Can't decide which scut to buy!

[Truautorepair000]

Hello fellow enthusiasts!
I am a long time lurker, who recently joined, in lieu of advice on my next purchase. I have an acre property that has a lot of grading work and mowing, etc... I will be planning to purchase more property in the next few years, and figured it would be best to buy a tlbm instead of renting equipment to do all my grading/stump removal at this time...

I've read all about the different models in the sub-compact class. Ive narrowed it down to mahindra and LS, but am open to recommendations if someone has buyer-beware advice.

My closest dealer is a small LS dealer. I like the mt125 tlbm option. But, as a transmission builder, I just feel skeptical about the JST offering. I am mostly interested in the mahindra emax22l gear model. The synchromesh is something I believe to be a tougher design, in the long run. I haven't found an abundance of HST failures, but what I found made me a bit nervous. I've read about people cracking the case, perhaps from over-exerting the loader? And some other failures that required complete HST replacement. Are these units not rebuild-able? Am I nervous of them from my lack of experience?

My local mahindra dealer (NC)is 24,500(priced through email) for emax22l gear tlbm and trailer, along with the "free" economy blade. Seems like it should be closer to 22,000. Anyone purchase this unit and care to share their experience?

The LS mt125 is 18,500 for tlb, and I haven't been by to price with mower and trailer. Theh are not open on Saturdays at this time.

I'm just looking for help and maybe someone has advice that could steer me in some direction.

Thanks, Connor

 

[jeff9366]

A subcompact tractor is fine for one or two acres, inadequate for four or more acres.
Good for acquiring basic tractor operating skills, which readily scale up to heavier tractors.
A GEAR subcompact tractor will have very poor resale value, perhaps $4,000 less than HST. Buy HST.

I haven't found an abundance of HST failures, but what I found made me nervous. I've read about people cracking the case.

One reason owner/operators trade up from a Subcompact Tractor:
Greater ground clearance

I plan to purchase more property in the next few years.

Selling a used tractor is easy. Selling multiple light implements in order to buy heavier, wider implements for a new, heavier tractor requires a lot of time. Depreciation on implements is worse than depreciation on a tractor.

Five reasons owner/operators trade up from a Subcompact Tractor:
More tractor weight.
More FEL lift capacity.
Greater ground clearance
Three-range (3) HST rather than two-range (2) HST on SCUT (Lower LOW, Higher, HIGH)
More tractor engine horsepower to operate PTO powered implements.


VIDEO: Kubota BX Series VS. B Series - YouTube

 

[plowhog]

I have an acre property that has a lot of grading work and mowing, etc...

Your needs sound very similar to mine at my Nevada property. I purchased a Massey 1710 TLB SCUT for about $18,000, and it was the first tractor I had owned. I also bought a piranha blade for the front bucket, a box scraper for moving dirt, a rotary cutter for mowing, and a "thumb" for the backhoe. And some bolt-on bucket hooks from Ken. I now have 250+ hours on the Massey and it has been flawless. Projects I have done:

- regularly mow (summer) about 2 acres (rotary cutter)
- dig trenches for irrigation water and underground conduit (backhoe)
- pick up boulders to move (backhoe and thumb)
- tore out overgrown 50 year old juniper bushes (backhoe)
- removed about 75 T-posts from old fence (bucket, chain, and $20 post puller adapter from Tractor Supply)
- removed about 50 yards of clay soil from the property (bucket and dump trailer)
- leveled a pad for my trailer behind my garage (box scraper)
- moved dirt to backfill behind a new 3 ft. retaining wall, then spread topsoil before adding sod (box scraper).

Before buying, I looked at competing models from John Deere and Kubota. After several years of ownership I have yet to come across anyone who purchased a Massey 1710 that wasn't happy with their purchase. So maybe it is another brand to consider. I think their current offering is a 1723.

I didn't know anything about tractor operation when I purchased. But with help here, and watching a few videos here and there, you can figure it out.

Good luck with your shopping!

