Tractor for 5 acres in Florida

[disney]

Many variables in length of time for ztr. What size deck and hp will you buy? how tall& wet is the grass? I could almost have that done before you got another beer and drank it, but 4k would only by a fraction of my ztr. If there are not many obstacles, you could get a normal style mower, and not be much slower, and have extra $ for implements for the ford.

 

[JohnFourteenSix]

I'm not sure how useful this is, but here's a screenshot of the property (via google maps). It's mostly clear and flat, but I would like to landscape it at some point in the future.



@disney
How much was your ZTR? - and considering you're local, what would 4k buy me - either in the form of a riding mower, or in the form of a ZTR, in terms of reliability and speed?

 

[ericm979]

Right now from the pic it looks like only the part around the house calls for a finish mower.

The Ford sounds like a deal.. It's be at least twice that on craigslist here. If it doesn't suit you in the future you can get your money out of it with no problem.

 

[BoylermanCT]

$4K buys you an entry level residential zero turn by the commercial manufacturers - Scag, Hustler etc. I paid $4K for my Hustler Raptor SD, and it was a huge improvement over the high end Craftsman lawn tractor I had been using. Cut mowing time in half. Now that I have had my zero turn 2 seasons, I am looking to upgrade to something a little bigger (60-61" instead of 54") but faster. I mow my field at full speed (7 mph) in most places, and wish I could go faster (around 10 mph) to shorten my mowing time further. As to which brand is best, look at what the professional lawn crews in your area are using. Any one of those brands is a good place to start. Also consider a used commercial mower. If you can find one with low hours, you might be able to get a great deal.

Even if you get the zero turn, I would go for the Ford as well. A front end loader is a great tool, and zero turn won't help you with that!

 

[disney]

Trying to find a good used low hour commercail mower is like trying to find bigfoot...riding a unicorn... I have a 35HP scag, three (or four) years ago it was at the lower end of five digits. It's nice, but way overkill for you, unless you are going to start mowing the neighborhood. I do not know what is out there in the lower price range to recommend. Sorry.. If you are mechanically handy, higher hour commercial machines are often only a few thousand, and would make short work of your lawn, when you are not repairing it...

 

[DieselBound]

I was once fussy about nicely groomed lawns (and washed vehicles), but once I moved on to my property (40 acres) I am WAY too busy to be spending a lot of time grooming things. After having tractors there is NO way I'd be without one. The utility of a tractor has far more value than a "lawnmower" (unless, as has been stated, you're going to be doing commercial lawnmowing.)

$2k for a 25hp tractor with a loader and a bush hog? No brainer!

 

[disney]

Any updates? We would love to see your 'new' tractor...