quote:

I may just run the thirsty X700 with the 7-Iron deck and keep my money in the bank.

With the cost of diesel and the new tractor price plus deck, it would allow you to use lot of gallons of gas before equaling the cost difference...

I traded my thirsty X700 tractor today.
The lack of forward compatibility for the 7-Iron deck really pissed me off.
I will be canceling the 2022 X750 diesel tractor deal in the morning.
Today I bought a X720 tractor that is five years newer, and 300 hours less on the meter vs the X700. It also comes with a 54" deck. I'll have to store the 54" deck or sell it.
The X720 is fully compatible with the 60" 7-Iron deck which will be getting installed as soon as I get it home.
Essentially the X720 and X700 are same tractors. Both are rear wheel drive, and front wheel steer. The X700 is carbureted while the X720 is (gasoline) digital electronic fuel injection.
I should be getting noticeably better fuel economy.
I do the swap on Saturday.
It was likely the most cost effective way to use less mowing gas and not break the bank. My trade plus some cash.

edit 05/20/2023
Last fall (2022) I sold the OEM used 54" deck that came with the newer X720. I had no reason to keep it after installing the 7-Iron 60" commercial deck.
I didn't want to be tripping over it for the rest of my life, and who would turn down $1000 cash.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: cee_Kamp,

quote:

Originally posted by cee_Kamp:
I've used zero turn mowers, just not a fan of them. Mowing speed is of zero concern to me. I like to mow, especially with a pair of high quality wireless headphones and the iPod.
I have just enough slope in the field at the cabin, a zero turn is a NO GO, at least for me.
I guess I'm just a tractor guy. Part of my decision is based on the overall higher complexity of a zero turn vs a tractor. I do my own service and repairs.....

I guess if you don't care how long it takes. But I wouldn't be put off by a slope unless it's really steep. ZTR's are wide and have a low COG and work best mowing across, rather than up and down hills. I have a Ferris ZTR and don't find it any more difficult to work on than my Deere X500 with 54" deck, but there are two hydro's to drain every couple hundred hours. The X500 does a pretty good job mowing but just doesn't mow as well, nor nearly as fast as the Ferris. Even though the Ferris with its 61" deck weighs 1,200# (vs 800# for the X500 w/54" deck) it handles like a sports car, the thing's a hoot to fly around the yard on.

I know they're expensive but when it comes to equipment like mowers and tractors I feel it's wise to buy good quality stuff because they just work better, hold up longer, and hold their value better. This is especially true with ZTR's. You have two nice pieces there with the BX sub compact and X720 garden tractor.

My oldest brother (87) bought a zero turn a couple of years back for his 2+ acres of grass on the farm.

I played with it for a half-hour or so, couldn't get the hang of making it go where I wanted with any degree of precision.

Probably could with more practice, but I'll keep my ancient LX178 for my little patch and I have the 6' finish mower for the fields.

Paul you *definitely* would get the hang of it. I would say after one mow which took a couple hours I was very comfortable trimming close around trees etc and running nice, straight, tracks. But for a relatively small lawn a ZTR doesn't offer much advantage.

I did pick up the X720 today.
Mowed the yard at home with the included 54" deck.
It did a nice job!
The X720 weighs about 1000 pounds dry, no fluids or deck.
The 7-Iron commercial deck weighs just over 300 pounds.
I need to get some maintenance done on the X720 and swap out the decks.
I will get some pictures up soon.
It is a nice tractor, I like it.
I had just installed a new $275 seat on the X700 that I traded.
That new seat got removed and will be going on the X720!

We need pics!

Excuse the ratty looking seat, I haven't had time to switch it yet.

IMG_20220430_123637894_HDR by cee_Kamp 32ACP, on Flickr

IMG_20220430_123607386_HDR by cee_Kamp 32ACP, on Flickr

IMG_20220430_123623037_HDR by cee_Kamp 32ACP, on Flickr

IMG_20220430_123652350_HDR by cee_Kamp 32ACP, on Flickr

Looks pretty good. Do you have record of when oil and hydro fluid was last changed?

Yes, I have the complete maintenance history.
It was a one owner machine.
I'm going to do all the maintenance soon.
I want to get the 7-Iron 60" deck mounted first and get some hours on it. I swapped the seat yesterday, and removed the front wheels.
I'm changing the front tires from turf to a five rib.
It's sitting on jack stands now and doesn't move very well.
Wheels with new tires should be back on in a few days.
Tomorrow looks like a good day for the random orbital polisher.

Looks good, might get a front bumper for that, replacing the green parts can be expensive....

quote:

Originally posted by HRK:
Looks good, might get a front bumper for that, replacing the green parts can be expensive....

Probably a good idea. I replaced the black, sort of bumper on mine with a similar piece that serves as the carrier for front weights and it projects out a bit further. But if I run into something higher it's going to be $$$, Deere's plastic hoods are very expensive.

I just finished mowing with the X500 and one advantage of it has over my ZTR is it's much quieter, in fact I didn't even need ear plugs. I guess it's because the engine's enclosed, and the blades don't seem to turn as fast either.

It rained here today.
So I couldn't mow grass.
We picked up an electric random orbital polisher at Walmart the other day. For some spring cleanup on the better half's truck.
Why the Walmart brand?
Because that's the only polisher they stock the removeable/washable/consumable polishing pads for.

