May Be Rethinking My Needs, Little Help, Please

[robertwhite]

I am in a bit of a quandry(sp)

I have 15 acres that is pretty much flat. I was seriously thinking about getting an L series Kubota for overall chores. BUT........ The more I think about it, the more I think that I would be making a bad choice.

The acreage is around 10-11 lawn and 4-5 field. The previous owner used an old MF with a 5ft finish and had a few cows in the field.

I have been giving a lot of thought to the fact that even on an L series, the FEL is not all that large and if it happened to have a backhoe, there really is no digging depth or reach on a CUT, so the thought was always to get a used dedicated loader/backhoe (Case, Ford, whatever) to go with the tractor.

The more that I think about it, the more it is starting to make more sense to get a ZT mower (Dixie Chopper, preferably X series & at least 60" deck) and then get the used loader/hoe for all other chores.

Dixie Chopper claims to cut 8 acres an hour with the 72" and even if I got the 60", it would still only take a few hours. I would be getting cows in the field so that would maybe need a cut 1 or 2 times a year. (and probably could raise the deck on the ZT enough to do that). Fall leave mulching is also an easy do for the ZT, the SCUT not so much.

Is a CUT really the "be all, end all" of small farm use or is my second line of thought making any sense? I see lots of new (2yrs old, never sold) Dixies on tractorhouse, so I know they can be had in the $6-9K range, which is easily less than half of a new L series. Then pick up the loader/hoe for $6-8K and be done with it.

Any input of any kind would be great. If my idea is dumb, tell me so (I can handle it )

 

[whistlepig]

I am in a bit of a quandry(sp)

I have 15 acres that is pretty much flat. I was seriously thinking about getting an L series Kubota for overall chores. BUT........ The more I think about it, the more I think that I would be making a bad choice.

The acreage is around 10-11 lawn and 4-5 field. The previous owner used an old MF with a 5ft finish and had a few cows in the field.

I have been giving a lot of thought to the fact that even on an L series, the FEL is not all that large and if it happened to have a backhoe, there really is no digging depth or reach on a SCUT, so the thought was always to get a used dedicated loader/backhoe (Case, Ford, whatever) to go with the tractor.

The more that I think about it, the more it is starting to make more sense to get a ZT mower (Dixie Chopper, preferably X series & at least 60" deck) and then get the used loader/hoe for all other chores.

Dixie Chopper claims to cut 8 acres an hour with the 72" and even if I got the 60", it would still only take a few hours. I would be getting cows in the field so that would maybe need a cut 1 or 2 times a year. (and probably could raise the deck on the ZT enough to do that). Fall leave mulching is also an easy do for the ZT, the SCUT not so much.

Is a SCUT really the "be all, end all" of small farm use or is my second line of thought making any sense? I see lots of new (2yrs old, never sold) Dixies on tractorhouse, so I know they can be had in the $6-9K range, which is easily less than half of a new L series. Then pick up the loader/hoe for $6-8K and be done with it.

Any input of any kind would be great. If my idea is dumb, tell me so (I can handle it )

I see where you are coming from. We have 20 acres. Seven acres in pasture nine acres in yard. Four in woods. Flat as a pancake. I mow with a CUT and six foot RFM. Takes me about seven hours to mow my yard. Every single weekend. A ZTR would probably cut this time down to less than half. But I need the loader, brush hog, and post hole digger. I can't afford both the CUT with all the goodies and also a ZTR so I went the CUT route. I don't mind mowing the yard. But seven hours every weekend mowing is for sure a serious consideration. It's an important choice. For me it is the best comprimise.

 

[deerhunterf350]

Just thinking,

The field may be a little rough for the ZT, after the Cows make their divots from walking around a rained soaked field or a Freeze/Thaw field in the winter will make for a rough time come summer. Not to mention the "Piles" that will start to appear after a few months.

