7510 vs 7610

[andyrc130]

I am buying my first tractor ever for 5.5 acres. 3 acres will be fenced for horses, 1.5 acres of woods. Did anybody else go through the dilema of whether to choose the 7510 or 7610? Will be getting an FEL and either MMM or RFM. I will be bush hogging the first few times at least, then hopefully finsh mowing when better grass comes in. There are a few trees to work around in the open field. Also want to maintain gravel driveway, dig post holes, remove snow, grade a little bit, and remove a few tress. I'm sure I will find many more projects as well. I originally went to the dealer to drive the 7510, but he pushed the 7610 with about a 1,000 dollar difference. Any input on the benefits/differences of these two models is greatly appreciated.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

I looked at and tested both, ended up buying a different brand, but that is a very long story and the dealer, who I still do business with and from whom I have purchased 1 ZTR and 2 GTs from since that time, still regrets losing the sale. But he was on vacation and his guy screwed up!

The B7610 is slighly larger, offers a nice advantage in the added horsepower while still giving you very light weight so it can be a nice all in one tractor without doing much damage to the lawn. (The tractor I bought is the same size, but heavier and does damage the lawn if I run over the same place several times). For a small property there really are a lot of good choices, Kubota has been growing and now has over 50% of the total small tractor sales in the US and in some areas is 60% of the sales. They make fine machines, no arguement.

Now the way I see it, every tractor is going to be a compramise to the buyer. The 7510 will be the worst of the small tractors of just about any brand I can think of for doing work like box blading. Not to say it can't do it, just saying there are better choices. But if you want to mow with little impact, then the B7510 is a lightweight winner and is hard to compete with, let alone beat. The B7610 is going to mow better if the grass is thicker because it has more power, it also has a more capable loader. But I don't know anyone who doesn't wish that they sometimes didn't have a bigger loader; 95% of the time whatever loader you have will make you very happy. On the other hand, the small light tractors fit better into stalls than bigger tractors. So again we are looking at trade offs. For 5.5 acres, either tractor would do well for you. I'd prefer (I always do) more power in a similar size package. For me, the future flexibility of running a larger implement that I might not even know I want, is worth the added price. My favorite tractors are fairly small but with the biggest possible engine within that frame size, I just think they are a better LONG TERM value because you can project SOME uses, but will always find others.

 

[andyrc130]

Sounds to me like I should get the 7610, and probably at some point will wish I had gone bigger. I really want to stay at 15K or less though so I don't think I can jump past the 7610. My buddy just picked up a 7800 with FEL and MMM for 16,800 - so close to my budget, but still more than I want to spend!

 

[cchoate]

Don't make the same mistake I did 3 years ago. In 02 I bought a b7500 and thought this is good enough and I really don't want to spend any more money.

Then after the first year I wished for something bigger. I ended up trading my 7500 for a L3430 a month ago with the intention of getting too much tractor. I know a year from now I'll be saying " glad I got the bigger one".

Do yourself a favor and get the bigger one now. Jump to the 7800, you won't regret it.

 

[wushaw]

The 7610 would be my first choice between the two.
I also purchased too small for three years, now the L2800 I have now is the perfect size for my needs.

 

[frank_f15]

IF it is not stretching your budget go for the 7610, not that much bigger or heavier , but in my estimation the larger , and more HP is worth the few extra $$$ . you will not be sorry

 

[Killer_B]

( Did anybody else go through the dilema of whether to choose the 7510 or 7610? )

Not for a minute. It was 7610 all the way for me.

KB

 

[Haneyrm]

I might be wrong but I am pretty sure that the B7610 and B7510 have exactly the same wheelbase and weigh exactly the same. I think the B7610 is something like 1" longer overall if I remember correctly. I am pretty sure they are the same tractors or extremely close. The difference is HP. You just need to figure out if your needs justify 3 more HP and another $1000. If I were you, I would buy a B7800. With the Kubota 0/0/36 deal, it is a pretty cheap upgrade for a larger machine. Of course, I also bought a B7510 for 1 acre of land! The bigger the better in my opinion. I doubt you would be disappointed with any of them.

Mike

 

[Haneyrm]

Oh yeah, the deal you listed on the B7800 sounds pretty sweet. The best I could find was $18,000 and yes, I was considering a B7800 for my 1 acre. Like many, I have a chronic case of upgraditis for which there is no cure. I was hoping a B7800 was my cure but alas, I deemed this tractor to be too heavy for my St Augustine lawn to handle. Next year, I will wish I had gotten the B7800 without question!

Mike....

 

[jackl]

I did go through a similar dilemma and selected the B7510 as I was trying to stay within a budget that would still allow me to pay college costs for 2 of my children. Now, if I made them take out a loan, I probably would have gone with the 7800! The B7510 with LA302 FEL and 60" Bush Hog Finish Mower has been perfect for my 5 acre property. When in doubt go to the lager machine and get the 7610.