Advice for mowing 5 acres & lawn. SCT or X7X8 Series

[nrbocke]

Hi everyone-
I've post on this forum before and everyone has always been very helpful. I'm a little closer to needing to buy something and was wanting to get everyone's updated thoughts on my situation...

I will have about 15000 sq. ft. of grass installed in a week or two. I have about 5 acres left to mow. This is pretty tough in my opinion. It ranges from the native brome to sun flowers and weeds where the land was disturbed building the house. The landscaper is bringing in dirt for my yard but everything else is very sandy. I also have some pretty steep hills to deal with. 99% of the time I will be using the machine to mow. I will probably mow the yard every 4 days to once a week and I would like to mow the rest no more than once a month. So it could get kind of tall. I am hiring all of my landscaping out. So no loader work. I may want to pull a shredder in the long term (probably not for the first couple of years) so I'm not wearing out the main tractor mower. I would probably get some kind of blade for snow removal. There is a small chance I would get a snow blower down the line and an even smaller chance I would ever get a tiller (1%). Space is an issue in the fact that I just want to buy one machine. For example I don't want to buy and old tractor just to shred and a ZTR to mow with.

So in my last posts a lot of people recommended the X7XX series from John Deere. I like the X728/48 and a local dealer has a X748 with a 7 Iron deck. Then I went to a big farm show today. Kubota and John Deere both had national sales folks to talk to. John Deere steered me to the 1026R and Kubota to the BX2660. While neither one of them had a bad thing to say about the others SCT they both said for mowing outside of the lawn the SCT are going to be far superior. Also I don't have anything but retail prices but what they are asking for that X748 just seems crazy compared to the prices of the SCT with MMM. Then thinking about adding the PTO and 3 point to the X series then there is really no comparison. They also say if there is any chance that I want to do anything else other than mow I need to go SCT. In my mind the chances that I will do anything other than mow, move snow, or maybe shred is so remote that X series would get me by in those odd cases.

What's everyone think??? Price is going to be a huge factor but then again I will pay more for something that will hold up better. I am putting a lot of money into my landscape so the cut of the lawn will be important to me. But on the other hand I don't want to struggle or wear out a high dollar mower on pasture. Posts I've read say the X7 with the iron deck is a far superior mower, but how will it do out in the pasture, or maybe with a little shredder? I've included some picture I took for another post for what it's worth.

Thanks A lot!!!

 

[nrbocke]

One other thing that I found interesting today...Both JD and Kubota said their SCT MMM would give just as good as cut as any mower. They also said with the turf tires there is no difference on the lawn between a lawn tractor and a SCT. Do people believe these 2 statements to be true? I just read posts saying the 7 Iron deck is one of the best cuts available and the JD rep is telling me this with one sitting 10 feet away...

 

[LBrown59]

So in my last posts a lot of people recommended the X7XX series from John Deere. I like the X728/48 and a local dealer has a X748 with a 7 Iron deck. Then I went to a big farm show today. Kubota and John Deere both had national sales folks to talk to. John Deere steered me to the 1026R and Kubota to the BX2660. While neither one of them had a bad thing to say about the others SCT they both said for mowing outside of the lawn the SCT are going to be far superior. Also I don't have anything but retail prices but
what they are asking for that X748 just seems crazy compared to the prices of the SCT with MMM.
Then thinking about adding the PTO and 3 point to the X series then there is really no comparison. They also say if there is any chance that I want to do anything else other than mow I need to go SCT. In my mind the chances that I will do anything other than mow, move snow, or maybe shred is so remote that X series would get me by in those odd cases.

I have to agree with you. It seems very crazy.

 

[nrbocke]

I have to agree with you. It seems very crazy.

It may be completely irrational but I just don't feel comfortable spending $15000 on a mower but when the reps quoted me about the same price for the jd/Kubota scut I think that's a pretty good deal. I have to believe the scut will hold up better. Just looking at the front axel and how the wheels tie in looks a lot more substantial on the scut. I just pulled out my books and I see the 1026r weights more than twice as much as the x748! I didn't expect that much difference. That has to relate to a lot more strength... Right? On the other hand if I am just mowing and want a nice yard cut does it make sense to buy a scut?

 

[jenkinsph]

It may be completely irrational but I just don't feel comfortable spending $15000 on a mower but when the reps quoted me about the same price for the jd/Kubota scut I think that's a pretty good deal. I have to believe the scut will hold up better. Just looking at the front axel and how the wheels tie in looks a lot more substantial on the scut. I just pulled out my books and I see the 1026r weights more than twice as much as the x748! I didn't expect that much difference. That has to relate to a lot more strength... Right? On the other hand if I am just mowing and want a nice yard cut does it make sense to buy a scut?

