Orange or Green

[FxdGrMind]

Ok, just a little personal history of mine, you might take note of.

I got a Cub Cadet 1641 (hydrolic lift + 3pt) Garden Tractor in 1997(if I recall correctly). It's 16 hp, and has the 5 gal tank.

I thought it would be able to do more than just cut the grass.... WRONG.

These Garden tractors are just too light to do anything other than drag a rock rake arround and stirr stuff up. It's only usefull for large lawn mowing and I'm thankfull I don't have the fuel consumption of a 21-24hp unit! As it is I mow for 3 hrs (aprox 2 acres) and go through way more than enough fuel... Way more than my B7800 (brush hoging) does on 3 acres.

It was similarly priced as what you are looking at, it's belt drive (no issues) with shaft drive for the hydrolic 3pt and HST.

What you are looking at are tractors... sure, but are they worth the $$$ over some other smaller 15hp 54" cut lawn mower.... I don't think so.

I'd say, save your $$$, buy lower HP rider with same " cut that you want. Then when you retire get a B3200 or JD (equivalent) for your "Chores"

Don't get side tracked by the "Bling" of the POWER on these smal Garden tractors. They aren't realy all that usefull, just not enough weight and traction.

Just My Opinion... you have to decide for yourself and what your $$$ is worth.

 

[LBrown59]

All,

I am new to the TBN site but have found numerous articles that have been assisting me to this point in deciding on a new lawn tractor but I remain undecided. I have a couple of issues I need to point out:

1. I'm an active duty US Marine who moves around but am close to retirement (I'm at 20yrs in the Corps and will retire at 20yrs), so I still have a move or two left prior to settling down on our farm in IL. We currently have about an acre to mow.
2. Our farm lawn mowing tractor is in need of replacing so whatever I get I want to be able to handle the mowing at our farm (160acres / 3.5 acres mowing)when I return there in a couple years.

I've pretty much narrowed it down to either a Kubota or JD. One option I'm considering is getting a smaller lawn tractor just for mowing and then buying a larger tractor when we return to the farm that will handle bush hog, FEL, post hole digging, snow etc.

So my question is should I just go with a T series Kubota or X300 JD or perhaps something a little larger like the GR 2110 or X540? I lean towards the GR 2110 with its shaft drive and glide steer which would be nice while I'm still mowing smaller yards until I retire. On the other hand JD has dealers that are closer to the bases as well as our farm (Kubota dealers are within an hours drive at most). Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
USMCShepherd

Throw A KUBOT BX into the mix and I'd have no trouble deciding.

 

[WayneB]

I would think you should take a close look at something like the Ferris ZTR mowers. It is a dedicated monster mowing machine that is extremely comfortable and you can't beat the finish look of the grass.

It is way over kill for an acre or less, but for an acre or more it is very good.

ISｮ 500Z Series, Ferrisｮ Industries, Zero-Turn, Riding Mowers, Ferris Mowers, Mowers, Mower, Commercial Mowers, Lawn Mowers, Lawnmowers, Suspension, Independent Suspension, Munsville New York, Syracuse, New York, Central New York, Mohawk Valley, u

Then once you are back on the farm get a tractor to do your heavy tractor jobs.

 

[wolc123]

I would go with one that is more associated with the homeland of those guys who are hoisting that flag on suribachi, rather than the one associated with those who were shooting at them as they did it.

 

[LBrown59]

If you want a mower for just mowing, consider a ZTR. They rock when it comes to mowing. Faster, highly maneuverable, turn better and mow great.

But the land needs to be smooth and not very hilly.

 

[EddieWalker]

When I decided to buy a new mower, I looked at both Deere and Kubota. I liked Kubota better, but neither really compared to what the commercial mowers. There are some really good mowers to choose from, but most important is dealer support.

Look around in your area, what are the pro's using? It's not that one is so much better then the other, but that one brand is supported by a better dealer then the others. While you'll see all brands out there working for a living, you'll start to notice a few brands over and over again. In my opinion, those are the best brands to chose from.

Then you need to decide what your budget is. Mine doubled by the time I bought my mower. I wasn't going to go above $4,000. That was set in stone. But of course, the more I looked, the more I learned and the more I observed, it came down to buying a Scag Wildcat. It might not be what you're looking for, or there might not be any dealer support for them in your area, but if you get the chance, take a look at Scag and compare it to the others.

Good luck,
Eddie

 

[Ken45101]

A small tractor will not be very maneuverable. If you have shrubs and flower beds and trees to cut around, a tractor isn't very efficient. It can't get into nooks and crannies and can't cut close around trees, etc. without a lot of back and forth.

Years ago I bought a 27 hp Kubota when I had ten acres of grass to mow and no obstacles. It was very good at that job. But at this place, we only have an acre of yard (and 35 acres of pasture), and mowing with the small tractor was frustrating and left a lot of hand trimming to do.

We just bought a zero turn mower and wow, it sure does a much nicer job (although the jury is still out on mowing the hills in our yard). In fact it did such a great job of mowing the yard that we are expanding the yard into some of the pasture, LOL!

As for the country of origin argument, I don't think Deere manufactures any of the mowers or small tractors in the U.S.

Personally I've bought Kubota because there are more good Kubota dealers around here than Deere and it is a real challenge to get the Deere salespeople to talk with you. OTOH, of the seven Kubota dealers around here, only one has a low quality sales staff, the other six seem great to work with.

Ken

 

[bpsooner]

I bought a X320 two years ago. It has been an excellent machine. My father-in-law purchased a Zero turn mower and it is unbelievable. It sure made me re-think my decision. If you have a large area to mow I would strongly recommend a zero turn mower. I was mowing over an acre and my father-in laws ZTR cut my area in half the time as my x320.

God Bless You for your service to our country.

 

[Gittyup]

Personally I think the "shaft vs belt drive" issue for a lawn tractor is a bit over blown. I have an X534 AWS and haven't had any problems with it, the power steering and hydraulic lift is nice also. Brand/color aside I would go with the one you are most comfortable with.

All I can say is that my shaft drive JD425 is on its 16th cutting season and I've never had to change a belt. Fuel consumption ain't bad either. What I would recommend to the OP is to look for a used JD455 for lawn mowing, if diesel is your preference. Or a JD445 or 425 otherwise. These are "better" machines than the new x500 series. Will last you a lifetime. There almost certainly are similar products in the kubota line (like bX1500) too.

 

[Wesdor]

Thanks for your service to our country!

What part of Illinois is your home?

As others have said, you should give some serious consideration to two different machines. I purchased a 60" ZTR last year and cut mowing time in half (had a 42" garden tractor). I like what Eddie Walker said - look around at what dealers are local and try them out.

As far as green or orange, they are both excellent machines. Once again it should come down to local dealer support and price. I was amazed to find Green to be significantly cheaper than Orange. However, in talking with the same dealers my brother found Orange to be cheaper than Green - so your experience may differ from mine.

Most of all enjoy the search. Drive a lot of tractors and get what works best for you.

And also, stay safe and come back home so you can enjoy whatever you decide to purchase.