Buying Advice Need an all purpose machine.

[Pele]

Greetings,

Let's get right down to business.
Looking for a small garden tractor, here's what I need:

-Belly mower between 48" and 60"
-Front hydraulics for either plow, Front End Loader, or Snowblower
-Rear PTO and Category 0 Three point hitch (Or if it doesn't come with, something I can add easily later.)
-Reliable and not a project. (Parts availability is a must.)
-Cheap and used... Budget of $2000 maximum

Been shopping on CraigsList and eBay for a deal. This doesn't need to be an immediate purchase, as I can get by without for a while longer with a push mower, small chipper/shredder, string trimmer/brush cutter, and splitting logs manually with an axe.


Been looking into older 1980's John Deere 300 (318) and 400/420 series tractors.

Looked at a Deutz-Allis Ultima 1920 for $500, but that thing was a basket case. Ran on one cylinder due to a bad magneto or something... Needed starting fluid due to bad carburetor... Missing or damaged sheet metal all over the place... Cut and spliced wiring harness... Looks like someone adapted a different mower deck to it, tractor was green, deck was red.

There's a Ford LGT125 for cheap. But I dunno if a 12 Horse single cylinder will keep up with things I need.

Wondering what else I should look at... What competes with these tractors?

 

[Pele]

And here's my back story:

Buddy of mine just got a little MTD riding mower and I want one too. (Isn't this how these things always start?)

Problem is, I want something that does more than just mow.
Heck, his can't even make it up the hill in his yard because it doesn't have a limited slip diff; one wheel sits there and spins.

I figure get it with a hitch, aux hydraulics, and attachment points for stuff and I can buy or build my own implements.

Here's what I've got:

Home is a typical house in suburbia (Woodbridge, VA. About 30 miles south of Washington D.C.) so I definitely don't need a huge farm tractor to mow my little quarter acre, nor can I justify keeping one in the yard. It'll have to be a garden tractor.

I've got one other house that I rent out, also a quarter acre for me to take care of when it's vacant... Then my parents are also getting on in years and they've got half an acre. In a few years they won't be able to take care of it. So all together, I've got an acre of grass to take care of. I feed larger branches and stuff through a chipper.


I've gotta plow sidewalks because when people decide they don't know how to walk and they break an ankle in the winter, they go after the person who owns the hose they fell in front of. I'm an emergency responder at work, so I'm usually ordered to stay at work when the weather is bad. Then it's up to my wife to clear the snow... After the last two years, I wanna be prepared.


Lastly, I've got 5 acres that will be the property I build my retirement home on. It's mostly wooded, but has about an acre that I need to run a bush hog through every once in a while. I currently pay a guy to do it or I do it manually with a brush cutter blade on the end of my string trimmer.

 

[Tdcw4]

U will be lucky to find a tractor style lawnmower for $2000. I would say u need atleast $7000 to get a well used b series kubota.

 

[RPW]

Cat 0 is another problem. Finding attachments will be problematic.

 

[Bartcephus]

I agree with the others, I don't think your budget is realistic with goals. But some people get lucky... :thumbsup:

 

[RoyJackson]

I suggest you find a decent lawn tractor...or even a self-propelled walk behing mower for those 1/4 acre lots. As long as you're not looking for anything fancy, you should find something. If you feel you must have a lawn tractor, look for an old Wheel Horse. They're not pretty, but are good machines.

The self-propelled walk-behind mower would be the easier to transport from lot to lot.

It's highly unlikely you'll find a tractor/loader for $2K. Even the early Kubota BX2200 (1999-2000 models) go for at least twice the amount you want to spend. The Deere lawn tractors with loaders...well, figure $4K minimum (doubt you find one though).
You might find a home made machine with a loader...I've seen that kind of machine on CL occasionally.

As far as your 5 acres (with one to be brush cut)...your current method works...suggest you stick with it.

BTW, try using Search Tempest to expand you CL searches...

 

[Pele]

U will be lucky to find a tractor style lawnmower for $2000. I would say u need atleast $7000 to get a well used b series kubota.

I agree with the others, I don't think your budget is realistic with goals. But some people get lucky... :thumbsup:

Buddy got his little MTD for FREE. Just needed a little idler wheel to keep the deck straight and a fresh tank of fuel.

I'm seeing little MTD/Ariens/Bolens/White/Craftsman riders for $500ish, running with maybe a couple hundred hours on them... No aux hydraulics or PTO.


I don't need the loader right away. The $2000 budget will just cover the tractor and mower deck. I will buy the other stuff later on.
I just need a place to hook it up.

There were some Deere 400s for $1800 all last week, but it looks like they got snatched up.

