Buying Advice TLB LS125 or Massey 1720/1725

[Huntinguy]

I will have 15 acres to deal with but, for reasons I cannot go to a series 2 size tractor. That leaves me with the series 1.

I almost brought home a LS125 but at the last moment hesitated.

My property is sloped and has several undeveloped springs on it hence, the hoe. There is also a half mile long driveway to maintain. At this point, I think any of the tractors would be fine.

What I saw on the massey was 2 more hp on the PTO. Considering I will have to mow twice a year... would 2 hp matter? Would that let me run a 5 ft rotary cutter or would I be stuck with a 4 footer?

It is mostly grasses but there is also some small black hawthorn that will get the mower treatment.

Any one have any suggestions?

 

[rodneyn]

Rule thumb on rotary cutter bush hog the taller deck less horse power required. However entry level is 19 hp for 5 ft unit. I am running a Tc26da NH using a RC5 woods bush hog running fine. Might suggest a LS MT225S it would fit your requirements mentioned. I am picking mine up today. I had entertained the MT125 but it痴 just not big enough to suit my needs. But a lot people out there have shown the MT 122 & 125 are worth there weight in gold. After owning size up from the subcompact difficult not getting same size tractor. All tractor makes are of good quality today. It痴 cost and having good dealership that makes tractor overall. Best of luck on your purchase.

 

[rScotty]

I will have 15 acres to deal with but, for reasons I cannot go to a series 2 size tractor. That leaves me with the series 1.

I almost brought home a LS125 but at the last moment hesitated.

My property is sloped and has several undeveloped springs on it hence, the hoe. There is also a half mile long driveway to maintain. At this point, I think any of the tractors would be fine.

What I saw on the massey was 2 more hp on the PTO. Considering I will have to mow twice a year... would 2 hp matter? Would that let me run a 5 ft rotary cutter or would I be stuck with a 4 footer?

It is mostly grasses but there is also some small black hawthorn that will get the mower treatment.

Any one have any suggestions?

First of all, there are few things more fun than working on your property with any tractor. And welcome to TBN.

I'm more familiar with small to large ag tractors, and not sure what your salesman meant by series 1 vs series 2.

In general, with that much sloped property, you would be better to go to the compact size tractor. With the compact size you get far heavier construction, greater slope stability, and larger wider tires.

Another reason for going to the compact size on your sloping land is that all tractors are limited on their ability to work on a slope, and the downside is not that they won't do the work....but that they can be dangerous on a slope. Sliding and rollover. Especially with a hoe.

So slopes rather than mowing are likely to be what you want to focus on. The fact is that as a class, tractors are not very stable even on minor slopes. You need all the help you can get to work on sloping ground successfully and safely. A specific question to ask is if there wheel spacers are made for the tractor you are looking at. It is common for tractors on slopes to specify turf or industrial tires in order to get the tire width and low center of gravity, and also common to use wheel spacers to increase the overall width of the tread. Typical spacers are 1,2, or 4 inches per side. Even a couple of inches helps noticibly.

But not all makes of tractors are rated to be used with wheel spacers. You will want to check that with your dealer.

The heavier construction of the compact size tractor is also an advantage for backhoe work.

As for mowing width, that's a good question, and the answer applies to all size tractors & attempting to decide on the next size larger or smaller implement.

A 5 foot mower is only one foot or 20% wider than a 4 footer, but its cutting area is 50% larger. So it takes 50% more hp to run. What you will tend to find is that when you go up in size like that the tractor will still cut, but you will have to slow down your forward speed to get a good cut. So the time spent mowing will most likely be about the same.
Good luck,
rScotty

 

[Huntinguy]

The reason I cannot go larger than subcompact - I have no ability to move that much weight. A compact (series 2) is more weight than I can haul over two mountain passes between my home and my future home (property). I anticipate moving it between properties twice a year.

The 225 with loader and hoe is over my weight restrictions for towing.

I guess, I am trying to get the most out of a sub compact.

Years ago I worked on some hilly property in Eastern Washington. The tractor was a 32hp Kubota. I learned real fast to keep a close eye on slopes and 4 wheel drive engaged was your friend. That was all disk - post hole digger and loader work. I have never dealt with a hoe and don't know what to expect. I have never dealt with a mower either hence, not knowing what I need for size vs pto power.

I did have a small 15hp tractor with a tiller. It was pretty tall and extremely tippy, almost stood it on its nose twice...

These new tractors seem much closer to the ground and I hope less tippy.

 

[rademamj1]

I would go with the 48" mower, and leave the 5 feet mower for a larger tractor. You can get alot done with a 4 foot mower and doing it more safely within the operational limits of your tractor.

 

[tookielee]

I got the MMM (belly mower) on my MT125, the cut is great,
it's 60" wide, and it can handle higher grass almost like a bush hog.
Takes about 10 minutes to remove if I need the extra ground clearance,
but I almost never remove it

 

[MoMower]

Had a 2014 MF GC1710, sold it at 560 hours last year and bought a 2020 GC1723e, 140 hrs so far.

I use it on our 6 acre hobby farm and commercially, doing groundwork.

Zero issues with either. They will do everything you want within reason.

Have not run a rotary cutter on either, but a lot of guys run 5’ without issue. I am hunting for a used 4’.

I do think your right on the line where a CUT would make more sense, but the good news is I sold my 2014 for 75%of new after 5 years and 560 hrs, so if your limited by transport, you can fix that later if needed.

 

[rScotty]

Yes, I see why you need the subcompact if it's a matter of weight limits. Larger is generally better, but any size tractor is a great thing to have. It not only does most of the work, but it makes it more fun.

 

[smartascii]

I should say that I am not an advocate for John Deere (or their prices!), but the 1025 is a bit larger, heavier and more capable than some of the competitors in its size class. It would be helpful to know how much weight you can safely tow, or the size limits for your trailer, etc. The LS XJ tractors, for example, are only a couple of hundred pounds heavier than the MT125, but have higher loader capacity and a wider track, although they still only have 25 hp. Kubota offers their new LX series tractor that shows as 2072 lbs for the 30-horse model. Dealership availability and price all come into play, so if you have not already narrowed your choices to only the two you listed, give us some more information.

 

[LS Tractor Owner]

Either the LS or MF would suit your needs. They are both well built. As mentioned before, dealer customer service may be the deciding factor for you. I’m my case, owning two LS tractors, they have never been back to the dealer for anything. I do all my own maintenance service, get the filters sent to me from the dealer. This is something that you need to decide also.

Just for your info, I ran a 72 inch finish mower on my 125. I knew it was pushing the limits, but just took it at a reasonable pace and it did fine. It would even chop up desert yuccas... they were small, about 12 inches, but they have a stalk on them about 3 inches across! The guy I sold the tractor / mower to uses it to cut 12-16 inch tall grass up in Colorado with no problem.

I do not think you would have a problem at all with a 5 footer.