Buying Advice Tractor I need vs tractor I want.

[dodge man]

You have done a pretty good job of narrowing down your needs with your last post. It is just me but I would stick with JD or Kubota, but they are the only dealers with a strong presence in my area. I like the JD I just bought because of the auto connect deck. The mid mount mower goes off and on easy. I would shop with your wife and pick out one you both like. Keep in mind dealer support is important.

For reference my JD2025r with 60” mid mount mower, front end loader, and pallet forks was 21k out the door. I can not remember how many months the 0% I’d for, either 48 or 60 months. I would have paid cash except there was a discount for taking the financing. A budget of 20k or a little more should get you in a nice tractor.

Another bonus of staying at 25hp or less is no emissions requirement.

 

[nards444]

After looking at everything I think you are spot on with your needs. I get why some guys say get more I do and it fits sometimes. I only have 4 acres and sure a bigger machine would be nice at times but 98% of the time it would be a complete waste, the other 2% of the times probably cheaper to have it done by somebody else then to maintain a bigger machine and purchase it.

But I would say this, get a tractor get the loader, you will kick your self in the behind later if you dont. Im not a big fan of the resale later argument many have, as theres really nothing empirical about it just guessing. But having the loader a resale time you will definitely get your money back..

Mowing 2-3 acres get a dedicated mower. The switching of implements all the time will be a pain trust me and trust others. The cost of a MMM is about the same as a good used mower or even a bran new box store one. FWIW I have 2300 bucks into a Lowes zero turn that is 7 years old and works great and mowed two acres at the old house in just over an hour. Lastly a tractor like this just isnt efficient at mowing lawns like this.

I would go with the B2650, stays under the threshold for emmisions and for a few more bucks gives you more frame and beef to work with. I ended up with that one after comparing the to others like the 2025r etc. Kioti made a good machine. What sold me on the B2650 was its the only cabbed tractor in that small of tractor and below that the cab was factory and came with both AC and heat. You can go on kubota, but with tractor and loader your looking right around 21-22 for the machine, cab adds 5.

 

[finn1]

Skip the MMM and get a dedicated zero turn for the mowing and a CUT like the Kioti CK 2610 or, preferably, the CK 3510.

For an acre plus the driveway border, a commercial ZTR isn’t required. The homeowner version will last ten or fifteen years with minor maintenance. A good upper end box store rider would do fine, for that matter, but would be slower.

The money saved by ditching the mmm proposal will go a long way towards getting a CUT instead of a less competent subcompact.

 

[nards444]

Skip the MMM and get a dedicated zero turn for the mowing and a CUT like the Kioti CK 2610 or, preferably, the CK 3510.

For an acre plus the driveway border, a commercial ZTR isn’t required. The homeowner version will last ten or fifteen years with minor maintenance. A good upper end box store rider would do fine, for that matter, but would be slower.

The money saved by ditching the mmm proposal will go a long way towards getting a CUT instead of a less competent subcompact.

agreed here. I dont think commercial grade ZTR is really needed until you get beyond 2 acres. Like I said my 2300 one has gone 7 years and mowed great. If I get 10 years out of it Ill be happy.

I will say this about the Kioti, spec wise great machine, I bounced around the CK 2510 and 3510. My one counter here is frame wise your essentially dealing with the same tractor, if you need more HP for implements or want a cab it comes with AC as well. But if your not getting the cab and dont need the extra 10 hp or so, save your money and you wont have to deal with emissions.

I ended up with a B2650 over kioti because of what came on the bota that the Kioti didnt have and the dealer for the Kioti just wasnt responive, which 6 months later they cleared their kioti line up and are now selling Bobcat tractors. maybe a good choice then

 

[JerryK]

Ditto on the zero turn. It would mow circles around the mid mount deck. Plus, a tractor with a mid mount deck is a pain. Always high points underneath, no ability to work dirt with it on. Save the tractor for manly jobs ....

 

[Diggin It]

I'll need to drag the driveway every so often to keep it in good shape.

I'll need to bush hog most of the rest of it a few times a year.

Those are the two things that are leading some of us to suggest more HP. A box blade/grader and rotary cutter are HP hogs and the machine needs weight to be able to have traction to pull them. I don't do either of those things, so I don't need the extra weight and HP.

Those types of tractors don't come with a MMM, which is what my wife wants and needs in order to do the mowing. She's not helpless and afraid of work so the comments about her not doing it and leaving it to me hold no weight, she's not like that at all.

As I've said on other similar threads... a SCUT with an MMM will mow, but it isn't a mower. The ride is a lot rougher than I expected. With my loaded R4s and terrain full of divets, roots, mole runs and other low and high spots, I have to run slow or get bounced out of the seat. I find myself still using the two smaller riders quite a bit.

 

[Diggin It]

Ditto on the zero turn. It would mow circles around the mid mount deck. Plus, a tractor with a mid mount deck is a pain. Always high points underneath, no ability to work dirt with it on. Save the tractor for manly jobs ....

I don't find that to be true. Mine is on most of the time, even when using the BH or loader. And it isn't really that difficult to remove or install when necessary.

 

[hiddentacocatneddih]

I can out mow a similar sized scut with a MMM on a husquvarna cheapo box store special. Plus it floats much better on the wet stuff and isn't as scary on hills. The scut is only better when climbing or descending but for ditches that isn't possible.

With my big tractor mahindra 485di I can now about 5-6 mph on smooth ground with a 7ft mower. Bumps on any tractor can be painful.

 

[GeneV]

Yeh same here, a 60" mmm deck came with my gc1710, I mowed a couple times with it and then went back to my craftsman garden tractor for mowing, even though it's has a smaller deck. The massey gives a great cut, but it's a pain to drop the loader and backhoe, mount the mower, only to have less turn radius, higher center of gravity (I got hilly spots to mow), and a bouncy ride.

 

[Diggin It]

The scut is only better when climbing or descending

And that's one of the main reasons I needed/wanted mine.