Another Newbie Contemplating a New Purchase

[PaulL]

You've got a house mower. So you don't need a small tractor. For the work you suggest it sounds to me like Grand L minimum, probably MX or M. Dad had an M that he eventually upgraded to a 100HP Kioti - he got sick of brush hogging to trim the tops of his paddocks, and got a dual spindle rotary cutter that needed more HP. He had about 80 acres, and NZ pasture is probably a bit more lush than Texas, so I'm not saying you need 100HP, but LX size machines sound too small for what you're talking about.

I'd think hard on a backhoe. Post holes are better dug with a post hole digger than a backhoe. But actually, at least around here, everyone uses a hydraulic post rammer - so you get a guy out and he does your whole fence line in an hour or so. An auger post hole digger would go on any of the machines we're talking about, but again a large L or an MX/M would be better (mostly for range of motion on the 3ph, not for HP). Moving trees and shrubs sounds good with a backhoe, but often you do better work with a shovel (which sucks, I know, but there it is). You can still use the FEL bucket and/or a chain to move the shrub, but digging it out with a machine isn't always a recipe for it surviving. And digging in new trees with a machine can lead to glazing the sides of the hole, so it won't grow well. I guess depends how large the trees/shrubs you're moving are.

The side mower, as others have said, is the machine that matters. You can get some with counter balancing ballast, but really you need a heavy machine to run one of them. I think they're relatively common on an M, not sure about an MX or Grand-L. Bottom line, you need to work out that piece of equipment, and then buy the tractor that will run it. Everything else you describe can be done on any of the machines, just faster or slower depending on size.

My rule of thumb would be:
- 1-2 acres, mostly mowing plus some around house duties - BX
- 1-5 acres, mowing plus running some 3ph implements and more loader user - B
- 2-10 acres, some mowing but getting more focused on lift and carry, implements - LX
- 10-20 acres but not much farming, standard L, Grand-L (depending on how much luxury you like). And Grand-L if you still want MMM
- 10-50 acres, but using real farm equipment - MX, M and above, depending on the equipment you need to run (e.g. if you're haying then you need a tractor that'll run a bailer or a mower, if you're feeding animals you need a machine that'll lift the bales that you're going to feed out, if you're pulling a plow or discs you need a machine big enough to pull those implements)

It sounds to me like you're in the 10-20 but not so much farming - more maintaining the land and running a few specific implements.

Do you have much in the way of trees? I haven't seen people mention grapples, but they're super useful for moving branches and trash. For the driveway consider a grading scraper, not just a box blade. Many people swear by them.

On the mower, I'd look more to a finish mower or a flail or batwing rather than a rotary cutter. Depends I guess how nice you want the finished product to be - but if you're not running animals on it then you're mowing it to look nice......if you borrow/rent a rotary cutter for the first few passes, then a finish mower will maintain it thereafter. You can run a much wider finish mower - if you have ruts the tractor needs to go slow, so you want to cut a wider area if you can. Also, a bigger machine (MX, M) will ride much nicer over ruts.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

re: 1 acre lake, 'bad' banks.
You might consider replacing the 'rim of grass' with some low growing vegetation like periwinkle ? Once established, never needs cutting and I bet 'boom cutters' are pricey. I would cut/shape some kind of access to the 'lake' though. Kids(of all ages) always like to fish.....

if you get a 5' rototiller or boxblade, you can 'reshape' the banks to be more gentle, then mowable.

 

[jrsavoie]

I’m sure plenty of people will give you advice on tractors that they don’t own. Disregard those people and listen to the people that actually own the tractor they are talking about.
That being said, I own an LX2610 cab and I love it. I have put a lot of hours on it and it is comfortable. It has a lot of lifting power and the 3310 has a lot more HP that will be more suited for brush hogging.

I use a 60” brush hog and it works fine. I don’t go horribly fast and it does a good job. But I don’t mow a lot of acres.

I have a backhoe as well as a bunch of other attachments. I’ve used the front end loader to dig and move dirt, level land, etc.
I have a grapple that I use for moving rocks and boulders, logs, trees etc. I also use it for removing invasive plants like Russian olives and barberry. It had the same loader as the 3310 and i find it well suited for all the things I use it for.

