How many hours??

[ChuckinNH]

Another member was just asking if the extra years he could get out of an X700 series might make it worth more to him than an X500. That got me thinking about how many hours we actually put on our machines before the urge for something new kicks in, or we actually wear a garden tractor out. I would like members to post the most hours THEY have put on a mower ( I don't want to count the hours that a machine had on it when bought used since the idea is to see how long each owner used it) I'll start off by saying that I put 1485 hours / 12+ years on my old Simplicity Landlord, and got a pretty good price when I traded it in. My current Simplicity has around 700+ hours/ 10 years on it, and though it is a better model, I'm getting / fighting the urge for something new big time.

 

[ZDB]

100 hours a year is what my wife puts on her 1988 JD 285. Had it for 5 years, plan on keeping it another 10.

 

[High Compression]

My bx2660 and my b3030 each get about 350-400 hrs per year (approx. 250 hrs just in snow removal). My zd21 mower only gets 50-75hrs per year.

 

[kansas john deere]

Thats a lot of hours for just snow removal isnt it?

 

[ChuckinNH]

100 hours a year is what my wife puts on her 1988 JD 285. Had it for 5 years, plan on keeping it another 10.

The JD 285 was the tractor that I lusted for when it was a new item. My average is about the same though a bit less since I lost my wife. My tractor now has a larger deck than my old one too so that cuts down the time too.. Those 285's are tough tractors........ wonder if a new X500 series would be as tough?

"My bx2660 and my b3030 each get about 350-400 hrs per year (approx. 250 hrs just in snow removal). My zd21 mower only gets 50-75hrs per year."

You are way ahead of me in hours though I did probably put more hours on my Kubota last winter than I did in the summer. How many years are you planning on keeping your Kubotas?

 

[Verticaltrx]

The JD 285 was the tractor that I lusted for when it was a new item. My average is about the same though a bit less since I lost my wife. My tractor now has a larger deck than my old one too so that cuts down the time too.. Those 285's are tough tractors........ wonder if a new X500 series would be as tough?

They are indeed nice garden tractors, I have a 265 which is just one size smaller. It's an early 90's model but only has about 600hrs on it. I hope to get at least another 20yrs use out of it.

On the other end of the hour spectrum is a Grasshopper 614 we have that's a '92 model, with 2000+ hrs. Never a single major repair. :thumbsup:

 

[High Compression]

Thats a lot of hours for just snow removal isnt it?

It's quite a few, but I have a Super Target, 4 Dillons grocery stores, 2 Wal-Marts, etc, plus 44 residentials. On a light snow of 2-4" I'm out roughly 30 hrs.

 

[High Compression]

"You are way ahead of me in hours though I did probably put more hours on my Kubota last winter than I did in the summer. How many years are you planning on keeping your Kubotas?"

I don't have a specific plan on how long I will keep them. They both are like new. I guess when I go to the shop to start them at 2 a.m. and they don't, then I'll have to think about new ones. Or maybe when my needs change. Think'n bout an M135 with a 14' containment plow for this season. My dealer sure wishes I'd place the order.:thumbsup:

 

[High Compression]

Hey Kansas John Deere. Here is a pic of my old JD before I went orange. I started with a snow shovel and a 4'x4' piece of plywood. Then a $400 Monkeywards tractor with a blade. Then my JD400 that was a basket case. I had to put it back together with a new engine and paint. THEN.... I went to the Orange beasts. They are phenomenal!

 

[bigtiller]

I bought my first 318 in 1988, then traded every year for the next 18 years and never got 50 hours on any of them. Now my 2305 is 5 years old with over 400 hours on it.

I am just itching for a good trade.