Buying Advice WTB SCUT

[V1BuzzBomb]

My circumstance is actually that I have more equipment than I need, and sometimes, care to maintain. Most of which is four season equipment. The riding mower is three season. I have trucks with plows, snowblower, shovels, cabbed CUT TLB, riding gas mower, and then some.

My wife will occasionally run the snowblower, but complain. She has no issue running the riding mower. She will not operate anything else. She is disgusted by the diesel exhaust from the TLB.

For reasons of discretionary funds, encouraging the wife to run something of reasonable size to remove snow in my absence, and simple desire, I find myself looking for a SCUT.

Operating the trucks with 9' Fisher plows is comfortable and moves a lot of snow fast. The TLB is fantastic for moving snowbanks. The TLB is way to big to mow with. The trucks will turf roll the lawn when pushing back when ground not frozen.

A SCUT can be properly equipped to work four seasons and perhaps supersede the riding lawn mower. Property size is under 1.5 acre, some tight turns and low hanging branches. Those can be pruned/severed if absolutely necessary.

I can't fathom buying new with the equipment I want because I get sticker shock, realise depreciation and watch a brand new machine deteriorate. With that, I'm looking at used. I'm also not looking for much of a project. To research and acquire build-a-bear style tractor/implement to my taste is unlikely. Although, to find a tractor with everything I want used is unlikely as well.

As I already have a TLB, I believe a small SCUT with small ROPS (if any) ideal. I definitely do not want a backhoe on it and could absolutely do without the loader.

Utopia...

4x4 SCUT Gas or diesel liquid cooled
Small ROPS or none
rear and mid PTO
rear 3 point hitch
belly mower
grass catcher
Front PTO Snowblower
Hardtop/softside cab, windshield and wiper (easy to remove for summer)
heater
rear auxiliary hydraulics
Turf Tires
Tire Chains

Here are some recent close finds.

BX1500 mower, grasscatcher, loader, snowblower, no cab
BX2360 mower, grasscatcher, loader, snowblower, no cab
1025R mower, snowblower, heated hard cab, no grasscatcher
X738 mower, grasscatcher, no snowblower, 3ph or rear pto
Simplicity Legacy 4x4 XL, loader, mower, Hardtop/softside cab, 3ph, no grasscatcher
Simplicity Legacy 4x4 XL, loader, mower, 3ph, no grasscatcher

I think the BX1500 is best on size, over 10 years old, unsure on 2 cylinder diesel
The 1025 is clean and I've located a grasscatcher for less than half of new but on the larger scale especially with hard cab.

Any thoughts from forum members or maybe a reality/sanity check? LOL!

 

[ovrszd]

Hope you can find something that fills your gap!!!

This will be an interesting search.

 

[nards444]

I guess after reading all of that I cam confused somewhat. Are you going to get rid of equipment and downsize, or are you keeping what you got and adding to it, which from what you said might be counter to what you want.

Also what are the main things you want to do, mow and remove snow?

Here are some thoughts

- Sticker shock, yeah get ready. Reality you wont find something that much cheaper until you start looking for machines that are closer to 10 years old. Can be pretty confident in saying that finding anything 5 years old or less, the cost difference is minimal,

-you get a real tractor you dont want gas

--You only own 1.5 acres, my guess is your mowing less than an acre, in that case a dedicated mower will mow better than any tractor, price wise probably cost you about the same as adding a mid mid mount mower. but it is one more engine to feed and take care of.

-I live in update NY and heated cab is a must if you plan on using it in the winter.

But a 1025 like machine would work nice, would allow you to get rid of the truck plow and snow blower. On small residential property type stuff I always advocate for not having multiple machines for the same job, really becomes a waste.