 

[robertwhite]

Just thinking,

The field may be a little rough for the ZT, after the Cows make their divots from walking around a rained soaked field or a Freeze/Thaw field in the winter will make for a rough time come summer. Not to mention the "Piles" that will start to appear after a few months.

I thought the same thing too. The other thing I came up with is maybe pulling a used gang reel with either my Kawi Mule or my pick 'em up truck. Still in the thinking stage.

Like whistlepig said, I like mowing, but don't want to spend all day once a week doing it.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

Ok, I'm a little confused. You mention an L series Kubota and then you mention a SCUT. These are not the same size tractors. An L series tractor will take care of your place easily IMO. But a B series or a BX series would be a whole different set of conditions.

One of the problems with having a full size TLB for your only tractor is that you give up the ability to use any 3pt implements that you could otherwise use to make life easier.

 

[dave1949]

Take 5-6 acres of your lawn area and convert it into a wildflower patch. It will be prettier and you will spend less time mowing. Get some honey bees after you have a good stand of wildflowers. Put some bird nest boxes up in the wildflower patch.

I keep on recommending these lawn mowing 'solutions', please don't be offended.
Dave.

 

[robertwhite]

Ok, I'm a little confused. You mention an L series Kubota and then you mention a SCUT. These are not the same size tractors. An L series tractor will take care of your place easily IMO. But a B series or a BX series would be a whole different set of conditions.

.

I know, I screwed that up. I actually meant a CUT, which is an L series, no?

A B or BX would definitely be too small. Figured that out a while back in another discussion.

 

[whistlepig]

Take 5-6 acres of your lawn area and convert it into a wildflower patch. It will be prettier and you will spend less time mowing. Get some honey bees after you have a good stand of wildflowers. Put some bird nest boxes up in the wildflower patch.

I keep on recommending these lawn mowing 'solutions', please don't be offended.
Dave.

One has to really love a large yard to put up with the hassle, expense, and time spent. Not for everyone.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

I know, I screwed that up. I actually meant a CUT, which is an L series, no?

A B or BX would definitely be too small. Figured that out a while back in another discussion.

Yes, an L series tractor is a CUT. One of these would suit you well I think. I have a Case 580E TLB. While it is great to have a full size TLB, it is in no way a utility tractor. Keep in mind ALL the things that you MIGHT want to, or need to do.

 

[robertwhite]

Yes, an L series tractor is a CUT. One of these would suit you well I think. I have a Case 580E TLB. While it is great to have a full size TLB, it is in no way a utility tractor. Keep in mind ALL the things that you MIGHT want to, or need to do.

See that's just it. Yeah I might need a post hole digger once or twice, but I could rent one.

I could use the TLB for heavy lifting, digging much faster and deeper, moving around whatever needs to be moved, grading, etc. I see 580E and the like for cheap money all the time. Doesn't have to be pretty, just work.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

See that's just it. Yeah I might need a post hole digger once or twice, but I could rent one.

I could use the TLB for heavy lifting, digging much faster and deeper, moving around whatever needs to be moved, grading, etc. I see 580E and the like for cheap money all the time. Doesn't have to be pretty, just work.

While you can use it for grading, not really practical, much much better and faster to use some sort of rear blade. You don't normally see professionals grading with a back hoe.

I suppose you can get the back hoe and if it doesn't work out for you, you could sell it and get something else.

 

[buck12]

See that's just it. Yeah I might need a post hole digger once or twice, but I could rent one.

I could use the TLB for heavy lifting, digging much faster and deeper, moving around whatever needs to be moved, grading, etc. I see 580E and the like for cheap money all the time. Doesn't have to be pretty, just work.

Consider whether you want a tiller, disc, etc. in the future. A three point hitch is handy but a bh may well be suited to your needs.

 

[robertwhite]

Consider whether you want a tiller, disc, etc. in the future. A three point hitch is handy but a bh may well be suited to your needs.

Not needing a tiller or disc. While the 3 point may come in handy for certain things, I don't know if it outweighs the TLB's heavy duty uses.

