Anonymous Poster
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Sorry for all the info given and questions asked below, but in order to get an accurate answer from this forum, you will need to know in detail what kind of work I need my tractor/mower to do. My home is located on a 5 acre lot that I have been mowing with a Craftsman 18 HP 42" mower and lawn sweeper for the the last 3 years and need to upgrade to either a sub/compact tractor or commercial zero-turn mower(or both) to cut down on the time spent mowing. I alternate every other cut between mulching and mowing with the sweeper attached to pick up pine needles and cones.
The front lawn is approximately 2 acres bordered with wooden fence lined with pear trees (planted approximately 70" inches from the fence). The lawn is planted with 30 large pine trees and many azelea bushes and one large flower bed. The pines are mulched with pine needles to about 50" diameter and spaced far apart. The flowerbed and azeleas are spaced out and arranged in different irregular patterns about the yard and would need a machine capable of turning curves, circles, ect. effectively. As you can see, I want to do as little trimming as possible. The grass is centipede and of course the lawn gets it's year-round share of pine needles and pine cones which is particularly heavy in the fall and after storms or windy days.
The back 3 acres is open field and is planted with a bermuda grass and bahalia. The fast growing bahalia keeps me busy and I sometimes have to use the Craftsman as a bush-hog with the blades at the highest cut.This field is quite rough, and it woud be nice to have better suspension than I now have on the Craftsman. Would a sub-compact tractor such a Kubota BX-2200 or B-2410 with the bi-turn option that makes the front wheels turn faster than the back take me effectively around the trees and structures in the front lawn? How would a JD 4300 perform on this type of lawn? Would the JD be too heavy or leave too large an uncut grass area?
This tractor would also have to be able to alternate (easily I hope) between mulching and mowing with a grass catcher. Preferably, a catcher that could be unloaded from the drivers seat such as the one that can be purchased with the JD. Are the grass catchers from Kubota and JD strong enough to pick up the needles and cones in the lawn without jamming up the shute? Does the bagger have its own motor and if so do is the motor equipped with blades that would be capable of grinding/reducing cones.twigs and needles? Which tractor is easily converted to mulch? Would the subcompact BX-200 bog down a 4 four bush-hog in tall bahalia for the back field? It would also like to use it for tilling vegatable gardens and landscaping as well.
Should I be looking at a zero turn mower with a grass catcher for the front 2 acres and a "base" tractor for the back 3 acres or are would one piece of equipment like a sub-compact or compact tractor do all that I need?
Thanks,
Roy
The front lawn is approximately 2 acres bordered with wooden fence lined with pear trees (planted approximately 70" inches from the fence). The lawn is planted with 30 large pine trees and many azelea bushes and one large flower bed. The pines are mulched with pine needles to about 50" diameter and spaced far apart. The flowerbed and azeleas are spaced out and arranged in different irregular patterns about the yard and would need a machine capable of turning curves, circles, ect. effectively. As you can see, I want to do as little trimming as possible. The grass is centipede and of course the lawn gets it's year-round share of pine needles and pine cones which is particularly heavy in the fall and after storms or windy days.
The back 3 acres is open field and is planted with a bermuda grass and bahalia. The fast growing bahalia keeps me busy and I sometimes have to use the Craftsman as a bush-hog with the blades at the highest cut.This field is quite rough, and it woud be nice to have better suspension than I now have on the Craftsman. Would a sub-compact tractor such a Kubota BX-2200 or B-2410 with the bi-turn option that makes the front wheels turn faster than the back take me effectively around the trees and structures in the front lawn? How would a JD 4300 perform on this type of lawn? Would the JD be too heavy or leave too large an uncut grass area?
This tractor would also have to be able to alternate (easily I hope) between mulching and mowing with a grass catcher. Preferably, a catcher that could be unloaded from the drivers seat such as the one that can be purchased with the JD. Are the grass catchers from Kubota and JD strong enough to pick up the needles and cones in the lawn without jamming up the shute? Does the bagger have its own motor and if so do is the motor equipped with blades that would be capable of grinding/reducing cones.twigs and needles? Which tractor is easily converted to mulch? Would the subcompact BX-200 bog down a 4 four bush-hog in tall bahalia for the back field? It would also like to use it for tilling vegatable gardens and landscaping as well.
Should I be looking at a zero turn mower with a grass catcher for the front 2 acres and a "base" tractor for the back 3 acres or are would one piece of equipment like a sub-compact or compact tractor do all that I need?
Thanks,
Roy
