x500 +snowblower or 2035 with FEL or?

   / x500 +snowblower or 2035 with FEL or? #1  

wilsonpicket

New member
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May 23, 2009
Messages
6
I have recently moved to a rural area of Nova Scotia, purchased an acre property on top of a hill over looking the valley. Yard is a mess of tress, gardens and some steep hilly lawn. Need help to make an informed decision on a CUT or LT/GT. Use for the purchase:
Cut lawn over hill and dale but need small deck 38"
Remove trees and rocks that cover 40% of land
Landscaping and path building
Major snow removal in the winter
Perhaps two units, a small lawn tractor JD135 and a 2305 with FEL. The MMM for the 2305 is $1600 and is huge at 54" Need small mowing deck for maneuverabiliy. Budget could be stretched to +/- 20k CDN. Need help, as I have priced out a JD X500, with 42"MMM, 47" 2 stage snowblower, and cart ($9k before tax) but feel that I'm not getting what I need for the future. Help
Dan
 
   / x500 +snowblower or 2035 with FEL or? #2  
IMHO you're on the right track thinking about getting 2 machines--the price of the MMM for a CUT will pay for a decent premium entry level LT that will be better at lawn mowing than any CUT, and you'll have more versatility with 2 machines. However, if I were buying a dedicated LT then I'd seriously think about skipping the 2305 and go for a JD 2320 or comparably machine from another mfg. The 2320 will give you more ground clearance and will be a bit more "tractor" than the 2305. The 2305 bridges the gap between tractor and lawn mower nicely, but is neither quite as nimble as a LT/GT nor quite as capable as even a small frame CUT.

Then again, with only 1 acre, you may consider an X700 series or Simplicity Legacy XL with 4wd, 3 pt, and FEL. Tractor capabilities won't be quite up to the 2305, but they will still be capable machines for improving and landscaping your acre. Plus, I would guess that the vast majority of hrs over the life of the machine will come from mowing grass, and an X700/Legacy XL will be the about the most comfortable and capable tractor style lawn mowers you could want.

Also, for a mower, you might consider a commercial walk behind instead of a small LT, and still get a tractor for landscaping and ground engaging work. I initially missed the part about needing about a 38" mower, so that probably rules out what I said about the X700 and Legacy XL.
 
   / x500 +snowblower or 2035 with FEL or?
  • Thread Starter
#3  
Baucom: thanks for the thoughts. The X700 is quite a unit, but the price is so close to a 2305 that I thought perhaps the 3pt hitch on the 2305 would be a better choice for pulling felled trees etc. Bad knees prevent the walk behind mower, so perhaps a fleet deal is in the works. Thanks
Dan
 
   / x500 +snowblower or 2035 with FEL or? #4  
Welcome to TBN:D


The two tractor solution does seem like it might be good for you, BUT have you driven the 2305 yet? They are more nimble that you think so the 54" MMM may be OK, I think the uncut circle is less that 36". A 38" deck sure is small...
 
   / x500 +snowblower or 2035 with FEL or? #5  
Smart move with two machines but I would buy a walk behind before I would by a LT with a with a 38" deck, too much left to trim. Actually by the sounds of things I would buy a Home Depot LT special. Buy the 2305 with FEL clean up the area so it can be mowed with a bigger deck and then get the mower deck for the 2305.
 
   / x500 +snowblower or 2035 with FEL or? #6  
I have recently moved to a rural area of Nova Scotia, purchased an acre property on top of a hill over looking the valley. Yard is a mess of tress, gardens and some steep hilly lawn. Need help to make an informed decision on a CUT or LT/GT. Use for the purchase:
Cut lawn over hill and dale but need small deck 38"
Remove trees and rocks that cover 40% of land
Landscaping and path building
Major snow removal in the winter
Perhaps two units, a small lawn tractor JD135 and a 2305 with FEL. The MMM for the 2305 is $1600 and is huge at 54" Need small mowing deck for maneuverabiliy. Budget could be stretched to +/- 20k CDN. Need help, as I have priced out a JD X500, with 42"MMM, 47" 2 stage snowblower, and cart ($9k before tax) but feel that I'm not getting what I need for the future. Help
Dan
A sub compact sounds perfect except for the 38'' mower limitation .
The part that bites about your situation is $9000 for a lawn mower and you still don't have anything for the other 90 percent of what you want to do.
 
Last edited:
   / x500 +snowblower or 2035 with FEL or? #7  
Smart move with two machines but I would buy a walk behind before I would by a LT with a with a 38" deck,
3*too much left to trim. Actually by the sounds of things I would buy a Home Depot LT special.
Buy the 2305 with FEL
2*clean up the area so it can be mowed with a bigger deck and then get the mower deck for the 2305.
3*What's to much is 9000 bucks just to get a 38'' deck.
2*Sounds like a much better idea.
 
   / x500 +snowblower or 2035 with FEL or? #8  
Welcome to TBN:D


The two tractor solution does seem like it might be good for you,
1*BUT have you driven the 2305 yet? They are more nimble that you think so the 54" MMM may be OK, I think the uncut circle is less that 36".
2*A 38" deck sure is small...
I can't beleive a 38 '' mower is all you can mow with anywhere on the property.
2*Yeah but the $9000 price hain't small.
 
   / x500 +snowblower or 2035 with FEL or? #9  
IMHO you're on the right track thinking about getting 2 machines--
1*the price of the MMM for a CUT will pay for a decent premium entry level LT that will be better at lawn mowing than any CUT
2* if I were buying a dedicated LT then I'd seriously think about skipping the 2305 and go for a JD 2320 or comparably machine from another mfg.
3*The 2320 will give you more ground clearance and will be a bit more "tractor" than the 2305.
4*The 2305 bridges the gap between tractor and lawn mower nicely but isn't quite as capable as even a small frame CUT.
5*Then again, with only 1 acre, you may consider an X700 series or Simplicity Legacy XL with 4wd, 3 pt, and FEL. Tractor capabilities won't be quite up to the 2305, but they will still be capable machines for improving and landscaping your acre. Plus, I would guess that the vast majority of hrs over the life of the machine will come from mowing grass, and an
6* X700/Legacy XL will be the about the most comfortable and capable tractor style lawn mowers you could want.
1*I don't really buy this .
2*Why do that if the 2305 is already over and above what's needed ?
Just looks like a good way to wind up stuck with too big of a tractor setting around unused later on down the road after the property has been whipped into shape.
The Bigger the better fallacy blinds most to this fact.
3*Here you are recommending He go with more tractor than a sub compact but later on down in your reply you're telling him not only does he not need a Sub Compact he can do fine with just a JD x700 lawn and garden tractor.
4*But probably more than enough extra tractor than the X700 garden tractor you later suggest.
5*You just recommend he go with a 2320 compact over a 2305 sub compact and now you suggest the X700 lawn and garden tractor is all he needs.
What do you really think he should buy?

6*I will put these up against them.

I will put these up against them.
 
   / x500 +snowblower or 2035 with FEL or?
  • Thread Starter
#10  
Guys: your responses seem to focus on the lawn, and there is not that much to mow. Need the focus to be on getting control of a property left untended for a couple of years, and the snow removal issue. Winters in Nova Scotia can be brutal, all those storms coming up the eastern seaboard ya know. Having never worked with either unit, its a big decision. A snow blower seems to be a specific item, where as the loader could do the same thing and more. But, **** the price diference is double between the X500 and the 2305.
 

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