I also have a front end post hole digger that runs off the 3rd function.
I’m not sure what the next size tractor with a cab is, but the LX is a great tractor. I won’t buy another piece of equipment without a cab.
I hope this helps

LOL. We have a LX2610 and hate it. It is oversized for the HP. Or under powered for the size. - due to government strangulation and emissions

In my opinion, 26 HP isn't enough to run much for equipment.

If worried about emissions, I would go for an older similar sized machine with more horsepower. Or a smaller machine with similar horsepower.

Our main complaints of the LX2610 are the poor design of the belly mower, removing, installing and mounting.

It should have been mounted 2" forward of what it is. There is ample room to move it forward. That would allow the deck to be used with the bigger tires and provide ample clearance between the deck and tire when the deck is pinned up to use the 3 point with the deck hanging. Such as when you might be wallowing around in some mud with the loader.

2" clearance as is with smaller tires is just barely adequate. With the deck not easily removed or installed, it will be left hanging for loader work more than it should.
Another complaint is jerkiness of controls. The forward reverse controls and the loader controls seem dangerous.

It doesn't help that the forward pedal is where the brake pedal is on our backhoe.

Getting on and off seems a little tight for space between the steering wheel and seat. Not bad once seated.

In general, we just don't like the machine at all.

you might also consider a skid loader and mowing machine.

 

[Njtool]

LOL. We have a LX2610 and hate it. It is oversized for the HP. Or under powered for the size. - due to government strangulation and emissions

In my opinion, 26 HP isn't enough to run much for equipment.

If worried about emissions, I would go for an older similar sized machine with more horsepower. Or a smaller machine with similar horsepower.

Our main complaints of the LX2610 are the poor design of the belly mower, removing, installing and mounting.

It should have been mounted 2" forward of what it is. There is ample room to move it forward. That would allow the deck to be used with the bigger tires and provide ample clearance between the deck and tire when the deck is pinned up to use the 3 point with the deck hanging. Such as when you might be wallowing around in some mud with the loader.

2" clearance as is with smaller tires is just barely adequate. With the deck not easily removed or installed, it will be left hanging for loader work more than it should.
Another complaint is jerkiness of controls. The forward reverse controls and the loader controls seem dangerous.

It doesn't help that the forward pedal is where the brake pedal is on our backhoe.

Getting on and off seems a little tight for space between the steering wheel and seat. Not bad once seated.

In general, we just don't like the machine at all.

you might also consider a skid loader and mowing machine.

That sucks. I don’t use a belly mower but I can see how that’s frustrating.
which model do you have? I have a cab and I leave the steering wheel in the forward position all the time and I use a suicide knob for steering. It makes steering much easier, especially with one hand. If you have the SU without tilt steering then I could see how that would be an issue. I am 6’3” and above average in weight and I don’t have a problem. But I use the handle on the door for stability as I exit.

I like the treadle pedal especially when I’m moving dirt. But that’s an individual preference.

I haven’t had any problems with jerking controls. But I’ve hear of that complaint before. Maybe some controls are lacking a control valve?
I also love the position of the control stick. I move a lot of dirt, gravel, pallets, etc and it’s very comfortable. Another think to consider in whatever tractor you choose. I think the L2501 series has the control stick connected to the loader arm, so controlling it you need your arm extended. I don’t have that series but that’s the understanding that I have

I have found the LX great for working in the woods. It’s small enough to get around trees and I find it powerful enough to do whatever I ask of it. I even pick up 330 gallon IBC totes filled with green hickory. It doesn’t pick it up far, but enough for me to move it from the splitter to the drying spot.

But each person has different needs. I like the 26 because sometimes I don’t use it for long periods. It’s my understanding that the DPF engines like to be run at full throttle for extended periods.

 

[Arachnophobe]

This is fabulous information, folks. Thank you.

