Buying Advice Please advise, what to buy?

[gdh]

I am a small acreage owner (7 acres). There is approximately 4 acres to mow in the summer and an 80 yard concrete driveway to keep clear of snow. I already own a Kubota ZD18 ZTR mower that works great given the fact I have many mature trees to mow around. The problem lies in snow removal. So far I have maintained the drive with a small snowsport snowplow on my jeep. As the winter progresses and you no longer have anywhere to push the snow you end up with 2-4 foot windrows along the driveway. With any wind at all I find myself drifted-in. With small children in the household I would like a little security knowing I can always get out if needed. I am currently considering an F series with a snowblower or a more conventional tractor (unknown size/model) with a blower and cab. I would love to hear from anybody regarding what has worked well in their situation.
Thank you in advance.
gh

 

[bp fick]

For the price of cabbed, front snow blower rigged tractor you could pay a top notch snow service for a very, very long time.

However, self reliance is a virtue, I suppose. My honest opinion? Just for snow? Unless you live in an area that gets 150" of snow a year, EVERY year, not just a freak type year, such as this in the mid-Atlantic area, a cabbed tractor with front mount blower is a tough pill to swallow.

Are there other duties, chores or projects that you also envision the using of the tractor? Selling tractors here at TBN, on other people's dime, is our specialty, so no doubt there will be some advice in that direction given out. We don't charge for spending your money either!!!

 

[gdh]

BP,
Thank you for the reply. I am somewhat self-reliant and you might be correct in insinuating that I am trying to justify a tractor purchase. My actual problem is that I leave for work everyday at 5:15am. My job requires that I be at work on time snow, rain, or shine. No excuses. A snow service won't help me on my schedule in the country. The main uses & wishes in order and in importance would be:
1. Snow removal for wind driven drifts which occur almost daily in S.D. I failed to mention in the previous post that the previous owner of the acreage lined the driveway with evergreens so with any wind I am drifted in.
2. Something sized so it will fit in one of my garage stalls so it starts when it is below zero F.
3. Yard Maintenance. Lawn (already have a Kubota ZTR) & maybe landscaping.
4. Maybe?? Tiller for garden or food plots, but I really question the feasibility of a small tractor for food plots.

For those reasons I keep coming back to the F series front mount mower with snowblower quick attach. (NOT inexpensive and less versatile) I have not ruled it out but the cost of such a machine has broadened my search a bit to other models.
Appreciate your thoughts.
gh

 

[TripleR]

I truly would love to have an F Series, but cannot justify the cost of one at this time though I haven't given up trying. I think a tractor such as a B2xxx and snowblower will work as well and will be a lot cheaper. It will also do any other chores such as tilling and grading. An F series, excellent though it is, just seems to be too limited in function not to mention the cost.

JOHNTHOMAS has owned about every Kubota known to man including the F and I am sure he can give you some good advice.

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

I'm not sure I can give good advise but I do have some thoughts. The F, to me is the greatest thing since sliced bread for mowing. Never considered adding any attachments to front of it since I have tractors with FELs for other tractor needs. I haven't had much snow to deal with until this year and my BX2660 MMM FEL has done a great job with what we've had. Now, if your considering getting rid of the ZTR and have a 4WD F with big front deck for mowing and snowblower for winter snow, I think you may have come up with a fantastic idea. If you plan on keeping the ZTR then there are alot cheaper ways to do the snow and probably all around better. One of the BX's with FEL and or snow blower would provide much more versatility and probably cheaper. I think I paid $14000 for my F 2WD with 6' rear discharge front deck. A 4WD would be several thousand dollars more, I believe. My F holds 11 gallons so it doesn't have to be filled but a couple of time during a normal summer. Last summer wasn't a normal summer so I had to fill it more. I did get it in a small, and I mean small ditch and almost panicked until I figured it had the diff lock which made it pull right out so on hills or snow I think you'll have to have the 4wd model meaning in SD you'll have to have the 4WD. I did a year in Minot so I know about the 1 or 2 inches of snow making 4 to 5 foot high drifts. Tell me your thoughts up to this point and I may have more considerations to ponder.

