Thanks for the replies, when I measued the R4's, I added 2" for tire bulge on each side, but I didn't think about the actual tread width on the ground. So now I have 60" cutting width vs. 58" tire footprint. That works for me.
mikePA: Is your side discharge offset to the left at all?
The shed was built only a month ago and cost about $5K. I know that's a lot for a shed, but it's 12x18 with a porch, 3 doors, 5 windows with shutters, vinyl siding, architectual shingles, ridge vent, interior shelves, plenty of pressure treated wood, and built on-site. I'll run electric in the fall, so it's almost a mini-house. So doing anything to the shed would be VERBOTEN! and maybe even a divorceble action. So the tractor fits in the shed as is, or no tractor. The FEL is an allowable exception for outside storage, since my wife really agrees with it's usefullness. The only tractor small enough to fit in the shed with a FEL is the
BX2200, and she agreed that it was too small even for her. WOW, what a break! The JD X595 which technically may or may not be a "real" tractor would also fit with a FEL, but that is really expensive for what you get. My local JD dealer likes retail pricing. So it wasn't a real consideration. With the FEL exception in place, I am now free to look at larger tractors.
Also, has anyone considered the structural strength of the rear discharge vs side discharge mmm. The rear discharge deck is completely flat, with full lip in the front and only a partial lip on the rear. It does have two bumpers on the outer edge which is good. The side discharge deck has the raised tunnel for discharge which should increase lateral strength. It also has two full lips front & rear, with additional lip roll inward in the front. It is also 50lbs heavier, but maybe 10lbs of that is the chute. All this may not matter with 7 gauge steel deck, when compared to the 9.5 gauge deck for Kubota
B2910. Maybe I'm over thinking this, but if I have to seal/weld cracks in the deck after a couple of years, I probably wouldn't be a happy camper.