Garden Tractor

[quickervicar]

If you're after a lawn & garden tractor, I tend to agree with what was previously posted: go old-school. Something from the late '60s-early '70s seems to be the pinnacle of durability. Cast-iron Kohlers run for a very long time & have a character about them that is lacking in today's powerplants. (Though Briggs V-twins feel & sound really good) I would highly recommend sticking with either Deere or Cub. I've got a JD 120, but a 140 is a solid bet too. Cubs & Deeres of that era shared a lot of components.

I would also recommend the Cub 982 as well as the Deere 318 & 332 from the '80s. They have a solid frame & drivetrain that is missing from a lot of today's tractors. Another thing I have to recommend it getting a horizontal-shaft engine. I haven't had good experience with vertical-shaft machines (I'm looking at you, Deere!).

As far as that Kubota B5100 goes, I don't like them. They used a 2-cylinder diesel that did a better job of rattling the machine apart than it did producing usable power. The B5200 was a much better machine with it's 3-cylinder engine.

[PeteD]

Literally just bought a house yesterday with 3acres and a tractor is my next buy. I am here for any advice. I am in GA so snow is not an issue overal.

Congrats!

[PeteD]

Keep the advice coming! I truly appreciate it. Now, I better understand the dichotomy of the tractors when considering the application. For example, I do not envision cutting my grass with any of the above tractors, but I can see how it would be much more useful than a garden tractor in other respects. Right tool for the right job.

[flyboyx]

I don't think your going to find all that for 5k or less though it can be done if you wait and shop every day

i think he should be able to find all those items on his list for 5k. i see them around here in that range frequently. finding a tractor with a loader for that price would be another story. if you find a good deal in another city, i wouldn't hesitate to jump on it. you should be able to get it shipped several hundred miles for about 600.00.

I found this on your local craigs: http://boston.craigslist.org/nwb/hvo/5018869378.html could be a scam though.

here is another. has the same backhoe i have for my tractor: very good deal: http://boston.craigslist.org/nwb/grd/5019990103.html might also be a scam

not 4wd kinda big, but may work for you: http://boston.craigslist.org/nwb/grd/4997416095.html



if you don't mind me giving you more advice, i would suggest spending a little more money to buy a tractor with a loader. that attachment will add about 2k more to the price but it will be so much cheaper than buying one later and having it fit to the tractor.

other nice features would be power steering, hydrostatic transmission or shuttle shift.

mine fortunately came with shuttle. it has an extra gear lever off to the side that you flick back and forth to go from forward to reverse. it is much easier than a standard transmission going back and forth from one side of the shift gate for first or second gear and back to reverse over and over again when you are using your box blade, loader, or whatever else.

[M-technik-3]

The house we just purchased comes with a Scag Tiger Cat 52" commercial mower for an extra 4K....

Debating on keeping it a year and selling it next year for a Kubota, careless about the ZTR and more about having ability to get rid of snow and mow and PTO for attachments.

[PeteD]

I agree. I have a nice tractor motor (s52) on a stand in my garage with harness and ZF. It's time to create my barter CL ad!

I have come across a couple of tractors with 3 cylinder gas motors - not sure on brand. Any intel on those?

[mrsleeve]

I don't think your going to find all that for 5k or less though it can be done if you wait and shop every day

[PeteD]

Is this an accurate rule of thumb so far?

Diesel > Gas

Old Tractor > New Tractor

4WD > 2WD

Agricultural Tires > Turf Tires

PTO Must have

I think, regardless of the job size, so far, this list is what to look for in an “investment quality” tractor.

BTW - I wrote more than this when I got timed out, I'll continue the response in a couple of hours.

[flyboyx]

i have that craftsman lawn tractor turbo jake posted with the loader attachment(mine doesn't have a loader) it is a good lawn tractor. it comes with a horizontally opposed kohler 18hp twin. it has a lot of power for what it is but unfortunately, it isn't much. that loader on that little tractor would be ridiculous. you won't be able to pick up shit without it tipping forward on you. as far as lawn tractors go, if anyone has ever used a nice zero turn, you will agree with me that zeros are 10 times better for mowing grass than a conventional tractor-especially if you have plenty of trees to mow around.

about 13 years ago, i started with an old '60's model cub cadet it had a 10 hp cast iron kohler single cylinder engine. it was built like a fucking tank. 40 years later, i could still go to the dealer and buy pretty much any part for it that i needed. the problem was that the tractor itself was completely fucking worthless. it needed at least 15-18hp to do a decent job of simply cutting grass higher than your ankle. so lacking in power, i basically was unable to do much of anything with it. it was kind of like a 7 foot tall guy who has size 26 shoes but a 2" dick. needless to say i sold it after only a year or two.

those wheel horse tractors in jake's pics above are also really cool tractors. however, do you think you can pull that plow or disk through any kind of soil with those tractors? think again!

in my opinion(flame away), those tractors are pretty much a novelty for everything other than cutting grass or blowing snow(as long as the snow isn't too heavy) for the money invested in a tractor like that and implements, you can have a nice little 20 something horsepower real tractor with real implements that will actually do real work.

so....in summary: if you want a toy to tinker with that is capable of very light work, these little guys are for you. i guess if you buy one and it doesn't fit your needs, you can always resell it and buy something bigger.