Check your weights again,

 

[Turbys_1700]

I have been using a compact tractor with a rear finish mower for the past 20 years...
I mow around 5 acres with some areas rougher than others including the front lawn...
I ran the Land Pride 14 years and replaced 1 wheel and 1 belt...
So far I have replaced nothing on my Woods PRD 7200...
Personally, if I were in your shoes, I would look very hard at a compact tractor with RFM...
I think that a zero turn or garden tractor would be hard pressed to hold up as well...

 

[chim]

I have been using a compact tractor with a rear finish mower for the past 20 years...
I mow around 5 acres with some areas rougher than others including the front lawn...
I ran the Land Pride 14 years and replaced 1 wheel and 1 belt...
So far I have replaced nothing on my Woods PRD 7200...
Personally, if I were in your shoes, I would look very hard at a compact tractor with RFM...
I think that a zero turn or garden tractor would be hard pressed to hold up as well...

I've bought 4 tractors over the last 23 years. The first one had a belly mower and the rest had RFM's. At first, I only had a bit over 2 acres to mow. Then I started mowing for a nearby relative and had about 7 acres for many years. A couple years ago my relative sold the property and now I'm down to about 2-1/2+ acres. A few months ago I bought a new L3200 HST / Loader and a Landpride 6 foot RFM to replace a similarly equipped (except 5 foot RFM) B7500 . Even though it's the heaviest tractor I've had so far, the L3200 with R4's leaves the least tracks through the grass of any tractor I've had. Previous tractors had turfs, R1's and R4's.

Kept the 6 foot scraper blade from the last tractor. That and the loader will handle snow - we range from nothing one year to to blizzards another. The loader is something I never thought I'd use as much as I do. Aside from the normal snow and dirt relocation, it's a mini crane to get stuff on and off my truck, a handy tub to mix and place small batches of concrete, and good for wherever a 32 horsepower wheelbarrow may be needed.

It's going to be one of the tools used to wreck a tree trunk in about an hour or so. There's a tree someone "repaired" with concrete when it was found to be hollow many years ago. Recent storm damage made it necessary to drop the tree. I described the trunk as "sorta like one of those Combo snacks", except instead of peanut butter the center is concrete. And instead of pretzel, the outer part is about 6" of wood. Since the work is a couple miles away (involves jackhammer, saws, in town, with people sleeping in) we figured it'd be nice to wait till after 9:00 AM.

 

[Don87]

You haven't listed your location. That would be a big help for those of us that are trying to help you. Conditions in Maine are different than Washington, Texas, Hawaii or Idaho.

You mentioned the possibility of attachments.............buy the SCUT now and save headaches in the future.

You haven't mentioned Massey Ferguson. Dunno if you have no dealers in your area, or you just never thought of them. Give them a look if possible.

A friend of mine has the BX2360, he does not like the cut on the mower deck. Apparently the Kubota deck is not supposed to ride on the wheels, but must be suspended in the air. My friend says he gets an uneven cut.

I know nothing about the mowing capabilities of the JD(forum posts say they cut good).

I get an extremely good cut with my Massey Ferguson.

I'm also going to make the suggestion that you get an FEL(front end loader), on your SCUT. You WILL thank me later for that advice. I use mine for picking up rocks, sticks while mowing, digging of course, leveling humps. carrying weeds, grass seed, mulch, concrete blocks, rocks for my pond...stream....waterfall, vegetables from the garden, ashes from my stove. Add a few hooks, and you can lift heavy items from your truck bed, or load your truck with items or dirt, sand....or whatever..........uses are endless. Just today I leveled gound, moved rocks, and cleared a trail through the woods..........uprooting small trees, moving large blowdowns, and filling the holes left by the stumps I removed today.....that I cut the trees from 16 years ago.

Just make sure you prepare for the future. A scut will prepare you for that.

Try all the brands, choose the one that suits you the best.

Happy Shopping.

 

[94BULLITT]

I have a BX2360 and I really like it. I think it does a good job cutting. It chops the grass up real fine and stripes pretty good. They are not supposed to ride on the anti-scalp wheels. The 2360 has tons of power for a mower. I mow some really steep stuff with it. I pull down and back up the hill. I have R4 tires and I don't have any regrets about getting them. They work good in the yard and work good for using it as a tractor. I really don't recommend a zero turn because all you can do is mow with it. You will be very surprised what you can do with a SCUT. Have you considered a larger tractor like a B3200, you can get a 72'' mmm on it.

 

[lockhaven]

zero turn mower, I have an old Dixie Chopper and I mow 5 acres of grass takes 2 hours if it were smother I could do it less. Not saying get a Dixie they are expensive I got mine on a special deal used,. But all zero turns will do the same.