There's a Deere 317 up for $1200, but I hear the Kohler 17 horse engines have lubrication problems.

If I had $7500, there's a 4x4 Kubota Diesel with loader and mower. But I don't have that kinda cash.



Suppose I'll get one of those Deere 400s or 420s when they pop up again.
There's a Deere 430 on eBay that'll probably go for around $3500-4000. I suppose the Yanmar Diesel adds to the value.

I don't think my budget is TOTALLY outta reach, but I am definitely looking for a deal.

 

[RoyJackson]

Buddy got his little MTD for FREE. Just needed a little idler wheel to keep the deck straight and a fresh tank of fuel.

I'm seeing little MTD/Ariens/Bolens/White/Craftsman riders for $500ish, running with maybe a couple hundred hours on them... No aux hydraulics or PTO.

I don't need the loader right away. The $2000 budget will just cover the tractor and mower deck. I will buy the other stuff later on.
I just need a place to hook it up.

None of the lawn tractors you wrote about have any provision for hydraulics, a loader or PTO. I doubt it would even be feasible to add those or if parts would be available to add hydraulics, loader or PTO (I'll qualify that...some lawn tractors (such as a Wheel Horse) use a belt driven proprietory PTO to operate front mounted snow blowers).

I suggest your best bet would to be a machine such as I described in my first response and start saving money for a late 80's the late 90's CUT.

 

[Pele]

^

Found a Massey Ferguson 1450. It looks to have what I need. Also, that Ford LGT125 has PTOs and hydraulics.

Would I go wrong buying one of those?

 

[bp fick]

It can be frustrating, on a tight budget, to find useful tractor, with enough features, reliability and grunt, along with all the attachments, to work your "to do" list.

But I just have to agree with others. Unless you are handy enough with a wrench to keep an old 8N Ford for $2000 going, your budget simply isn't realistic to consider a subcompact, modern tractor. A BX Kubota, with mowing deck and loader will set you back $6K+. And, those will be older, well used models.
As Roy says, the garden tractors don't have hydraulics and such to operate equipment on a 3 point or front quick attach system.

I don't see your plan, as articulated, as coming together, quite honestly, but I wish you the very best in your searching.

 

[Pele]

An 8N Ford is WAY too big for my needs anyhow.
Though I am pretty handy with a wrench.

And like I said, the $2k only has to cover the machine and the deck. I'll buy other items later.

 

[dodge man]

I've been in your place before. The truth is, any riding mower that cost a few hundred dollars used, or even $1200 new is a throw away. Depending on how you use it, it might last several years. If you didn't have 5 acres, I'd say a good riding mower is what you need.

I'll tell you my story and you can compare. I live on 3 acres in the country, and like many rural properties, its hilly, bumpy, I have trees, I handle fire wood, and I have a paved driveway that is 600 feet long to clear snow from in the winter. I bought a $1000 riding mower for the first go around. It lasted maybe 4 years and was falling apart, the deck was shot and so was the steering. I sold what was left of it for $50. I then bought a high priced riding mower, something like $4500. It held up better, but all it did was mow, I got stuck every so often, and it sucked on my hills. Like you say, one tire spins. When I sold this $4500 mower after a few years, I got $750. I now have a Kubota BX2350, end loader, rear blade, 60" mowing deck (mid mount mower) and a rear blade for the 3 point and a 4' 3 point brush mower. Brand new, this stuff will set you back over $10,000, closer to $15,000. Well used stuff will still be over $5000.

I feel like it was money well spent, I don't hate mowing anymore, with a end loader, you won't use a shovel and wheel barrow very much, snow removal is so much easier, no more walking behind a snow blower. I can move piles of dirt, gravel, dig holes, all while sitting down. Its saved me a lot of back pain.

You have to think of this as an investment, a long term purchase. Figure out how to save for it or afford the payements, and you won't regret it.

 

[Verticaltrx]

Reading your criteria I think you should expand your search to slightly smaller garden tractors as well. I don't really know what class you'd call them, but most have a 48-54" deck, and the ability to handle front and rear mount attachments although most aren't hydraulic. I don't know a lot of models off hand, but I have a 265 John Deere garden tractor and it easily does the type of tasks you mention. It is hydrostatic, has a good 17hp Kawasaki industrial engine, a real frame, 48" mower, and the ability to run a front snow blower, front blade, rear mount tiller, as well as a sleeve hitch to use a small moldboard plow, disc, or other garden implements. It has a set of factory wheel weights and goes up, down and around hills a lot steeper than our old lawn tractor would. In that series there was the 240, 245, 260, 265, and 285. Available in both gear drive and hydro. I often see those go for about $2K in decent shape. There was also the GT series which was a little newer but about the same size units. I know that Cud Cadet also made several machines in that class, and those from the 80's-90's are fairly affordable as well.

