Buying Advice Looking for new or used garden tractor, something strong enough to plow, PTO, 3 pt hitch, don’t need mower attachment.

[mahovy]

Searching for buying advice on garden tractor, with 3 pt, rear PTO, strong enough to plow, no need for mower.
Can be used, or new.

 

[jeff9366]

LAWN & GARDEN category tractors are 95% 2-WD, have turf tires and do not have a TPH nor PTO. LAWN & GARDEN tractors typically weigh <1,000 pounds.

(Some of the top John Deere Lawn & Garden tractors, sold exclusively by John Deere dealers, are exceptions. $$$ )

TractorData.com John Deere X749 tractor information

www.tractordata.com

How much land do you intend to moldboard plow? A typical LAWN & GARDEN tractor can adequately plow a garden that is cultivated every year. Few would attempt to use a LAWN & GARDEN tractor to break new ground / sod.

Do you need a Front End Loader? (FEL)

 

[oldnslo]

3 point was an option on some older Deere X485 or X495 also X7** series. These also had option for rear PTO. X7** would be more likely to have both features. Most of these would probably also have mid mount mower.

Slightly larger is Kubota BX series. These come standard with 3 point and rear PTO. May or may not have front end loader and mid mount mower. Also has two range hydro static trans axle so better suited for ground engagement type work.

When you state plow, is this a mold board plow for turning dirt or a snow plow blade? Suspect mold board but verification would help.

 

[mahovy]

Yes moldboard plow, 1/4 acre

 

[mahovy]

LAWN & GARDEN category tractors are 95% 2-WD, have turf tires and do not have a TPH nor PTO, typically weigh <1,000 pounds.

(Some of the top John Deere Lawn & Garden tractors, sold exclusively by John Deere dealers, are exceptions. $$$ )

TractorData.com John Deere X749 tractor information

www.tractordata.com

How much land do you intend to moldboard plow? A typical LAWN & GARDEN tractor can adequately plow a garden that is cultivated every year. Few would attempt to use a LAWN & GARDEN tractor to break new ground / sod.

Do you need a Front End Loader? (FEL)

1/4 acre plow land, don’t need FEL

 

[mo1]

Searching for buying advice on garden tractor, with 3 pt, rear PTO, strong enough to plow, no need for mower.
Can be used, or new.

Look for a subcompact tractor. There are a bunch of them out there from a lot of manufacturers and they will all have a 3 point hitch and a rear PTO. Examples are the Kubota BX and John Deere 1 series. The only smaller "garden tractors" out there that have the option of a 3 point hitch and a rear PTO are Deere's fanciest units like the X700 series, which are not any less expensive than and not much smaller than a subcompact. The 3 point hitches on those are very limited in lift height as well.

 

[jeff9366]

1/4 acre plow land, don’t need FEL.

Has your 1/4 acre been broken / plowed before?

Are you intending a kitchen garden or permanent landscape beds which will require plowing only once?

KUBOTA WEB SITE:

Tractors - Sub-Compact - BX Series | Kubota

Browse through Kubota's BX Series Sub-Compact tractor inventory, filter search by features to find the best fit for you, or even build your own. Then find a dealer close by with your desired product!

www.kubotausa.com

 

[CH4Ohio]

I don't think you're going to have much success using a turning plow with a "garden tractor".

You could go with a smaller tractor if you use a tiller attachment instead. If you match the width of the tiller and HP requirement to the tractor you can work ground making several passes as opposed to trying to pull a turning plow behind a too-light tractor that will either bog down or spin the tires.

After you PLOW this land it's going to be plenty rough. You'll need a tractor with just as much OOMPH in order to disc it up or drag it in order to get it smoothed out. What's the plan after it's plowed?

A tiller is WAY MORE useful and handy in the long run than a plow. After your 1/4 acre is done you'll have more use for a tiller than a moldboard plow, IMHO.

 

[jeff9366]

Look for a subcompact tractor. There are a bunch of them out there from a lot of manufacturers and they will all have a 3 point hitch and a rear PTO. Examples are the Kubota BX and John Deere 1 series.

Previoiusly owned Kubota BX pricing:

Kubota BX tractor for sale | eBay

Get the best deals for Kubota BX tractor at eBay.com. We have a great online selection at the lowest prices with Fast & Free shipping on many items!

www.ebay.com

 

[kthompson]

Not saying the tractors sizes mention would not do the job but for pricing, look bigger. I have two older Kubotas, one a M6800 (about 65 hp) and the other is a B2710 (about 27 hp). I was considering selling the M6800 before covid and was told the B2710 would sell for as much or more most likely. Kept both. Depending on your expected long term needs my M6800 has much more clearance for cultivation than a compact tractor offers. Will also give you most likely more options in equipment. Not saying you need that much hp but real-life experience on my end would not want a small frame for MY gardening experience. One, I like to use what we call a one row tobacco setting to plant my garden. Both plants and seeds. For a garden rather have that than a planter.

