I bought too small. Help me spend my money.

[Mark_BX25D]

I am kind of looking towards a solution that may not exist. Mow lawns, grade roads, bush hog mountain sides. And carry heavy stuff around.

Might be. How much lawn? Might make more sense to get something small for the lawns and go big on the big needs.

 

[anomad]

Might be. How much lawn? Might make more sense to get something small for the lawns and go big on the big needs.

It takes me 3ish hours to mow everything I want to keep all nice on the old Wright. If it's running. And I need a bath afterwards.

Multiple structures and road sides on 70 acres that I like to keep mowed and "pretty".

 

[PaulL]

I'd say LX or Grand L.

With an RFM, no reason a Grand L couldn't do all the mowing you want, they also have decent loader capacity and enough HP to be useful in some of the bigger tasks - not the primary machine for the haying, but a useful secondary machine.

Sounds like you're not necessarily cash poor, otherwise I might recommend a flail, which would do both the lawns and the roadsides. Worth looking at a flail though even if you can afford both an RFM and a rotary cutter. Batwings also worth looking at for mowing high volume fast. A hydraulic offset flail would be magic for roadsides, a Grand L would be heavy enough not to tip over.

No reason a Grand L with turfs would be a problem on your lawn. Others may have experience.

If I was serious about spending some $$ to get a great solution, I'd be buying an F series for mowing and then an M for the tractor work. Depends on how much cash you really want to throw down.

 

[anomad]

I'd say LX or Grand L.

With an RFM, no reason a Grand L couldn't do all the mowing you want, they also have decent loader capacity and enough HP to be useful in some of the bigger tasks - not the primary machine for the haying, but a useful secondary machine.

Sounds like you're not necessarily cash poor, otherwise I might recommend a flail, which would do both the lawns and the roadsides. Worth looking at a flail though even if you can afford both an RFM and a rotary cutter. Batwings also worth looking at for mowing high volume fast. A hydraulic offset flail would be magic for roadsides, a Grand L would be heavy enough not to tip over.

No reason a Grand L with turfs would be a problem on your lawn. Others may have experience.

If I was serious about spending some $$ to get a great solution, I'd be buying an F series for mowing and then an M for the tractor work. Depends on how much cash you really want to throw down.

Excellent point.
Two machines may be more cost effective than one do it all solution. I want to mow some steep areas a (however old) commercial zero turn is very sketchy on. I've soiled my britches more than once. Priced a Ventrac. But you can buy a loaded L4701 for roughly the same price. Which can obviously do much more heavy duty work.

 

[PaulL]

Excellent point.
Two machines may be more cost effective than one do it all solution. I want to mow some steep areas a (however old) commercial zero turn is very sketchy on. I've soiled my britches more than once. Priced a Ventrac. But you can buy a loaded L4701 for roughly the same price. Which can obviously do much more heavy duty work.

A Ventrac would be an excellent machine. But expensive. An F is also expensive, but it'd crush your mowing. They're often available second hand, and they're a super durable machine, so could be good buying. The reality is that it's more machine than any residential owner needs, but still, you asked for us to spend your money.

Mowing steeps to my mind comes down to a few things:
1. If you can, mow straight up and down, with a runout area at the bottom. If you need to, modify your property to make that possible (take down trees, move fences). If that's possible, then most tractors will mow just about anything, it's really hard to tip a tractor over its tail if you're even moderately sensible.

2. Failing that, then on the steep side slopes, go slow. My B2601 is stable on a slope that I'm not comfortable on. When I get off and rock it, it's nowhere near tipping. But do that same thing at any speed, and one bump or put a wheel into a hole, you're gonna be on your side. Also, really important your loader is off - a loader puts a lot of weight up high. I have no ballast in the tires, but either ballasted tires or spacers make a big difference.

3. Some things just shouldn't be mowed. So don't mow them. Make a wild flower garden or let some trees grow. If it really has to be mowed and it's more than 25-30 degrees, then it's line trimmer time.

If you want a cab and to be comfortable, the L60 (Grand L) are the machines to have. They're also a bit more capable, and have a trick transmission that does some really cool things. Messicks have a good video on that transmission. The L6060 is a 60HP machine, it'd probably do everything you want and then some. It's not an MX or an M, but it's probably at the top end of what a small tractor can do. It also has a mid-PTO for a snowblower, I think you mentioned you wanted that.

 

[anomad]

One of my inspirations for the maybe non-existent perfect solution was a video on YoutTube on Tractor Time with Tim's channel featuring Pete from GCI Turf. Who was considering a 50 PTO HP machine with AC and turf tires (duh) to do municipality ball field work.

 

[anomad]

A Ventrac would be an excellent machine. But expensive. An F is also expensive, but it'd crush your mowing. They're often available second hand, and they're a super durable machine, so could be good buying. The reality is that it's more machine than any residential owner needs, but still, you asked for us to spend your money.

Mowing steeps to my mind comes down to a few things:
1. If you can, mow straight up and down, with a runout area at the bottom. If you need to, modify your property to make that possible (take down trees, move fences). If that's possible, then most tractors will mow just about anything, it's really hard to tip a tractor over its tail if you're even moderately sensible.

