Comparison one tractor vs mower + tractor

[casolorz]

We are about to move into our new house on a 3 acre lot. I'll be doing most of the landscaping. Its fairly flat other than its a walkout lot so there is a bit of slopped grading around the house. There is also a pond and an easement, but aside from that mostly flat.

I am considering buying a good fast mower, like a ZTR or similar, and then picking up an old used tractor with a loader to do the heavy work. Or the alternative is that I pickup a small kubota, mahindra, tym, cub/yanmar, which allows me to have a belly mower and a loader.

What would you recommend?

Also suggestions on both of the options are welcome, I am trying to keep it at the lowest end of all the manufacturers.

Thank you,

--Carlos

 

[KU Gator]

My neighbor and I each had J.D. garden tractors and live on 3 acre lots. We bought our little tractor from the previous owner of the house and it came with a front blade for snow. Took about 2 hours to mow. We bought some additional recreational property and bought a B2920 Kubota for it with initially a belly mower and FEL. We kept the little J.D. but the day I unloaded the Kubota and mowed with it, the neighbor developed tractor envy because it will mow faster than the garden tractor. He swapped the garden tractor for a ZTR. Problem is, he can mow a little faster and he does have more things to mow around, but that is all it will do. So he lost the ability to clear snow, pull a fertilizer spreader, etc. Fortunately for him, I like to play on my tractor, so help him out. They are a young family with kids, so 15 minutes of saved mowing time is more precious to him than me as an empty nester.

A good BX size in Kubota terms will give you a good mowing machine plus a huge amount of flexability compared to a ZTR type mower, but if you have a lot of stuff to mow around and want to get it done quick, the ZTR is probably the way to go. I would choose the tractor every time, but understand other priorities. You will use the FEL a lot more than you can immagine. Properly maintained, I believe the tractor is likely to provide longer service than the ZTR also.

As far as low end of the manufactureres go, sometimes cheap isn't so cheap. I don't remember the brand of the ZTR the neighbor bought, but I know he has had it worked on several times in the 1st year. While it has been under warrenty, it is an inconvience and would cause me to worry about what is down the road. Maybe try to talk to others on a brand when you start to narrow it. But if by lowest end of the manufacturers, you mean the relative entry level within a brand, I think that is a sensable plan. For instance a BX1860 with 54" deck and loader looks to be in the $13K range. It probably would do a great job for you for a very long time. If you needed to move up, it will likely to have retained a large amount of its purchase price. Much like the basic Honda Civic with roll up windows holds its value.

 

[casolorz]

My neighbor and I each had J.D. garden tractors and live on 3 acre lots. We bought our little tractor from the previous owner of the house and it came with a front blade for snow. Took about 2 hours to mow. We bought some additional recreational property and bought a B2920 Kubota for it with initially a belly mower and FEL. We kept the little J.D. but the day I unloaded the Kubota and mowed with it, the neighbor developed tractor envy because it will mow faster than the garden tractor. He swapped the garden tractor for a ZTR. Problem is, he can mow a little faster and he does have more things to mow around, but that is all it will do. So he lost the ability to clear snow, pull a fertilizer spreader, etc. Fortunately for him, I like to play on my tractor, so help him out. They are a young family with kids, so 15 minutes of saved mowing time is more precious to him than me as an empty nester.

A good BX size in Kubota terms will give you a good mowing machine plus a huge amount of flexability compared to a ZTR type mower, but if you have a lot of stuff to mow around and want to get it done quick, the ZTR is probably the way to go. I would choose the tractor every time, but understand other priorities. You will use the FEL a lot more than you can immagine. Properly maintained, I believe the tractor is likely to provide longer service than the ZTR also.

As far as low end of the manufactureres go, sometimes cheap isn't so cheap. I don't remember the brand of the ZTR the neighbor bought, but I know he has had it worked on several times in the 1st year. While it has been under warrenty, it is an inconvience and would cause me to worry about what is down the road. Maybe try to talk to others on a brand when you start to narrow it. But if by lowest end of the manufacturers, you mean the relative entry level within a brand, I think that is a sensable plan. For instance a BX1860 with 54" deck and loader looks to be in the $13K range. It probably would do a great job for you for a very long time. If you needed to move up, it will likely to have retained a large amount of its purchase price. Much like the basic Honda Civic with roll up windows holds its value.

