Grillo 131 Vs Grillo 110 D

[Sparkeee24]

Good day all !
I am looking for comments from people who have had or know about a G 131 or G 110, and what I want is the strongest toughest machine I need, without getting something I can't manage to handle well. I do have a habit of buying bigger / tougher / heavier then needed...
I have an old Earthway Horse tiller that is a PITA to move around and turn, and all the videos look like the differentials on the italian machines make them easier to turn. To preface, we currently have 5 acres, and dreams of 20 acres in 7 years or so. age 40, fairly fit 5' 10" 195 lbs. I have a large 4 wheel tractor currently for bigger stuff. We have a 100 X 120 ft garden plot, with 8 ft fence to keep elk out and I am really interested in getting a 2 wheel tractor for the garden and maintaining some green space "buffer" that is best not to have the large tractor through very much, and something that could be used in 10 years on a larger property as well. My implement choices I think I would like are the Berta Flail in 34" ( the only front implement I plan on using), the 34" G2 power harrow, 9" flip plow, potato plow, the aldo biogioli tool bar, holder, and sweeps for weeding, hiller and bed shaper, the large tiller to fit, with the extensions for 34", and maybe the HOSS 3 row seeder that Joel at Earthtools is selling now. Game plan is to have raised beds, with wide spacing, 34" between or so. My soil is high clay, with about 40 yards of amendments in it to date. sandy loam, mushroom compost, topsoil mix and tilled in deep. I am an electrician as day job, and commute for work, so time to get things done is limited, and this is the main reason for a larger machine over a smaller, that and the slower speeds, bigger tires, and more weight of the 131 would really help with potato plow and flip plow I think. Biggest goal, is to cut weeding time down from my HOSS wheel hoe I have now. Thank you in advance!!

 

[wesp521984]

The G110 has a 14 hp gas burner and is more user friendly (not to mention that its lighter) and the G131 had a 18 hp v twin. The G131 is no doubt a beast but is best suited for soil working implements. It's drive train is an older design. The PTO will change direction in forward and reverse which requires implements to have a ratchet action to bypass the reverse power. With the G110 they seem to have made improvements to match the ease of use of the BCS 852/853.

You do not need a G131. The 110 and the BCS 853 are heavy as **** already. For the type of work that these are designed for, the 13-14 hp units have plenty of power. I own a BCS 853 and honestly that's what you want. The controls and ergonomics are a bit better than Grillo. It has the Honda GX 390 as well which is a tank of a little engine and will last you for years if you take care of it.

Whatever you buy, DO NOT buy the Berta 34 in. They are VERY well built attachments but flail mowers require A LOT of horsepower. I own the 26 in. Berta and it's perfect for the 853. Go bigger and you just limit your cutting capacity. That extra 8 inches is not going to do anything for productivity on these small machines. I'll guarantee that I could run neck and neck with a G131 w/ a 34 in. Berta in a thick weed patch because I can cut clean at a high ground speed. I can run in 2nd gear through waist high weeds and grass and leave a near finish cut in one pass. If you talk to Joel or Richard from Daily's Walk Behind Tractor, they will tell you the exact same things. I take it from your post that you probably already have. You can trust them they'll steer you straight.

Also the G131 is heavier and will help a small amount with weight if you're plowing but as I said the 110 and 853 are very heavy and you can add 100 lbs of wheel weight to each side. They will pull a potato plow just fine. And they are all geared VERY low. You will spin both tires well before you big the engine.

 

[Sparkeee24]

I was thinking of giving grillo a try because maintenance is easier and less costly on parts then the bcs models. I was thinking possibly the 131 because of its speed ranges, its 30% stronger transmission, the greater torque, and maybe using the gear reduction tracks for the deep potato plowing. Using potato plow with wheels only, and weights looks very difficult. The grillo 110 looks pretty quick to swap around to front use, and has quick couplings available. The bcs benefit I can see is the availability of used implements. As far as the berta flail, what is it that makes a 30" or 34" work that much worse then a 26"? I would think the additional hp of a g131 and torque would more then make up for the size difference in the 26 to the larger sizes. I would most likely be adding weight to a machine anyway, so I dont see adding weight and being stronger while doing it as a negative. I wish I had a dealer near by to check them out in person. Thanks for replys.

 

[Code54]

I personally have the BCS and love the machine but no doubt the Grillo is an excellent machine as well. I have the Berta 30" flail and it works extremely well. It can be a workout on the hills but does a great job of grinding up underbrush and weeds. I also have the power harrow and can't get over how well it works. Perfect for weeding between rows and awesome for putting in a. new lawn. They are both expensive but work well and there is very little to maintain with the exception of the knives/slices on the flail.

