The property is approximately 1.2 acres and is flat and will become mostly grass and garden. After the initial landscaping projects (digging out stumps, old shrubs, clearing overgrown gardens from previous owner,etc) which will be done over the next couple years the tractor will be used for just all around maintenance (hauling mulch and dirt, digging occasionally, mowing and clearing the driveway in the winter). I considered renting a mini excavator to do the initial project and then just getting a lawn tractor but the rates in my area and the amount of times I would have to rent it would not be suitable. The BX will definitely take longer to do the initial projects but there is no rush and I think the BH will be overkill for what I need after.
Yes, for those tasks the BX is the right machine. B would be overkill. And so long as you're realistic about what the BH can do, and you have ongoing tasks you can nibble at with it, then owning one is way better than renting one. Trying to rent a mini-ex for 4 hours a weekend every weekend is a pain in the rear because you spend 2 hours driving, if you have a BH there you can just attach it and do a bit. It'll be slow for some tasks but that's fine if you expect it.
-60 mower would be overkill I believe
Maybe, but it costs very little more, and much better to buy it now than to wish you had it later. As others have said, they're better in some ways. The only reason _not_ to get the 60 inch is if you have a specific place it won't fit (like in your garage door). Otherwise it should be your default.
-I plan to use the FEL to clear snow as I don稚 have a very big driveway
-definitely don稚 have a need for a cab but would consider a soft cab for the bad winters.
Apparently a snowmobile suit is cheaper. For a normal driveway a bucket is fine. You could also consider a quick attach front blade, lots of people like them, or a rear blade (which also makes a great counterweight).
In regards to the attachments, the grapple is definitely one I have heard a lot of people rave about it.
Me too. I don't have one, my property isn't big enough that I can ever justify it, and they're quite expensive given the third function and hydraulics. When I'm doing cleanup tasks I usually chainsaw a bunch of tree limbs, then cut into a pile of firewood anything big enough to burn, then put the rest into a lawn trailer and tow to the mulch pile. The tractor has the
chipper on the back, I feed everything through. So I wouldn't really use a grapple at that time - I have the
chipper on. I then use the bucket to move all the firewood to the firewood shed. I'm not sure I'd really use the grapple, much as I'd like one.
I don't plan to use pallet forks for anything.
I didn't either, I bought a 3ph set, and I use them almost as much as the bucket. I have an old pallet I built low sides on, and when I do almost anything I start out by putting the pallet on, then piling all my tools and necessities on the back - it's my carry all. I also mount my sprayer on it when I want to spray (cheap sprayer with a small boom - cost about $100), until I got my ballast box the pallet forks with a drum of water were my counter weight for loader work, when we go down the road to do some work the missus stands on the pallet on the back. You'll be surprised.
SSQA forks would be more useful still - we regularly have someone standing in the bucket, with pallet forks they'd be standing on a pallet, or better still standing in a man cage (which you can make from the aluminium frame around a 1000 litre container of spray chemical - my brother in law is a spray contractor). Gives so much more reach when clearing overhanging branches, cleaning gutters and a range of other household tasks. Again, you'll be surprised at the uses you find. And pallet forks are cheap.
Think about chain hooks somewhere - welded or bolted to the bucket, or on the pallet forks if you have them. My next tractor will definitely have them - I spent a lot of time with chain wrapped around the bucket to pull, lift or move stuff.
One of your implements should have a thumb - probably BH if you have one. Turns it into a bionic arm for you to lift stuff with. Will be excellent for ripping out old shrubs and the like, and means you don't have to use man power for it, or constantly wrap a chain around things.