 

[stevem5215]

I have a SCUT STeiner 420. I have the Full Loader for it. It comes off for the front mount 48" mower deck which comes off for the winter with a 54" rotating brush for my 400' driveway, I also have the leaf blower to blow leaves into the next zip code (next door believe it or not) the only thing I've really wanted has been the snowblower as they say it will blow the snow into the next zip code also but we don't get that much snow here and when we do i put the loader on it and just push it into the next zip code since Steiner has full time 4wd. The bar tires with 5lbs of air are the best for non turf tearing up grass and very very good on icy surfaces. Mine is a 94' Onan powered version that is gas and has been very reliable for many years now. They use a small car battery in it so it lasts very well. Mine is now 8 years old in it and It has caps to add water and I do use a desulfination charger on it to keep it in good shape and do test it with a "internal battery resistance" tester that gives you the capacity in CCA compared to the rated CCA capacity. The Steiner is all hydraulic lines and powered by pumps to the motors for the wheels. It uses an "offset" drive system meaning the one side has powered wheel in the front and the other side the back wheel on the opposite side is powered by the same hydraulic circuit. This ensures good traction and non tearing surfaces. A nice side benefit is that you can put dual wheels on it for very very steep slopes. I do not use the dual wheels but have used it on some steep slopes cutting grass. It does the job for sure.

Steve

Steinering the snow - YouTube Using the brush on the driveway (my security cam captured this short video)
Moving snow with a Steiner - YouTube That's using the loader to clear one giant snow event we had here a while back. That's very uncommon for us in Pittsburgh

 

[The Fred]

Hope you can find something that fills her gap!!!

This will be an interesting search.

No ROPS for the wife?

 

[Paystar]

This would be an easy one for me. Kubota BX1880. They are dirt cheap new, and are the smallest chassis of the SCUTS. If you're wife is comfortable on a lawn tractor, these are just a bit bigger, but have better traction, more power, has PTO's and 3 point hitch and can be equipped with a loader. And they are capable of doing a LOT of work, and are stone reliable.
And if you have bigger equipment for big jobs, you are all set.

I'm in a similar situation. I have a Kubota B series, but also have a full size backhoe, mini ex, plow truck and dozer. All I ever use at home is that little B. It uses no fuel and I have built one mile of bush road with it and moved over 330 tons of gravel to do so. I don't even bother firing the big stuff up except for commercial jobs.

 

[V1BuzzBomb]

Thanks for all the replies. I have no intent in selling or replacing anything except the riding mower or her UTV Pioneer 500. We went to Deere and Kubota dealers Saturday. Both were closed, but she got to sit on a 1025R and BX1880. The Kubota dealer is taking in a Polaris Brutus HD PTO with snowblower, sweeper and more. It is nearly identical to a Bobcat 3650. Her UTV sits all year. She never uses it on the property and only uses it if she travels to ATV fest for one 5 day event per year. I have seen the Steiners and Ventracs. They are impressive, less common, more expensive as are the Bobcat 3650. I agree on the size of the BX1880. The Polaris is a possibility on the replacement of her Pioneer but I see very mixed reviews.

 

[V1BuzzBomb]

The search for a machine has ended, search for upgrades, parts and accessories begins.

Bought a BX2360, 319 hours, clean, 54" deck, Loader, Snowblower and power angle plow. Stopped at Deere dealer on the way to purchase. I have a Deere and prefer to buy a Deere but I find the following...
Deere X738...It might be larger than the BX2360 and by the time you add all the accessories including rear PTO and 3 point hitch, you have a machine that probably eclipses the price of a 102x tractor and really none exist used with the equipment I want.
Deere 102X...much larger than the BX2360 in every way. I already have a 8000 lb. TLB. Our property is 1-1/3 acres with many obstacles and obstructions. The ROPS on the BX2360 is under 6' tall. The ROPS on new 102X is monstrous, seemingly 8'-9' tall! When a dealer suggests I can fold it but my wife is mowing the bank under the electrical service or clothesline, I'd rather not see her injured or dead. The BX2360 with fixed ROPS will fit under.
Unit has a manual chute rotator and weight box.
I desire to obtain OEM 3 bin bagger, heavy hitch receiver 3 point, add motorised chute rotator, hydraulic or electric, possibly motorise deflector and add hardtop soft-side cab with windshield and wiper, likely original tractor cab.

Any ideas or suggestions, especially from similar BX owner.