Buying Advice New to tractors seeking advice

[Jdraker]

Just moved in to a place in East TN. It's 6 acres of grass and woods on a hill. The driveway to the house is 425feet blacktop and you lose 80 feet in elevation from the house to the bottom of the driveway. Half the property is wooded. We will be building a barn/ shop for the horse and brewery/ truck / tractor storage. Need something to cut the grass , hilly 2.5 acres, and put up several fence lines, level some of the property and maintain the driveway in the winter. I'm sure there is more that I haven't listed yet. A garden would be nice too. With that all said the tractors I have been looking at, I'm stuck on which one to get.

Looked at the following:
1. Jd 1025 r with loader and mowing deck. Like the ease of attachments not sure if it'll be too small or too limited on implements
2. Kabota B2620 with the same configuration
3. Kubota B2601 same config leaning towards this one. Not sure if it will be to heavy on the grass. Haven't actually seen this one just online.
4. Kubota b2650 same config really like this one. It's 300 lbs heavier than the Deere was really concerned about rutting the grass.

On all of them I was going with the r4 tires. I know nothing but they seemed to be a compromise and possibly won't tear the grass up if I'm careful. The lower section of lawn seems like it is wet most of the time. Perhaps damp is a better word. Advice is appreciated. I'll be pulling the trigger this week. The grass is winning and I'm not going to push mow it.

 

[KYDan]

Weight is your friend for earth moving, dirt work, etc. But, not for mowing. Since you appear to be searching for the best all around tractor The B series is a good choice due to its versatility. R4 tires are a compromise between Ag tires and turf tires. I have them on my MX and they will cleat and disturb soil if the ground is damp and they don't provide as good traction as the ag tires. That said, I use them on the lawn and runway as well as for heavy farm type work and they have served me well and I would buy them again. They are a heavier tire than the ag or turf and hold up well. It is hard to go wrong with Kubota, it is an excellent brand. You might want to consider a dedicated lawn mower and the tractor. a zero turn will mow faster and better and not be as hard on the lawn. Flotation tires will limit lawn rutting and cleating issues, but really are unsatisfactory for most dirt work. If you are simply planning on using it for cleaning the drive, etc. you might be able to get by. The weight that is good for the tractor work is good, but not for lawn work as it will compact the soil. I have a custom built aerator that is 3 point hitch mounted and I use it on the lawn and runway to keep it looking good. It's a lot of work, but I enjoy the seat time.

 

[mddorange]

:welcome:
To TBN JD. I agree with Dan as I have a dedicated lawn mower for about an acre and use the tractor for everything else.

 

[Parkanzky]

I have a bit over 4 acres and wanted something to clear snow from our 600' drive (with a big hill in it), help me clean up the woods a bit, and for general tractor messing around.

I originally started at the 1025R and smaller B-series size, just like you did. After driving one around, I didn't really think of the 1025R as a small tractor so much as a big mower. The 2-series JD is more comparable to the B-series Kubotas. The 1-series is like the BX.

After a bunch of messing around and doing a lot of research, I ended up cross-shopping the Kubota B3350 and the John Deere 2032R. You'll want that extra power as soon as you decide to hook a brush hog, tiller, generator, etc. to the rear PTO.

I ended up with the green one because I liked the control layout better, but I don't think you could go wrong with either.

 

[JimRB]

My neighbor has a zero turn. When I am putting around on my JD 870 (28 hp small diesel tractor) with a 60" brush mower I am doing about 6 mph. Granted I am not mowing heavy grass at that speed. I can go another gear faster but the property is a bit bumpy sometimes and turns that fast tend to tear up the pasture. Ag tires. The neighbor is zipping around much faster. But he mows every week or every other week. I mow when needed which if it rains it might be a month or more. I have a 60" Befco finish mower with three spindles. I cannot zip around as fast as the zero turn but again I mow once a month or longer. Maybe if I mowed more often I could zip around as fast as the zero turn. Actually I can zip around faster with the single spindle brush cutter than the finish mower. The front yard gets the 21" Honda walk behind. Too many obstacles to efficiently mow with the tractor. Translated there is a lot of hand mowing around trees, shrubs and plants.

 

[Olympus]

Take a look at LS and Kioti brands also. You'll get more tractor for your money.

 

[The Suburban Farmer]

Your property sounds exactly like ours -- same size, same driveway length and slope, same mix of open/woods...

I went with the Deere 2320 (now the 2025R) and think it is the perfect size tractor for our lot. I bought the 62D Mid-mount mower when I bought the tractor, and while it is a great mower, if I had it to do over again I would NOT buy a mower for my tractor, but would instead take the $2500 and put it towards a zero-turn mower. I've found it to be VERY tough to mow around things and the R4 tires are hard on yard if you take your turns to sharply or if it is the slightest bit wet. Overall, I'm pleased with the 62D's cut quality, but not the overall process of using a CUT for a primary lawnmower.

 

[nybirdman]

Your property sounds exactly like ours -- same size, same driveway length and slope, same mix of open/woods...

I went with the Deere 2320 (now the 2025R) and think it is the perfect size tractor for our lot. I bought the 62D Mid-mount mower when I bought the tractor, and while it is a great mower, if I had it to do over again I would NOT buy a mower for my tractor, but would instead take the $2500 and put it towards a zero-turn mower. I've found it to be VERY tough to mow around things and the R4 tires are hard on yard if you take your turns to sharply or if it is the slightest bit wet. Overall, I'm pleased with the 62D's cut quality, but not the overall process of using a CUT for a primary lawnmower.

There is your answer;dedicated mower and tractor for the rest.