Diesel Tractor with Hydro
Model Year: 1986
This is my first non-garden tractor, so I have little to compare it to. It came with a Woods F35 belly mower powered off of an optional front PTO. It also came with two sets of wheels and tires: the stock wheels with turf treads, and lower, wider ones with turf treads again. I use the stock thin wheels with tall tires in winter to plow, and use the fat turf wheels and tires in summer to mow. First impressions are that the ride is bumpy. No shocks, and no absorbers under the seat. My Craftsman(ure) garden tractor has springs under the seat; this doesn't. The ride is better with the fat turf tires. Second, the hydraulic lift is used to lift and lower the mower deck, which means removal of the belly mower to install the rear scraper blade for snow every fall. Had I thought this through, I would have opted for a 3pt finish mower, and merely swapped mower for blade. Removing the belly mower is not a ten minute task. I still may do just that. I would like to have also run a bush hog, but with 15 HP at the PTO, that is not likely to work. Again, this is my first foray into tractors, and I didn't know what to look for. Repairs are difficult in that the owners manual and the repair manuals don't really cover much. I do like that it is diesel, and that it uses less fuel than my Craftsman(ure) garden mower.
Pros: Fuel efficiency, small size.
Cons: Expensive replacement parts.