To address some earlier posts:

• I plan on doing zero farming. It's all about maintaining, modifying, and enjoying the land.
• We have areas fenced by the previous owners that would lend themselves to baby goats or some other critters, which we might do, under pressure from the kids, who promise to help take care of them. (Insert eye roll here.)
• There are about 4 acres of trees. Some are spaced widely enough apart that we can do something with the ground in between, more than half are not.
• One day, after we're settled, I would like to fix up the lake embankment to be inviting, rather than trees/scrub/weeds/snakes, etc, so that would entail taming the embankments.
• Subtracting cow grazing, lakes, trees, etc. I'm actively cutting about 7 to 8 acres at least once a week. Soon some of it may require twice per week. It takes me about eight hours to do a full mow with the 60" ZT and it's already getting a bit boring. A sizable chunk of that could be better handled by a rotary cutter and I could use the ZT for for the less accessible areas.
• Some projects I have coming up will involve trenching. At least a couple of hundred feet of trenching. I don't think I need a backhoe just for that. It's a bit of a one-time thing. The rental place down the street has trenchers that would make extremely short work for that. Renting a trench-a-saurus for a couple of days would be way cheaper than buying a backhoe.
• The perimeter of one entire side of my property is too sloped to cut with the ZT, so I'd have to use a boom cutter for that. This, and the embankment of the lake (pond?) makes me want the boom cutter. I'm sure I'll have use for it beyond that once I have it, too. Like trimming branches and shrubs all along the perimeter.
• We have about 400' of driveway that's gravel and it already needs some love. It could stand to be smoothed out a bit to take care of some ruts and more gravel laid on the entire thing to take care of bare spots.
• About 1 to 1 1/2 acres of open area is so rutted (from boar, I think) that it's nearly impossible to cut. I want to till that smooth to be more mower (and people) friendly so that I don't rattle my teeth loose cutting it.
• I like the philosophy of deciding what attachments I want and working backwards to a tractor that will support them.

 

[NCL4701]

This is fabulous information, folks. Thank you.

To address some earlier posts:

• I plan on doing zero farming. It's all about maintaining, modifying, and enjoying the land.
• We have areas fenced by the previous owners that would lend themselves to baby goats or some other critters, which we might do, under pressure from the kids, who promise to help take care of them. (Insert eye roll here.)
• There are about 4 acres of trees. Some are spaced widely enough apart that we can do something with the ground in between, more than half are not.
• One day, after we're settled, I would like to fix up the lake embankment to be inviting, rather than trees/scrub/weeds/snakes, etc, so that would entail taming the embankments.
• Subtracting cow grazing, lakes, trees, etc. I'm actively cutting about 7 to 8 acres at least once a week. Soon some of it may require twice per week. It takes me about eight hours to do a full mow with the 60" ZT and it's already getting a bit boring. A sizable chunk of that could be better handled by a rotary cutter and I could use the ZT for for the less accessible areas.
• Some projects I have coming up will involve trenching. At least a couple of hundred feet of trenching. I don't think I need a backhoe just for that. It's a bit of a one-time thing. The rental place down the street has trenchers that would make extremely short work for that. Renting a trench-a-saurus for a couple of days would be way cheaper than buying a backhoe.
• The perimeter of one entire side of my property is too sloped to cut with the ZT, so I'd have to use a boom cutter for that. This, and the embankment of the lake (pond?) makes me want the boom cutter. I'm sure I'll have use for it beyond that once I have it, too. Like trimming branches and shrubs all along the perimeter.
• We have about 400' of driveway that's gravel and it already needs some love. It could stand to be smoothed out a bit to take care of some ruts and more gravel laid on the entire thing to take care of bare spots.
• About 1 to 1 1/2 acres of open area is so rutted (from boar, I think) that it's nearly impossible to cut. I want to till that smooth to be more mower (and people) friendly so that I don't rattle my teeth loose cutting it.
• I like the philosophy of deciding what attachments I want and working backwards to a tractor that will support them.

That is getting it narrowed quite a bit. Sounds like you need to pick a boom mower sufficient to do what is needed on the property, select a cabbed tractor sufficient to run it (preferably at least one size bigger than the bare minimum requirement), and either get a HST or creep function if gear drive for the tiller. I would suggest R4’s as it doesn’t sound like you’ll be doing any heavy draft work and they’re much easier on the ground than R1 ag tires. R14’s might be an option if they’re available for the size tractor you end up with. I hear good things about R14’s but have no direct experience with them.

