Advice on a new tractor

[mic575 27]

I am new to the forum and looking for some advice.  We just picked up some land we will build  a home on but we won't break ground for 1.5-2yrs.  I will need to mow every once in a while, not often.

 

Its about 5 acres of pasture, mostly flat with one moderate hill separating an upper portion and lower portion.  Mostly pasture grasses, no trees.  

Speed is not a huge issue, I know it will take a while to mow, though I would like a 48" or larger deck.

I need something rugged that won't get clogged up with grass and be reliable.  I really like older, simple, rugged equipment that I can keep going with maintenance a long time.  I will leave the tractor out at the property under cover for the mowing season.  I have never bought a garden tractor.

 

My strategy is to spend the best $1000 (or less) I can for a machine for now until we start building.  By then I think I'll know better what I want long term but still be able to keep this unit in service.  I like doing more with less.

 

So I am wondering about older JD, Cub, or Wheel Horse Garden tractors.  But I really like the looks of the WH machines.  They seem like great values and seem rugged.

 

I am hoping you might have some suggestions - if you were starting your tractor journey with a blank slate under these circumstances what would you do, or suggest I do?

 

If WH - what model should I be looking at for rugged mowing and reliability, durability?

 

Thank you!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

[ebinmaine 67,151]

 

 

My other half Trina and I found Wheelhorse tractors about 3 years ago when we were looking for something a little heavier duty than the old lawn tractor we had for pulling things around the yard and acreage.

She and I are very frugal and practical people. We bought one horse because it was recommended. We now have four running and several projects. They are a wonderful machine.

For the characteristics of pure rugged dependability, reliability, repairability, ease and low cost of parts, I don't think you could actually beat certain models of a Wheelhorse.

 

Several of us will give you several slightly differing opinions and it will be based on our own experiences and preferences of cosmetics and sometimes one engine over another.

 

If you want to keep it simple, inexpensive, easy to repair and maintain, a seventies or early eighties c-series is probably going to be your go-to ride.

If you could find yourself a c series 8 speed with either a 12 horse or even better a 16 horse Kohler engine I believe you would be well set for a long time .

Either one of those engines would handle a 48-in deck but the 16 would do it a little faster and easier.

 

Good luck with your search. Welcome aboard. Please keep asking questions.

 

[squonk 41,002]

Single cyl. Kohler. 14-16HP. 8 speed. C-145 would be good

[mic575 27]

22 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

 

 

My other half Trina and I found Wheelhorse tractors about 3 years ago when we were looking for something a little heavier duty than the old lawn tractor we had for pulling things around the yard and acreage.

She and I are very frugal and practical people. We bought one horse because it was recommended. We now have four running and several projects. They are a wonderful machine.

For the characteristics of pure rugged dependability, reliability, repairability, ease and low cost of parts, I don't think you could actually beat certain models of a Wheelhorse.

 

Several of us will give you several slightly differing opinions and it will be based on our own experiences and preferences of cosmetics and sometimes one engine over another.

 

If you want to keep it simple, inexpensive, easy to repair and maintain, a seventies or early eighties c-series is probably going to be your go-to ride.

If you could find yourself a c series 8 speed with either a 12 horse or even better a 16 horse Kohler engine I believe you would be well set for a long time .

Either one of those engines would handle a 48-in deck but the 16 would do it a little faster and easier.

 

Good luck with your search. Welcome aboard. Please keep asking questions.

This is exactly the type of information I am looking for, I could see myself having more than one in a couple of years.  

22 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

 

 

[pfrederi 17,629]

5 acres is a lot of mowing.  As ex pasture it will also be rough...I have a lot of that... to save wear and tear on your equipment and yourself you will have to keep speed down.  A hydro will let you fine tune speed to the terrain.  You might want to think a bit bigger..  I use a 70 year old Case VAC with a 3pt 72" finish mower.  Another choice would be a D Series Wheel horse with a 60"  3pt finish mower.  They are a hydro have enough power and easily variable speed.  Some may suggest a 520 WH with a 60 inch deck.  Given the roughness of what you mow I would avoid that as the 60 inch decks are heavy and put stress on the tractor frame which would be exacerbated by the rough terrain.

