Garden tractors? At a cross roads, need some other heads to bounce ideas with

[FlyFishn]

All,

We're in need of a machine.

Some background - we bought an old International 444 with a loader a couple years ago. I got it running when we moved out to our farm. It went down that winter a few months later and life's been too busy to do anything with it. I am hoping to get to it this winter - but we're just at the beginning of it.

Last spring we bought an old John Deere 185 Hydro. Its had some issues, but in general has been OK for the grass mowing season and general duty hauling stuff around the place. I've pulled our 16' tandem axle trailer with it a few times moving brush and other stuff - and that loads it way too much, but its done it.

About a month ago we got a snow plow for it. We've used it twice. And now we're in a hole.

We can't get the engine to run, no matter what we do. Starter fluid and gas straight in the carb, it smokes and backfires a bit, but I can't get any more than a pop or two of actual combustion.

I'm guessing it is a compression and/or valve issue. And I need to be working on our big loader tractor, not this dmn lawn tractor.

And we're at the beginning of the snow season.

That said - we need a machine that is reliable. I am about to see about getting a new machine, but that is going to come with a loan and payments we don't want - but we need a reliable machine.

Deere's are out of the question.

Small lawn tractors are definitely more affordable. However, they don't have the strength we need.

We need something that can do some real work and has an actual transmission that isn't going to blow out in a year or two of "heavy" use.

What about garden tractors?

For example - I am eyeballing the biggest Husqvarna - the TS354XD. It is said to have a "commercial" grade hydro drive with locking diff.

That, though, is in the $5,000 range for just the machine. At that money I'd rather get a utility tractor with hydraulics - but that is another $10k or so.

So what thoughts are there? What would you look at?

My fear going used is the reliability issue - we need something reliable. And if we go new we can do payments, and not all $ up front which we can't do right now in the heating season on top of Christmas...

 

[leonz]

Save the 444 as it needs a little work and buy a used BX1870 or BX2370,
there are enough of them around to buy from iron planet or tractor house.

Do you own a space heater that you can use to warm up the 444?
Do you have a mister funnel to get rid of the water in your gasoline?
Do you use seafoam or stabil for your fuel?

 

[FlyFishn]

Theres a thread here on the 444 work. I wont rehash all of it, but in short - it came apart last winter in my shop and is still apart.

 

[denchen]

Sounds to me like the timing has slipped on your old Deere. I would see if the distributer has worked loose, if not check the rotor arm is at the right place, I've known the shaft drive pin to sheer on tractors.

 

[FlyFishn]

Sounds to me like the timing has slipped on your old Deere. I would see if the distributer has worked loose, if not check the rotor arm is at the right place, I've known the shaft drive pin to sheer on tractors.

I dont have time to work on it. Thats the problem with everything - I need a machine that "works", turn key, and is reliable.

Everything we have is a "project" I dont have time to work on - so it just sits. I need to get work done while the projects sit.

That is what Im asking with the thread and the garden tractor - if I can get a machine that will do the essentials, turn key, that is what I need. But what is that? What isnt going to break and leave me down when doing more than mowing grass?

 

[bigtiller]

The JD 185 was just a riding lawnmower.
I suggest you look past the garden tractors and consider a subcompact utility tractor (SCUT). They are the same physical size and power of a garden tractor but are much more capable of work without hurting it's self.

 

[FlyFishn]

The JD 185 was just a riding lawnmower.
I suggest you look past the garden tractors and consider a subcompact utility tractor (SCUT). They are the same physical size and power of a garden tractor but are much more capable of work without hurting it's self.

This is the hard subject. We need a real farm tractor. For that we're eyeballing the Kubota M4D-71 right now - as everything else, as finances will allow. The 444 is, hopefully, going to fill that gap for a bit.

If we go with a compact tractor now that is going to financially cripple us fron the M4D fir a long while.

So if we down size - what is going to get some essential work done and be reliable? Thats where we are.

 

[Carl_NH]

As Leonz said the Kubota BX are highly regarded and reliable and can be found with a loader and mower deck (if you need a mower too) for $10K range used. Then in the same size you have the Mahindra Max26 and Massey Ferguson as sub compact tractors you can find in the 10-12K range.

The better option may be to step up a size to the Kubota L series like this L2501 with 290 hrs at $18K and this will do the work on a small farm, pull wagons, plow, move snow and more. Pardon Our Interruption

Also post where you are from/region of country for more precise/local suggestions.

 

[IH3444]

The Husqvarna are known for serious frame breakage. The 444 is a h$ll of a machine when in top tune and mechanical shape.

https://www.mytractorforum.com/threads/2020-vs-2019-ts354xd-and-frame-question.1349941/

You need a real mowing tractor.

KUBOTA BX1500​

Pardon Our Interruption

Pardon Our Interruption

 

[Shawn T. W.]

Not many late model garden tractors made anymore, most have embraced the Sub-Compact Tractor (SCUT) size ...

For example a John Deere X700 series in a diesel model, is a slightly better mower with its AWD, but seriously lacking in being a "Swiss Army Knife Tractor" like is slightly bigger 1R series brother, for hardly any more money ...

Searching Tractor House with your zip code and price range could find you something that would work ...

Some of the older (very OLD, but capable) GT's like the Wheel Horse, Bolens, Simplicity ... Had 3pt and rear PTO which made them very versatile ...