Help with choosing tractor, implements NEWBIE?

[ChuckinNH]

I found my BX with loaded rear tires to feel quite stable when used without a loader, or the backhoe, and I expect that a mmm would enhance that feeling. They are quite narrow though, and putting the loader on makes them feel more tippy with terrain changes. My small B feels more stable on my logging roads, and steep areas with a loader on. Taking the loader off seems to make less difference than it did with the BX. It is taller, and so felt different for the first few minutes, but that became natural quickly.

 

[Diamondpilot]

I agree with the others. That HP is too small for your land and 4' mower will take you all day. I also feel the dealer is looking for you to trade in a year. I have a 28 HP 4x4 Jinma and if you are handy you should look at them. I got my tractor brand new for $10,500. That was tractor, FEL, and a 6' Finish Mower. You can get into a 35 HP Jinma for your budget with a FEL, Finish Mower, and a Bush Hog.

I am not a fan of MM mowers. I like to use my tractor for many other things and they would get me hug up. A example of this is towing logs out of my hilly woods.

Also where are you located? We may be able to point you to some good deals.

Chris

 

[shane]

Yep, like the others have said, what you are considering is too small. Your dealer, like car dealers, wants to sell you less product so he can keep his margine up being that you have a budget. "Say you can't afford the 37 hp JD, no problem, this little 22 hp will handle your 15 acres and it's only $14,999".

 

[Red Raider]

I agree with the majority of posts that (1) the horsepower recommended by your dealer seems too small and (2) you'll never regret getting a bigger tractor (assuming you can garage it as you would a smaller).

Additional observations: If you live away from the property, you inevitably won't be cutting grass as regular as you would like-- I'm in that situation now--I'm deferring purchase of a finish mower and instead using a 6' rotary cutter.

Second, the size of the tractor in the compact range is even more important because of it's impact upon what I believe will end up being your most useful and relied upon attachment-- your front-end loader. Once you use a FEL- equipped tractor awhile, you will never see how you got by without a FEL. Someone mentioned using a JD755 on 15 acres. I had a 755 (33 PTOhp) on my then 15 acre home place and thought it absolutely great. However, when I began checking loader capacities for it (after using one on my big tractor), I was disappointed with the lift capacity versus the cost. Ended up selling the 755 and getting a 4710 w/ the largest loader available. Once you get into fooling w/ farm stuff and accumulate implements, you will be glad you got the larger tractor with maximum FEL capacity IMO. Good luck.

 

[krackerjack9]

You might want to see what everyone else has in your area, and if it pretty limited then there might be a oppurtunity for you to make some extra $$$. I have the Kubota L4400 and a Rhino 172 mower and loader. Anyway I do a bit of tractor work to make some extra $$. And all I can say is a good 6ft mower will pay for its self over and over. Maybe its not what you looking for but today alone I made 390.00. I used 7.3 gallons in the tractor and 4 gallons of gas in my blazer hauling it around. And its only Monday!! Most of the time I only get one or 2 jobs a week but it makes my tractor payment and keeps me with some extra cash for fuel. So if your going to make a investment on a tractor you might look at what else it can do for you besides keep up your place. I can help make ends meet for some.

 

[roxynoodle]

I'm not an expert on this one, but if you are going to be on steep hills I think it is PowerTrac that everyone recommends in that situation. Talk to your neighbors who have similar property and see what they are using.

Do you have other uses for the tractor now other than mowing? If the BX2350 suits your other uses well, you could always consider a larger, used tractor to do the mowing and can probably pick one up cheap. Otherwise, the BX is just too small for that much mowing. If you do choose an older tractor for mowing and the mowed area is hilly as well, be sure to get one with a ROPS.

 

[Charlton John]

I do have some steep hills - comparing the Kubota B and BX the BX sits lower to the ground - will that make it safer or does the size and weight of the tractor make it safer?

I too have some steep hills on my property. What ever tractor you buy deffinitly load the tires w/ Rim Guard and ballast the back w/ more weight by using a ballast box or a rear implement like a box blade etc... No matter what tractor you decide on bigger or smaller (again for 15 acres I would think the B series is the way to go or a bit larger) no slopes are completly safe and you should handle them by going up and down not sideways.

