Tractor Sizing Trying to decide on second tractor

ME83 · Nov 11, 2013

I have been all over the place on trying to decide on the best tractor setup. I bought a new house a few months ago with 6 acres. I am having a horse barn being built right now, my wife has 2 horses. Most of the lot has dead Ash trees (ash bores) and a lot of vines. I own a 110 tlb so clearing the lot for pastures is all set. What I am trying to decide upon is my future tractor setup but I need a new lawn mower soon. Once the pastures are cleared and all set in a few years I am afraid the 110 will be rather large and I think a 3 series JD would be nicer. However I know I will kick myself every time I need to dig or move heavy items if I got rid of the 110.

The other part of this is the driveway I have a fairly steep and cut into a hill with large banks on both sides. The steep and banked part is about 150 ft long, then a turn around area and garage, and then I will have another 250 ft out to the barn. Being in western MA we do get a bit of snow at times. I think a snowblower will work much better than plowing for me. However I am tired of being out in the cold.

One option is a 3 pt blower for the 110, but a Laurin cab is roughly $12k, with blower about $17k. Another option is to get a X758 mower with front blower and a Cozy cab for roughly $19k. I do need a new lawn mower and the X758 is suppose to be very stable on hills for mowing. I like the idea of a larger snowblower, but the 110 is limited with 33hp pto for the size tractor it is and I will be backing up. I also think a front mounted blower is safer with little kids, who should inside but you never know. (Wife is due in less than 2 weeks with our first

Do you think the X758 will handle the snow well? I just have a hard time spending so much on a cab for the 110 when it is not needed the rest of the year.

tcreeley · Nov 11, 2013

Get a snowblower that attaches up front, and a cab. The wind and blowing snow are not fun!

vtsnowedin · Nov 11, 2013

19K seems a bit much for a glorified lawn mower even with the blower and the soft cab. I'd shop around a bit and not rush it.
Best of luck on the new baby.:drink:

arlen4720 · Nov 11, 2013

I have a x748 with a front blower, and it works great. No cab though...that would work even greater! It does have top notch stability on slopes too. Very good mower, I have just over 1000 hours on mine now.

jenkinsph · Nov 12, 2013

I have an x749, 4520cab and a 110 with the Laurin cab. With two cab tractors I can still see adding a soft cab to the x749 and a blower for forward travel. You should be able to have heat with the soft cab and it is easier to remove for summer mowing.

I think a 110 is a good size for 6 acres particularly if it is paid for. With the 3ph tnt and triple hydraulics front and rear it is a handy machine.

ME83 · Nov 12, 2013

The 110 is paid for and has about 750 hours on it. The only option it doesn't have is the thumb, has the hydraulics for it but no thumb itself. I will wait a few years to see how well it does fit this property, it is always better to have a little more tractor than not enough.

The cab I would get for the X700 series is the hard cab. I was looking at the Cozy brand over the Curtis cab that Deere sells since it is suppose to be easier to take off and it is a little nicer. I wish JD didn't kill off the X749 with the new style.

jenkinsph · Nov 13, 2013

I haven't looked at the cabs for the x700 series because I use it to get under trees and places the cab tractors won't fit. Living in the mountains of New Mexico the snow we have is usually dry powder and easily pushed out of the way. I use a cheap light TSC 5' rear blade to clear snows of 2', nothing like the snows you have in Maine.

Interested in what you decide for a cab and how you like it after some use.

Agent Blue · Nov 14, 2013

I wanted to go to a series 3 JD with a cab also. The problem is getting close to the trees I have planted, buying a 72" mmm, and the price of the tractor and cab. The added tractor weight might not work well with the low areas. The clay soil holds moisture and grass seems to grow twice as fast. I have a 4110 , blower, mmm, vacuum, and loader which works well for six acres of lawn. I am leaning toward a hard cab that can be removed in summer. I know I could fab one for less than a thousand dollars. The X frame series seem a bit on the small size for my activities.

sparc · Nov 27, 2013

Do you think the X758 will handle the snow well?

I have a x534 with 47" snowblower and it handles the snow just fine. Hasn't seen much work the past two winters but the winter of 2010/2011 we got about 60 inches, 28 of it in one shot. The x534 handled it just fine. I'll never be without a snowblower for the lawn tractor at the house again.

I will tell you that $19k seems high. My x534 is 4 wheel steering, and with the 47" snowblower and soft cab, 48" mower, and powerflow grass catcher, tire chains, and 2 suitcase weights was ~$9k in March 2010. I know there's a big difference in the two but is it $10k ?