 

[nrbocke]

Check your weights again,

Sorry, your right. I must have looked at kg when I looked at the x748 last night. Actually, the x748 is 28lbs heavier according to the books I have. You know I thought they would be pretty close in weight. Now that I see that the x748 is actually a little more it leads me to believe they have to be on similar frames and similar build quality. I wonder if they use the same engine? Thanks for pointing that out..

 

[nrbocke]

I live in South Central Nebraska. I don't technically live in the Sand Hills but I might as well.

I actually liked the Massey Ferguson at the farm show I went to. The rep was the most knowledgeable person I spoke to at the show. I felt he did a great job comparing their tractor and the 1026R. Also my cousin's husband works for Massey so I was interested in what they had to say. I think their prices would be good. So I got the list of dealers in my area. The problem is I don't think a single one of the dealers in my area (+50 miles) even keep a single Massey Ferguson in stock. Now I haven't talked to anyone but I've been through their lots and have never seen one. One of the dealers close to me is a Case dealer and the other is JD. So I kind of just gave up on the idea...

 

[nrbocke]

zero turn mower, I have an old Dixie Chopper and I mow 5 acres of grass takes 2 hours if it were smother I could do it less. Not saying get a Dixie they are expensive I got mine on a special deal used,. But all zero turns will do the same.

I keep going back to the idea of getting a ZTR. The prices are so much easier to swallow at this point. I have a friend that mows 4 acres (all level though) 3 acres being pasture with a Dixon and he loves it. Also I work with a guy that has a small dealership on the side that sells Exmark. I guess he sold a guy at work about a $9000 mower for $6,XXX something.

The only thing I need to do other than mow (right now or for the next couple of years for that matter) is maybe move snow. The guy I know that bought the Dixon only had his drive cleaned out once in 4 years. After paying a guy to do it the first time he just decided he didn't need it done. He just drives out when and where he can and hasn't had any issues. That being said we work for the same company but he is a trainer and I'm in real time operations. He can always stay home if it gets to bad and I can't. But having my driveway clean doesn't do me a lot of good if the mile and half of gravel road to the highway hasn't been opened by the county. So I just question whether I need to really be thinking about moving snow or not.

 

[94BULLITT]

I have seen ZTR with snowblowers.

 

[jenkinsph]

nrbocke,

You may have noticed I deleted my first post, I felt it fell on deaf ears. I assumed rightly or wrongly that since you hired a landscaper to put in sod that you either didn't have the time or the inclination to do it on a hands on basis. Basically knock it out and giturdone. That led me to further assume that you needed a good mower first and foremost, that makes me think an x748 would be your best choice. If I were mowing the pasture area I would likely cut if with the deck fully raised, this would prevent alot of deck damage and repairs and would cut the grass about 5 to 6 inches tall ( similar to a brushmower).

One advantage the x series has over the 1026R is turning radius, an x748 has a 25" turning radius while the 1026R has a 7.4ft radius. If you were to mow to the top of the hill and turn around at the top the 1026R will need alot more room to do this. May not be of importance in your case as your property is wide open.

IIRC an x748 without mower deck is about 1133 lbs, the 1026R is just over 1400 lbs without mower deck. For mowing less weight is better, for ground engagement more weight is better so if 99% of what you need to do is to mow then I would get the x series. If you decide you wan't a tractor later I would buy something larger and heavier as a separate purchase.

 

[nrbocke]

nrbocke,

You may have noticed I deleted my first post, I felt it fell on deaf ears. I assumed rightly or wrongly that since you hired a landscaper to put in sod that you either didn't have the time or the inclination to do it on a hands on basis. Basically knock it out and giturdone. That led me to further assume that you needed a good mower first and foremost, that makes me think an x748 would be your best choice. If I were mowing the pasture area I would likely cut if with the deck fully raised, this would prevent alot of deck damage and repairs and would cut the grass about 5 to 6 inches tall ( similar to a brushmower).

One advantage the x series has over the 1026R is turning radius, an x748 has a 25" turning radius while the 1026R has a 7.4ft radius. If you were to mow to the top of the hill and turn around at the top the 1026R will need alot more room to do this. May not be of importance in your case as your property is wide open.

IIRC an x748 without mower deck is about 1133 lbs, the 1026R is just over 1400 lbs without mower deck. For mowing less weight is better, for ground engagement more weight is better so if 99% of what you need to do is to mow then I would get the x series. If you decide you wasn't a tractor later I would buy something larger and heavier as a separate purchase.

