Buying Advice New to the tractor world. Advice for the GC1705

[Omega Woods]

I've been reading this thread and thinking about my tractors and my land. I just don't think the rig you're looking at is big enough for your tasks and your place. I think you need to look at the next size of tractor. I have a Kubota BX2380 which is heavier than the MF you're looking at and it wouldn't be even remotely big enough for my 17 acres.

Am I alone in this opinion?

Best of luck to you!

 

[AxleHub]

Omega,

A gc1705 SCUT is the same HP as the bx2380. But as I recall a gc1705 is 1433 lbs. Plus 550 pounds for the fel and another 255 pounds for the mmm. And that is before loading rears etc.. But it also has an advantage in fel lifting capacity as I recall and equal or greater 3pt lift capacity to the BX.

But from her commentary and description, it doesn't appear that she is going to be working the woods like you or others will be. And her description of amount of lawn cutting and some landscaping and moving some dead branches are all things I use my SCUT for with no difficulties.

As to Buffalo winters, I'd guess several are thinking they want to do all the snow clearing under any and all circumstances. But judging by what can define a Buffalo winter. . . I'd guess most Buffalo property owners aren't fully prepared and equipped to handle a 30 inch snowfall without a little help.

I've seen an mf1705 with a front blower on it handle 18 inches of snow very nicely. Maybe it wasn't taking a full full full width of blower width at a time. . But it sure took most of it nicely.

Now using a blade is a different story. . . Fine for cleanup but not to handle 20 inches full width.

I also notice that quotes with rear blowers will always be cheaper than with a front blower.

I think Doodlelady has the ability to do pretty good with a Massey unit. . . But it seems to me she'll have to get better at getting the price lower. Jmho

 

[Mattsy Fergy]

Has the price jumped that much in the last month or so? Tariffs maybe?
As for snow removal, it really depends on which part of the Buffalo area you are in. Some areas get hit harder than others. I am in the Erie snowbelt, and I haven't had my tractor in the winter yet, but I'm confident that it will handle the worst Lake Erie can throw at me, since my little Simplicity did for 10 years.
Rear 'blowers are cheaper because they use the 3pt hitch already on there, while front 'blowers require a hitch sub assembly.
Test drive and price out a 1726 just for the heck of it. Might be close to the same price, especially if they have one on lot. You can save money by getting a 3pt hitch finish mower, which can also be bigger than the largest 60"mmm.
It's impossible for any of us to guess which size tractor you would need based on your property description, but IMHO a little bigger is better than a little too small.
Downside to a bigger tractor is it makes it a bit harder to store.

 

[Doodlelady]

Has the price jumped that much in the last month or so? Tariffs maybe?
As for snow removal, it really depends on which part of the Buffalo area you are in. Some areas get hit harder than others. I am in the Erie snowbelt, and I haven't had my tractor in the winter yet, but I'm confident that it will handle the worst Lake Erie can throw at me, since my little Simplicity did for 10 years.
Rear 'blowers are cheaper because they use the 3pt hitch already on there, while front 'blowers require a hitch sub assembly.
Test drive and price out a 1726 just for the heck of it. Might be close to the same price, especially if they have one on lot. You can save money by getting a 3pt hitch finish mower, which can also be bigger than the largest 60"mmm.
It's impossible for any of us to guess which size tractor you would need based on your property description, but IMHO a little bigger is better than a little too small.
Downside to a bigger tractor is it makes it a bit harder to store.

We used to live on the Harborcreek/Erie boarder. We are both Mercyhurst Grads and my husband an Erie native. I would say snowfall where we will be living will be just about the same. My first quote did not include he snowblower. You’re right, storage for the tractor is definitely an issue for us. Size wise we probably can’t store anything bigger than the 1705. We have no garage and only 2 smaller sheds. The one does have an extra overhang and that will be where the tractor fits. Long term plan is to add an addition with a garage!