Anything that will do the boom mower and tiller tasks will do the rest of the stuff you listed for the tractor.

Just an opinion. Good luck with it!

 

[Arachnophobe]

I need to carefully walk my property and take note of the size of the foliage that surrounds the lake* and see how robust the foliage is, and do the same for the trees and scrub at the edge of the property. That will tell me which boom mower is best and go from there.

(*ok, I'm tired of this pond/lake thing. It's about one acre and 15' deep or so in the middle: is it a lake or is it a pond? We have a smaller pond that's definitely small enough to be called a pond but the one acre thing just seems to be too big to be called a pond, so we've been calling it a lake. But I don't want to put on airs. I don't want my new neighbors to whisper behind my back "See that new guy? He has a pond that he's calling a lake. How pretentious." Then maybe they won't talk to me at the grocery store.)

 

[jrsavoie]

That sucks. I don’t use a belly mower but I can see how that’s frustrating.
which model do you have? I have a cab and I leave the steering wheel in the forward position all the time and I use a suicide knob for steering. It makes steering much easier, especially with one hand. If you have the SU without tilt steering then I could see how that would be an issue. I am 6’3” and above average in weight and I don’t have a problem. But I use the handle on the door for stability as I exit.

I like the treadle pedal especially when I’m moving dirt. But that’s an individual preference.

I haven’t had any problems with jerking controls. But I’ve hear of that complaint before. Maybe some controls are lacking a control valve?
I also love the position of the control stick. I move a lot of dirt, gravel, pallets, etc and it’s very comfortable. Another think to consider in whatever tractor you choose. I think the L2501 series has the control stick connected to the loader arm, so controlling it you need your arm extended. I don’t have that series but that’s the understanding that I have

I have found the LX great for working in the woods. It’s small enough to get around trees and I find it powerful enough to do whatever I ask of it. I even pick up 330 gallon IBC totes filled with green hickory. It doesn’t pick it up far, but enough for me to move it from the splitter to the drying spot.

But each person has different needs. I like the 26 because sometimes I don’t use it for long periods. It’s my understanding that the DPF engines like to be run at full throttle for extended periods.

I never knew until just now there were different models of LX2610. I think ours is a HSD.
I'm not terribly concerned about the lack of power for the size of the machine. I knew that going in.
It seems to me that rototiller size would be limited on A 26 HP. That doesn't concern us right now.
We have a 8' rototiller.

One of our main concerns when shopping was staying emissions free. One less thing to go wrong or mess with.

Everyone I know had emissions issues and electronic control issues. Including me.

I was told 26 HP was the biggest emissions free I could buy.

I wanted something at least as heavy duty and long lasting / problem free, as our 1980 JD400 and 1996 Toro. - both 23 hp.

 

[PortTackFarm]

I need to carefully walk my property and take note of the size of the foliage that surrounds the lake* and see how robust the foliage is, and do the same for the trees and scrub at the edge of the property. That will tell me which boom mower is best and go from there.

(*ok, I'm tired of this pond/lake thing. It's about one acre and 15' deep or so in the middle: is it a lake or is it a pond? We have a smaller pond that's definitely small enough to be called a pond but the one acre thing just seems to be too big to be called a pond, so we've been calling it a lake. But I don't want to put on airs. I don't want my new neighbors to whisper behind my back "See that new guy? He has a pond that he's calling a lake. How pretentious." Then maybe they won't talk to me at the grocery store.)

It's your body of water so refer to it any way you want. Generally speaking it depends an where you live. I grew up in Wisconsin and spent time in Minnesota and I sail (small boats) and therefore anything less than 100 acres is a pond in my mind. If you're from the northeast (Maine, New Hampshire, etc.) even bodies of water that are very large are referred to as ponds. That said, in Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma or Kentucky where I'm at, etc. a 1-2 acre body of water is often referred to as a lake.

