Question about tractor choice

jca1 · Jun 26, 2013

Hi everyone, my name is Chris and I live in the big city of Roanoke Rapids NC. I'm in need of some advice or maybe just others opinions but in any case I hope I can find some help here. My wife and I have a little over 1 acre with mostly grass but we have plans to expand our gardening to cover much of our property over the next few years.

Currently we have a Gravely PM44Z commercial Zero turn mower but my wife will not learn to operate it, but she wants to cut grass. I'm currently looking for a heavy duty lawn mower that can perform more functions than just mowing. Having the ability to use a towable tiller, small disc, rake, etc would be great so right now I have my eye on a JD318 with front and rear hydro lines. The price for a JD318 in great shape seems to hoover right around $2000-$2500 and is within my price range.

Just today I saw a NH TC-18 with less than 900 hours with a belly mower for $5000 and a Kubota BX1850 with belly mower for $5000 with less than 600 hours.

This got me thinking, maybe I should stop focusing on large lawn mowers like the 318 and start focusing on small tractors? I can afford $5000 but I wouldn't really call it in my price range.

Have any of you been down this road?

94BULLITT · Jun 26, 2013

A BX sized machine would be nice around your property. You will gain a 3 point hitch and 4WD. You can buy durable implements for it instead of the cheaper stuff that is sold for garden tractors. The 3PH implements are way easier to use than a pull type. When you want to turn or back up you just pick it up.

jca1 · Jun 27, 2013

94BULLITT said:
A BX sized machine would be nice around your property. You will gain a 3 point hitch and 4WD. You can buy durable implements for it instead of the cheaper stuff that is sold for garden tractors. The 3PH implements are way easier to use than a pull type. When you want to turn or back up you just pick it up.

Would you suggest one of these over the other: 2006 Kubota BX1850, less than 500 hours with belly mower $5000 or 1999 NH TC-18 650 hours with belly mower $5000? I'm guessing the newer Kubota is the better deal but I have zero knowledge about either of these machines so maybe the 99' NH is a better tractor, I really don't know.

Tompet · Jun 27, 2013

You didn"t mention if the used tractors were from an individual or dealer. You can always make an offer. Or go to tractor house.com and see how similar used ones are priced. I do think in the long run you will be happier with a small tractor with the uses you outlined. I don't know I would want to give up the z turn for mowing! I would vote for the kubota due to the year. Also, checkout Barlow Equpment online they 6 or 7 BX 1850's for sale that would be worth pricing out. Best of luck in your search.

jca1 · Jun 27, 2013

Tompet said:
You didn"t mention if the used tractors were from an individual or dealer. You can always make an offer. Or go to tractor house.com and see how similar used ones are priced. I do think in the long run you will be happier with a small tractor with the uses you outlined. I don't know I would want to give up the z turn for mowing! I would vote for the kubota due to the year. Also, checkout Barlow Equpment online they 6 or 7 BX 1850's for sale that would be worth pricing out. Best of luck in your search.

They are both private party, different owners. Best I can tell the price of each is much lower than average. I think the NH may be 2wd while the Kubota is 4wd, both have turf tires. The Kubota is a single family machine the NH is a two owner. The current owner of the NH claims to have rebuilt the mower deck with new spindles and bearings. The plan is to keep the Gravely right now.

oldballs · Jun 27, 2013

It's so easy to spend other people's money..

.......but while you are at it I'd suggest getting something like the Bx1850 with a front loader (FEL) as well as the 3pt hitch. If you and the wife are going to be doing much gardening it really helps to have something for lifting and moving dirt, bags of fertilizer, rocks etc. However, I got along for 50 years without such a tool and did huge gardens....thanks to good health, a strong back and a weak mind.

and Oh....did I mention ....no money, but lots of kids.

jca1 · Jun 27, 2013

I'd def. want to add a FEL at some point but right now I'd love some help deciding between the two tractors. It seems to be a no brainer to go with the Kubota since it's a newer machine and 4wd but if the NewHolland is a better machine then I'd go that way. The Kubota seems to be a much better deal for the $. $5000 for a 06' BX1850 in 4wd with belly mower? It seems like $8000 is the going price for something like that.

Finnster · Jun 27, 2013

Sounds like a good deal on the Bx. They are quality machines. What dealers do you have close? Don't want to be driving 3hrs.for the occasional part or service.

jca1 · Jun 27, 2013

That's an excellent question I hadn't thought of and it looks like there is a dealer not far from me in Enfield NC.

Grandad4 · Jun 27, 2013

jca1 said:
They are both private party, different owners. Best I can tell the price of each is much lower than average. I think the NH may be 2wd while the Kubota is 4wd, both have turf tires. The Kubota is a single family machine the NH is a two owner. The current owner of the NH claims to have rebuilt the mower deck with new spindles and bearings. The plan is to keep the Gravely right now.

They are actually somewhat different machines even though they have similar power and weight. The TC18 is a "compact" style tractor, meaning it has larger tires, it's longer, has a more robust 3 pt hitch, etc. The BX is a "subcompact", so it's considerably shorter and lower to the ground. Still has way more capability than your typical "garden tractor", but it's downsized even more so it would take up less space when parked, would handle hills and side slopes better, etc. If you did a test run on each machine, you'd immediately see the difference. Kubota does make some other models more comparable to the TC18.

Either machine could be a good choice, depending on its condition, but I'd say the BX might make a lot of sense for your property and situation. Your wife would probably find it's easy to use for mowing. Even my bride will mow with it once in a while, and that's saying something for it. Even so, ours has been reliable and done plenty of serious work since 2005.

I would say to check the condition of either before buying. You're right about the pricing. In fact, the price on the BX is so low, I'd be wary of what might be wrong with it. Maybe it's just someone really anxious to sell, but then again... get out your magnifying glass and really know what you're buying before writing any checks.