 

[AxleHub]

Doodlelady,

There are other downsides to a larger tractor as well as some benefits. While storage certainly can be an issue - there are a couple of things a scut does that a compact tractor struggles with. Sure a compact tractor would have more ground clearance than a scut - but it also is harder on lawns and its turning circle is different.

Now here is a real life example. Friend of mine in another state has a nice place and a nice lawn and he had an aged Kubota B series 17 hp motor I believe - no fel - no fel valve - no mid mount mower. He pulled pulled a 3 pt finish mower and also had a 3 pt. blade for snow. He saw my Massey GC1715 and really liked it when he was visiting - but he decided like too many guys do - that "bigger is better". So the 20 year old B was set aside - and a new B2601 was gotten with fel and 60 inch mmm and a 60 inch bucket. I had suggested he get turf tires but the dealer talked him into taking one with industrial tires on it.

There is no doubt a B2601 is a nice unit. But, he has to be careful when he's cutting or he'll leave marks in the lawn. He's moved a bunch of dress rock for rock gardens (about 22,000 lbs worth) and 10 yards of mulch - but he admits he could have done the same thing with a scut like mine - because he had to do it over a number of weeks. He has an acre of woods that surrounds his 2 acres of lawn - but he admits that he won't do much with that woods anyway - that I haven't already done with my scut. My goal wasn't or isn't to make him anything other than happy with his investment - but he now admits he could have saved money - gotten a BX2680 or like my GC1715 - with a 54 inch deck - and had no limitations and easier turning/handling for both summer and winter needs and his wife would have felt a little more comfortable on it besides.

A scut doesn't answer many people's needs because they have big aggressive needs and property. Or they work 50 hours a week and don't want to spend it on a tractor. or their idea of lawn - is green grass with no rock gardens and tight spots. their perspective is a 72 inch mower deck is better than a 48 or 54 or 60. I just researched and bought what I needed for a property with steep slopes and good lawn exposures and trees that are around me - but not more than occasional cut downs and haul aways. My Dad and I cut many many trees down for years and hauled them away for firewood with no tractor at all - so I'm quite impressed with what I can do with a scut. I'm a "Tim the Toolman Taylor" in many ways by training and use - but a scut is as big as I need to go unless I'd change my landholdings significantly.

I purposely chose the brand and size because I researched my current and future needs and implements very well - that are or would be available for current and those future needs. We all do things for different reasons - and getting bigger than you think means unknown negatives just as much as getting too small means unknown negatives in my logic. My scut fits very comfortable - and once every 2 years I have someone firelane cut my added lot instead of me doing it (that is a step above a bush hogging effort) - $200 every other year - allows me to have what I want rather than something I need once every 2 years.

jmho

 

[GirlWhoWantsTractor]

A scut doesn't answer many people's needs because they have big aggressive needs and property. Or they work 50 hours a week and don't want to spend it on a tractor. or their idea of lawn - is green grass with no rock gardens and tight spots. their perspective is a 72 inch mower deck is better than a 48 or 54 or 60. I just researched and bought what I needed for a property with steep slopes and good lawn exposures and trees that are around me - but not more than occasional cut downs and haul aways. My Dad and I cut many many trees down for years and hauled them away for firewood with no tractor at all - so I'm quite impressed with what I can do with a scut. I'm a "Tim the Toolman Taylor" in many ways by training and use - but a scut is as big as I need to go unless I'd change my landholdings significantly.

I purposely chose the brand and size because I researched my current and future needs and implements very well - that are or would be available for current and those future needs. We all do things for different reasons - and getting bigger than you think means unknown negatives just as much as getting too small means unknown negatives in my logic. My scut fits very comfortable - and once every 2 years I have someone firelane cut my added lot instead of me doing it (that is a step above a bush hogging effort) - $200 every other year - allows me to have what I want rather than something I need once every 2 years.

jmho

Very well said.

 

[Doodlelady]

Doodlelady,

There are other downsides to a larger tractor as well as some benefits. While storage certainly can be an issue - there are a couple of things a scut does that a compact tractor struggles with. Sure a compact tractor would have more ground clearance than a scut - but it also is harder on lawns and its turning circle is different.

