SCUT or CUT.....that is the question!

[the old grind]

I suggest a CUT vs SCUT, and that if looking for a tie-breaker feature it would be tire size vs hp, or working the hunting camp could be problematic (ground clearance, ride). I'd hate to compromise 'heavier' work to mow at 'home' .. a lot to sacrifice vs a ZTR IMO.

Kubota B2601 is the very smallest I'd recommend, w/props for 3 vs 2 trans ranges. No Tier IV junk. (My 26hp Case/IH has only 2 HST ranges :thumbsdown

Kubota B3350 might not be too big for the residential property, and could work 60" MMM or 48" rear mower with power to spare.

'How I spent my own $$ first time out ... a used 25 hp 3 range w/FEL .. a bit too big to mow lawn with, but <$10k and lots left over to buy attachments. Used it for 8 yrs before trading in for ... newer version with a few more hp for $18k ... because I knew already what would do my jobs.

btw, Don't get caught up in tire-type fuss. Get the R4s and don't wonder if either other type would stand up to punctures at hunt camp. IMO, they're more like turfs on the lawn, and they grip plenty well in brush. R1s are best for soft, bare ground but that's about it. :2cents: t o g

 

[Will_C]

Another recommendation for a CUT. I had a BX for 9 years-loved it. It was used at my 3.5 acre home and at my mothers 2 acre home for mowing. It also handled snow removal and lawn scaling at my home.

9 years ago I bought 10 acres that I will build a home on some day. I have 3 acres there that is too wet to mow until the end of May. It has to be bushogged. This property is across the road from my brothers land and some land we less for deer hunting. I traded the BX for a B2620. I don't have a MMM for it, because I use a ZTR. The B is almost as handy as the BX, so I think it would do a great job on your lawns- and it will much better suited for bush hogging and other jobs at your deer hunting property.

Will

 

[mahd776]

In Kubota I'd look at a 25 to 30 HP in the B series. They have a Kubota dealer here in Macomb, Birkeys. I'm not sure where else you would go, Galesburg, Peoria? They also sell JD's in Macomb.

Looks like I need to make a trip to Macomb. Been wanting to look at the Kubota line but had not made the trip to Peoria. Thanks!

 

[Mattt2778]

I was in a similar predicament myself. With only 2.5 acres a full size compact would be too much and bx or1025 was a bit small for my intended uses. I ended up with a mahindra emax 25 for those reasons. It's kinda a tweener in that's it's a large scut and a small cut depending on who you ask. Both the max and the emax models have larger tires than the scuts and they have full cat 1 three points with higher lift capacities with both the loader and the three point. I have zero complaints, my little tractor is a tank. Even with loaded tires and a 5' box blade for balast the loader will lift rear of tractor if it's asked. Worth looking at if you're on the fence.

 

[GC1710]

Well I love my SCUT and it does so much more than a garden tractor could dream....however if you are “thinking of a CUT” then you’ve probably already made your decision. For me $17k for a TLB was a done deal plus room for attachments!....have done so much on my 2 acre property. Bought new in August now has 140 hours. Moved 30,000lb of stone, split a ton of firewood, moved snow, dug trenches, installed railroad ties....I have the tires filled and a custom 135lb tractor weight on the mower deck arms. This thing thinks it’s a tank...




GC1710 with new DR dual action 3 point log splitter part 1 - YouTube

 

[GC1710]

With all that said check out the LS XJ2025 TLB almost CUT great value not quite Kubota, Deere, or Iseki (Massey GC is a Japan built Iseki rebadged...a great tractor...Massey CUT not so much...and not an ISEKI)

 

[LS Tractor Owner]

A lot of good suggestions previously. I have an LS scut, the mt125. It is a TLB. I compared all of the brands, specifically the specs and capacities, and the price. I pretty much eliminated both JD and Kub. Right off the bat, due mainly to the outrageous price difference (5-7K difference). Mahindra was eliminated due to cost also, secondary fit and finish. Down to 3 at that point: LS (mt125), Massey (1720), and Kioti (cs2410). None of these dealers were anywhere close (between 400 to 500 miles away). Re-compared specs to price, summarizing "best bang for the buck". Hands down, LS provided that. The Massey and LS were the closet in specs, but the best deal for the Massey was $1000 more. I ended up purchasing the LS mt125 for $16,900 for the TLB w/ a 12" bucket and a PHD w/ 9" auger. I drove 1100 miles to pick it up.

Look at the tractor dealer's manufacturers ratings (what dealers think of the different manufacturers), Massey, Kioti, and LS are up there. How many complaints are the owners making about the respective brands? Lots of things to consider. Some folks have to have great dealer or service , others not so much.

I have subdivided my property and am in process of building a small house on the adjoining property. So far I have trenches 350' for power service, installed a septic system (2 leach trenches 2' wide, 5' deep, 110' long, plus the hole for the tank: 6' x 6' x 12'), moved 200 tons of stone for the septic, and dug another 300' trench for water lines. Graded and leveled the building site. Will be putting in a 400' driveway (grading away topsoil and placing stone). This little tractor can do what I need it to do. I also have a 6' finish mower and a 54" heavy box blade.

