on a 60 mo. loan was under $190 (with some cash down that I managed to save). The "new" and "5 yr. warranty" and "local service" at the Mahindra dealer was appealing to the wife so now we have (note the "we", she never claimed any ownership of the Fords!) an eMax 22 with FEL and quick hitch and back blade. The BH wasn't doable but could be added later if needed.

As someone said when you settle on a property come back and the community can discuss with you what you might need to buy to get done what you want to do, and our experience with the various brands and attachments. BTW, nice work on your drainage issue. I can see why your wife freaked momentarily when you talked getting a TLB, she was envisioning that big hoe you used before!

 

[Kan1ck]

I don't suppose we are allowed to use profanities on this form, so I'll just cuss here in private.
SWMBO has now decided that she would in fact like to keep the pool. She has talked to many of her friends and I guess a lot of them have convinced her that the pool needs to remain a pool. She also now says she thinks it would help her mom's arthritis. I call that a strategic ploy on her part to hold her mom up like a human shield now that she has changed her mind.
GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!
And she says that we can mow with the tractor that is currently used to mow her mom's lawn. Wife does most of the mowing at her mom's with it. I have done all the maintenance on that tractor (a 2004 Troy-Bilt Horse with 23 HP Kohler/50" deck) so I know it is up to the task. But, but, bu bu, it don't have a backhoe!
She says that we can look for a TBL Mower later. Oh yeah, later! Like I can see myself getting it when I'm 80 years old.
GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!
At this point I am feeling like a deer in the headlights, but I guess I can live with a !#@Y%^%Y#@$#%)*&^^$%#$@ swimming pool if I have to!!!!!!!
I think I'll start telling her how nice that cane break looks and that I think we should keep it just like it is.
GRRRRRRRRRRRRR!
I guess I'm gonna have to learn pool maintenance. What about going to salt water versus old school chlorinated systems?
Does anybody else have to put up with this crap?:confused2:

 

[Buggs67]

A quick off the cuff estimate based on dimensions given brings it to 60-65 cu yds of fill, estimating a 5 foot average depth.

Dunno what it would cost to truck that in.

Around here there is often people looking to get rid of fill for free. My neighbor has gotten uncountable loads (tandems) and my friend got about 10-15 tandems.
Ironically, sometimes the fill is from Built-in-pool construction.

 

[Buggs67]

I know it's not polite to laugh at another's troubles, so consider me to be commiserating. But your post was funny.

 

[scaredychicken]

acknowledging that I am showing up late to the (pool) party ... I glanced through the posts to try and figure out if your purchase offer was accepted by the seller. I can't tell, but the discussions continue, so I'm guessing that it looks promising for you to buy the property... several thoughts:
I think that you are on the right track with the tractor ideas and decision details (nuff said by others);
agree that there will always be some project that a tractor will be useful for;
an old beat up pool is probably cheaper to Replace, than repair;
a hottub would be cheaper (and more useful) than a pool that you don't really want - and a hottub is useful year-round for arthritis, (ahemm ... stress), general enjoyment, relaxation, and visitors;
my friends have their own residences / mortgages, they didn't help us buy our above ground pool (pointing out the obvious);
and yes, we all deal with "stuff" (which you appear to have misspelled as "crap"), because relationships are important
it'll all work out

 

[oldpilgrim]

Does anybody else have to put up with this crap?

Anyone who is married does, so yes.

I'm waiting to see what my wife says when I tell her I'm going to buy a new tractor. I'm zeroing in on one and will pull the plug soon, but she doesn't know yet.

It ought to be interesting.

 

[MinnesotaEric]

Everyone I know with a pool resents it, they take over your life. Pumps, filters, chemicals, pH levels.........no thanks, if I want to swim I'll hit up one of the many pits near the house.

Yup. Learned the lesson the hard way: who wants to be beholden to a pool?

And in Minnesota too where they screw up because some fool dewinterized the pool and filled it with water.

Life is better without a pool. Just have lakeshore RE with a drawbridge style dock. Life is easier that way.