 

[RWolf]

I work 25AC with a JD 5103. 40PTO HP. I use a 6' rotory cutter for mowing and it takes about 8+ hours to mow the entire 25. If I had to do it over I would have gotten an 8' cutter but the 6' is fine. I use a HD 6' box blade to manage driveway and unfortunately with the loader had to bury a horse after only owning it for about 2 weeks. And I've added a couple of other implements. What I'm saying is that for your needs if you can afford a larger tractor you will be better off and a lot more happy with your purchase. Speaking of that I believe I read that you don't want to spend over 15k. My 5103 was under 13k w/ loader and another $1500 for the rotary cutter so for you immediate needs that would fit your budget. Of course my 5103 isn't 4wd and if your hills are as steep as you say you probably should go with a 4wd. But you "can" work your land without it. So far I haven't ran into anything that I couldn't do with this tractor. JD also has a nice tractor calculator for figuring out what will meet your needs.

I'm not familiar with other brands so I really can't comment on their capabilities but from reputation they are all good brands. I'm just partial to green.

good luck on your find.

 

[Gittyup]

The BX's are too small. The bota dealer is steering you to what he wants to sell.

For your budget, I'd consider the Kioti CK35. They are now being offered with a free loader. It's a beast of a tractor, heavy and strong, and will handle a 6' bush hog quite well. Just my opinion, but more tractor for less money than comparable JD's, botas, or NH's.

I'd also consider used and go even bigger so that you could use a 7' bush hog. A couple of hours mowing is fine, but all day will get old fast.

I've seen some really good deals on Farmtracs too. Just don't know about long term parts availability.

 

[Soundguy]

I also think the dealer rec's are wrong.. i think he just has a BX he needs to sell.

15ac on a 4' mower will be -plenty- of seat time... like maybee a full 12+ hour day of mowing.

IMHO.. 30hp minimum.. and up from there.

I comfortably run tractors in the 70-95 hp around on my pasture.. and I'd only got 13ac.. etc.

soundguy

 

[flusher]

I have searched all over this site - great advice, but I would like some more info.

Just purchased 15 acres - nothing on the land but a steel barn. About 8 acres are mowable, which are 4 months over grown. There are some steep hills on the property - but don't necessarily have to be mowed. I will not build on this property for 7 years.

I am interested in these 3 tractors with implements

1) BX 2350 - mmm and 4' hog $11099 23hp
2) BX 2660 - mmm 4' hog 13025 25hp
3) JD 2305 - mmm 4' hog 12797 24hp

Have not wheeled and dealed with any of them yet, if possible??? I am concerned about hp and weight or should I be? Do I need both mowers.

OR should I just get a pull behind hog for the quad? Any advice would be great. I also don't know kubota (name) vs. deere (name) if one is better than other.

John

I was in your situation about 3 years ago. Bought 10 acres of flat pasture land with weeds and two dozen old almond trees. My first tractor was a Kubota B7510HST (21 hp engine, 17 hp pto) with the LA302 FEL (4-ft wide bucket).

The 7510 was fine for the work I needed to do after my house was constructed (paver block walkways, paver block patio, landscaping). I mowed the weeds with a 4-ft wide King Kutter rotary mower (aka brush hog, about $650 from Tractor Supply).

However, things change. Late last year I decided to put a hay crop on 7 of my 10 acres. Traded the 7510 for a Mahindra 5525 (54 hp engine, 45 hp pto, 2WD) with the ML250 FEL. Got a good deal. My monthly payments for the 5525 are about $100 lower than for the B7510.

Lately I've been accumulating haying implements.

So, it's up to you. With 15 acres a small tractor like the ones you're eyeballing now might satisfy all your needs forever. But be prepared for changes that might come in your tractor needs.

 

[Bigfoot62]

If you can afford it, go with a 6 foot brush hog and a little larger tractor. If you can't, you can't and that is fine. However, it is rare for someone to say I wish I had bought a smaller tractor. However, several of us have said I wish I would have bought a larger tractor.

^ +1
Well said. Buy enough tractor, the first time.
One word of caution, though. Don't buy a 6' hog unless you have enough PTO hp to turn it. One of my neighbors has an older 35 hp that he is running a six-footer on, and he needs ANOTHER new clutch. I would reccommend at least 45 PTO hp.