 

[Pele]

You have to think of this as an investment, a long term purchase. Figure out how to save for it or afford the payements, and you won't regret it.

Totally understood about the investment bit. Given your username, you'd probably appreciate this... Bought a 2001 Dodge Ram 2500 about a year ago as an investment. One of the last Cummins engines without all the EGR and DPF emissions junk on it.

I'd say I made out pretty well on that deal, $10k for a rust free 4x4 with 160K on the clock. Though that's after I put a brand new injector pump, fuel system, and aftermarket engine monitoring gauges on it. I paid $8K for it and thought I had darn near stolen it.

Same truck with many more miles and some visible rust went for $14K.

 

[Bartcephus]

Pele,

I think that you will find that a "lawn tractor" with a FEL really won't do what you want it to do. Even with my 30 H.P. New Holland, I will loose traction and spin the wheels on occasion. Don't think that a 8N is really all that big. I encourage you to DREAM BIG. You won't be disappointed with more power and versatillity. :thumbsup:

 

[Pele]

Pele,

I think that you will find that a "lawn tractor" with a FEL really won't do what you want it to do. Even with my 30 H.P. New Holland, I will loose traction and spin the wheels on occasion. Don't think that a 8N is really all that big. I encourage you to DREAM BIG. You won't be disappointed with more power and versatillity. :thumbsup:

If it's too big to put in the bed of a full size pickup for transport or in an 8x12 backyard shed for storage, then it's too big to keep around my house.

The 5 acre property has no buildings, so there's no place to store it there.


I can ditch the jobs on the 5 acre and continue paying my guy or do the work manually with a trimmer. Then I can just go with just a small garden tractor for home use. I still haven't gotten anyone's opinion on the little John Deeres that I've been looking at... Specifically the 318 or 420. Nobody's told me why these would be a bad choice.

Are these things too old to use? Will implements or spare parts be hard to find?
I keep seeing people talking about fresh paint and new decals. Are these things just collectors' items or can they still be used for work?

I've got cars that are older and I know that finding spare parts can be a full time job. I've known people to manufacture their own parts on a lathe or milling machine.

 

[Verticaltrx]

.... I still haven't gotten anyone's opinion on the little John Deeres that I've been looking at... Specifically the 318 or 420. Nobody's told me why these would be a bad choice.

Are these things too old to use? Will implements or spare parts be hard to find?
I keep seeing people talking about fresh paint and new decals. Are these things just collectors' items or can they still be used for work?

I've got cars that are older and I know that finding spare parts can be a full time job. I've known people to manufacture their own parts on a lathe or milling machine.

They are good garden tractors, just find one in good shape without a ton of hours if that is the route you want to go. They are not too old to use, the 265 I mentioned in my last post is about that vintage, still starts every week and has never had anything other than routine maintenance. John Deere is very good about parts, you could go into any Deere dealer in the country and they would probably have any regular maintenance items, belts, blades, and common parts in stock. Whatever they don't have can be ordered and often is available the next day. Deere still has part available for tractors that are 50+ years old, so that should be the least of your worries.

One other option to throw out there is one of the smaller, old Kubota tractors. Something along the lines of a B5100, B6100, B7100, etc. They have more real tractor features, and if you go with a 2wd you should be able to find one in your budget.

 

[High Compression]

I agree with the others, I don't think your budget is realistic with goals. But some people get lucky... :thumbsup:

Well said.

 

[PossumHound]

This suggestion is probably too much for your 1/4 acre lots, but would allow you to ditch the custom bushhogging on the 5 acre lot. Of course, you'll need a trailer to move it and it has no loader plus its over-kill for your lawn mowing needs. But if you really want to consider powering implements/splitters etc. this one's ready to go:

1987 JOHN DEERE 750 Tractors - Less than 40 HP For Sale At TractorHouse.com

For such a good looking machine the price on that one is very good. I can also tell you those JD 650/750 machines are tough little bad boys - for 20 hp you won't believe what they can do.

PH

 

[RoyJackson]

I still haven't gotten anyone's opinion on the little John Deeres that I've been looking at... Specifically the 318 or 420. Nobody's told me why these would be a bad choice.

I don't think either of those Deere models would be a bad choice You should be able to find either within your price range, but expect a lot of hours. They'd be good mowing machines, but neither of those could accept a loader or run a rotary cutter (although the 420 does have a PTO and 3PH) which is what I believe you wanted.
But for basic mowing, you could do just as well with a cheaper lawn tractor. That, and as you know, Deere parts aren't cheap.