enough tractor

[hops]

I am trying to figure out what I need for the property I recently purchased and am currently building a house on. It is a total of 8 acres in Missouri. 5 acres is a meadow which is very nice grass that I plan on keeping a finished cut on. The other 3 acres is a giant hill that leads down into the meadow. The hill has about a 30 to 35 degree slope and the slope runs about 30 to 40 yrds. long until you get to the top of the hill. The hill is also a small forest with trees everywhere. I'm clearing a lot of the hill so that I can brushhog it. The house I am building is on the hill and the driveway is approximately 120 yds. long. So here are the capabilities I need.
1. blade the driveway during the winter(very large hill may need 4wd, not sure????)
2. brushhog capabilities on the extreme hill(nothing bigger than 4ft)
3. finish mower capabilities (prefer 5 or 6 ft. rear finish mower if on tractor)
4. possiblity of putting loader on in the future or now

I have been considering the BX2200 but have heard too many stories of people not buying enough tractor. Here are the concerns I have:
1. I would like a good finish cut in the meadow. The ground is pretty level but has a few unlevel spots. Would the BX give me the finish cut I want?
2. Are the HP enough with the BX to handle a hill of that magnitude for brushhog work, blading snow in the winter, and other clearing work like hauling or maybe removing smaller stumps?

3. What kind of tires do I need, ag or turf? I kind of feel that I need ag for brushhog work and blading but I need turf for mowing. I want the grass to look nice because this is in a subdivision.
4. Do I need a tractor and a mower?

I am very open to suggestions. I am not sure if the BX is really what I need but for the price, it sounds the best so far.

 

[Boondox]

Hops -- Personal opinion, but I think you might be looking too small for your needs. I had a B1750 (20HP) originally and meant to use it only on the seven acres of hillside meadow on our property. It handled what I asked it to do, but slowly and at times straining its capabilities. Now I have an L3010, but that would be too big for your needs.

Have you considered the B2710/2910 with R4 rubber and a belly mower? The R4s would give you more traction (and strength) than the turfs, without tearing up the lawn like the aggies I use. And a belly mower would give you a quality cut with excellent manueverability.

Other opinions will vary. Pete

www.GatewayToVermont.com

 

[Bird]

I'll agree with Pete (Boondox) on this one.

Bird

 

[frank_f15]

i will have to agree with boodox and bird, u should have at least a 2410 or 2710 , r4 tires are a great compromise and put the fel on now! it will be the most useful implement u can have.as for keeping meadows groomed i like the rear finish mower, on and off very easy, but these are all personal opinions. good luck in your quest. be careful of the slopes.

 

[r0GuE]

BX2200 w/ 60" MMM and turf tires.
(I would also suggest the FEL but I won't argue the point hard, negotiate the price to add it at the sale and ask him to lock in the price for a few months).
BX2200 has oodles of power and the MMM does an EXCELLENT job mowing (nicest cut I've ever seen, throws the grass like a cannon). The BX is extrordinarily stable (needed for the hill) because of its squatty lower center of gravity. With the MMM it should be more so than the rear mower. Go with the turfs since they will be kinder to your lawn. In 4WD with the diff lock you should climb that hill handily! I think a bigger (also will be taller) tractor may have issues with the hill.
Good luck.

Rogue

 

[r0GuE]

Please note I have no experience with the B's so the other guys may be right. (I honestly think the BX has alot of power though).
Again, I'm mainly focusing on the lower center of gravity.

Rogue

 

[HR_Mutt]

hops
welcome to TBN/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gifyou'll get lots of info here.you're getting good input so far so all i'll add is your mention of 4wd......don't even consider getting a compact tractor without it!as far as the FEL, you'll find so many uses for it, you'll wonder how you ever managed without one.
good luck in your search.
regards
Mutt

 

[TresCrows]

Hops, I am not to argue with experienced tractor guys like Bird but I do have more BX experience than them and I have to say your shopping list sounds like BX to me. Your need to use a small brushcutter, the steep hill, the requirement of a nice cut on your lawn area are all what the BX can do. I am sure the BX is more manuverable and that it's suspended finish MMM will cut better than the guage wheeled ground contact type used on it's larger brothers. You know, the D905 engine is the same engine in the B1700 I am looking at here in a 1999 and 2000 brochure it show it pulling a huge blade. If the engine is the same it is reasonable to expect the BX can do most of the things it's big wheeled brother could do. I think people to quickly dissmiss the BX because it has smaller wheels and tires than what they are accustomed to seeing. J

 

[BXmark]

Hops,
My rich neighbor bought himself a JD 4600 with special order golf course extra-wide turf tires and all the bells and whistles. Beautiful tractor, but I have to cut the side of his lake dam for him with my lowly BX2200. His big JD is too top heavy on such a grade. I used to cut it with my JD325 garden tractor by running up and down--talk about tedious! With the BX I run sideways across the face of the dam and I'm telling you near the top it must be a 45% grade. I've had no problem with the tractor feeling unstable or tippy.

 

[hops]

Thank you all for your feedback. I still feel kind of in the middle about whether or not the BX will be enough tractor for me.

Many of you seem to agree that a belly mower would give me a better cut than the rear mount finish mower. Is that correct? I haven't really compared prices on the belly vs. the rear mount. Does anyone know what they are like?

The rest of the feedback seems to be split whether to go with the BX or try a larger model like the 2710. Do any of you think that it is acceptable to ask the dealer to let me borrow the BX for a day to take it and try it out on my property? Maybe that would help me make a decision.

Also, does anyone know if the R4 tires are offered for the BX? I thought I read somewhere that the R4 may not be offered for the BX.

Thanks again. It is just what I need. This is my first time purchasing a tractor and I am from a city where there are no tractors. So I have very little help in finding out what to buy.