Both mowers have thier place. A zero turn is best if you have a lot of grass or want to get done faster. A conventional mower will work but take longer. They are good when wanting to lawn maintenance also. I had a kubota g1800 diesel with 54" deck and all wheel steer. It was a good mower. I now have a grasshopper 223 with 52" deck and it cut my mowing time in half. I've had it for 12 years now so I have saved myself a lot of time. The main downside to a zero turn is, is its hard to enjoya cold refreshing beer while mowing.
Sub Compact Tractors
- Thread starter walhondingnashua
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"The main downside to a zero turn is, is its hard to enjoy a cold refreshing beer while mowing."
Get you one of the cub cadets with steering wheel. My in-laws is pretty sharp and the cup holder is big enough for a yeti lol
Get you one of the cub cadets with steering wheel. My in-laws is pretty sharp and the cup holder is big enough for a yeti lol
Ashful
Minister of Fire
Yahbut… if it rides like most zero turns, the beer will be somewhere between flat and ejected from the cup holder, multiple times per mowing. DAMHIKT
If someone's ok with mowing the lawn with a subcompact, a riding mower would be acceptable since it's about the same speed. If the goal is to spend as little time as possible, paying someone to mow would accomplish that even better than a zero turn.
A mid mounted mower deck on a subcompact will be easy to damage in the woods or rougher terrain. You might be be taking it off and putting it on a lot.
A mid mounted mower deck on a subcompact will be easy to damage in the woods or rougher terrain. You might be be taking it off and putting it on a lot.
mid mower deck on a tractor is sort of a pain unless it was specifically designed for each other, hang a deck on on alot of the units in the middle and you get jammed up all the time, not enough clearance height. ( yes a have one MF 1230 w/ 60" mid deck) another thing that comes to play is center of gravity. With ROPS up you won't be sneaking under some of your trees either. on mine there just isn't enough height under the tractor to float the deck on it's own wheels.
The Agco ST-25 that I sold last summer had a mid mount 72 inch mower on it when I bought it used at a farm sale. The guy that had it had only used it to mow the fifty hours it had on it. The three point had never been used. I bought it home took the mower off and all the mounting hardware and put it in the shed for fifteen years. The guy that bought it wanted to mow with it so I put the mounts and mower back on and he took it home with the mower on. As far as I know it was going to be his only mower as his other one had lost a engine. Years ago when I had more help around we used to mow some with a old Yamar two cylinder engine tractor and a three point 72 inch finish mower it worked ok but I would never give up my zero turn.
3 point mower would work much better for me. $$$$$ for even a used one . course I could convert the deck I have, but wood( 
)need a step up gear box/pulleys for the 540pto as the mid drive is 1000rpm. ( not uncommon and some tractors have both out the back). Could independantely power it, in which case I wood need to step down the rpm from an engine either by pulleys / gear box. Have a mower for the sons 8n- wood need a different pto shaft as the 8n pto is smaller than my MF 1230 pto. About $250 for shaft. There is a permanently installed reducer in the current shaft for the 8n. This all reminds me that I need to go through the spark and fuel systems on the 8n- still a 6volt unit.
)need a step up gear box/pulleys for the 540pto as the mid drive is 1000rpm. ( not uncommon and some tractors have both out the back). Could independantely power it, in which case I wood need to step down the rpm from an engine either by pulleys / gear box. Have a mower for the sons 8n- wood need a different pto shaft as the 8n pto is smaller than my MF 1230 pto. About $250 for shaft. There is a permanently installed reducer in the current shaft for the 8n. This all reminds me that I need to go through the spark and fuel systems on the 8n- still a 6volt unit.
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Bad LP
Minister of Fire
I’m at the point of buying a lawn tractor that can bag. However the garage is full so there’s a lot to deal with on that front.
I think I’ll just pay the guy.
I think I’ll just pay the guy.
Depends on the tractor too. Our kubota b7100 has a 3spd pto.3 point mower would work much better for me. $$$$$ for even a used one . course I could convert the deck I have, but wood(
Ashful
Minister of Fire
Very cool. I had to look that one up!