And, if you are going to EVER have a loader, buy FWD.

As far as wheelin' and dealin' goes, ABSOLUTELY! When I was shopping around for my TN70A, I contacted about a dozen dealers. I found almost $6000 difference in price. It pays to shop around!

 

[Soundguy]

Quoting 45hp for a 6' hog is a little excessive for anything less than heavy / sever duty mowing..e tc.

I've ran 6' hogs on my ex NH1920 32hp diesel, and my 134ci / 33hp gas fords.. no problems in non-jungle type mowing.

soundguy

^ +1
Well said. Buy enough tractor, the first time.
One word of caution, though. Don't buy a 6' hog unless you have enough PTO hp to turn it. One of my neighbors has an older 35 hp that he is running a six-footer on, and he needs ANOTHER new clutch. I would reccommend at least 45 PTO hp.

And, if you are going to EVER have a loader, buy FWD.

As far as wheelin' and dealin' goes, ABSOLUTELY! When I was shopping around for my TN70A, I contacted about a dozen dealers. I found almost $6000 difference in price. It pays to shop around!

 

[Farmwithjunk]

Quoting 45hp for a 6' hog is a little excessive for anything less than heavy / sever duty mowing..e tc.

I've ran 6' hogs on my ex NH1920 32hp diesel, and my 134ci / 33hp gas fords.. no problems in non-jungle type mowing.

soundguy

Not sure I'd go quite as far as saying "excessive". More like "more than adaquate in most cases". I run 47HP and 6' as a combo. In all but the worst of conditions, it's cruising along with minimal load, and I can throttle back a little when needed, or, carry a little higher ground speed allowing more acreage in same amount of time.

In thick grass and weeds, 47 hp takes it in stride where the 41HP of the 3000 Ford I owned would struggle. It's better to have just a bit more power than you'll need than not enough at times. With hp at the minimal end of the spectrum, you can't afford to let grass and weeds get too far out of hand. With a little reserve power, a couple weeks of rainy weather or a busy spell at work, and you're still able to get the job done.

I did some mowing around home yesterday in tall, lush fescue where 32 hp on a 6' mower just wouldn't have been able to hack it. And that grass wasn't even knee deep. It had 47 hp barking loud.

 

[RollingsFarms]

Not sure I'd go quite as far as saying "excessive". More like "more than adaquate in most cases". I run 47HP and 6' as a combo. In all but the worst of conditions, it's cruising along with minimal load, and I can throttle back a little when needed, or, carry a little higher ground speed allowing more acreage in same amount of time.

In thick grass and weeds, 47 hp takes it in stride where the 41HP of the 3000 Ford I owned would struggle. It's better to have just a bit more power than you'll need than not enough at times. With hp at the minimal end of the spectrum, you can't afford to let grass and weeds get too far out of hand. With a little reserve power, a couple weeks of rainy weather or a busy spell at work, and you're still able to get the job done.

I did some mowing around home yesterday in tall, lush fescue where 32 hp on a 6' mower just wouldn't have been able to hack it. And that grass wasn't even knee deep. It had 47 hp barking loud.

i'd have to agree. i have a 27hp tractor running a 5' light duty brush cutter and my fields can make that old tractor huff and puff, sometimes even at the point where the tractor wants to choke down. all this running in 5th gear high (8x2 transmission). if i dropped it back to 4th gear low, well i dont think i'd ever get done! i think the next bush hog i get is going to be 6' medium duty at the LEAST and more then enough tractor to go with it. we try to stay on our fields at least 2 times per season(2 times in fall, 2 times spring, etc.). this summer has been an exception though, in almost 3 weeks you could hardly tell anything had been cut! we dont plant or till these fields, but just keeping them cut is a job in itself. i swear they get thicker and thicker every year!