Just noticed you are in Topeka, I'm in Wichita....
I am looking at Kubota, cub/yanmar, tym mostly. I know tym is probably the cheaper quality one, their loader carries more though. The mahindra also seems to have a pretty good loader, then I don't really know how much weight I need to carry.

I guess I'll go look at a few and see what they are like.

--Carlos

 

[KU Gator]

I purchased my Kubota in Lawrence at McConnell Equipment. They also have a dealership in Ottawa. Whoever you go with, good to get a good feel from the dealership that they are stable and interested in you before and after the sale. My brand research was pretty limited prior to the decision. It is difficult to get really objective information so I focused mainly with the green & orange, feeling that if I don't know a lot about it, better to go with a name brand. I work for that University with a bird for the mascott and with the Manager of the landscape department. He had just added a Kubota L model to the fleet and was pretty impressed with it. I have been pleased with the product and the dealership, but I am sure there are other good choices out there.

If you are in Witchita, on 3 acres you will probably be dealing with some snow clearing and maybe maintence of a rock drive. Again having a small tractor gives you the ability to add a small blade to the back and can do a decent job of those chores vs a ZTR.

 

[TripleR]

I like machinery as much as the next person, but don't like to maintain more than I have to, so I would go with a SCUT or cut as mentioned. Both my Kubota and JD are very maneuverable, but the Kubota is a little more stable on steep slopes, but this isn't a factor for you. I would look at SCUT/CUT models from all the manufacturers to see which is the best fit for you. Not knocking the ZTR; just limited in use.

 

[casolorz]

Yeah I will have a rock drive, totally forgot about that.
Snow I would have said its not a big deal until this winter, but I am guessing most of the country feels like that.

One of the smaller kubotas would probably do and there are at least 2 or 3 dealers nearby which is always good.
Can I service my tractor at any kubota dealer or only the one I get it from?

 

[KU Gator]

You could take it to any Kubota dealer, but I always feel like establishing that connection on the buy end, especially if it is new, is going to help on the service. I liked the dealership in Lawrence better than Topeka plus because I work over hear, it is easy to run down there at lunch if I need something.

Note that most of the tractor lines are still doing the 0% financing on their equipment. It is subject to renewal each month, so could always go away.

I use a rear blade and a FEL to clear my 450' drive. I am sure a blower and or a front blade would be more efficient, but I can't really justify it given the varibility in our snow. Last winter I hardly needed it. This winter I have went through two tanks full of diesel fuel. The wind is the killer here with the drifting.

 

[Soundguy]

belly mowers pretty much limit a tractor to mowing duties. in addition to reduced ground clearance, you have reduced side and front clearance ( due to the loader,, plus you would be toting the loader weight with you everywhere... not a great combo.

get the ztr and a tractor with a loader.. or if as a compromise.. get a rear mower for that loader tractor, and perhaps a quick disconnect bucket.

what kind of loader work will you be doing.. if not much a smaller loader may be fine on a 30ish hp machine with a rear mower. I'm kinda partial to older machines.. though some are more suited to loader work than others.. all depends on what you really want to do with the loader..

soundguy

We are about to move into our new house on a 3 acre lot. I'll be doing most of the landscaping. Its fairly flat other than its a walkout lot so there is a bit of slopped grading around the house. There is also a pond and an easement, but aside from that mostly flat.

I am considering buying a good fast mower, like a ZTR or similar, and then picking up an old used tractor with a loader to do the heavy work. Or the alternative is that I pickup a small kubota, mahindra, tym, cub/yanmar, which allows me to have a belly mower and a loader.

What would you recommend?

Also suggestions on both of the options are welcome, I am trying to keep it at the lowest end of all the manufacturers.

Thank you,

--Carlos

 

[BotaBigot]

Either way would work, and there are obvious advantages for each. I elected to go SCUT, and found my BX to be as good or better lawn mower than any garden tractor I've had. The FEL and BH come off quickly to put it in mower mode. It's no ZTR, and it's heavier than my previous mowers...so I have to be more aware of ground moisture. In TLB mode, it has done all I have asked. The disadvantage in TLB mode is light weight...the BH can push it around, especially if you dig aggressively. It will do most of what larger TLBs can do...but takes longer.

 

[TripleR]

I can take the loader off of my BX in under three minutes and the MMM in under five. I haven't found the MMM even on the BX to get in my way all that much; depends on what you are doing. I have a dedicated lawn mower that we haven't used in two years; probably sell it this spring.