 

[Truautorepair000]

I stopped by the JD dealer today to see what offers they had. Priced the 1025r TLBM at 27,xxx. I felt like that was pretty pricey, even for a JD unit. I do like the MF gc1025mb, but I have not been to the closest dealer. The MF dealer is very small and may be asking top dollar to keep their numbers pumped up; but that's just me assuming. I have purchased a lot of vehicles and powersports items over the years, and my luck has always been with shopping at volume leaders. I've found an edge for going near the last couple days of the month, or year.

I guess I am partial to the mahindra, mostly because of the gear transmission. Beyond that, I am shopping for the fair deal.

 

[MF2604h]

I just bought a Mahindra emax 22 in October. Mine is hst 4wd with a fel. Mine listed for $14,200.
So far it has been good for what I use it for. I own a lawn care and landscaping company. I use it to put mulch in and other jobs.

I would have bought another Massey, but my wife was with me and fell in love with the Mahindra. So we got the Mahindra.

I知 in South Carolina so I would think your dealers price should be close to what I got.
Good luck in your search

 

[4570Man]

A gear transmitter SCUT is a lot like an ash tray on a motorcycle. Useless.

 

[Peter 315]

A gear transmitter SCUT is a lot like an ash tray on a motorcycle. Useless.

Funny....

 

[plowhog]

The MF dealer is very small and may be asking top dollar to keep their numbers pumped up; but that's just me assuming.

Beyond that, I am shopping for the fair deal.

I don't think the Massey is the lowest price point out there, so it may be out of the running just based on that. But I haven't shopped price for a while.

I believe many Massey dealers only get XX tractors allocated to them, and when they are sold they have nothing further until the next allocation. So, depending on whether the local dealer is low or chock full of inventory might dictate how much they would deal. I bought two Massey tractors and paid below MSRP for each. In my area Kubota and John Deere dealers quoted sticker with no discount.

 

[LS Tractor Owner]

When I was purchasing my SCUT, I had it narrowed down to the LS, Massey, and Mahindra. The Mahindra was ruled out pretty fast... first by the price, $3k more than the Massey. Then by the stories of difficulty with parts / service. I was set on the Massey, then I found out about LS. The MT125 TLB came in at $1K less than the Massey. The LS had a few more features (extra on the Massey), so it became the winner!

I put 220 hard hours on that 125 in 2 years. Not one problem. I ended up selling it for about $500 less than what I paid for it. So, in my case, resale was excellent!

I purchased my second LS, one of the last 2019 XG3025 that were made before they became the MT225E. I now have 200 hours on this tractor, again trouble free! I have nothing bad to say at all about LS tractors.

The HST transmissions are really almost bulletproof.... rare for them to have problems internally. That is usually the result of not doing maintenance or using the wrong fluids. For your uses, the HST would be optimal.

Good luck with your search! Let us know what you get!

 

[MoMower]

I stopped by the JD dealer today to see what offers they had. Priced the 1025r TLBM at 27,xxx. I felt like that was pretty pricey, even for a JD unit. I do like the MF gc1025mb, but I have not been to the closest dealer. The MF dealer is very small and may be asking top dollar to keep their numbers pumped up; but that's just me assuming. I have purchased a lot of vehicles and powersports items over the years, and my luck has always been with shopping at volume leaders. I've found an edge for going near the last couple days of the month, or year.

I guess I am partial to the mahindra, mostly because of the gear transmission. Beyond that, I am shopping for the fair deal.

I can only comment On what I know....

I had a 14’ MF GC1710, TLB and MMM. I used it for 575 hours and sold it to buy a 19’ GC1723eb with a mower. Now at 275 hrs. Not a single real issue on our 6 acre farmette. The machines are also used commercially and make me $20k or so a year as a legitimate side business. Have never not been able To complete a job or task with either machine.

When I sold the 1710, I sold it for $14k even with smashing the hood the day before.

ETA: the machines were $20k and 23k respectively in eastern PA