Thanks,
So assuming I would mow with the deck fully raised, which I'm fine with, is there any reason the X748 wouldn't last as long as the 1026R all other things being equal? I know the X748 has to be better in the yard even though there is a lot of feedback stating the a SCUT can do just as good. I really just don't ever seeing myself using implements other than a tiller and the shredder. Even those I can probably live without (as long as I'm not shortening the life of the X748 mowing in the pasture) and I figure I could always add the PTO to the X748 latter. I agree a loader would probably be handy but just can't justify it at this point. Even if I do end up doing some landscaping on my own in another area on the acreage it won't be for 2-3 years at the least.

 

[jenkinsph]

Well I use my x749 for landscape work all the time and haven't had any problems with it. The pto is a quick diy install took about 30 minutes to do, 3PH took longer but had it on with no problems in about 3 hours, could do it again in half that time. I till, smooth, rake, seed, and roll with this on small yards often.

My suggestion to have a landscaper/farmer/neighbor run a landplane across the pastures would do alot to smooth up the bumps and rough edges. That is what I would do in your shoes. I would likely till up the 15,000 sq. ft and plant grass myself in lieu of sod, just completed a similar sized job with the x749 and it is in the watering mode now, took about three days by myself. Brought the backhoe with me but never unloaded it from the trailer, small machine did it all.

Another suggestion I would make looking at your property is to consider buying or building some type of drag or 3PH harrow to help with smoothing. A few passes over the ground each year when you had the time could really help it out. throwing out some grass seeds as needed. For your open spaces a simple drag type 5' section harrow would work well and you could pull it when you mow the pasture in most cases.

to answer your question about longevity, the x748 is built pretty durable and the 7 iron decks are stout, these should last a long time with your mowing. The new models that will be introduced next year are lighter guage but have the advantage of auto connect from what I have read. In your case where the mower deck will stay on the machine most of the time I would get the existing model with the heavier 7 iron deck and giturdone.

Heres a picture of my lawn that I ran my larger land plane across, really helps to get a smooth finish. It will save you time everytime you mow. Also pictures of the 3PH 8ft harrow I made for $250. Last is a picture of my small landplane for the 749.

 

[nrbocke]

Well I use my x749 for landscape work all the time and haven't had any problems with it. The pto is a quick diy install took about 30 minutes to do, 3PH took longer but had it on with no problems in about 3 hours, could do it again in half that time. I till, smooth, rake, seed, and roll with this on small yards often.

My suggestion to have a landscaper/farmer/neighbor run a landplane across the pastures would do alot to smooth up the bumps and rough edges. That is what I would do in your shoes. I would likely till up the 15,000 sq. ft and plant grass myself in lieu of sod, just completed a similar sized job with the x749 and it is in the watering mode now, took about three days by myself. Brought the backhoe with me but never unloaded it from the trailer, small machine did it all.

Another suggestion I would make looking at your property is to consider buying or building some type of drag or 3PH harrow to help with smoothing. A few passes over the ground each year when you had the time could really help it out. throwing out some grass seeds as needed. For your open spaces a simple drag type 5' section harrow would work well and you could pull it when you mow the pasture in most cases.

to answer your question about longevity, the x748 is built pretty durable and the 7 iron decks are stout, these should last a long time with your mowing. The new models that will be introduced next year are lighter guage but have the advantage of auto connect from what I have read. In your case where the mower deck will stay on the machine most of the time I would get the existing model with the heavier 7 iron deck and giturdone.

Heres a picture of my lawn that I ran my larger land plane across, really helps to get a smooth finish. It will save you time everytime you mow. Also pictures of the 3PH 8ft harrow I made for $250. Last is a picture of my small landplane a for the 749.

.
The yard install actually started last week. They have all grading and dirt work done. Landscaping starts next week and after plants and edging are in then sprinklers and grass. They grass will be hydro seeded. Anyway thanks for all your time! I do believe I will be back to looking for a x728 or 48 when the budget allows. Can't get one now...found out i Saturday my year old leach field is full of sand and not working right. Installer is checking on warranty Monday but to say the least I am still concerned...

 

[jenkinsph]

.
The yard install actually started last week. They have all grading and dirt work done. Landscaping starts next week and after plants and edging are in then sprinklers and grass. They grass will be hydro seeded. Anyway thanks for all your time! I do believe I will be back to looking for a x728 or 48 when the budget allows. Can't get one now...found out i Saturday my year old leach field is full of sand and not working right. Installer is checking on warranty Monday but to say the least I am still concerned...

As a master plumber I would see what he says but if you are expected to pay for more work I would place a phone call to your attorney first. I would think that in most cases this would be improper installation and the plumber should be responsible for correcting the problem on his dime. You need to hold your ground on this one.

 

[Gittyup]

open and flat enough: advantage goes to the SCUT. It isn't often I make this recommendation for your chores, as I think the X700 is the best for mowing and snow removal, mainly due to maneuverability and stability. But, in your case, it doesn't look like it would matter much.