Looking to purchase a first tractor other than a Garden Tractor. My primary residence is a lake front ranch that sits on maybe 2 acres. Mow with one or the other of the JD Garden Tractors that I have with 48 inch decks and takes about 2 hours. Yard is generally flat for most part with quite a few low spots scattered about. One of the jobs I want to tackle is leveling those spots and seeding. Also want to put in some more landscaping flower beds as well as work on and improve ones we already have. Our largest is 120 foot long by 4 foot wide. All our currant flower beds need more soil or mulch added. Want to improve surface drainage around house foundation by adding soil. Have a sidewalk that needs torn out and replaced and a area where I park a utility trailer and a boat that I need to whiterock.
In addition to the primary residence my brother and I have a 55 acre deer hunting area about 30 miles away. We usually mow around our trailer several tines a year and transport our Garden Tractors to do that. In addition there is about 8 or 9 acres of the 55 that are open grass field. One of the fellows that hunts with us usually mows that with a pull behind ATV mower once a year. So I have started looking at purchasing a smaller tractor with a FEL, MMM and a rotary cutter. Unit needs to be small enough to be handy at the primary residence and capable of doing what I want to do there. At same time want to do work at the deer camp. Mowing around trailers should not be a problem of course. The 8 or 9 acres of grass and weed field I want to mow more often hence the rotary cutter probably a 48 inch model. Have a gravel access road to blade once in a while and possibly move some dirt to build a shooting backstop. Looking for advise on tractor size. Small enough for around house use but still capable of doing what I want at the deer camp. Have looked a bit at JD, Massey and Kioti. Have not looked at Kubota yet. I am going on 68 years old and I am retired so time is not a factor in getting things done as quick as possible. Am getting to the age a shovel and wheel barrow is not much of a option anymore. SCUT or CUT. Looking at new but used is possible. Really like the JD 1025R and Massey 1715 in new models.
In addition to the primary residence my brother and I have a 55 acre deer hunting area about 30 miles away. We usually mow around our trailer several tines a year and transport our Garden Tractors to do that. In addition there is about 8 or 9 acres of the 55 that are open grass field. One of the fellows that hunts with us usually mows that with a pull behind ATV mower once a year. So I have started looking at purchasing a smaller tractor with a FEL, MMM and a rotary cutter. Unit needs to be small enough to be handy at the primary residence and capable of doing what I want to do there. At same time want to do work at the deer camp. Mowing around trailers should not be a problem of course. The 8 or 9 acres of grass and weed field I want to mow more often hence the rotary cutter probably a 48 inch model. Have a gravel access road to blade once in a while and possibly move some dirt to build a shooting backstop. Looking for advise on tractor size. Small enough for around house use but still capable of doing what I want at the deer camp. Have looked a bit at JD, Massey and Kioti. Have not looked at Kubota yet. I am going on 68 years old and I am retired so time is not a factor in getting things done as quick as possible. Am getting to the age a shovel and wheel barrow is not much of a option anymore. SCUT or CUT. Looking at new but used is possible. Really like the JD 1025R and Massey 1715 in new models.