But your B7100 has about as much in common with his 8N as Bo and Luke's General Lee had with a Model T.
My B7100 only had a two speed PTO: 540 and 1000. Supposedly Japanese implements used 1000 rpm.
My current Branson has 540 and 750. The 750 is touted as an economy PTO speed, so you can run a lower engine speed and still get correct PTO rpm.
My current Branson has 540 and 750. The 750 is touted as an economy PTO speed, so you can run a lower engine speed and still get correct PTO rpm.
Ashful
Minister of Fire
Interesting. Each of my tractors has had 540 RPM only rear PTO, and a faster (eg 2100 RPM) forward-facing mid-PTO. But other than a 72” mower that came with one of my pre-owned machines, and which I immediately sold, I’ve never owned any implement that actually used the mid-PTO.
I still added mid-PTO as an option to the new 3033R, thinking at the time I might add a front snow blower, and that it would give me both one additional hydraulic channel and better resale value. I use the additional channel for hydraulic top link and for snow plow angle, now.
I still added mid-PTO as an option to the new 3033R, thinking at the time I might add a front snow blower, and that it would give me both one additional hydraulic channel and better resale value. I use the additional channel for hydraulic top link and for snow plow angle, now.
Do all the sub compact run the same size tires? If I bought a used one with turf tires, would the take offs from another make fit?
no they do not, and the bolt patterns are not all the same , sub compacts = glorified lawn mowers and priced accordingly.
Tires are probably pretty close to all being the same but wheels probably are different
Ashful
Minister of Fire
lol... glad someone said it.
There may be rare cases where a sub-compact fits the bill, as may be the case with the OP. But I paid less for a 4 year old 250-hour commercial 60" zero turn PLUS a 4wd compact utility tractor with front-end loader, than many of my acquaintances have paid for one new sub-compact with mower deck.
That goes nearly double for the few who added a completely useless backhoe to their subcompact. Below a certain depth, I can out-dig most of those backhoes with a shovel and my own two arms.
Bad LP
Minister of Fire
Well it’s a compact not a sub but buying tires isn’t to be taken lightly. Here is what 4600 bucks looks like on my rims that had R1’s.
In round numbers that’s 1/7 of the cost of the machine.
![[Hearth.com] Sub Compact Tractors](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/294/294224-0355a59cff0f590aef8a83636c43d19d.jpg?hash=OJzqtYRgNX "[Hearth.com] Sub Compact Tractors")
Ashful
Minister of Fire
Agricultural and contracting / Nokian Tyres
Agricultural and contracting. Skip search and go to tire listing
www.nokiantyres.com
Bad LP
Minister of Fire
It’s supposed to be an outstanding snow tire. My R1’s were horrible.Agricultural and contracting / Nokian Tyres
Agricultural and contracting. Skip search and go to tire listing
Being a heavier built tire I should not need to worry about working in the woods plus I’m also not tearing the hell out of the grass/weeds/soils and driveway.
Ashful
Minister of Fire
That is a serious machine, I'm sure it was hell on your lawn with R1's! It'll be interesting to see how these do, I've never seen anyone run them around here. Most here have been doing R4's the last 10 years, although enough people are seeing the downsides to those, that now they're starting to try other options.
I just run turf tires, and chain up on very rare occasions (less than once per year) that mud or snow require it. HD chains for bulbous wide 41" tires are heavy and expensive, and I really hate them, but they give me instant four corners of R1 traction without playing hell on the lawn the rest of the year. Finding heavy front turfs for maximizing loader capacity is always an issue, but the options are out there, if you hunt for them.
Turf tires actually do remarkably well plowing snow on asphalt, they just clog up too easily when pulling the wood wagon across a snowy yard. If the wood wagon is getting low (every 3rd week), and there's a big snow in the forecast, I try to get it filled before the snow comes to avoid having to drag the chains out. I try to time any ventures into the wetter and muddier parts of our woods for dryer (or frozen) times of the year, for the same reason.