 

If you go with 48"  I would stick with a hydro for the speed control advantage

 

 

[WHNJ701 4,165]

5 acres of old pasture, buy a atv/quad and pull behind mower.

[squonk 41,002]

If were going into the "Farm Tractor" realm I'd say Farmall A or B or an Allis-Chalmers B or C. My dad had an old Allis B and I mowed circles around my B-I-L with his Ford 8N.

 

I was staying away from Hydro's because of the long mowing time (Heat) and the amount of clippings that would get on the cooling fins. 

[ebinmaine 67,151]

27 minutes ago, mic575 said:

This is exactly the type of information I am looking for, I could see myself having more than one in a couple of years

Make sure you do some shed shopping as well....

[pfrederi 17,629]

Just now, squonk said:

If were going into the "Farm Tractor" realm I'd say Farmall A or B or an Allis-Chalmers B or C. My dad had an old Allis B and I mowed circles around my B-I-L with his Ford 8N.

 

I was staying away from Hydro's because of the long mowing time (Heat) and the amount of clippings that would get on the cooling fins. 

 

I agree to look other than Ford 8Ns. They are popular and thus usually over priced.

 

I have several acres of ex pasture.  The 8 speeds are rugged but sometimes 2nd gear is too fast and first interminably slow. 

[mic575 27]

I may in fact be getting in over my head with a garden tractor though I may still try it.  When I get tired I can call the neighbor to run his bush hog over it and then he'll have a story about the new guy.  I'll share the story with you guys too, you can say I told you so

[Pollack Pete 2,273]

I'm sure I'll be critisized for this,but I'd save my money for something a little bigger than a garden type tractor.Grass mowing season is just about over.You have time to shop.With snow on it's way in a couple months,it should be a buyers market for grass cutting equipment.5  acres is a lot to mow.I've been mowing about 6 or 7 acres of the 25 that I bought a couple yrs ago.I use a Bolens model 2104 diesel 4x4 with 12 speed.I have a  72 inch Land Pride finish mower on the 3 point hitch.I don't mow as often as I should,but God.......this takes a lot of time,even though I'm retired.I sometimes do what I call my trimming after going though with the Bolens with my Wheel Horse C-175.Makes it nice getting around some of the trees.It's perfect for that,but to mow the whole area,the 17 horse Kolher just isn't quite enough.It can be done,but I think my C-175 would quickly get burned out.As well as me.  Here's a couple pics of my Bolens 2104.I leave the plow on the front to knock down some of the taller stuff when I'm mowing.

[Lee1977 6,632]

Get an 8 speed Wheel Horse with a 48" deck and mow the area where you plan to build. Hire your neighbor to mow the rest  ever couple of months. You mention that you planed to mow every once in a while. That won't get it with a garder tractor,with a fair amount of rain you can be in trouble in two weeks..Don't know about your area around here you can get some one to mow it for the hay a few time a year.

Edited October 10, 2020 by Lee1977

[WHNJ701 4,165]

There is a really nice all original power king/economy with a 60" deck, running and driving listed for sale.  I thought the price was fair at 750,

[AHS 1,439]

I have a 2000, 87 and a 73 Wheelhorse. I have on the 00 12hp and the 73 14hp, a 42” rear discharge.....and it works excellent!! I do oil changes, filters, gas line replacement....anything. I have realized something....that I do way more “working on” the 00 and the 87 than I do on the 73!!😀 welcome aboard!!

[mic575 27]

8 hours ago, Pollack Pete said:

I'm sure I'll be critisized for this,but I'd save my money for something a little bigger than a garden type tractor.Grass mowing season is just about over.You have time to shop.With snow on it's way in a couple months,it should be a buyers market for grass cutting equipment.5  acres is a lot to mow.I've been mowing about 6 or 7 acres of the 25 that I bought a couple yrs ago.I use a Bolens model 2104 diesel 4x4 with 12 speed.I have a  72 inch Land Pride finish mower on the 3 point hitch.I don't mow as often as I should,but God.......this takes a lot of time,even though I'm retired.I sometimes do what I call my trimming after going though with the Bolens with my Wheel Horse C-175.Makes it nice getting around some of the trees.It's perfect for that,but to mow the whole area,the 17 horse Kolher just isn't quite enough.It can be done,but I think my C-175 would quickly get burned out.As well as me.  Here's a couple pics of my Bolens 2104.I leave the plow on the front to knock down some of the taller stuff when I'm mowing.

