Need help deciding…

[MasseyFerg231]

Ok, need some clear thoughts on the following and what /if I should do anything. We live on 5 acres with about 2.5 acres of lawn that gets a lot of hardwood leaves in the fall.
We have an:
- older 60” Bush Hog zero turn that works well, but does not always start/operate properly.
- agri-fab leaf vac trailer. Works well picking up leaves, but can be a pain to manage connecting to ZT and dumping.
- Massey Ferguson 231 with FEL, 6’ rotary mower/box blade/scraper blade/5’ rotary mower/60” finish mower

231 is to heavy to run in the grass areas without leaving major ruts as our soil seems to hold moisture well. I do use the rotary mower about once a year to hit small undergrowth in the wooded areas. Could probably get by with weed eater/saw blade after one more cutting with rotary mower.

My initial thought is to sell/trade everything and get something like a 1025r with mower/front end loader/leaf collector(or keep the agri fab for now). From what I’m reading though the mowers are not that great.

or should I keep everything and buy a new lawn/garden tractor mower with a simple bagger?

my wife likes to mow with the speed of the ZT but gets frustrated with when it doesn’t always start/run as it’s supposed to.

any input welcome.

 

[MasseyFerg231]

I should add that trying to make financial sense of it all is what takes me down this rabbit hole. A decent new ZT I’m expecting would be in the $5k-$6k range. And it just cuts grass. JD 700 series mower at $12k range and I’m seeing new 1025r with FEL/60” deck at about $22k.

I’m guessing hoping that I could maybe get the following for mine:
- ZT- $1,500
- MF231- $8000
- 3pt attachments $2,000

Would like to keep outlay to minimum as I have other items to pay for as well.

 

[Roadworthy]

Perhaps you could simply have the old Brush Hog repaired as required so that it does start and run properly then go from there with your path forward.

 

[Carl_NH]

Agree with roadworthy, fix up the Bush hog ZT, if it needs a new motor/belts, that will be $1500 range if you do it your self. A decent ZT semi commercial is $5K and up - I like the Simplicity series (made by Ferris).

I do about the same yard size, about 20 or so oak trees, and use a Trac Vac behind my Ferris - it works well, but the 6 HP B&S vac engine is starting to burn oil so an engine is in the future.

The other option you might consider is a used Kubota BX series with a deck - I see them here for $6-9K, and use your vacuum, or get a new vacuum. Total probably under $10K and sell your BH ZT.

 

[MasseyFerg231]

Perhaps you could simply have the old Brush Hog repaired as required so that it does start and run properly then go from there with your path forward.

Been going that route, and I’m ok with it. Replaced starter, fuel pump, fuel lines, tube up last year. Even with new starter, it’s not instantaneous on start up.

 

[Richard001]

I see that you skipped right past the carb, which is most likely the real problem. Clean it or replace it.

 

[MasseyFerg231]

Oops, yes, did clean it when other work done.
Also replaced a relay that controls key/starter. Another issue is that sometimes when you turn the key nothing. Turn it off and back to start and fires right up. I missed about a month of mowing season last summer from it being in the shop. You would think they could have gotten it running well by then.

 

[Carl_NH]

The Kohler I have in the Cub Cadet 1811 was hard starting, cleaned carb, new fuel pump, lines etc. Better, but still was hard to start - get a new carb and now it fires off immediately, vs cranking for 5-10 seconds.

You might want to check the ignition coils too, as those can cause an intermittent start. What engine do you have ? Kohler, Kawasaki and HP?

 

[crashz]

I can tell you want something new. For mowing quality and speed it seems like the ZT's are the best. Why not invest in a new ZT with bagger. Then sell the finish mower attachment, old ZT and vac.

The MF is another question. From your descriptions, it seems like you only use it for one thing, once a year and you may not need it anymore. Is that true? If so, I'd sell that too. But my guess is that the old Massey does a lot more one-off chores than once per year. Plus, you'll have a heck of a learning curve going from a utility tractor to a sub-compact (if you chose to go that route). The loaders will not compare.

So this isn't the cheapest solution but:
- Buy a new ZT $9,000.00 with bagger
- Sell Finish mower ($500.00)
- Sell Vac Trailer ($800.00)
- Sell Old ZT ($1500.00)

Your cost is $6,200.00 ish.

 

[sea2summit]

If the primary task is mowing the lawn a tractor isn't the best option. Very expensive and very slow for mowing.