No worries, I'm always all ears. Yes, I am aware of them, I actually used one years ago when I lived in WI. With my current driveway setup with hundreds of feet of retaining walls lining parts of the driveway and with the layout of the parking apron, it's much easier and faster for me to clear snow with a front mounted machine.
You are right, the price difference is substantial. Not that I like to throw money around, but I've saved enough to be able to get what I want. Finally! I actually think that down the road I'll end up with two machines. The j2023 for small work around my house and a larger tractor for heavy work on other property.
I think the bump in hydraulic capacity with the J2023 is what's making me realize it's the right machine for me. Small enough to get around where I need it to get around, but with enough capacity to get the work done. Not always fast, but it'll get the work done. About the only thing that concerns me is I want to put my eyes on the underside of the machine. Check the ground clearance, take a look to see what's under there that could possibly get snagged and break.
