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wich tractor mower to buy ???

Started by roger 4400, May 13, 2017, 08:31:22 AM

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roger 4400

I have a big lawn and use a mower on the PTO of my tractor.
My wife use and ordinary gas mower to trim around the trees, flower boxes,house, sidewalks and where the tractor will not go......but she is tired to walk behind the mower so we are looking for a tractor to make her life easy.
Wich tractor mower  to choose ? We saw some Cub Cadet tractor mower but there are 10 different tractor with 10 different prices some are near $10,000 .....do not have that kind of money to put on a tractor mower.
Are Cub Cadet a good brand ? Any other but good brand could do.  What to look for an easy operating around trees  and trims ? Some use 2 arms other a common steering wheel, some are gas, other diesel ????? Your experience could be  real useful. Thank you. Roger.
Baker 18hd sawmill, massey Ferguson 1643, Farmi winch, mini forwarder, Honda foreman 400, f-250, many wood working tools, 200 acres wooden lots,6 kids and a lovely and a comprehensive wife...and now a Metavic 1150 m14 log loader so my tractor is a forwarder now

21incher

I like my little Kubota BX I use it to keep 7 1/2 acres of all different terrain mowed. It can mow at about 8MPH with a 60" deck and it only uses about .6 gallons a hour of diesel. When it is not mowing it is very handy for other chores like dragging logs out of the woods on my arch. Those zero turns are nice, but you have to be careful on hilly terrain and most that I have seen burn over 1 gallon a hour of gas and need a flat lawn to run at full speed. :)
Hudson HFE-21 on a custom trailer, Deere 4100, Kubota BX 2360, Echo CS590 & CS310, home built wood splitter, home built log arch, a logrite cant hook and a bread machine. And a Kubota Sidekick with a Defective Subaru motor.

Kbeitz

One of the thing I love to collect is garden tractors. I live on a farm
that has many hills. So over the years I got to try many many different
kinds of mowers and tractors. If I could only have one it would be a
commercial Zero-turn with large back tires. I would buy a used
commercial Zero-turn over a new box store  Zero-turn any day.
Some of the good one is Ferris, Exmark, Hustler and Scag.
Collector and builder of many things.
Love machine shop work
and Wood work shop work
And now a saw mill work

pineywoods

Zero turn, look at a Ferris. Good solid construction, one little nicey not ever mentioned. You can take your hand off one control lever, like to push a limb out of the way, and it keeps on moving in the same direction. Most of them will spin around in a tight circle if you release one lever...The blade spindles are way over size and have dual roller bearings. Never seen one go bad...
1995 Wood Mizer LT 40, Liquid cooled kawasaki,homebuilt hydraulics. Homebuilt solar dry kiln.  Woodmaster 718 planner, Kubota M4700 with homemade forks and winch, stihl  028, 029, Ms390
100k bd ft club.Charter member of The Grumpy old Men

Mooseherder

I'll second the Ferris Mower built to last a lifetime and much faster than a bushog.  Mine also gets used taking down brush on the edge of the woods where I really should be using a flail mower or mulching head instead.  It's not the right tool for the job but I don't have a tractor and it is a lil tank that owes me nothing.  I've had a couple bearings redone on the spindles and keep a spare just in case because of this type usage.  The fuel pick ups have been the only issue and downside with mine.  I've had to redo them twice and one tank is acting up again. 

moosehunter

Be very careful of the box store mowers, almost all are MTD units made for 1/2 acre flat lawns. Even the John Deere at a box store is cheep. The John Deere franchise stores have the better tractors. Gravely makes a nice tractor also. Spend a little more now, you'll be a lot happier 5 years from now.
"And the days that I keep my gratitude
Higher than my expectations
Well, I have really good days".    Ray Wylie Hubbard

thecfarm

Nothing a matter with a zero turn. But I am not a rich man. I need something that I can do more than mow with. I looked at a zero turn for the vast amount that we mow,about 10 acres. Very hilly and one spot is really steep.Wife somehow took the tractor out of 4wh and almost ended up in a heap at the bottom of the hill.I just could not see it being used just for the mowing. Than from Nov-May,in storage.  :(
But saying that I bought a frail mower for $4500 that is in storage from Nov-May.  ::)
Depends on how long you will be mowing with. A Craftsman will do good,mowing 1 hour a week. Those Cubs are not want they use to be.  ::)  I had one that came off from the Mayflower. That thing was a miniature tractor.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

nativewolf

Quote from: Kbeitz on May 13, 2017, 09:04:39 AM
One of the thing I love to collect is garden tractors. I live on a farm
that has many hills. So over the years I got to try many many different
kinds of mowers and tractors. If I could only have one it would be a
commercial Zero-turn with large back tires. I would buy a used
commercial Zero-turn over a new box store  Zero-turn any day.
Some of the good one is Ferris, Exmark, Hustler and Scag.