Now here is a real life example. Friend of mine in another state has a nice place and a nice lawn and he had an aged Kubota B series 17 hp motor I believe - no fel - no fel valve - no mid mount mower. He pulled pulled a 3 pt finish mower and also had a 3 pt. blade for snow. He saw my Massey GC1715 and really liked it when he was visiting - but he decided like too many guys do - that "bigger is better". So the 20 year old B was set aside - and a new B2601 was gotten with fel and 60 inch mmm and a 60 inch bucket. I had suggested he get turf tires but the dealer talked him into taking one with industrial tires on it.

There is no doubt a B2601 is a nice unit. But, he has to be careful when he's cutting or he'll leave marks in the lawn. He's moved a bunch of dress rock for rock gardens (about 22,000 lbs worth) and 10 yards of mulch - but he admits he could have done the same thing with a scut like mine - because he had to do it over a number of weeks. He has an acre of woods that surrounds his 2 acres of lawn - but he admits that he won't do much with that woods anyway - that I haven't already done with my scut. My goal wasn't or isn't to make him anything other than happy with his investment - but he now admits he could have saved money - gotten a BX2680 or like my GC1715 - with a 54 inch deck - and had no limitations and easier turning/handling for both summer and winter needs and his wife would have felt a little more comfortable on it besides.

A scut doesn't answer many people's needs because they have big aggressive needs and property. Or they work 50 hours a week and don't want to spend it on a tractor. or their idea of lawn - is green grass with no rock gardens and tight spots. their perspective is a 72 inch mower deck is better than a 48 or 54 or 60. I just researched and bought what I needed for a property with steep slopes and good lawn exposures and trees that are around me - but not more than occasional cut downs and haul aways. My Dad and I cut many many trees down for years and hauled them away for firewood with no tractor at all - so I'm quite impressed with what I can do with a scut. I'm a "Tim the Toolman Taylor" in many ways by training and use - but a scut is as big as I need to go unless I'd change my landholdings significantly.

I purposely chose the brand and size because I researched my current and future needs and implements very well - that are or would be available for current and those future needs. We all do things for different reasons - and getting bigger than you think means unknown negatives just as much as getting too small means unknown negatives in my logic. My scut fits very comfortable - and once every 2 years I have someone firelane cut my added lot instead of me doing it (that is a step above a bush hogging effort) - $200 every other year - allows me to have what I want rather than something I need once every 2 years.

jmho

Thank you! I have been taking in everybody’s input on here and watching videos and trying to gain as much knowledge as I can before we make a decision. I really liked the MF1705/15 and we did go and visit Kioti,new holland, and Mahindra so I felt like I was doing my due diligence. However we just had our final walk through at the house and property before we officially close. The current owner was there and he strongly recommends that we move up a size. He really doesn’t think the SCUT will cut it. So coming from the guy who has maintained the property very well over the years and has nothing to gain from us buying a SCUT vs. a compact , his input has me rethinking our choice.

 

[Omega Woods]

I agree with the current owner, you’ll be glad you went up a size. As far as storage, I have a 12 by 20 shelterlogic “barn” that my 45 horse tractor inhabits. Not ideal for the long term but it’s been up for two years with no meaningful wear. Gives me time to build a proper building for it. This might not be an option in snow country, however.

 

[AxleHub]

Thank you! I have been taking in everybody痴 input on here and watching videos and trying to gain as much knowledge as I can before we make a decision. I really liked the MF1705/15 and we did go and visit Kioti,new holland, and Mahindra so I felt like I was doing my due diligence. However we just had our final walk through at the house and property before we officially close. The current owner was there and he strongly recommends that we move up a size. He really doesn稚 think the SCUT will cut it. So coming from the guy who has maintained the property very well over the years and has nothing to gain from us buying a SCUT vs. a compact , his input has me rethinking our choice.

