FEL removal is really easy and it actually stands up pretty nice and is easy to line up. I've only needed to remove it once to fit under my deck to carry firewood, but it was super easy. In terms of the wood
chipper I had the same concern with expense. I looked at a bunch and decided on the bx42 because it has a 4" x 10" chute, meaning I never have to trim anything down to size and the way the blades are setup it self feeds without needing the hydro feed. Its a great match for the tractor and while you can stall it with a really hard piece of max sized wood fed too fast, it handles pretty much whatever will fit in the chute. I ended up going used, it took a few months, but I got one that was a few years old, but barely used for 2k. The only downside is it's JD green! I find it's easier than burning because you don't have to transport anything, you just toss it in and it's chipped on-site, VS dragging everything into a big pile.
For mowing I'd recommend using 2wd otherwise when you turn the wheel the front tires dig in. Also definitely have the BH off for lawn work. The FEL isn't really noticeable weight wise on the tractor, but the BH is VERY noticeable and raises the center of gravity a lot, so on hills I always have it off and try not to drive with it on the lawn. On the other hand the BH is the best ballast you can get, according to the Kubota website it weighs around 1400 lbs.