 

[flusher]

We are about to move into our new house on a 3 acre lot. I'll be doing most of the landscaping. Its fairly flat other than its a walkout lot so there is a bit of slopped grading around the house. There is also a pond and an easement, but aside from that mostly flat.

I am considering buying a good fast mower, like a ZTR or similar, and then picking up an old used tractor with a loader to do the heavy work. Or the alternative is that I pickup a small kubota, mahindra, tym, cub/yanmar, which allows me to have a belly mower and a loader.

What would you recommend?

Also suggestions on both of the options are welcome, I am trying to keep it at the lowest end of all the manufacturers.

Thank you,

--Carlos

When I moved onto my 10-acre place (flat pasture) 5 years ago, my first tractor was a new 2005 Kubota B7510HST (21 hp engine, 17 hp pto, 4WD, hydrostatic transmission, power steering) with the LA302 FEL (4-ft wide bucket, 800 lb lift) and I mowed the lawn with a cheap $900 Husky riding mower from Tractor Supply. The tractor cost $12,600 plus tax.
You could probably find that tractor on craigslist for $7-8K today.

 

[sld]

I have to agree with Soundguy on this.

If you can only have one or the other, definitely get the tractor. You will need all the utility it offers. The optimum solution is to get both. Personally I would not want to rack up serious hours on my tractor just to mow the grass. ZTR's are made for mowing and they are very very good at it.

I maintain 5 acres for my Mom and have experimented with riding mowers, mowing with the tractor, etc... I finally bought a ZTR a couple of years ago and could not believe how much more efficient it was. Plus, I didn't have to worry about taking the box blade or loader off to go mow. Another plus, is you will have much less soil compaction by going with the ZTR so depending on the lawn quality you want this could be factor. Now the tractor is used for what tractors are made for. I maintain the driveway, move the occasional load of dirt or rock, clear snow and maintain around the 1 acre pond, etc.. too many things to list. It really is the best of both worlds.

This should probably be in another thread but I will throw in my 2 cents. For the ZTR I went with a 50 inch Toro that is a residential unit and was well less than 3 grand from the Toro dealer. Commercial grade would be nice but at twice the price I couldn't justify it. I am averaging about 60 hours per year to mow about 20 times. I hope to get many years out of it at this rate.

 

[Diamondpilot]

I am not a fan of belly mowers. I would either do as you say and get a ZTR and a older loader tractor or just get a 25ish HP CUT. Older tractors with FEL are hard to find and pretty limited as compared to newer units with 4x4 and good tires like R1's. I mow my 3 acre place with a 6' finish mower behind a 4x4 tractor equipped with a FEL. It does all and then some I need it to do. Great for snow removal, pulling stumps, working the ground and gravel, ect.

I also have a little 16HP Craftsman mower. I picked it up for $350 and it does great around the trees and such and is dream to drive around for chores with a small wagon.

Chris

 

[ModMech]

We have four tractors ranging from an OLD GE electric to a 2001 Kubota B2410 (24HP) HST. All have belly type mowers and except for the Wheel Horse do a good job of mowing.

The Kubota with it's 54" MMM does mow the fastest but the Snapper rider cuts the best and is significantly slower, about the same as the GE.

If I had to do it again, I would buy a ZTR and a larger CUT with at least 35 PTO HP and a loader. But, we have 2.5 mowable acres and ~10ac of field. In our case, the need for a tractor larger than we have forces our thinking to ZTR + Larger CUT or even UT sizes.

Having said all that, we don't NEED a FEL or four tractors looking for #5, we could get buy with two and no FEL for now.

 

[dodge man]

I also bought a Kubota BX2350 about 2 years ago and live on 3 acres. I got a 60" belly mower, rear blade, and FEL. The mower deck and FEL are fairly easy to take off and on so thats no big deal. I also kept a riding mower with a 54" deck, but it was slower and didn't cut any better so I sold it. Unless you need a bigger tractor for a larger end loader, I'd got with a machine that does both.

 

[casolorz]

Looks like I am getting both sides of the story.

I guess I should voice my concerns about each solution and see what everyone has to say.