 

[bp fick]

Your added information is very helpful.

OK, a tractor. Well, you cannot beat a BX. A snowblade is awesome. I know. The cost is about 1800 optional dollars but well worth it. For about 3000 optional dollars, a front snow blower.

Frankly, a BX1860 would be right up your alley, as you describe your situation. The shorter ROPS (rollbars) go right into a garage with standard doors. The diesel engine won't quit. It is a brute!!

The BX1860 is just so darn lovable and affordable. It is priced below its oversized brethren in the BX pack. Yes, it has a few less ponies, although you'd likely never, ever notice working snow. Yes, it's frame is 3" shorter, but one can barely tell. And it's stock wheels and tires are slightly smaller in diameter, but again, it's not a big deal. But at 8900 bucks list (you can do slightly better) for the basic tractor, it cannot be beat by anything of which I am aware, price wise.

You mentioned whether a small tractor like this would do a garden plot. Oh yes it can. I won't bore you with the details or photos, but yes, it does a terrific job.

So there you have it. If you go BX, of whatever size and dollar you wish to drop, you will be overwhelmed by its capabilities. There's no way to really see or feel it just by sitting on one at the dealership.

 

[bp fick]

OK, thought of more stuff, then I am done. Maybe, just more confusion.

Cab? Cannot get a cabbed BX, so you are talking a cabbed B model which is going to up the ante big time.

Front blade or front blower. Needed, but here's the issue. What a pain to be switching back and forth between a subframe for the blade or blower (plus, the blower needs to driven by a PTO shaft) and still have the FEL available for attacking those 4 ft drifts. The FEL would be my tool of choice to work on huge drifts, getting them down to size.

I detest blowing as it always goes down my neck, but if you're in a cab, you'll be OK. Finally, a back blower, a 3 pt blower would be out of the question, for ME, to be doing a drive that large. No way I wanna be cranked around backing up for 80 yards of drive over and over.

Maybe I am missing something here, I dunno.

 

[gdh]

JohnThomas, bp, & TripleR, thanks for the replies and info.
I have a newbie question. I get FEL, but what is MMM? (mid mower mount??)

Thoughts on a blower. Regardless of the machine, I already have a small plow on a jeep that works well until the there is a windrow of snow on either side of the driveway. This winter I literally have run out of space to push snow and that is why I have "tractor fever". I think a blower would really help me out. I have seen pictures on TBN of F series and BXs that have cabs. I think they are either homemade or after-market outfits.

JT, question about the F. How well does it mow around trees. Is it as efficient at this as the ZTR?

A picture is worth a thousand words. I am going to try to attach a picture to this post so you can see an aerial view of the property that visually sums up my needs. Front 5 acres is kentucky blue grass with many trees. Back 2 acres is prairie grass with immature bare root seedlings planted last year.

Thanks again in advance.

 

[TripleR]

Where I live is not much different than JOHNTHOMAS and we usually don't get much snow, so I get by with my BX and FEL on those occasions as a snow blower would not be worth the cost. Since our snow doesn't last much more than a week at most on any storm I don't have to stack it up long term like you, so again a snow blower isn't needed. I can only speak for myself, but if I lived where there was a lot of snow, I would definitely buy a snow blower. If I was not going to use the tractor for mowing, it would be a B rather than BX due to ground clearance. Yes, a BX will work, but I didn't like dragging the belly of my tractor through the snow in places I hadn't cleared.

Yes MMM is mid mount mower.

As to a cab, you can go with an aftermarket cab if you don't need AC and take it off during the summer.

 

[keyman1808]

Heres one out of the Cape Cod area on CL. Kubota B7610 Tractor w Snow BlowerKubota Model B7610 HSDF Diesel Tract. Already has a cab and blower. I have a blower and even with 4 foot drifts it will handle it. Just raise it up and take multiple bites if need be.