 

[pokey1416]

I have the GL4060 and it does most everything I need, except more FEL lift capacity. It was on the dealers lot in spring 2020 and took about 2 months to get everything I bought. Things are really tight now so if you have a minimum and maximum you might get lucky and find something somewhere. Otherwise, be prepared to wait (maybe) a long time for dealer to get your tractor, FEL, BH + subframe, etc.

Knowing what I have experienced in 400+ hours of use, my 4060 sounds like your minimum. I probably would have bought an MX6000 w/ cab if they had one at the time. The Grand L features are nice but do you no good if you can’t lift “it” or struggle at the PTO. The BH92 works fine on my smaller machine and I use the heck out of it, make sure to get at least a mechanical thumb. I like the performance, value and cost of the MX line I think the MX5400 or MX6000 would be good - downside is I don’t think you can put the BH on a cabbed MX? So, if you come across a GL6060 you’d be able to add the BH92.

 

[PaulL]

The embankment mower is the critical factor. It is, at least theoretically, possible to do embankments with a sickle mower. However, they're dangerous as all get out, and there are lots of stories about 3 legged dogs due to sickle mowers. I think they can take a bit of maintaining too. But they will run on a much smaller machine.

You can also do embankments slowly with a rotary cutter - back in, cut, go to next spot, back in, cut. I don't recommend it, but it can be done. And you'd probably have to do the first couple of cuts that way anyway - an embankment mower probably won't be strong enough to cut down what's already there.

If you're cutting 1-2 times a week, that's not rotary cutter, it's finish mowing to my mind. Rotary cutters are narrower because they stick out so far, unless you get a dual spindle. Whereas a finish mower is generally wider for the same weight (they'd be triple or more spindle). A batwing also being an option. A good compromise could also be a flail mower. Bottom line, if you're mowing frequently and a lot of territory, a wide finish mower is a much better idea than a narrow rotary cutter. If you can run an 8 foot finish mower instead of a 5 foot rotary cutter, you're getting 60% more cutting width = 40% less mowing time.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

re: driveway
You can 'groom' it by dragging a heavy steel bar and some chains. Not quite as boring as cutting ACRES of grass. farmer did it every Sunday, after church,before brunch and his 500-600' long driveway was GREAT. The 'trick' is do do it OFTEN ! Yes the 1st time could be an ordeal BUT after that it's easy. Assuming you have a mailbox,once a week take the tractor/bar/chain to get the mail.

re: grass
Instead of cutting it, why not rent the field to next door cow farmer? Let him grow oats or 'grains' or whatever cows like. He does ALL the work.....YOU can relax, go fishin in your lake !

 

[rc51stierhoff]

This is fabulous information, folks. Thank you.

To address some earlier posts:

• I plan on doing zero farming. It's all about maintaining, modifying, and enjoying the land.
• We have areas fenced by the previous owners that would lend themselves to baby goats or some other critters, which we might do, under pressure from the kids, who promise to help take care of them. (Insert eye roll here.)
• There are about 4 acres of trees. Some are spaced widely enough apart that we can do something with the ground in between, more than half are not.
• One day, after we're settled, I would like to fix up the lake embankment to be inviting, rather than trees/scrub/weeds/snakes, etc, so that would entail taming the embankments.
• Subtracting cow grazing, lakes, trees, etc. I'm actively cutting about 7 to 8 acres at least once a week. Soon some of it may require twice per week. It takes me about eight hours to do a full mow with the 60" ZT and it's already getting a bit boring. A sizable chunk of that could be better handled by a rotary cutter and I could use the ZT for for the less accessible areas.
• Some projects I have coming up will involve trenching. At least a couple of hundred feet of trenching. I don't think I need a backhoe just for that. It's a bit of a one-time thing. The rental place down the street has trenchers that would make extremely short work for that. Renting a trench-a-saurus for a couple of days would be way cheaper than buying a backhoe.
• The perimeter of one entire side of my property is too sloped to cut with the ZT, so I'd have to use a boom cutter for that. This, and the embankment of the lake (pond?) makes me want the boom cutter. I'm sure I'll have use for it beyond that once I have it, too. Like trimming branches and shrubs all along the perimeter.
• We have about 400' of driveway that's gravel and it already needs some love. It could stand to be smoothed out a bit to take care of some ruts and more gravel laid on the entire thing to take care of bare spots.
• About 1 to 1 1/2 acres of open area is so rutted (from boar, I think) that it's nearly impossible to cut. I want to till that smooth to be more mower (and people) friendly so that I don't rattle my teeth loose cutting it.
• I like the philosophy of deciding what attachments I want and working backwards to a tractor that will support them.

