Cheaper lowes riding mowers only last about 5 years mowing 1-2 acres on my small hobby farm. By that time the decks are shot, the engine is struggling, and other parts are needing work arounds. A z-turn gets too beat up from the ruts due to the smaller tires and it won't cut the slopes of the ditches. Tried a large finish mower behind my L2350 and that didn't cut well either due to the varying slopes. Plus I hated changing attachments weekly as it already gets used for bush-hogging, spraying, planting, etc. Think I need a smaller Kubota with a 60" belly mower. Looked at the T1600 but seems to be risky due to HST transmission failures which are expensive. In my experience the manual transmissions are always better. What would you suggest? A B series with MT and belly mower?
Favorite small tractor setup for lawn mowing on a hobby farm?
- Thread starter 40Farmall
- Start date
I don't agree with your hydro vs gear drive on riding mowers but if your set on a gear drive and looking for a B series the B2401 should fit the bill for you.
I know this sounds insane and it may be too small for your acreage but the old Honda riders are the best riding lawn mower I have ever used. the deck does not rust must be aluminum. the thing rides like a car. It has a drive shaft and horizontal engine. I have owned all the way up to a x360 JD and the Honda is a better mower. It even has a buzzer if you try to drive with the brake on. I wish my b2301 had that.
How much slope on the ditches?
I'm not sure a 60" belly mower will cut better than a 60" rear mower. Narrower mowers generally follow contours better than wider mowers.
How about a BX? I think it would be less likely to overturn than a B.
The ZT fans will report in shortly.
I know this is the Orange site and I have three of them. I have a few acres to mow that include pond banks and a steep slope (25-30 deg.) between drives. I tried the Kubota models and they just didn't do it. I wound up with a JD X758 with a 60" deck. Four wheel hydrostatic drive with the front speed controlled for turning. It really works great. I've had it three years now and it is flawless. It will climb banks so steep it brings the pucker factor into play. It will go where I don't dare. It burns about a gallon/hr. The only drawback is the reverse engine layout with the radiator intake under the steering wheel sucks in too much debris. I have to stop and clean the screen every hour or it will overheat in late summer. Another bonus is no ROPS.
GreensvilleJay
Well-known member
Equipment
BX23-S,57 A-C D-14,58 A-C D-14, 57 A-C D-14,tiller,cults,Millcreek 25G spreader,
I've used a 'Cub Cadet' aka MTD for the past 20+ years. yes, rough around the edges, just less than an acre to cut Deck is great,engines a tad tired. Been fixin locals units for 3 decades.. decks ROT out cause owners do NOT remove the wet grass from them after each use. Hydro works fine, though I blow the clippings and krap off it during the deck cleaning.
I also have a used/abused dedicate rider/snowblower, always starts and runs. best thin I NEVER have to change attachments.
There is no 'one tractor does all, EASILY' . that's a myth. Ok, maybe if you're young, healthy and have lots of free time..maybe, but every year we get older, issues and time whittles away, fast.
I also have a used/abused dedicate rider/snowblower, always starts and runs. best thin I NEVER have to change attachments.
There is no 'one tractor does all, EASILY' . that's a myth. Ok, maybe if you're young, healthy and have lots of free time..maybe, but every year we get older, issues and time whittles away, fast.
I'm gonna tell you what you don't want to hear. Go spend $14k on a real zero turn and you'll never look at a belly mower the same way. Spent a fair amount of time helping the park boys at the township and there is a distinct difference in a pro model zero turn and home owner grade. They used ferris then moved on the exmark Lazer z. Gas hog, but not much stopped it and the slop mower wasn't needed anymore. Tractors don't really compare, and (unfortunately) kubota isn't the best option. Exmark, and scagg are the two I would choose over all others.
Currently looking at an older Kubota G3200. Also forgot to mention I am selling my current farm in 2-3 years and moving to a recently purchased 30 acre farm where the lawngrass will be very minimal, maybe 1/2 acre with no steep ditches. Have a Ford 3930 to bushhog the 30 acres so just need something to mow around the house within the chainlink fence. Part of my problem is that I love my Kubota L2350 and really enjoy using it.
GreensvilleJay
Well-known member
Equipment
BX23-S,57 A-C D-14,58 A-C D-14, 57 A-C D-14,tiller,cults,Millcreek 25G spreader,
I don't understand the passion some have for cutting acres of grass, every week, evey year, forever....