In college I worked with a great landscape company that only ran Walkers.  Have you ever used one of those?  Getting ready to turn some forest into fields and I'll have to mow more than I'd like.  Since a couple of you like the Ferris I'm going to look at one of those but the Walker is the only brand I've every used day in and out.  Makes a great cut...a bit of a prima donna of  a mower I thought at the time. 
Liking Walnut

Kbeitz

The better Zero-turns will do a better job on hills than most tractors.
I don't know what all you want to do with one but our local township
plows snow and pulls a large trailer with one.
Collector and builder of many things.
Love machine shop work
and Wood work shop work
And now a saw mill work

thecfarm

Kbetiz,I forgot what brand I looked at now. It was about a $8000 unit. With 2 wheels I was concerned about the steep part. I could of tried it out,he was looking for a sell. Went with a 30hp tractor instead,from the same dealer. I plow snow with it in the winter and use it the woods,just a little. Just the woods around the house,that use to be a field. Wife hauls a trailer around too.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

Holmes

I have a Gravely Pro 400 demo happening on my Lawns Tuesday. 5' commercial , gas model, I actually want the 6' mower.  My 16' cut Toro runs only when the air temp is right so instead of putting money into it I'm putting the funds toward a mower that will hopefully last 15+ years.  My yards are steep, rocky, with trees, slippery hay, grass, weeds, did I mention steep.  That is the reason for the free demo to make sure it will be safe to operate on my fields.  I do not like the pull behind mowers for the tractor, to many wasted trips or missed areas.  Ferris, Hustler, Exmark, Tiger cat , are all good mowers
Think like a farmer.

sawguy21

A smaller zero turn like a Toro Timecutter  would be a good choice for what you say you want to do. They are far easier to work with in confined areas and give a better cut than most entry level tractors due to the deck design and high blade speed. Cub Cadet might serve you well, it wouldn't be my choice, but as has been mentioned do yourself a favor and buy from a dealer who services what he sells. Nothing worse than buying a box full of parts then having no one to help when problems arise. Spend a few extra dollars now, you will get far better service over the long run and most important keep momma happy.
old age and treachery will always overcome youth and enthusiasm

Kbeitz

More money but Kubota tractors do a good job mowing on
steep banks...



 
Collector and builder of many things.
Love machine shop work
and Wood work shop work
And now a saw mill work

roger 4400

Thank you all for your answers and sharing your experiences. Now it might be time for shopping  :D Have a nice day.
Baker 18hd sawmill, massey Ferguson 1643, Farmi winch, mini forwarder, Honda foreman 400, f-250, many wood working tools, 200 acres wooden lots,6 kids and a lovely and a comprehensive wife...and now a Metavic 1150 m14 log loader so my tractor is a forwarder now

florida

Roger

I started buying box store riders over 20 years ago. I started out on 3/5 of an acre, moved up to 3 1/2 acres of very rough lawn and pasture, now I mow 2 acres weekly.  I paid $800.00 for my first Green Machine and put almost 500 hours on it before it died. Moved on to a $1400.00 Scott's from HD and put over $700 hours on it. I've now got an $1800.00 John Deere from HD with over 2000 hours still going strong. Most of the maintenance on these has been belts and a few bushings and batteries. I've been very pleased with these mowers because I bought them know exactly what they were.

Before I bought my current JD I went to the dealer and looked at their comparable model which was $3800.00. If there was a difference I couldn't find it. Same engine, same everything. I took lots of pictures if both and never found anything different. When this one dies, if ever, I'll go back to HD and buy another one.

I've used my SILs Dixie Chopper quite a bit but really don't like it. The short wheelbase rides really rough and beats me to death. Last time I used it I mowed half my yard and took it back. On the other hand he loves it and it will no doubt still be mowing his lawn 20 years from now.
General contractor and carpenter for 50 years.
Retired now!

21incher

One other thing I would like to add is that I would never own another mower without a canopy to protect me from the sun. I spend hours mowing each week and taking blood pressure medication can make me overheat if exposed to that much sun. Blocking the sun is also helpfull to older eyes to keep cataracts from advancing. I used to love the sun when I was younger, but now I try and avoid it whenever I can.  :)
Hudson HFE-21 on a custom trailer, Deere 4100, Kubota BX 2360, Echo CS590 & CS310, home built wood splitter, home built log arch, a logrite cant hook and a bread machine. And a Kubota Sidekick with a Defective Subaru motor.

thecfarm

I had a Kubota that mowed an area almost that steep.
I would of probably kept it,but waiting 2 weeks for parts got old. I had my own stock pile to draw from when something broke.  ;D
I rebuilt the whole edge of the mower deck. ΒΌ inch flat steel I used and never had a problem with it after that.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

sawguy21

I use a Kubota but my nerve runs out before the wheels threaten to leave the ground. I have a small area close to that steep that gets cut with the trimmer.
old age and treachery will always overcome youth and enthusiasm

roger 4400

Florida I'll have a look at those J.D . Thank you all for your time. Roger
Baker 18hd sawmill, massey Ferguson 1643, Farmi winch, mini forwarder, Honda foreman 400, f-250, many wood working tools, 200 acres wooden lots,6 kids and a lovely and a comprehensive wife...and now a Metavic 1150 m14 log loader so my tractor is a forwarder now

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