If I get the ztr or similar mower + the older tractor, I worry that the tractor would break often since it would be older. I also worry that once I have nice grass going, the tractor would tear it up as it would probably not have turf tires or whatever they are called. There is also the pulling small things like a spreader with a big tractor might be kind of silly.
On the plus side the ztr should be a lot better for the every weekend mowing vs a scut. Plus once I am done with major landscaping I can consider selling the tractor (don't know what I would do for the gravel driveway and snow removal). I could also get a much bigger tractor than a scut which might be able to help me more.


Now if I go with the scut option, I worry that I will spend too much money and get something at the bottom end, with not much power or useful features. I also worry that it won't be as easy to mow with as a ztr. And I worry that it won't have nearly the amount of power needed for some of the jobs (that is completely without any real data).
On the plus side, I would be buying something new, nice financing. It should be big enough to pull most implements I can think of, yet not too big for small things like a spreader.

One last thing, I am not too worried about garage space but having 1 piece of equipment vs two might be better.

Thanks for all the input.

--Carlos

 

[Soundguy]

Not like a bx has anything much of ground clearance anyway.. MMM or not

I'd completely agree that I'd rather mow with a scut and MMM than a rider mower or ZTR any day of the week... even if it was orange!!

soundguy

I can take the loader off of my BX in under three minutes and the MMM in under five. I haven't found the MMM even on the BX to get in my way all that much; depends on what you are doing. I have a dedicated lawn mower that we haven't used in two years; probably sell it this spring.

 

[Soundguy]

just like anything.. get a GOOD older tractor and maintain it and it will be reliable..I got a fleet of them mostly from the 50's.. many 6v.. they all run fine, start good, etc. some strart better than my modern fuel oil burner

soundguy

Looks like I am getting both sides of the story.

I guess I should voice my concerns about each solution and see what everyone has to say.

If I get the ztr or similar mower + the older tractor, I worry that the tractor would break often since it would be older. I also worry that once I have nice grass going, the tractor would tear it up as it would probably not have turf tires or whatever they are called. There is also the pulling small things like a spreader with a big tractor might be kind of silly.
On the plus side the ztr should be a lot better for the every weekend mowing vs a scut. Plus once I am done with major landscaping I can consider selling the tractor (don't know what I would do for the gravel driveway and snow removal). I could also get a much bigger tractor than a scut which might be able to help me more.


Now if I go with the scut option, I worry that I will spend too much money and get something at the bottom end, with not much power or useful features. I also worry that it won't be as easy to mow with as a ztr. And I worry that it won't have nearly the amount of power needed for some of the jobs (that is completely without any real data).
On the plus side, I would be buying something new, nice financing. It should be big enough to pull most implements I can think of, yet not too big for small things like a spreader.

One last thing, I am not too worried about garage space but having 1 piece of equipment vs two might be better.

Thanks for all the input.

--Carlos

 

[Egon]

With three acres to look after a "Kubota SCUT type tractor" would suit you just fine. Attachments are quite easy to put on or take off and you may find yourself going for long periods with just the MMM being used.

Chances are that jobs requiring a larger machine will best be done with a one time rental machine with or without an operator. On three acres these type of jobs are usually a one time thing and then it's back to maintenance.

With a new or newish SCUT the maintenance should mostly be lubrication and cleaning the radiator externals as your hours will be fairly low. [in most cases]

The SCUTS can also do some serious homeowner type work if you have patience as it will take longer.

In Alberta we lived on three acres with a Kubota B7100, 60in. MMM, FEL, back blade and 42 inch roto tiller. Met all our needs.

When we moved to Nova Scotia this same tractor followed us and was used extensively out at the 68 acre Lake lot or Play Farm or Wood lot, designated as to what I was doing at the time. Here it got into some serious work moving dirt and rocks, removing the odd tree and stump, building up the access road and cultivating about five acres Play Farm area.

Some pictures attached depicting what can be done.Dug out stump, moved log,digging out rocks and a little area that was tilled with rocks moved around it.

 

[TripleR]

Not like a bx has anything much of ground clearance anyway.. MMM or not

I'd completely agree that I'd rather mow with a scut and MMM than a rider mower or ZTR any day of the week... even if it was orange!!

soundguy

No, I think about 8" or so, but I haven't had a problem with it and use it a lot more than my "real" tractors.

I agree on getting a good older tractor as we have a couple made in the 50's and one in the sixties with the others newer and the older ones are very dependable. I am thinking about buying another tractor and it may well be a good used one if I come across one.