I am in a bit of a conundrum as I am trying to decide what would be the right machine for my needs.
I have a half acre of property in the Northeast that wasn't well maintained at all by the previous owner so I want to fix that and bring it up to its potential. The property is nice and flat up front but the backyard has multiple hills that range from 12-20 degrees (measured) and the trees and brush are quite unruly back there but all in the back leading to a large pond. There is little in terms of obstacles outside the rear of the property. I've already had many wildly overgrown bushes and stumps removed and ground down. I plan to use the machine to mow probably 80% of the time but will tow a utility cart to move brush, cut up felled trees, firewood and soil, tow a lawn sweeper and use a plug aerator to help bring some life back to the lawn. The towing on hills does seem to steer me toward AWD/4WD. There is a decent section that needs a lot of clearing with chainsaws and it can be tight. I'd also like to use a leaf collection system to collect all the fallen leaves from the mature maple trees as well. Additionally, the lawn feels a bit soft and spongy and the backyard also has a leetchfield. I'd rather not leave ruts in the lawn if possible.
I gather that most big box store stuff won't last doing what I want to do on hills and towing. I do like Kubota and these seem to fit my needs. The green paint tax seems like a lot for an X7 series as well though one very capable machine! With a lot of thought, I am not seeing the need for a FEL in my future. With what I said, which seems to fit the best?
These two seem to fit well for my needs, close in price but are two different classes. Any help and guidance before checking them out would be appreciated.
Also, I do not need a snowblower attachment as I have Honda snowblowers for that.
Thanks for your help!
