Thanks for everything, but...

[Genereynolds]

Guys,

I've been studying this forum for about two years now so that when I got my "place in the country" I would know which tractor to get, and I'm here to tell you I was really looking forward to getting one.

I got as close as buying five undeveloped acres which I worked for a year, cutting trees, clearing, and paying a guy to brush hog it for me several times. Then I had to dump the property because of drainage problems, but I continued to learn about tractors, and, JimBinMI notwithstanding, had decided on an orange B2710 when the time came.

End of story... I've purchased seven acres with a three-year old house, 3/4 acre stocked pond, no pasture, all lawn landscaped with many trees. I no longer need a tractor; a ZTR mower will be much more practical.

I'm buying an Exmark 48" 19 hp commercial mower. I apologize to you all but it's faster and much more agile than a tractor, and since I had budgeted for a B2710 it'll be considerably cheaper, but I'll bet it sure won't be as much fun.

I want to thank all of you, my mentors, with special recognition to Bird, MChalkey, PaulB, and JimBinMI for the two year course of study in compact tractors, lubricants, and rural living in general. I sure can talk a good line now, especially when the listener doesn't own a tractor.

Thanks,
Gene

 

[EddieW]

Gene, I agree with you. Next spring I plan on buying a ZTR to mow. Tractors do lots of things well and when you need one there is no substitute but if your primary function is mowing a good commercial grade ZTR will outperform a tractor hands down for about half the price.

 

[MChalkley]

Gene - Thanks for the kind words. I'm glad to hear that those of us with big mouths (figuratively speaking, of course) aren't the only ones who have fun here. (Speaking only for myself, of course, though Bird has just today spoken of himself in similar terms, so I don't think he'd be offended if I included him, as well. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif)

I'm sorry, in a way, that you're not "joining us" as CUT owners, but more than that, I'm glad you're getting what you need to do the job at hand.

Does this mean you're disappearing from Tractorbynet, too, or were you just informing us of your purchase?

MarkC

 

[Doctor]

Gene and Eddie,
I've driven just about all of them. The all new Ferris 4 wheel suspension wins hands down on ztr's for the ride. It will be put into production the 1st of the year. Just proto types available now to drive. Grasshopper is a close second. But the exmark, I would do a little more ride and drives first.
Doctor
One last note to the Ferris is that they were bought out by simplicity, a name thats been around.

 

[Genereynolds]

Not a chance, Mark.

There is a web site for mower guys, http://lawnsite.com/, but, frankly, they're not nearly as much fun as the folks here. Let's face it, lawn mowers are primarily utilitarian. Tractors, perhaps even Japanese compact ones, are Americana.

I'm gonna' keep checkin' in here because I'm joining the well, septic, and propane crowd now and commercial grass cutters aren't going to add to my continuing education the way this forum's contributors have.

And, get this, Exmark recommends Mobil synthetic oil in their engines. Let's see, has that subject come up here before?

Gene

 

[MChalkley]

Gene - Glad to hear you're going to hang around. Just be careful: we have a tendency to cause people to invent reasons to go buy a tractor. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

I see from your bio that you're in Oklahoma City. My friend Jack and I were there in August of '99 to get a transmission put in my truck. We loaded my '93 Dodge W250 on my 3-axle trailer, pulled it out there from VA behind his '92 Dodge D250, then loaded his up on my trailer and towed it home with mine. Blumenthal's Heavy Duty did the job. Nice folks. They're the largest transmssion shop in the world. They have the national U-Haul and UPS rebuild contracts. Incredibly huge place.

MarkC

 

[PaulB]

Gene - you never know. 3 years ago I lived in the suburbs on a half acre, and had never ever not even once thought about tractors, nor ever even sat on the seat of one. Now I have 10 acres, 7 horses, and a farm to maintain, and have apparently asked enough novice questions to even get kudos from you . whood a thunk it. Your life may switch around in ways you can not yet anticipate, and all that you learned here may one day prove useful to you. One thing for sure, you will always have friends here at tractorbynet.

 

[Roy]

Gene; You came to right conclusion about a ZTR serving your needs better. What I think is admirable is that you asked all the questions first, and then acted. Harv (among some others) is another example of researching first, then buying. Good sound behavior for others to emulate. Too many people act first, then ask the questions, and then regret /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif.

 

[Bird]

Congratulations, Gene. Sounds like a really nice place you've got. And while most of us couldn't hardly get along without our little tractors, I think we all agree that you should buy the best thing to do the job at hand, and sounds like that's what you're doing. Thanks for the kind words.

Bird

 

[Harv]

Paul -
I hear you, loud and clear. Up until a few months ago I had no intention of doing anything with my parents' 42-acre property in the foothills. I've been a suburbanite all my life and our 1/3-acre lot seemed like all I could ever handle.

When my father passed away 12 years ago and my mother indicated she wanted to grow old and die on that property, I thought, "Great -- and who's going to maintain all that acreage?" Over the ensuing years I tried all sorts of hired help, contractors, etc., with dubious results. I eventually took over the task myself, dragging the whole family up there every single weekend just to keep the place from totally falling apart -- again, with dubious results.

I finally started investing in some "serious" equipment, like a 4-gallon backpack sprayer and a DR Trimmer/Mower. I still had to do some contracting, and it still was not enough. Then, a few months ago, I thought, "I wonder how much a tractor costs?", and I joined this board.

Ever since that day, I have started seeing that property not as a horrible den of un-doable chores, but as a private paradise that just needs a little grooming. I've barely started using my tractor and I can already see the potential lurking in the bushes, the weeds and the fallen timber. I may be experiencing delusions of grandeur, but I now have visions of turning that place into our own private little wilderness park. Clean up an acre or two for general use, create some trails, re-open the fire roads and all of a sudden it's a place worth visiting.

Computer geek turned wilderness developer. Like you said, "your life may switch around in ways you can not yet anticipate".