I generally hope we are helping. To confuse you just a little more, I heard you say no farming…does that also mean no gardening? Reason I ask is maybe one thing a compact or even subcompact tractor does better than a mid size or utility is play in the garden. A B or small L would be far superior in a garden. So if that is not a consideration for you then maybe I’d also recommend take a look at the: 1. Full product line brochure (take a look at the compact wheel and tracked loaders and the different attachments…which attachments do you need/want? 2. Same thing with the tractors…take a look at land pride full line brochure and see what possible attachments out there for what you want to do. For your driveway and mowing requirements , I am not sure what your expectations are, but you have some real ground maintenance to do. When you start looking at the attachments it will give some idea of size and HP needed…I think that may help dial you in or push you up or down a size for what attachments you want to use.
I can’t say I understand the lay of your land but id want to be on the excess size (extra size/weight) running a boom mower of any kind around a pond….take that for what it’s worth. I bet it’s way easier to roll something into the pond then it is to retrieve it from the pond…just sayen.
Regarding your ruts from the feral pigs or whatever they are ( my family is from Wallburg (worstbratten festival) and they call them javelina where they live, either way, maybe consider you want to fill the ruts in and level or flatten them…when you run a tiller it may leave a low spot vs filling that should level them off. So that is difference from a tiller vs a back blade….something to think about. With the drive way you have i suspect you will need a back blade or box scraper or land plane or some combination of several. I am not sure which you rather have, something that is task specific or something versatile? That’s maybe another thought.
Ultimately I think find the attachments for the jobs and then size the machine…could be a loader and if no need to pull anything or use a PTO. Tractor is superior when a PTO is needed or pulling stuff. The compact loader may be superior in most other uses. Something to think about. Loaders can run a front mounted brush hog and even a tiller…plus rental places have lots of stuff for a loader one time job. Full line brochure says Kubota offers the attachments below…just another thing to consider once you get into big L / MX / M type money if you do not need a PTO or a hydraulic option not available.
Are you having fun yet? If you enjoy running your mower you will love running a loader or tractor. It’s like being 5 yr old back in the sandbox. Consider it an investment in a Fountain of youth. Have a great day.

 

[NCL4701]

(*ok, I'm tired of this pond/lake thing. It's about one acre and 15' deep or so in the middle: is it a lake or is it a pond? We have a smaller pond that's definitely small enough to be called a pond but the one acre thing just seems to be too big to be called a pond, so we've been calling it a lake. But I don't want to put on airs. I don't want my new neighbors to whisper behind my back "See that new guy? He has a pond that he's calling a lake. How pretentious." Then maybe they won't talk to me at the grocery store.)

There’s a rather lengthy discussion of pond v lake and limnology in general here: https://www.orangetractortalks.com/forums/threads/whats-your-pucker-factor.51262/page-2#post-468615

If I can stand on one side at the widest point and hit the trees on the opposite side with a 3” 12 gauge 00 buckshot round through a turkey choke, that’s a pond. If I can’t, that’s a lake. I base that on nothing empirical but it seems a fair and objective distinction in rural areas devoid of qualified limnologists. And if anyone disagrees while the test is being conducted; well you’re the one with the shoulder cannon so your opinion is the one that matters.

 

[rc51stierhoff]

There’s a rather lengthy discussion of pond v lake and limnology in general here: https://www.orangetractortalks.com/forums/threads/whats-your-pucker-factor.51262/page-2#post-468615

If I can stand on one side at the widest point and hit the trees on the opposite side with a 3” 12 gauge 00 buckshot round through a turkey choke, that’s a pond. If I can’t, that’s a lake. I base that on nothing empirical but it seems a fair and objective distinction in rural areas devoid of qualified limnologists. And if anyone disagrees while the test is being conducted; well you’re the one with the shoulder cannon so you’re opinion is the one that matters.