Those TRI2's are more akin to turfs than an R1, with a slightly more aggressive tread and much harder shoulder on the tread. I'd guess they share at least some of the same advantages and disadvantages.
I just run turf tires, and chain up on very rare occasions (less than once per year) that mud or snow require it. HD chains for bulbous wide 41" tires are heavy and expensive, and I really hate them, but they give me instant four corners of R1 traction without playing hell on the lawn the rest of the year. Finding heavy front turfs for maximizing loader capacity is always an issue, but the options are out there, if you hunt for them.
Turf tires actually do remarkably well plowing snow on asphalt, they just clog up too easily when pulling the wood wagon across a snowy yard. If the wood wagon is getting low (every 3rd week), and there's a big snow in the forecast, I try to get it filled before the snow comes to avoid having to drag the chains out. I try to time any ventures into the wetter and muddier parts of our woods for dryer (or frozen) times of the year, for the same reason.
Those TRI2's are more akin to turfs than an R1, with a slightly more aggressive tread and much harder shoulder on the tread. I'd guess they share at least some of the same advantages and disadvantages.
Bad LP
Minister of Fire
I have about 25 years experience with snow removal and turfs with a much larger framed machine. They work but not so great. It didn’t matter because I had many other options to move snow.
My lawn up here is not groomed but I also don’t want it dug up as I cross the edges.
These are closer to the R14’s IMO.
I was going to go with R4’s but the talk going on about these made the final decision. Hope it wasn’t bad news with an inch of frosting on turds. 😂
The primary uses for this machine in order are:
1) snow blowing.
2) ability to retrieve logs with a logging winch.
3) chipping said tops and branches
4) cutting back tall grass/weeds and saplings.
5) forks for moving stuff by myself. It’s just me and the wife
I’m not that interested in chains but fully recognized the benefits.
Ashful
Minister of Fire
I'm not sure how this translates to 5 mph show pushing machines, but one thing I learned driving light pickups on big tires (and then displayed exceedingly well driving a dually), is that narrow tires are key in snow at on-road speeds. Those old army Jeep guys knew a thing or two, I guess.
The wide tires just plane atop the snow, while narrow tires bite thru to the asphalt beneath. I wonder how that translates to a tractor doing 5 mph, but I suspect it does. I'm noting the relatively narrow profile of your rears, as compared to a R3, and wondering if that's part of why they're recommended for snow duty.
The wide tires just plane atop the snow, while narrow tires bite thru to the asphalt beneath. I wonder how that translates to a tractor doing 5 mph, but I suspect it does. I'm noting the relatively narrow profile of your rears, as compared to a R3, and wondering if that's part of why they're recommended for snow duty.
In my area the county just bought a bunch of new Cat road graders. { I guess us the tax payers must be rich} and they all seem to have the Nokian TRI-2 tires on them. Talked to one of the operators a while back and he said they told him they are suppose to have good traction in snow and they shouldn't have to chain up as much pushing snow on the county gravel roads. We didn't have enough snow this winter that they even went out.
Bad LP
Minister of Fire
Wide tires are a huge no no for snow removal. I've run pick up trucks in driveways, parking lots and electrical sub stations all the way up to 10 wheel Mack trucks on highways and state roads.
These tires are not much wider than the R1's. A combination between the tread pattern, blocks and rubber compound all help. They also offer a snow rated tire that you can see on many Plowsite.com snow removal operations. Those may have been the absolute best option but I expect these to me fine.
1.5 feet of snow doesn't even slow the machine down at the snowbank from the town. In fact there is so much power available I can re-process the snow blowing it between the machine and the inverted blower and make 3-4 full width passes to get me closer to the edges of the parking area and still adjust the chute and send that reblown snow an easy 35 feet into the woods. That's a lot of snow with zero air in it.
I was hoping for a last huge dumping of snow to test it all out. No problem putting the inverted blower back on if it comes.
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