Compact Utility Tractors for Mowing

[brenndatomu]

Our hill is steeper than this one, probably shouldn't even mow it, but it is behind some big $$$ houses...squeaky wheel n all

I found a pic of when Ventrac brought out a demo to test on our hill...this is not the really steep part though, couldn't find a pic of that. Way too steep to sidehill like here...

 

[Ashful]

Very cool, but odd that they'd choose a design with the mower in front. A belly-mounted mower can hold a more consistent height, and would add appreciably to lower COG / better stability.

 

[HybridFyre]

Talk about old school...my grandmother lives on a massively steep embankment. Like you can barely walk up it. Her solution...she ties a rope on the small 22" mower and lets it roll down slowly and then pulls it back up. She did this until she was 85 and we finally convinced her to let someone else do it.

 

[DougA]

THAT is a REAL BEAST. You could cut ski hills with that.

 

[brenndatomu]

Very cool, but odd that they'd choose a design with the mower in front. A belly-mounted mower can hold a more consistent height, and would add appreciably to lower COG / better stability.

Well, it is front mount because the tractor is way too low to get a deck under it, also it is pivot in the middle steering and the hydro drive motors/transaxle/hi-lo transfer cases are under there. They have a unique weight transfer system that keeps much of the deck weight on the front wheels but still allows the deck to float and pivot, pretty slick. The weight transfer system helps keep 'er planted when sidehilling, really makes a big difference when it is adjusted correctly.
They make TONS of attachments for 'em too. Almost anything that can be mounted on a CUT or larger, probably some proprietary attachments too
I have heard that business is booming due to them marketing to other countrys where farmers cant afford full size tractors and are in need of something that is capable of "farming" on hillsides that otherwise would be good for nothing but goat pasture

 

[jeffesonm]

I would plant some pachysandra on that hill and stick to the flat parts with the mower.

 

[brenndatomu]

Ha! That's funny. That is exactly what we did...boss thought it was taking too long to grow, so he had us nuke it and plant grass...maintenance headache ever since.
It is fenced in, I told 'em to put goats in there

 

[bwise.157]

Looks like OP has his fix, but for anybody else looking for hill mowing machines...look up Steiner or Ventrac. These things will go places mowers don't belong, especially with the quad dual wheels on!

We have a hill that we mow at work that you can't walk up on 2 (at least without wearing spikes) hafta get down on 4 and kinda crawl up, that area gets mowed with a Ventrac with quad duals, talk about pucker factor! These machines aren't the cheapest but neither are most of the ones mentioned earlier in the thread. For someone on a budget, there are plenty of these machines out there used, at least in our part of the country, of course they are made locally so maybe more around here because of that...

The farm I worked on during high school and college days had a Ventrac without the duals. I don't remember the model #. It was an absolute beast of a machine, but also had a few issues. We constantly had to fix the exhaust system as it would vibrate apart. It was also a little rough on the operator. After a whole day mowing, you would feel it! The forward/reverse lever was on the dash, which was a little awkward at times for shorter people. This was 12+ years ago, so I am sure they have been refined. I didn't look at a Ventrac as they were more expensive than what I got. But again, very robust machines that would go just about anywhere.

 

[ccmac]

My family and I used a Kubota L3130 for several years to cut around 3 acres. It had a LandsPride finish mower attached to the 3pt hitch. We loved it. We sold the Kubota when we moved to Tucson then moved back to Indiana and we now use a commercial grade zero turn (John Deere) brand and we hate it! Sitting on the zero turn we catch all the grass flying thru the air. The mower rides very rough and will just beat ya to death. The Kubota was more of a pleasurable mow job so we will eventually get another Kubota, possibly the BX series. The L series is a bit large for my needs but I really would recommend them.

 

[Ashful]

My family and I used a Kubota L3130 for several years to cut around 3 acres. It had a LandsPride finish mower attached to the 3pt hitch. We loved it. We sold the Kubota when we moved to Tucson then moved back to Indiana and we now use a commercial grade zero turn (John Deere) brand and we hate it! Sitting on the zero turn we catch all the grass flying thru the air. The mower rides very rough and will just beat ya to death. The Kubota was more of a pleasurable mow job so we will eventually get another Kubota, possibly the BX series. The L series is a bit large for my needs but I really would recommend them.

I own a Deere 757 ZTrak, and they are indeed the stiffest zero-turn you will ever ride... just read the many reviews from pro's who have owned both Deere 757's and Exmark's. Took me a while to bother experimenting with the seat suspension settings, and I was very happy once I did. With the tires at proper inflation and the seat set right for your weight, it's actually not too bad. Wish I didn't abuse myself with too stiff a seat setting for a few years before experimenting.

I'd personally never go back to mowing with a tractor. I sold the mower deck for my compact utility tractor last year.

 

[maple1]

It has been three long weeks, but the tractor has arrived! I will mow with it later today.

Nice rig!

 

[bwise.157]

I have spent about five hours mowing the last two weekends, and I couldn't be happier! The tractor is very solid, is not top heavy (was one of my fears), and will absolutely go anywhere you want. My mom has a Benton zero turn that I used at her place last weekend after I got it running, and it cemented my decision for me. She doesn't have near the hills I do, but the darn zero turn would take off going down hill, and I got pinned a couple times in corners that I couldn't get out of. The 1025r is certainly an investment, but well worth it. I plan on having this thing for many years! The only modification I did was remove the reverse kill switch (short jumper wire installed) and I added 80 pounds of weight to the front. For me, it has been like mowing with a Cadillac!

 

[Ashful]

Glad you're happy with it, but... what's a Benton? I mow some pretty steep hills with my Deere 757 ZTrak, and watch all the local landscapers do the same with the identical machine, and never an issue with getting stuck. I do watch homeowners get stuck on fairly tame hills with their poorly balanced and too-light home-grade zero-turns, but that's no surprise. There's something to be said for pro equipment.

 

[dznam]

Glad you're happy with it, but... what's a Benton?

Probably meant "Bunton" - used to make a high quality walk-behind, don't know about their newer mowers.

Nice machine bwise!

 

[Archer39]

The ability to use a zero turn on hills simply comes down to the experience of the operator when using a commercial ZTR. I have thousands of hours operating ZTRs and tractors and would take a ZTR on hills any day over a CUT or SCUT.

 

[bwise.157]

The ability to use a zero turn on hills simply comes down to the experience of the operator when using a commercial ZTR. I have thousands of hours operating ZTRs and tractors and would take a ZTR on hills any day over a CUT or SCUT.

I have used a Snapper ZTR and Bunton ZTR (sorry for the typo earlier). Both were residential grade. Didn't like either on hills. Like most things in life, it always comes down to personal preference. Just like Ford vs Dodge vs Chevy. All make good vehicles, but people just prefer one over another.

 

[smwilliamson]

My property has some steep terrain, and I have some wooded areas I like to keep maintained. I have about 2 acres of mowing each week, but nothing is flat.

Some of my wants: prefer Diesel, 54 inch deck, 4 wheel drive.

Are the Kubota (i.e. BX series) and John Deere (1023/1025's, 2305, etc) compacts good options? Are they maneuverable/agile enough for mowing? Other models worth looking at?

I have a 1999 John Deere 790, so I don't need a loader, blade, etc. I just need a solid mower that will work on steep terrain.

Any suggestions are welcome! Thx!

'73 economy power king. what I have. It's gas and old but starts everytime