I've got a dire question. I need something to clear my driveways during the winter months. However, I kind of need a commercial grade mower to mow my lawn/field. I'm looking at a medium duty Kubota or a New Holland tractor.

If I get a new/possibly used truck, it will be diesel no matter what. However, I can't use a pickup truck to mow a lawn or do other tasks. Actually, one guy at work said he seen hydraulic powered mowers and utilized the PTO off of a F-Series to provision it. But that kind of sounds sketchy...

I really do not want to buy a Ferris or anything like that for mowing either. I've actually demoed one once before on my property, and it didn't like it. I actually broke the deck twice on my Cub Cadet, and the steering rods keep going. I had it bust up the front end on it once so badly, I didn't even want to fix it. I winched it up into my truck, but when I got to the repair shop, the guy thought I flung it off my truck a few times. I actually broke the cast iron mounts and some other stuff. It is a GT1554, but it just doesn't like what I mow. And it was funny that it took 5 guys to get it off my truck, because the owner of the shop tried backing it down, but the wheel just gave out and almost flipped the tractor over off the truck... probably would've killed the guy.

But clearly, it isn't the right tool for the job.

I want to get a New Holland or Kubota with a nice finishing mower, but it has to be 4x4 with a boom and half-way decent cycling times, and it needs to be diesel, preferably turbo diesel. I've got a few models I'm looking at, but I kind of want a diesel truck to use around the house too. But it isn't going to be both.

I haven't went out to any of the dealers yet to do some serious talk yet... I'm only doing some window shopping/internet fact finding and seeing what my options are.

I'm even looking for something decent as far as used tractors -- not abused!

I am going to trade a relatively new 44" 20 HP Snapper LT300 Heavy Duty Lawn Tractor (only ~125 hours), 54" 27 HP Cub Cadet GT1554 Garden Tractor (~200 hours), and a practically brand new 32" 16 HP Large Frame Dual Stage L1632E Snow Thrower.

I then will pay cash for whatever the remainder is on the balance due for the tractor. Hopefully with that, I can get a really good tractor.

Any thoughts?

 

Buy the tractor with a loader and mower and then buy the truck to tow it. If you can avoid putting a plow the truck its just a better option because no matter what you are going to tear up the truck and in the end have nothing. I was considering putting a 9'-2" Boss V on mine and I am not going to just because I dont feel like spending a ton of money on the front end parts and U-joints every year because I tore it up plowing all winter. I have a four wheeler with a plow and snow blower for the house and we just bought a John Deere 544E for work. And just remember you are looking at a minimum of 4k just for the plow to go on the truck and that would go along way towards your new tractor.

 

Your F-150 is not going to be able to tow this tractor. I mean, it will, but it won't be fun. So if you plan on towing the tractor places, I'd say get the truck first, then tractor.

 

Nothing runs like a Deere!

 

I have to somewhat disagree with that. I have a 1965 IH 424 4 cyl diesel that I tow with bushog, disc, plow etc and have no problems. My buddy has a 2006 New Holland, I don't remember the model number but it is in the 50hp range so its decent size also and I tow it for him on occasion without an issue. No doubt a super duty would handle more but a 5.4 F150 can take care of alot. I only tow them 2-3 times a year to the hunting club and back. If it was a weekly thing that might be different. Most medium size tractors you could handle fine.

 

Seriously. If you buy a tractor, don't waste your money. Buy a John Deere.

 

Buy a superduty & a goat for mowing. Then eat the goat.

 

^Yep. John Deere may not be the end all in the light tractor market, I don't know. But I can ASSURE you, that in the 100 hp+ market, nothing even comes CLOSE.

 

I'm not towing the tractor any place, silly.

I don't plan on towing it.

I've been looking at a few JD's.

I don't think I need 100+ hp.

I don't want to buy another truck if I don't have to just for plowing -- that's why I want a tractor. Plus I hate how plowing with a truck makes a mess. If my pile gets too big, I want to be able to move it to the field if need be.

 

I know you don't need 100 hp. That's why I said I didn't know about the light tractor market. I was just giving you a reference.

 

FWIW, my ex son in law is a Kabota dealer. He'll tell you quick that they are expensive to buy, extremely expensive to maintain, and parts after it has aged 5 years can be iffy. I have a friend that is a New Holland dealer and they have zero issues with them in the commercial environments as back hoes, etc. Personally, unless you have the extra bucks, I'd buy a used tractor like a Ford 2000. Parts are a dime a dozen and you can work on one with a pair of pliers and baling wire.

 

IMPO, JD own the light tractor market too. My dads 345 lawn tractor has, in 13 years, had a fuel pump and carb replaced. NOTHING runs like a Deere.

 

I have a Deere X-595 Diesel Yanmar 3-cyl, front end loader, & mower deck! The thing is like a Garden Tractor on steriods! I have pushed piles of snow & Loom, in 4WD with the rear weight box filled like nothing! It's like a mini Bobcat!......

 

Manual's truck is a 6cyl

 

I had the same problem awhile back. I went with thet tractor, I use it year round. and my 150 does just fine with it behind it on a trailer