But, you really need to think carefully about your long term wants and needs. Think as has been mentioned here about the long-term layout and use of beds or not. My next door neighbor moved here just over a year ago. He was use to small lot in town up north, NY. He has taken at least a 1/4 acre and had it tilled with full size tractor, then took the material used to prevent soil erosion on construction sites to make a grid of areas to plant about 8 feet wide and maybe twice as long. Never would you be able to use a tractor in it, not too much of a garden tiller. They till it by hand. Works for them. Plan you garden first and formost. Look around if need be to see what others are doing.

 

[jeff9366]

Yes moldboard plow, 1/4 acre

VIDEOS:

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=sub+compact+tractor+plowing

 

[mahovy]

Has your 1/4 acre been broken / plowed before?

Are you intending a kitchen garden or permanent landscape beds which will require plowing only once?

KUBOTA WEB SITE:

Tractors - Sub-Compact - BX Series | Kubota

Browse through Kubota's BX Series Sub-Compact tractor inventory, filter search by features to find the best fit for you, or even build your own. Then find a dealer close by with your desired product!

www.kubotausa.com

Kitchen garden. Been plowed and disked before, have brinly hardy 10”plow on craftsman gt 5000. Hard to get enough traction to plow smoothly. Has tractor treads, ballast, and weights. Almost bearable. Same brand disc. Craftsman GT 5000 has no hydraulics, or 3 pt

 

[jeff9366]

Craftsman GT5000​

2009 - 2010 GT5000 Series Garden tractor Husqvarna built

Weight

644 lbs 292 kg

The fundamental importance of TRACTOR WEIGHT eludes many tractor shoppers. Tractor capability is more closely correlated to tractor weight than any other single (1) specification.

The median bare weight of subcompact category tractors is around 1,400 pounds. Unfortunately, you have to pay for every pound.

I do not know of any subcompact category tractor without 4-WD and at least a two range transmission.

 

[mahovy]

thanks haven’t thought about that

 

[jeff9366]

Varied opinions on tractor weight:

Tractor Sizing - TRACTOR WEIGHT as ONE (1) CRITERION in TRACTOR SELECTION

TRACTOR WEIGHT as ONE CRITERION in TRACTOR SELECTION This thread has evolved since February 2, 2018 under former title of GUIDE: Shopping/Sizing A Tractor. T-B-N members have contributed 413 replies to this focused thread, commencing its third iteration. I thank them. My opinions developed...

www.tractorbynet.com

 

[wolc123]

If you want the absolute best tool for that job, Look for a 1951 or 1952 Ford model 8n, a 12” 2-bottom 3-point plow, and a 6 ft 3-point disk.

No other tractor, made before or after, has better parts availability. There’s also many of them around. You should be able to find one in excellent condition for under $ 3k.

I used mine to turn over 1/4 acre of my front yard and plant sweetcorn this year. It worked wonderful:

That section of lawn was very rough, so it needed to be worked up and re-seeded. Late August is the best time to seed a new lawn. That’s also the time that early sweetcorn will all be harvested and eaten.

In a couple weeks, I’ll Bush-hog the corn stalks, disk it again, and “double crop” it with Kentucky bluegrass.

It’s been great all summer, only needing to spend 45 minutes cutting my formerly 1 acre lawn, rather than over an hour like it took me on previous years. It’s also been nice, not having to run back in the fields, to get fresh corn for dinner. Keeping it watered, thru the 3 week spring drought, was also very easy with a short garden hose and lawn sprinkler.

 

[zzvyb6]

Use a rototiller instead. Set the depth & be done with it. I did 8 acres in a weekend. Multiple passes. No need for discing, packing, or worrying about traction.

 

[wolc123]

Use a rototiller instead. Set the depth & be done with it. I did 8 acres in a weekend. Multiple passes. No need for discing, packing, or worrying about traction.

Maybe he’s got rocks. Rototillers are no good on rocks.

 

[CH4Ohio]

Maybe he’s got rocks. Rototillers are no good on rocks.

Everyone has rocks.

A plow won't cut through ROCK. A tiller won't either. I'm assuming we're not talking about slicing through bedrock.

My 5' tiller jumps and bounces when it hits a big rock. No doubt about that. But a plow would hang up too and wouldn't magically remove the rock.

On a patch of land this small, the easiest way to cut it up and smooth it out is with a tiller. How would more rocks make a plow a better option?

 

[nknelsen]

Searching for buying advice on garden tractor, with 3 pt, rear PTO, strong enough to plow, no need for mower.
Can be used, or new.

I have had a Kioti for about 10 years and I love it. I only bought a new one to get a larger unit. I've never had any problems or trouble with Kioti.

Dealers are another problem altogether. Here in Ontario our Dealers are few and far between when it comes to Kioti. And I haven't met a truly stellar dealer yet.

If I had the money I'd consider opening my own Dealership. How hard could due diligence and Customer service be?