Thanks for connecting to other thread…interesting. I always thought a pond or tank was contained within one’s own property (wholly owned) but a lake was shared between more than a single property(multiple ownership) who knew?

 

[jimh406]

I guess it's great for those who want to argue the semantics, but the rest of us don't care if it's a lake or pond. Call it what you want. . We'll figure it out.

 

[PaulL]

Call it your "water feature". Then nobody will know what you mean. In NZ we'd call it a dam - because it's man-made and probably mostly about stock water (at least originally). Mum and Dad's property has 3 dams on it, in 75 acres. The one that's near the house would typically be more decorative, and called "the house dam."

 

[WDF]

Might be better off if the neighbors dont' talk to you at the grocery store!
My vote is for a MX6000, MX5400 if you can find a good deal on one.
I have a L2501 and think it would be a little small, but passable, for the tasks you're discussing. The L3901/2 are the same frame size, just more power.
With your big shop you might need forks to move things around, and more loader capacity of the MX will be a plus.
We like pictures too. Of the land and tractors.

 

[Arachnophobe]

I generally hope we are helping. To confuse you just a little more, I heard you say no farming…does that also mean no gardening? Reason I ask is maybe one thing a compact or even subcompact tractor does better than a mid size or utility is play in the garden. A B or small L would be far superior in a garden. So if that is not a consideration for you then maybe I’d also recommend take a look at the: 1. Full product line brochure (take a look at the compact wheel and tracked loaders and the different attachments…which attachments do you need/want? 2. Same thing with the tractors…take a look at land pride full line brochure and see what possible attachments out there for what you want to do. For your driveway and mowing requirements , I am not sure what your expectations are, but you have some real ground maintenance to do. When you start looking at the attachments it will give some idea of size and HP needed…I think that may help dial you in or push you up or down a size for what attachments you want to use.
I can’t say I understand the lay of your land but id want to be on the excess size (extra size/weight) running a boom mower of any kind around a pond….take that for what it’s worth. I bet it’s way easier to roll something into the pond then it is to retrieve it from the pond…just sayen.
Regarding your ruts from the feral pigs or whatever they are ( my family is from Wallburg (worstbratten festival) and they call them javelina where they live, either way, maybe consider you want to fill the ruts in and level or flatten them…when you run a tiller it may leave a low spot vs filling that should level them off. So that is difference from a tiller vs a back blade….something to think about. With the drive way you have i suspect you will need a back blade or box scraper or land plane or some combination of several. I am not sure which you rather have, something that is task specific or something versatile? That’s maybe another thought.
Ultimately I think find the attachments for the jobs and then size the machine…could be a loader and if no need to pull anything or use a PTO. Tractor is superior when a PTO is needed or pulling stuff. The compact loader may be superior in most other uses. Something to think about. Loaders can run a front mounted brush hog and even a tiller…plus rental places have lots of stuff for a loader one time job. Full line brochure says Kubota offers the attachments below…just another thing to consider once you get into big L / MX / M type money if you do not need a PTO or a hydraulic option not available.
Are you having fun yet? If you enjoy running your mower you will love running a loader or tractor. It’s like being 5 yr old back in the sandbox. Consider it an investment in a Fountain of youth. Have a great day.

AH, yes. There definitely could be gardening. And possibly some edible things just for the family. When I think "farming," I think amber waves of grain or giant fields of corn hiding crop circles and Stephen King characters.

 

[Arachnophobe]

Might be better off if the neighbors dont' talk to you at the grocery store!
My vote is for a MX6000, MX5400 if you can find a good deal on one.
I have a L2501 and think it would be a little small, but passable, for the tasks you're discussing. The L3901/2 are the same frame size, just more power.
With your big shop you might need forks to move things around, and more loader capacity of the MX will be a plus.
We like pictures too. Of the land and tractors.

I'll dig up some pictures to post.