Was about to pull the trigger, then I found this

[Alan L.]

If I was just gonna mow and don't need a loader I'd bet a big ZTR also. Heck a 60" will run circles around that 72" finish mower, in most situations.

 

[horsinaround]

I used to mow with the tractor and a rear finish mower. After doing that for a year, I opted for a Kubota zero turn. I cut my mowing time in half, quit tearing up the lawn and left it looking better.

 

[JoelD]

Get a dedicated mower

right tool for the job

Joel

 

[Matt in Virginia]

Rutwad....What exactly do you intend to use the tractor for.??

In other words....Why the need for the "big" HP.??

fwiw & imho,
This comment is in response to the concept of "enough" HP to get it done versus "big HP" which is relative. I am new to the modern concepts of compacts though we used a Case 485 as a drain digging tractor in modest sized AG. However, the one thing I learned from the beginning was that there was little that a larger machine would not do, however, there was quite a bit(and nothing more frustrating) that a small tractor will not do and not having the power and weight.

GRANTED, atleast in AG, you don't want to size a 200 HP tractor for an 85 HP job PERMANENTLY as the tractor winds up being hard on the implement due to the extra weight and power. That said I also learned there is nothing more frustrating that having a tractor that was/is SHORT HP for a particular job and NOT being able to do it properly.

This may not transfer from my experience to yours, however, I would almost always rather have more HP as there is little to nothing it cannot do while the converse is not necessarily true. Granted I'm not talking about 72" Cat 1 Mower on a 180 HP Cat 3 Tractor. I am only saying that in like sized machines, within reason, I'd rather use a 180 HP primary machine to do jobs that range from 120, 140, to 165 HP than work a smaller tractor to death trying to get the job done.

I will only suggest you look at the number of 4840s, 180 HP, used on eastern grain farms. While they made 4040s, 4240s, 4440s, 4640s, AND 4840s the latter IS the most common tractor STILL used roughly 30 years after it was built(atleast around here and by a mile). I've had this discussion with many farmers and found they agree the 4840s were rarely ever "turned up" and many actually came from the factory closer to 4640 HP numbers(160-165 HP). Hence the tractor was never really strained by trying to get that last HP out of the engine size and chassis. Further it loafed along fine doing work intended for 4240s and 4440s.

Apple to oranges, however, HP that you have that you don't use does not really cost you all that much. HP and weight that you don't have can and will work the tractor harder than need be. In the end the fact that so many 4840s are in the field working says something about the concept of "to much tractor". IMHO, YMMV, and FWIW...

Some will come to a fuel argument of using more tractor than you need. Afterall you are carrying more weight and producing more power whether or not you need it. That said I've never found that to be that accurate. A 140 HP tractor doing a 140 HP job and being worked to capacity at all times is not really going to "sip" that much less fuel than bigger machine with a bit of reserve to spare.

I have never met a farmer who admitted to buying to much tractor. I HAVE run into quite a few did not buy enough and there seems to be little more bitter in the long run than money put out that does not perform up to expectation...

Compare the number of JD 4000s to JD 4020s still running. Please have the good manners not to bring up MY 4020. In short they cut the weight and put in the same engine with the aim of doing less work just as fast. For whatever reason it did not stick as a concept and no one wants a 4000 over a 4020 who knows the difference... Again IMHO.

Regards, Matt in Virginia.

 

[Matt in Virginia]

However,
I will say you gentlemen are very tolerant of my modestly "Ag" perspective and I appreciate it. I would agree if you are going to strictly cut grass(and never need a FEL, land plane, box scraper, etc)the Zero Turn is the most efficient tool available. Which in strictly limited use is the tool I would subscribe to...

To shift gears from tractors to shotguns, if you will allow me the latitude, I greatly prefer a 28 gauge on Quail to a 12 gauge. They are generally found in far more nimble guns and you have more than enough "shot" to get the job done. Granted my favorite 28 gauge shell are Winchester High Brass with an ounce of #7.5 Shot.... Moral of the story is that the right tool for an explicit job may just be perfect(The 28 gauge), however, when it comes to a general purpose instrument(A Tractor) it is hard for me not to recommend considering the capability that you don't need today but may lust for a year from now...imho.