 

[Soundguy]

To be fair.. i said 'a little excessive'.. not just 'excessive'. For average conditions 8hp per foot is way more than adequate... this sounds like exactly what you said, just phrased differently:

Not sure I'd go quite as far as saying "excessive". More like "more than adaquate in most cases

yes.. if you let it grow up and out of control, and / or want to drive fast, you need more HP per foot... No arguments there.

soundguy

 

[Farmwithjunk]

To be fair.. i said 'a little excessive'.. not just 'excessive'. For average conditions 8hp per foot is way more than adequate... this sounds like exactly what you said, just phrased differently:





yes.. if you let it grow up and out of control, and / or want to drive fast, you need more HP per foot... No arguments there.

soundguy

Depends on what you consider "average". If average is clipping pastures that get cut 8 or 10 times a season and never get beyond a few inches tall, that 6HP per ft rule applies. But most "average" mowing I see and hear of is more like 2 or 3 cuts per season and well beyond the capabilities of 30/32 hp on a 6' mower when used at anything approaching a respectable speed. (4 mph + or -) That ISN'T "out of control", but just typical mowing. It may end up being out of control if you only have marginal power in conjunction with a mower that's at the extreme upper size limits for that power. I'd hate to think about having to go out mowing on an underpowered tractor, plodding along in 1st or 2nd gear for hours on end. It's common to see 30 to 35 hp tractors around here with 5' mowers for the most part. I just don't see being boxed into a corner with a mower that's streching the tractors practical limits under even the lightest of conditions.

 

[Soundguy]

. It's common to see 30 to 35 hp tractors around here with 5' mowers for the most part. I just don't see being boxed into a corner with a mower that's streching the tractors practical limits under even the lightest of conditions.

As with everything opinion based.. it's all mutable... time is to. some people may actually like seat time.. and most people I know mow slower than I do.. I don't particularly mind a brisk mowing speed and a few bumps... The spring ride seat on my tractor is a real plus.

FWIW.. the dealer reccomended mower on that 32hp tractor I mowed with was a 6' mower. I opted to buy a 5', thinking I'd stay in the real power range... Luckilly I bought a few old fords to stick the 5' mower on, and instead used my stepdads 6' mower. The 32hp diesel spun the 5' like it wasn't back there.. i ran in 3/3 most of the time.. which was quite fast on that 12x4 tranny. Weeds 2-3' taller than the canopy went down with ease. About the only thing i ever mowed that made me drop into the '2' range was a full 3' tall thick lush grass.... Of course.. i still say the NH 1920 I'm refering to was way more tractor than ford touted it as... It would blow a tc30 away with one injector disconnected..

I never felt 'boxed' in or anything close to stretching the practical limits of that tractor in anything other than outright jungle undergrowth... and even then.. you could still mow it down faster than you could safely look for obstacles in front of you.. IE.. sometimes a lower 2 or (gasp)1 range was selected just to be able to find the hidden stumps and junk in the 3' tall grass..e tc.

In any case.. the hp rangees have been posted in this thread.. all the way from adequate to ideal, and the owner knows what to expect from a mower at the upper end of a tractor.. or having surplus tractor to spare.. etc.

I don't see a downside either way.. smaller tractor CAN get the job done, perhaps at a reduced speed... having a larger tractor gives you plenty of headroom , and opens doors for other larger tasks, but cost more, and more to maintain.

I own on both sides of that equation... my ford hundred series are not what i would term as 'awesome' at moving round hay bales,( adequate at best ) mostly due to reduced size and weight o f the tractors in relation to the bale size.. however.. they get it done... I'm actually surprised about the smaller 660 handling them...not so much about the 850... On the flip side.. I've had 9.5hp per foot of cut on a mower and knew I was wasting time with the overkill of hp, vs a larger mower, vs MY conditions.. and when it's all said and donw.. that's what counts.. the posters mowing habits and conditions.. not any of ours. What's average to many of us.. is likely not average to the original poster. What's average to a paid profesional mower is likely not what is average to the rest of us that mow our own land, vs letting it grow out of control.. then have to hire (FWJ) to come mow it for us.. thus what you see as average may well be inflated

soundguy

 

[Farmwithjunk]

As with everything opinion based.. it's all mutable... time is to. some people may actually like seat time.. and most people I know mow slower than I do.. I don't particularly mind a brisk mowing speed and a few bumps... The spring ride seat on my tractor is a real plus.