 

 

 

It would be great to find one of those.

[tom2p 2,394]

13 hours ago, Lee1977 said:

Get an 8 speed Wheel Horse with a 48" deck and mow the area where you plan to build. Hire your neighbor to mow the rest  ever couple of months. You mention that you planed to mow every once in a while. That won't get it with a garder tractor,with a fair amount of rain you can be in trouble in two weeks..Don't know about your area around here you can get some one to mow it for the hay a few time a year.

I like this idea - good approach 

 

Edited October 11, 2020 by tom2p

[tom2p 2,394]

17 hours ago, pfrederi said:

 

I agree to look other than Ford 8Ns. They are popular and thus usually over priced.

 

I have several acres of ex pasture.  The 8 speeds are rugged but sometimes 2nd gear is too fast and first interminably slow. 

agree on the 8 speeds - 2nd too slow and 3rd too fast ;  not ideal for large amount of grass cutting 

 

hydro can be a significant time saver - bridges the gap between a standard garden tractor and a zero turn 
 

Edited October 11, 2020 by tom2p

[953 nut 54,979]

13 hours ago, Lee1977 said:

Get an 8 speed Wheel Horse with a 48" deck and mow the area where you plan to build. Hire your neighbor to mow the rest  ever couple of months. You mention that you planed to mow every once in a while. That won't get it with a garder tractor,with a fair amount of rain you can be in trouble in two weeks..Don't know about your area around here you can get some one to mow it for the hay a few time a year.

I was thinking along the same lines. If there is a water supply (most pastures had one) there could a farmer who would fence off the property to graze some animals on the portion not intended as a house site. Many states offer agricultural property tax reductions if the land is actively used in this manner.

[The Tuul Crib 7,336]

If your  not going to break ground for

another couple of years and its good

pasture grass sell some cuttings to make hay. Im sure there are some local farmers

that need hay. Glad to see another 

lowan here!! 
 
 

T😎

 

[echris 1,425]

18 hours ago, Lee1977 said:

Get an 8 speed Wheel Horse with a 48" deck and mow the area where you plan to build. Hire your neighbor to mow the rest  ever couple of months. You mention that you planed to mow every once in a while. That won't get it with a garder tractor,with a fair amount of rain you can be in trouble in two weeks..Don't know about your area around here you can get some one to mow it for the hay a few time a year.

 

This is similar to what my father did for his 10 acres. I talked him into a 4 series WH with a 48" deck and snow plow. He used that to maintain the property around the house and bought a 60" Scag to do the rest of the property.

[mic575 27]

You all are giving me some good thoughts about the hay.  The guy I am buying from has taken hay off this year but I know he doesn't want to do it in the future because he lives too far away.  There are still a few round bales on it from the last cutting.  Hopefully I can find someone who wants to hay it next year?  Its easy ground to pull hay off of and its of decent quality.

[mic575 27]

You all have convinced me of the value of a Wheel Horse.  

 

So if I need a strong mower for 3-4 hour mowing sessions in some moderately heavy grass.  I'm going for something that won't break too easily.

Which would you want?

a C-125

a 417A

a 312 hydro

 

[ebinmaine 67,151]

IIFF you are talking about a good condition well running appropriately maintained machine....

 

Either one of those 12 horse models would give you fairly simplistic wiring and good reliability.

 

But that 17 horse would give you a fair amount of extra power for mowing when the grass is a little high...

 

@JCM you have both. Which way would you go?

[mic575 27]

@ebinmaine that is exactly the debate I am having, power vs. fairly simplistic and reliability.  I think I lean towards the more simple design but those who have experience will know better than me.

[pfrederi 17,629]

Big are to mow no doubt about it 417A with 48 inch deck.  417 has a series 2 KT 17 good smooth power and hydro for max speed efficiency.

 

You can bypass ignore any idiot lights on the 417a they are the only problem prone electric issue

Edited October 19, 2020 by pfrederi