Regards, Matt.

 

[rutwad]

Thanks for all the replies!!

First, as far as FEL, I will agree that you should never go without having one. They are very, Very handy to have. That being said, we have 2 backhoes so no need for one on the tractor. We use them not only for the hard work but for alot of light work as well, picking up limbs broken out of pecan trees in our yard.

Tractor size- We currently have a 46hp Kubota we are trading in. Instead of staying with the smaller frame L series, we opted to go up to the M series hoping for better ride quality. Approx 10" longer wheelbase, 6" wider, and over 25% heavier should help (I hope).

Maybe I should start over. I live next door to my parents on 50 acres. We mow about 8. I borrowed a friends zd28 72" deck mower, and yes the mow time was cut drastically. I thought about getting a zero turn mower and a small ag tractor & brush cutter. But my mother enjoys mowing. And she enjoys her A/C cab. So that rules out the zero-turn mower.

And having a 50 or so HP tractor, I can swap over to a bush hog to cut the rest of the land maybe 2 or 3 times a year. Plus our county maintained gravel road hardly ever gets graded. So we use a box blade for that. The tractor is more than enough for mowing, yet I don't feel like it's too much.

Tires- yes, a new Kubota will be ordered with R4's, but I don't feel it's that important. I have used a JD 6420 with R1 tires and a 15' batwing to mow the grass before without any problems tearing up the yard.

Matt in VA, I know what you mean about the older tractors. I have noticed that around here and wondered if the new tractors just don't hold up as well or what. Just the other day a guy said he would rather run his older JD 4640 than his newer 7000 series. Is Deere not what is used to be......?

Please everybody take time and BE SAFE this weekend.
HAPPY 4TH!!!!!

 

[TripleR]

Thanks for all the replies!!

First, as far as FEL, I will agree that you should never go without having one. They are very, Very handy to have. That being said, we have 2 backhoes so no need for one on the tractor. We use them not only for the hard work but for alot of light work as well, picking up limbs broken out of pecan trees in our yard.

Tractor size- We currently have a 46hp Kubota we are trading in. Instead of staying with the smaller frame L series, we opted to go up to the M series hoping for better ride quality. Approx 10" longer wheelbase, 6" wider, and over 25% heavier should help (I hope).

Maybe I should start over. I live next door to my parents on 50 acres. We mow about 8. I borrowed a friends zd28 72" deck mower, and yes the mow time was cut drastically. I thought about getting a zero turn mower and a small ag tractor & brush cutter. But my mother enjoys mowing. And she enjoys her A/C cab. So that rules out the zero-turn mower.

And having a 50 or so HP tractor, I can swap over to a bush hog to cut the rest of the land maybe 2 or 3 times a year. Plus our county maintained gravel road hardly ever gets graded. So we use a box blade for that. The tractor is more than enough for mowing, yet I don't feel like it's too much.

Tires- yes, a new Kubota will be ordered with R4's, but I don't feel it's that important. I have used a JD 6420 with R1 tires and a 15' batwing to mow the grass before without any problems tearing up the yard.

Matt in VA, I know what you mean about the older tractors. I have noticed that around here and wondered if the new tractors just don't hold up as well or what. Just the other day a guy said he would rather run his older JD 4640 than his newer 7000 series. Is Deere not what is used to be......?

Please everybody take time and BE SAFE this weekend.
HAPPY 4TH!!!!!

Well now your choice makes perfect sense. I have an L5030 and the ride with mower and no FEL is pretty good, but if the M is smoother then I would go for it. My wife does almost all of our lawn mowing and I can't get her to look at a ZTR, but some day might get her off "her" 2660 and in a cabbed 3030; maybe...

She does like the 5030, but we only have one.