This scut tractor will fit into places and work where a compact won't go. Would a compact do the work faster? Sure, but it depends on what is being done. Digging a trench using a 12" bucket? It will take the same amount of time. Spreading stone? Well the bigger compact will pick up and spread more, how much more depends on the bucket size, bigger tractor...bigger bucket. I'm not going to be picking up giant bales of hay.. Maybe 2 or 3 small bales. I have carried 15- 80# bags of concrete in the bucket. I will be digging around 300 post holes this summer to fence in a pasture. This little tractor was worth every penny. Saving almost 10 grand over buying a similar larger compact paid for my septic system and an addition onto the garage to house the tractor and implements. In a quite a few years, if I buy a 20-40 acre parcel, I may consider getting a larger tractor.

If you are considering a scut, a good U-tube site is "Tony's tractor page". He has many videos of his scut at work. He has owned JD, Massey, and currently an LS

 

[AxleHub]

MAHD776,

I'd like to suggest the GC1715 would be a good all around suggestion for your purposes - but with a slightly different perspective in mind.

It would appear that your home/yard has many needs for a tractor far beyond just cutting grass. While others seem to focus on the other property as the focus and priority - I'd suggest that your home/yard is going to be a much more frequent need for many reasons. Others focus on "big" and quite honestly - in my case and needs - "big" would have been my enemy rather than my friend. But lets start with a couple of definitions - a GC1715 is not a "little bigger version" of a lawn tractor. Most lawn tractors weigh between 400 and 600 pounds depending on their size and cost. To be quite frank - any of those sizes I can lift - carry - and relocate with my front end loader. In fact with my fork set I can lift more than 800+ pounds as long as I position it properly. My GC1715 with a mid mount mower and front end loader and fill rear tires is nearly 2500 pounds.

Yet it is a maneuverable like many lawn tractors. Unlike other brands, MAssey has a true mulching deck available - which means my 54 inch deck takes 55 inches in total width - no side chutes - no grass or rocks flying outward to damage siding, damage a vehicle or mess up flower beds or harm people or animals as you pass by.

Power and maneuverability combine so the numerous projects you mentioned for the home and yard - can all be handled and completed by a GC1715 with turf tires. And because of its foot print and balance of load - it doesn't damage my lawn unless the frost has just come out of the ground or a drenching rain water logs the lawn - but a lawn tractor would damage that same lawn under those two circumstances also. And correct me if I'm wrong - but your home projects are going to be done on lawn - 2 acres of it as I recall. I have had no project on my home yard that I have not or could not do with my GC1715 - including trenching irrigation pipe, moving huge quantities of rock, dirt, sidewalk slabs, 6 and 8 foot long logs (or log pieces), landscaping block etc.. I've also used my GC1715 to pull my pickup up the sloped driveway in highly icy weather. And I can relocate trailers that I pull behind my truck on the highway - on the lawn with my tractor.

On another yard - it is highly washboarded - and my GC1715 has a seat that is both coil and spring suspended - so the washboarding is far less difficult for my riding comfort. And with a simple change of the seat stop - with absolutely no modifications or drilling - the seat offers leg room for a 6'6" man with winter clothes and boots on or a 4'6" female.

I also have a 3rd location that is old deep tilled steep sloped farm land that has overgrown with shrubs and brush and and 4 inch trunk trees and deep tilled troughs. I hired someone to go in with a firelane cutter on a track drive skid steer and paid him $250 dollars and he cleared it all out and I can then flatten and cut this 2 acre parcel with my GC1715.

My point is simple - I wanted something that fit me well at my age. I wanted something that was efficient in size and capacity. I wanted an "everyday" machine - not a "once every 4 months machine". I can use a 40 gallon 3 pt. sprayer easily. I can move materials but I can also get those materials into tight spots. I can have excellent stability on substantially steep slopes and sidehills and on substantial sloped concrete driveways in the iciest of winter. Did I look at many slightly larger units - absolutely. Did I look at smaller units - absolutely. So why did I invest in a GC1715? I wanted forward engine compartment cooling. I wanted 2 hydraulic pumps operating the steering and fel/deck/pto rather than 1 pump - thus giving me good use of my fel at low rpms as well as great strength at higher rpms. And why was that important? Because I'm doing heavy work and light work near other objects so I wanted sensitive equipment with power - not just bulk brute power.

Would a 3rd speed for the hydro be nice? Sure - but my two speeds plus power control at low and high rpms counterbalances it. Would I like more clearance once in a while? Sure - but I don't want to sacrifice sure footed-ness, or size benefits. AND Massey's hydro fan is much better protected than most - even without an under guard plate. And I can operate a tiller, post hole digger, 3 pr sprayer, or irrigation trenching point nicely as well as pulling trailers etc..

There is no perfect machine - for your yard/home - the GC should do everything you desire without harming your yard and be very efficient at accomplishing those tasks. And at your other property - the GC should do most of the projects you describe with nimble and sure footed traction. There may be a few, that are infrequent projects, those you can either choose to do slowly with the GC or hire them done with very little money and an infrequent need and convenience.

My point is just that you want to get something that solves most of your needs - because "too big" is just as bad as "too small".

jmho