How big is big enough?

[dbs179]

Hi all,

I have been on here before (last year sometime) and asked a few quesions and read some posts, but since I have been in my home a bit longer and come up with a few more projects, I am finally ready to buy a tractor.

Here is my situation. I have 8 acres of land. All of which is wooded with the exception of about 1-1.5 acres that are cleared for the house and lawn. My lot is very steep since I live on a ridgetop, except for the area where my house and lawn are. So I doubt that I would ever clear out any more land for lawn, since it would all be to steep to do much with. My drive way is gravel right now, but will be paved in the distant future. The driveway is about 900 feet long by 10 feet wide. Also I have several areas along it where I can easily pile snow in the winter.

So with all of that said, my basic needs are to mow 1 acre and plow 900 feet of drive way. I live in WV so our biggest snow falls are usually not more than 8-10 inches at a time, and even that amount is pretty rare. I also have some small landscaping tasks around the house, and some brush piles to clean up.

I went to the Kubota dealer in my area and they recommended the B7510 Turf Special with a 60 inch mid mount mower, a 12 inch back hoe, a 48" FEL and a 60" rear blade. The tractor looked nice, and seemed easy enough for my better half to do some mowing, if I were away and she needed to, so we both really liked this tractor.

Then I went to a Mahindra dealer and they recommended the 2615 with all of the same implements except for a rear finish mower instead of the mid mount mower. With the size of my lawn I would think that the larger size of this tractor as well as the extra lenght of the rear mount mower would be cumbersome to mow my yard. Also with the added weight, I was not sure if it would do more harm to the lawn than the lighter Kubota.

I do plan on visiting the John Deere dealer as well as the Farm Trac dealer, but I am unsure of the HP range that I really need. I want the tractor to do all of the things I need easily, but I don't want to pay for extra HP and size that I will never put to use. Is the 21HP of the 7510 enough for this type of work, or would I really benefit from the extra weight and horsepower of the larger tractors?

Sorry for the long post, I just wanted to be sure I didn't leave anything out.

Thanks for any information.
Dave

 

[Phoenix1]

I'm not the expert that many here are, but it seems to me you have 2 different needs that one machine doesn't satisfy. Have you considered a snowblower instead of a snow plow? 900 ft driveway even with a 10" storm could get tricky. You could probably get away with the smaller tractor.

I really like my Simplicity Legacy XL. I mow about an acre also. I have the 60" deck and really is an overkill. Even though 27HP engine, this tractor is very manageable. Actually drives better than the 14HP garden tractor it replaced. It is also 4WD which sounds like it fits you perfectly with the hills and will be great in snow. Lots of attachments. (I got the 48"FEL for the landscaping stuff) Of all the ones I looked at, Kubota, JD, NH, and Cub Cadet, this was by far the best value.

Keep shopping.

 

[dbs179]

I had thought about a snow blower, but with a gravel driveway, I'm not sure that would be the best way move it. The Kubota dealer suggested the rear blade for snow removal, and it seems that is what all of my neighbors use. As for the snow falls, last year we only had two major snow falls. Both of which were 4-6 inches. (I shoveled both of these by hand, and swore I would never do it again) It is rare that we get up to the 8-10. Maybe once a season. Usually we get 2-4, and the bigger storms lay 4-6.

But what I did get from your post was that you think the 7510 would be sufficient for all but maybe the heavy snow removal?

Thanks

 

[BillG_in_TX]

Did you look at the BX23 when you were at the Kubota dealer? It sounds like a better fit for your projects, and may save you some $$ compared to the B7510 with a backhoe. It's also designed/engineered as a TLB.

Here's a recent discussion comparing the BX and B series tractors.

 

[dbs179]

I think I did start out looking at the BX series, but after talking to the salesman, he showed us the 7510. The 7510 with the implements I wanted was in the price range I was looking for. So I didn't go back to the BX.

 

[MossRoad]

Have you looked at the Power Trac line of tractors? If not, take a look just for comparison.

Power Trac website.

I really like ours. It is small, lightweight on the lawn, very stable, and has front mounted implements that attach to the permanent front loader arms. So, besides loader buckets, you can put over 40 other attachments onto the unit as well. Snow plowing is one of the jobs where this unit excels. The front mounted power angle snow blade out front lets you plow quickly and stack the snow over 6' high.

You may also want to check out the Power Trac forum here, on TBN by clicking here.

Good luck in your search for the right tractor for your needs. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[BillG_in_TX]

MossRoad is right about the Power Trac. Take a look at this discussion.

"funpilot" was pretty well decided on a B7510 until we turned his head to the world of PT's. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[JerryG]

Given your land description and the amount of lawn that you have a Kubota BX or a MF GC 2300 would fit. They both have a low center of gravity with would be good for your steep hills. Either one should have plenty of power for the items that you mentioned.

 

[dbs179]

I went over and looked at the power trac site. It looks like they are only sold out of one location? That is far to go to get a tractor. Otherwise they look like good machines. Some folks have mentioned the BX23 over the B7510. It looks like the BX does not have a true 3pt on the rear and can't accept some of the implements that the 7510 can. Is this correct? I really would like to be able to use other rear implements if the need arises in the future.

But back to the original question. Given the responses, I am guessing that the B7510 would be able to do what I listed power wise, but there may be a better match for my needs?

Again thanks for all the input
Dave

 

[MossRoad]

Factory direct. No dealers. Service it yourself or find local help. Parts available overnight from the factory, or ground shipped for less $$, but a few days.

As far as going to get it, they'll ship it to you, for a fee, of course. Mine was shipped from VA to IN overnight with two pallets of attachments for about $500.00(four years ago). Couldn't have gone to get it myself for that price.