FWIW.. the dealer reccomended mower on that 32hp tractor I mowed with was a 6' mower. I opted to buy a 5', thinking I'd stay in the real power range... Luckilly I bought a few old fords to stick the 5' mower on, and instead used my stepdads 6' mower. The 32hp diesel spun the 5' like it wasn't back there.. i ran in 3/3 most of the time.. which was quite fast on that 12x4 tranny. Weeds 2-3' taller than the canopy went down with ease. About the only thing i ever mowed that made me drop into the '2' range was a full 3' tall thick lush grass.... Of course.. i still say the NH 1920 I'm refering to was way more tractor than ford touted it as... It would blow a tc30 away with one injector disconnected..

I never felt 'boxed' in or anything close to stretching the practical limits of that tractor in anything other than outright jungle undergrowth... and even then.. you could still mow it down faster than you could safely look for obstacles in front of you.. IE.. sometimes a lower 2 or (gasp)1 range was selected just to be able to find the hidden stumps and junk in the 3' tall grass..e tc.

In any case.. the hp rangees have been posted in this thread.. all the way from adequate to ideal, and the owner knows what to expect from a mower at the upper end of a tractor.. or having surplus tractor to spare.. etc.

I don't see a downside either way.. smaller tractor CAN get the job done, perhaps at a reduced speed... having a larger tractor gives you plenty of headroom , and opens doors for other larger tasks, but cost more, and more to maintain.

I own on both sides of that equation... my ford hundred series are not what i would term as 'awesome' at moving round hay bales,( adequate at best ) mostly due to reduced size and weight o f the tractors in relation to the bale size.. however.. they get it done... I'm actually surprised about the smaller 660 handling them...not so much about the 850... On the flip side.. I've had 9.5hp per foot of cut on a mower and knew I was wasting time with the overkill of hp, vs a larger mower, vs MY conditions.. and when it's all said and donw.. that's what counts.. the posters mowing habits and conditions.. not any of ours. What's average to many of us.. is likely not average to the original poster. What's average to a paid profesional mower is likely not what is average to the rest of us that mow our own land, vs letting it grow out of control.. then have to hire (FWJ) to come mow it for us.. thus what you see as average may well be inflated

soundguy

But.... answer this with a simple yes or no.... Didn't you part ways with the 32HP Ford because, even with a 6' mower, it was too slow about mowing your 13 acres?

Higher hp give you the flexability to mow faster OR slower, where lower power doesn't give you that same choice.

OP's "specs" and requirements state he has "8 mowable acres, some hilly" that are "4 months overgrown". that leaves the door open for many possibilities. But I'd still favor something in the 45 hp range. That's just a nice handy size.


MORE POWER!!!!!! Arghhhhhh!!!!!

 

[Soundguy]

But.... answer this with a simple yes or no.... Didn't you part ways with the 32HP Ford because, even with a 6' mower, it was too slow about mowing your 13 acres?

Absolutely.. without a doubt, 100% YES. When i went to 6 day work shifts with some doubles I could no longer afford to devote 6.5 hrs to mowing each week... 3 hours was much better.

Higher hp give you the flexability to mow faster OR slower, where lower power doesn't give you that same choice.

I was originally goin to get a tc48 and a 7' mower.. but the deal on the 7610s came up, and it was so much more tractor, and opene dup the possibility for a 10'-12'-15' mower.. that really appealed to me.. at the time.. I had more money than well.. time. .. glad the mowers were affordable though, as I kinda overspent my budget on the tractor a little.

OP's "specs" and requirements state he has "8 mowable acres, some hilly" that are "4 months overgrown". that leaves the door open for many possibilities. But I'd still favor something in the 45 hp range. That's just a nice handy size.


MORE POWER!!!!!! Arghhhhhh!!!!!

I admit.. I'm a power junkie, and I'm also a fan of not having to swap out rear implements alot.. or at all.. thus the multiple tractors.. even if most of them are old. I realize that option is not feasable for the average non tractor collector though. I usually try to throw out both opinions.. IE.. what you can 'get by' with and what would be nice. In this case, I have no arguments that the large mower ont he smaller tractor is in the 'get by range.. IE.. only suitable for 'average'.. or shall we say mild to medium conditions.. in heavy conditions.. speed will be sacrificed, or cut width.. or both.. etc.

soundguy