[rcsoundn1]

Literally just bought a house yesterday with 3acres and a tractor is my next buy. I am here for any advice. I am in GA so snow is not an issue overal.

[TurboJake]

I am in the market for a used Garden Tractor. Is there anyone well versed in this space that can offer advice?

For example, some of the older John Deere tractors look like a great deal, but after further investigation the caveat to the good price is that certain aspects of the machine are no longer serviceable. I'm ok with hunting down parts for an e30, but for a tool, I need it to work and be able to be serviced quickly.

:thankyou:

I'll sell my Furgeson TO20 for the right price. Works every time. Everything rebuilt. Meticulously maintained. Indestructable 6 volt system.
Picture!


Price:$More than you're willing to spend for more tractor than you need.

Seriously though, I second the old school cub cadets. Or even old craftsmans (Gt-5000(?).




EDIT:
I FORGOT ABOUT OLD WHEEL HORSES! We had one when I was growing up that was just stellar. Had tons of add ons for it, including a rediculously overwide plow for it, which rendered ours stuck and useless, so we got the snowblower attachment. But we get way more snow than you, so. There's that difference. They also have tow hitches on them, so a trailer can be pulled (Bigger ones than you think too, not just a ball mounted to sheet metal), and agri implements as well. LOTS of different things to bolt or attach to it. No modding needed.








Double edit:

http://nh.craigslist.org/grd/4993764387.html

http://nh.craigslist.org/grd/4977115500.html

http://nh.craigslist.org/grd/5007106925.html

http://nh.craigslist.org/grd/5012892685.html

[flyboyx]

Any idea on attachments for a Kubota b5100?

http://nh.craigslist.org/grd/4981323335.html

I understand this is Compact Tractor rather than a Garden Tractor. Seems like a good price though.

^for the money, i would buy this all day long before i bought a garden tractor-especially since its 4wd. but that is just me. that fucker is pretty small, though. i am guessing about 17 hp. 4 foot brush hog, 3 foot tiller, 4 or perhaps 5 foot finish mower. if you can afford it, i suggest buying a tractor with agricultural tread tires. turf tires are useless for anything other than mowing grass. that thing will just spin its wheels if you load it down in wet environments. a good rule of thumb is that pretty much any tractor you buy(except the back hoe you posted in #8) will be too small at some point for some job you want to use it for. the problem with that international backhoe is that you won't be able to use three point implements with it. also it might not have a pto drive on the back to run a rototiller or snow blower.

one thing i can promise you is that if you plan to plow or blow a decent amount of wet snow out of your driveway in the winter, a little garden tractor isn't going to cut it. they just don't have enough power or enough traction. i spent my formative years in michigan plowing the neighbor's driveways with my dad's 46 hp Zetor. even though my avatar says houston, i have some 'sperience here!

for the needs you listed, i would buy a used 4wd tractor with a loader. i would shoot for something in the 25ish hp range. as far as your lawn is concerned, you can get a set of turf tires for it if you are worried about tearing up your yard(a set of turfs sell really cheap used because no one wants them). also, you can get a 5' finish mower attachment for perhaps 400.00 used.

below is my dream tractor. unfortunately, these go for 20k+ i like that it is relatively compact, 4wd. you can detach the backhoe and put on 3 point arms and use it like a normal tractor. this tractor is physically about the size of my kubota 27hp, but it is 41 hp, heavier and more modern.

I have a 3pt backhoe attachment for my tractor. i don't use it much, but it has paid for itself in just 2 or 3 jobs.

[PeteD]

Any idea on attachments for a Kubota b5100?

http://nh.craigslist.org/grd/4981323335.html

I understand this is Compact Tractor rather than a Garden Tractor. Seems like a good price though.

[PeteD]

well he did say garden tractor not compact tractor, or hobby farm tractor ;) So I obliged.

It is in IL but looks pretty good for 2900
http://bn.craigslist.org/grd/5004399814.html

Around here those hub caps would not be part of the deal. Everyone loves them!

Slightly off-topic. There is an old John Deere light duty loader/backhoe in the front yard of this house near me. It's been sitting for years. I want to knock on the door, but fear chasing that restoration would be big $$.

These are the ads that distract me: http://boston.craigslist.org/bmw/grd/5020608900.html $6,000 for a loader/backhoe. I could almost justify the four hours pushing a lawn mower around.

[PeteD]

Hi flybox, thank you for the questions. I want it all! But, that is not realistic at the moment. Right now, I just want something to help with all the yard work (only an acre of mowing), gardening, hauling of brush, firewood and MAYBE to help with the winter. I am in New England and we received so much snow that even on this 85 degree day I have been thinking about how I am going to better deal with the snow next winter. So I figured a garden tractor with a belly mower, ability to attach ground engaging equipment, ability to tow and maybe push/throw snow would be good for me. The older garden tractors seem like a mini tractor - which to me is simple and bullet proof.

I'd pay market rate $1,500-$2,500 on one well cared for and ready to go. For example if something was a package deal with all sorts of implements I'd be happy to buy it all at once (There was one for $2000, but it was a Craftsman - granted top of the line Craftsman). Especially considering some of the older tractors' attachments might be hard to find. I can't believe that guy will just trade for his!

I drive by an old Kubota Garden tractor with a bucket, backhoe and belly motor. I don't know how well that works, but I have to image that would help with stumps and small projects.