 

[wesp521984]

I was thinking of giving grillo a try because maintenance is easier and less costly on parts then the bcs models. I was thinking possibly the 131 because of its speed ranges, its 30% stronger transmission, the greater torque, and maybe using the gear reduction tracks for the deep potato plowing. Using potato plow with wheels only, and weights looks very difficult. The grillo 110 looks pretty quick to swap around to front use, and has quick couplings available. The bcs benefit I can see is the availability of used implements. As far as the berta flail, what is it that makes a 30" or 34" work that much worse then a 26"? I would think the additional hp of a g131 and torque would more then make up for the size difference in the 26 to the larger sizes. I would most likely be adding weight to a machine anyway, so I dont see adding weight and being stronger while doing it as a negative. I wish I had a dealer near by to check them out in person. Thanks for replys.

Not trying to be a smart alec, but if you already know better, why ask?

If you want to fight with the extra weight of the 131 go for it. They are all reliable machines. I just dont think that you're understanding that they are all high torque machines(if you're running in the proper gear at even 1/2 throttle you WILL break traction way before you bog the engine in a "plowing/pushing" situation) and you can put duals and gear reduction tracks on all of them. I understand your concerns but I'm telling you from first hand experience, they are all non-issues when deciding between these machines. No matter which one you get, the price of parts is a negligible consideration. I've had my 853 for almost 2 years and have used it almost exclusively for heavy commercial brush mowing(which is WAY harder on it than soil working) and I just broke a cable on the transmission linkage which may have been my fault. That's the extent of my parts cost at this point. They are VERY low maintenance machines.

I was right where you are at and wanted the 131 because it seemed like the biggest baddest one out there but I am SO glad that I took the advice of Joel, Richard, and others and decided against it.

I'll tell you like they told me. If you are doing nothing but soil working, the 131 is a great machine but if you plan on doing anything else, especially brush mowing, the 131 is not ideal. My 853 will take you on a RIDE if you are not careful when brush mowing. You do not man handle these things. You learn how to plan your path and steer them. On the flail mower, simply put, the more metal that you turn, the more power it takes to move it, especially with the flail. If you were cutting in heavy brush, you would see a substantial torque difference between the 26 in. and the larger ones, even if you ran them on the 131. Its just the nature of a flail mower. Trust me, I own two of them.

Again it sounds like you have probably already talked to Joel and if so, he has told you pretty much exactly what I have. He has been doing this for a long time and he knows what he's talking about. He is not going to try to upsale you on anything. He'll shoot you straight. If you have not talked to him, I would highly recommend doing so before making a blind purchase. I can't stress enough how heavy and cumbersome these machines can be. If you are doing nothing but soil working and want the 131, right on, but if you are needing an all around machine that will do EVERYTHING well and with the most ease, its not the way to go.

 

[JamesHW]

Having just brush mowed 5 acres w/ a new 853 and the 32” brush mower I can confirm what wesp says. One section is uneven ground and the tractor was going where it wanted and I went along for the ride. Thing turns on a dime using the hand brake and in 2nd gear this 65 year old had to run to keep up on the turn.

 

[Code54]

I agree with both of you 100%. My 853 will cut our STEEP hills without ever running low on power. Every once an a while I get on a root and the machine will decide to take a new line and it makes me follow it. Power is NEVER an issue and the machine is built extremely well. When you are used to repairing large 4 wheel tractors and bigger mowing machines the parts on these are basically nothing. Maintenance is also super minor and very inexpensive.

 

[wesp521984]

Having just brush mowed 5 acres w/ a new 853 and the 32” brush mower I can confirm what wesp says. One section is uneven ground and the tractor was going where it wanted and I went along for the ride. Thing turns on a dime using the hand brake and in 2nd gear this 65 year old had to run to keep up on the turn.

Lol. Exactly! Mine went down a steep hill once and I had a tight hold on the handle bars. It literally picked me up and took me with it.

James could you reiterate what Ive said? The 853 has PLENTY of power, torque, and weight for the jobs that walk behinds are designed for. The Grillo 110 is similar. The difference between them is the BCS is a more refined machine. Better controls and ergonomics. That's where most of the price difference between the two comes from.

 

[JamesHW]

Agree there is plenty of power to move earth. If traction is an issue, which it will be before lacking power, there are all kinds of weight you can add, hangers, bolt on, double wheel setups, loaded tires (got those) and a number of specialized wheel for extra traction or even tracks.