I got fed up after just 3 cuts, turned the 1/2ac flat lawn into a veggy garden. After stuffing bellies and freezers and sold the rest, some of my portion of the profits bought the BX23S (plus a lot of other 'toys')
I got fed up after just 3 cuts, turned the 1/2ac flat lawn into a veggy garden. After stuffing bellies and freezers and sold the rest, some of my portion of the profits bought the BX23S (plus a lot of other 'toys')
I always liked the fresh stuff from my own garden but that got old as well. Instead of two hours of work per week, the garden required two hours a day and I still had to mow around it. Now with inflation and shortages out of control I may need to get back into it in my old age.
I get it. Growing up on a small farm and being stuck doing all the mowing as a kid, I hated it. Took half of a saturday to get done. Used a cub cadet 582 with a 50" deck. It sucked. Now that I have my own place the last thing I really want to do is mow. The wife and I plant a large garden every year. Burns up a good portion of my back yard. I'd rather tend the garden then mow the grass.
This is what you need to do. Over the years I have seen the acreage folks start with the farm store, box store tractor style mowers they don't hold up then the farm store, box store zero turns came a long they tried them they didn't hold up. Then they finally buy a pro Zero turn and never look back. I have been running Grasshopper mowers for well over thirty years. I put a hundred hours a year on a mower and never have any issues in season. I don't like to or have time to be working on mowers all mowing season and sure don't have time to do my mowing with a tractor and a under belly mower.
D
Deleted member 47704
Guest
For mowing gear drive with a belly mower al the way.
Zero turns tear the crap out of the lawn and are pain to drive, you can't cruise along one handed.
Zero turns tear the crap out of the lawn and are pain to drive, you can't cruise along one handed.
No they don't of you drive them correctly. Just because they can turn around and skid a tire doesn't mean it's the proper way to operate them. The one handed thing I don't understand. Depending on the machine (hustler ) one handed operation is very easy, and most of the twin stick one can be operated one handed as well save for tighter turns.
Being a fan of one or the other is fine, but if your looking to mow efficiently your looking at a commercial grade zero turn. The Lazer z I would run with 37hp kohler and 72" deck would out mow the 12fl foot progressive mower pulled behind the T4.74 new Holland. The progressive mower couldn't mow faster then 4 mph. The exmark mowed at 12mph and gave a better finish to boot. It was also vastly cheaper to operate and maintain. A bat wing Toro or the likes would have been even better, but costs were concern. There isnno comparison, hence why ever landscaper on the planet runs them. They also arnt worried about sipping a beer when they mow.
If you watch some YouTube videos, you can see the proper way to make a turn so the turf isn't harmed. I have only a few places where I can't ease it around and have some tearing.
I have a Country Clipper with a joystick so only one hand moves a small amount, it beats a steering wheel any day. Look it up.
GreensvilleJay
Well-known member
Equipment
BX23-S,57 A-C D-14,58 A-C D-14, 57 A-C D-14,tiller,cults,Millcreek 25G spreader,
re: you can't cruise along one handed.
you can if you modify for joystick operation ! If you do it right, you can mount on either side (pilot or copilot mode ). then when you're real bored yo modify that for remote control operations...
you can if you modify for joystick operation ! If you do it right, you can mount on either side (pilot or copilot mode ). then when you're real bored yo modify that for remote control operations...
D
Deleted member 47704
Guest
Not interested in those thing, I've used em don't like them,
Rather have a tractor that can do other things,no one knows my place like I do, been cutting the grass here for 50 years and my other place over 50 years.
We had pros try to cut here one, used a Locke with wings, did a nice job on the larger areas but didn't work too well in a lot of places, then we tried another service with zero turns and they tore it up pretty bad and I wasn't impressed with the quality of cut.(mower too wide and didn't float so it scalps and leaves other spots 4" high.)
At the end of the day I still need a tractor to haul stuff, tow,plow etc
For years, a neighbor cut acres of grass around his horse boarding facility with an L series Kubota using a rear rotary mower. I would just laugh at all of his twisting, backing and turning and that poor tractor with the screaming HST getting wasted. We never spoke, he is the type that is best ignored, but last spring he bought a Country Clipper like mine. imitation is the best form of flattery.
jyoutz
Well-known member
Equipment
MX6000 HST open station, FEL, 6’ cutter, forks, 8’ rear blade, 7’ cultivator