2. Failing that, then on the steep side slopes, go slow. My B2601 is stable on a slope that I'm not comfortable on. When I get off and rock it, it's nowhere near tipping. But do that same thing at any speed, and one bump or put a wheel into a hole, you're gonna be on your side. Also, really important your loader is off - a loader puts a lot of weight up high. I have no ballast in the tires, but either ballasted tires or spacers make a big difference.

3. Some things just shouldn't be mowed. So don't mow them. Make a wild flower garden or let some trees grow. If it really has to be mowed and it's more than 25-30 degrees, then it's line trimmer time.

If you want a cab and to be comfortable, the L60 (Grand L) are the machines to have. They're also a bit more capable, and have a trick transmission that does some really cool things. Messicks have a good video on that transmission. The L6060 is a 60HP machine, it'd probably do everything you want and then some. It's not an MX or an M, but it's probably at the top end of what a small tractor can do. It also has a mid-PTO for a snowblower, I think you mentioned you wanted that.

Great advice. Thank you. I've priced a Ventrac and would love one. But they don't have the ability to grade road or run a big bush hog. Or lift heavy things into a dumpster or dump truck like a proper tractor does. It would be a 40k lawn mower for me. I can't afford that.

 

[BAP]

Depending upon how your soil is in your area and what the moisture content is, plus the size of your tractor you end up with, you may be extremely disappointed with turf tires on it when trying to climb up or down hills without taking a sliding ride. Not sure how steep your hills actually are because one part of the countrys definition of steep is just a speed bump in the road in my part of the country. You might be better off getting it equipped with R-14 tires which give more traction than R-3 (turf), a little more than R-4 but are not too aggressive causing turf damage. Grading your driveway and loader work, you will get much better performance with the R-14 than turf tires. By a cheap lawn mower tractor to do close around your house on the lawn that you really want to stay smooth.

 

[chim]

I'll bet that Ford 1210 is a li'l sweetheart..............................

Yes it is. That's why I've kept it so long. It acts like a much larger tractor

 

[mikester]

Hey guys, sorry I didn't initially provide more details or get back to this sooner. I deserve a good ribbing for being an internet flake - LOL.

Bottom line up front: I want the power/weight to run 6-8 foot implements in air conditioned comfort on steep terrain and have a soft footprint in nice areas.

If you want to get into the weeds with me here you go:

I have Dad's old Yanmar listed in my profile. It's the tractor I grew up on 40+ years ago. Moved back to the family property after he passed and it was unoccupied for 20ish years with only basic maintenance. Bought a B2601 and a KX-057-4 and started clearing 20-30 year old trees that had popped up all over the place way too close to structures. The little B was handy for carrying tiny bites of wood away without tearing the place up. But that work is largely done.

The little B is a light machine. Which is great for tip toeing across lawns. But it can't grade road or bush hog in 4wd what the old Yanmar can do in 2wd. I love it, but it's more for a guy with less demanding terrain. If my property was flat I would be happy to nibble away at the work with 4 foot implements and get in lots of tractor therapy. I've put twice as many hours on the old Yanmar and the excavator as the little B. So it is clearly my least preferred machine. And I am blessed to have all those machines to choose from! There is probably a guy out there with a wheel barrow and a shovel wishing he could afford a lawn tractor.

The little B's loader capacity is impressive for it's size. But small. It's not going anywhere near a big log or much less a round bale.

We hay 3 fields and lease that out to a farmer. He runs a 70hp Massey Ferguson. Would like to team up with him on something more efficient (and comfortable) but not a huge priority. Running 6/7/8 foot box blade on 4000 feet of mostly steep gravel driveway is a priority. Bush hogging several acres 2-3 times a year, it's all steep. Have a bush hog for the mini coming. So will open up more old pasture to mow or even hay.


If I could also use a big tractor with giant turf tires, like they use on golf courses, to mow our finest western north carolina weed mix "lawns" in air conditioned comfort?? I would throw down some cash for that.

Since moving home again I have mowed with, again, Dad's old Wright Sentar. It's clapped out and keeping it running is almost as time consuming as mowing. So I am kind of looking towards a solution that may not exist. Mow lawns, grade roads, bush hog mountain sides. And carry heavy stuff around.

As for experience, I've run tractors and other equipment for a job here and there and have had professional training on some of it. I have thousands of hours on stuff, but not 10's of thousands of hours. Like some guys do that would make me look like a novice. I'm 50 and was running a tractor independently at 9 years old. And driving at 13 on the road, totally illegal. Even back then.

I'll see if I can find some pictures to help explain. A picture says a thousand words.

Since you need to spend money get a couple of these

 

[anomad]

Since you need to spend money get a couple of these

Very funny mikester.

I had a summer job taking care of 9 horses and a mule when I was young. I learned a lot.

 

[fried1765]

Yes it is. That's why I've kept it so long. It acts like a much larger tractor

I feel the same about my 1920,...... your 1210's bigger brother.