 

[Gittyup]

How much backhoe do you really need? You can get up about 9' or so on a CUT. And that size CUT will also give you very good load capabilities and capacities.

There is no one machine that is best at it all. But, I would think a ZTR would be useless on cow pasture, at times, say during wet spells.

If I were in your shoes, I'd look for a big used CUT with the biggest backhoe I could find (if you really need this), and a used SCUT for the yard and tight spots, or even a high quality GT for that purpose. The CUT will let you use all those other attachments that you will find you need for other chores.

The problem with tow-behinds on ATV's is that they aren't all that maneuverable and it's just one more engine to maintain.

 

[robertwhite]

If I were in your shoes, I'd look for a big used CUT with the biggest backhoe I could find (if you really need this), and a used SCUT for the yard and tight spots, or even a high quality GT for that purpose. The CUT will let you use all those other attachments that you will find you need for other chores.

A SCUT for the yard? The "yard" is 11 or so acres, a SCUT or GT is not going to be any help whatsoever.

That would also defeat the purpose of spending as little as possible on the 2 machines. A new ZT can easily be had for under $10K, and a used TLB can easily be had for around $6-8K. If I got both a SCUT and a CUT, we are talking major bucks. ($25K easy)

The other factor is that since this is the Mid South (TN), land of the red clay, where water sits for days before drying up, an L series is more than likely going to leave huge ruts in the lawn as where a ZT won't be nearly as bad.

 

[IslandTractor]

Take 5-6 acres of your lawn area and convert it into a wildflower patch. It will be prettier and you will spend less time mowing. Get some honey bees after you have a good stand of wildflowers. Put some bird nest boxes up in the wildflower patch.

I keep on recommending these lawn mowing 'solutions', please don't be offended.
Dave.

That is what I would do. 11 acres of lawn???? Either you are a king and therefore should have servants do the mowing, or that is way too much land IMO to finish mow weekly or even biweekly. Six to eight hours of mowing per week is a job and not the way I'd like to spend weekends.

I got sick of mowing even 5 acres regularly so I decided to let wild grasses and flowers grow. I now mow about once a month (starting after the wildflowers are done) and it really looks very nice with wildflowers and tall wavy grasses of different types. The downsides are that when I do mow I have a fair amount of "hay" so I need to mow more than once/month in early summer to avoid the mown hay look (which quickly turns to a thick mulch over the remaining grasses). I use a flail mower which naturally mulches the clippings so I just need to watch that I don't go too fast.

 

[robertwhite]

That is what I would do. 11 acres of lawn???? Either you are a king and therefore should have servants do the mowing, or that is way too much land IMO to finish mow weekly or even biweekly. Six to eight hours of mowing per week is a job and not the way I'd like to spend weekends.

Not a king . A good deal of the lawn is what used to be a small orchard and now only has a few trees left. I guess over the years, the grass (and weeds) took over and it just became lawn. I don't mind spending a few hours a week mowing, just not all day.

A wildflower patch while a nice site, is not going to happen at this property.

 

[Squeak n Itch]

A large consideration for me was the rough areas. I needed to seriously consider the size of the holes and ruts versus the size of the wheels. Not an issue on flat grass area. Ended up with a CUTRFM and it has done well for me. If I were in the "considering" mode I'd try the ZTR on the rough parts.

 

[robertwhite]

A large consideration for me was the rough areas. I needed to seriously consider the size of the holes and ruts versus the size of the wheels. Not an issue on flat grass area. Ended up with a CUTRFM and it has done well for me. If I were in the "considering" mode I'd try the ZTR on the rough parts.

Thanks, but holes and ruts are a non issue on this piece of land. (except maybe in the pasture) It is just a wide open giant piece of lawn.

 

[Sam Mac]

I had the same problem. My answer is an old 48" finish mower that I built a frame for and ganged it with two Swisher 60" tow behind mowers. I mow a field and lawn with it. Cut an 8 hour job down to less than 2 hours. My BX handles it with no problem.