Doodlelady,

I think the process of tractor decision making is a little more complex than you are considering. There is NOT an unbiased source of opinion. Every one of us has opinions based on color or brand or size we've had or what "our favorite uncle Fred" owned.

Now the current owner is biased just as much as any other - but he/she has a unique advantage as he knows what the property actually looks like. But for his/her opinion to have real merit over your own . . . You'd need to know what he was using and how old the unit was. You also need to know if he was doing the same activities as you will be doing . . . Or had he been spending years doing alot of property improvements that are now completed and won't need to be done again (this is a big issue - euphoric recall). Also, is he familiar with the choices you are looking at and the most current models and power levels?

Appreciation for equipment is often a combination of historical memory of projects, and current uses and needs. In my case, had I bought a tractor 6 or 8 years earlier than I did, I would have wanted a small compact rather than a scut because I was building the house we now live in and there were striking huge differences of need then than in 2015 (I'm not understating in any way).

In addition, had I bought just 2 years earlier I'd be owning a kubota rather than a Massey because at that time the DL100 loader was being used on the Massey's and there was a favorable change with the dl95 loader and my awareness of the true mulcher mower deck Massey has. Also the end of 2013 - AGCO/Massey started being more aggressive - came out with the GC1700 series, and started motivating many dealers to carry those products who had other AGCO product. As a result Massey became much more dealer carried by Kubota dealers too. Yet had I listened to just my local dealer of Massey product - I was completely dis-illusioned in it - because quite honestly the sales person didn't know the product. It was only after I read a published review - that I started really studying the GC series and learned to know more details than any of the sales people I came in contact with at any of the dealers I contacted.

I don't post to you to get you to buy a specific brand or product, I post to get you to ask very specific reasons and logic from whoever you choose to believe. I encourage you to believe in yourself more than believe in other opinions. Require reasons for their opinions that are not general - but are insightful or convincing points. That is why I hate the concept of "buy larger than you think you need". Humbly stated - that statement always shows to me a lack of study and preparation. Buying a tractor as a rookie should be fun - not easy. It should be a challenge that you remember for years if it was successful - because you made it YOUR decision.

And seek or consider implement options that the dealer's don't offer too - when those needs develop - because proper implements alter your payload benefits and we are a country blessed with many creative inventive minds from small and mid sized businesses showing common sense.

I go back to your opening post's theme . . . that your hubby isn't mechanical/tractor aware and you've used lawn and garden tractors and pwalk behind mowers. You need to feel good and feel confident about your eventual choice . . . not because someone else says to get it . . . but because you've heard compelling reasoning and SPECIFICS that fit with your purposes and needs and the demonstration tests you do on actual equipment. Your opening post was for mowing and snowblowing and nothing else. But a SCUT tractor will do many other things than that too. I have a steep driveway and steep slopes and some sidehill issues. But until I test drove a couple BX products and a Massey - I couldn't know turning convenience or how I felt on a steeper hillside.

Now if the current owner gave you compelling reasoning and specifics for his choice and opinion. . . then that would be a good reference. But if it was just his opinion and not specifics. . . then I think you need to know more or keep researching. You'll have to be confident of your choice - because ever after there will be people who say "I'd have gotten a Zero Turn rider and XXXXX for snow clearing" - and someone else who will say you need a mid sized compact and someone else who will talk about logging needs.

I hope you had a chance to ask the current owner - "what SPECIFICALLY is your thinking we need a larger unit" ? If you didn't - maybe you could call him up to discover how his opinion was formed or how accurate it may or may not be for your needs.

I'm surprised he didn't offer to sell you his unit he had used.

Confidence comes from completed preparation OR "false confidence" comes from an ego and an assumption. Because you are inexperienced only means you need to work harder on preparation than someone who has experience - it doesn't limit your skill or success when you have the product of your choice. And it doesn't hurt to get some insights from your hubby about any future landscaping or activities you might do with the property. I hope you don't become frightened of making a decision - rather - just be "challenged" by it.

Jmho