Several hours of effort, and the X720 almost looks new.

IMG_20220504_145011855_HDR by cee_Kamp 32ACP, on Flickr

IMG_20220504_144959812_HDR by cee_Kamp 32ACP, on Flickr

We've had the fiber optic internet at the cabin since October, 2021. The key word here is "had."
I went to the rural recreational property on Monday to do some spring cleanup with my son.
He has been out of the area for a number of years and hadn't seen the cabin ever, or the rural property for quite a while.
We brought the X720 so we could mow the 1.5 acre field.
We also brought the Stihl 19" electric/battery rotary lawnmower for edging and trimming around the cabin and under the shrubs and blueberry bushes in the field.

We had a late April snowstorm here at my location that took out the grid power and internet for multiple days. And lots of tree damage at the house and locally/regionally.
So we brought the small Stihl battery chainsaw because I was certain tree branches would be broken and/or hanging in the field and would be in the way for mowing.

I guessed correctly, and it took at least an hour of chainsaw work to get the field cleaned up prior to mowing.
We walked the fiber optic right-of-way from the cabin back to the road intersection source and at the point where the fiber optic line crosses the road, the line was hanging down from the tops of
the telephone poles and snapped. Both poles were leaning at an approximate 20 to 25 degree angle. It appears at first glance that another high profile vehicle (likely a logging truck) tore down
the fiber optic line and angled the telephone poles.

I called the internet provider and explained to them that the repair would take significant manpower and equipment.
They issued a repair ticket number.
It's a good thing I am retired, because it's a full time job keeping after the properties and utilities!

The John Deere X720 seemed much better on fuel consumption for mowing the rural recreational 1.5 acre field compared to the X700 it replaced.
We are still a month or more away from peak grass growing rate, time will tell when the grass is going full bore.
The X700 (carburetor) would use six gallons of gas to mow the field.
The X720 (fuel injected, gasoline) used less than 2.5 gallons for the same mowing job.
Overall, I am pleased with the X720 and the 7-Iron commercial deck!

Last fall when the fiber optic internet was installed at the cabin I told the installation crews that overhead clearance between the fiber optic line and the ground was an issue.
Specifically where the fiber line crossed the road. Also on my property, as sometime in the future I may have some logging done.
We have lots of privately owned woodlots in our vicinity that get periodic logging.
Since there are no bridges or underpasses between our rural location and several local lumber processing facilities, the log trucks always get loaded higher than the legal limit.
Just one more log...
Anyway, the fiber optic line has been ripped down twice and replaced.

When they installed the two poles for the span over the nearby road intersection, the poles looked short to me. But it's not my job to install telephone poles for the utilities.
I spoke with the guy that did do the pole installations, and he said he now realized what I was talking about and would get the fiber line up higher.
Here is the solution.

IMG_20220524_172314351 by cee_Kamp 32ACP, on Flickr

IMG_20220524_172337182 by cee_Kamp 32ACP, on Flickr

IMG_20220524_172425666 by cee_Kamp 32ACP, on Flickr

IMG_20220524_172441085 by cee_Kamp 32ACP, on Flickr

I texted the telephone pole installer this morning and congratulated him on his skill with making simple cost effective repairs on the fly.
It is nice to have internet, WiFi, and cell phone signal at the cabin again!

He texted back and said it's only a temporary repair, and that he had ordered two new telephone poles that are ten feet taller than what is there now.

When we hooked up to the fiber optic internet at the cabin, I went with the slowest package. Seasonal usage, not primary residence.
200 Mbps down/up. We actually got slightly better than 400 Mbps down/up when paying for 200 Mbps.
This winter they dropped the slowest package, raised the monthly cost by $10 and doubled the speed. I'm paying for 400 Mbps down/up. $84.99 per month.
You're allowed to "pause" the internet for up to six months per calendar year for a monthly internet cost of zero.
Here is a Speed Test screenshot. Totally unneeded at the cabin, and I wish I could get this at my home.
This is wireless speed, I seldom have a laptop at the cabin for checking the wired speed.
Not that I'm bitching, (I'm not) but this is the lowest performance package that they offer.

Screenshot_20220528-201153 by cee_Kamp 32ACP, on Flickr

They ran the fiber to my house underground, they had to send a special crew out to do it and said it was going to be an extra charge (like $700). But they never charged me and that was over a year ago now.
I'm not sure what speed I have but it's plenty fast for everything I do. It's the base plan at $70 per month.

This past Saturday we got a crew together and went to the recreational property for stands and blinds day preparing for hunting season.
Back in April we got a late season snow storm that was really wet and heavy.
We had loss of electric grid power and internet at the house for several days and some tree damage at both the house and the recreational property.

So earlier in the week on Wednesday, I took my little Honda 250 ATV to the recreational property for the sole purpose of looking for downed trees on the ATV/UTV trails.
The little 250 ATV is much more nimble than the Pioneer UTV and gets in tighter locations.
I was shocked at the quantity of trees blocking the trails! It looked like there was going to be multiple days of chainsaw work.

It wasn't the most intelligent thing I have ever done, but since I had chainsaws with me on my Wednesday trip, I spent the whole day cutting fallen trees solo. I completed maybe 40% of the total job.
I was late returning from the property on Wednesday, and the better half drove up there to see if I had flipped the ATV, or dropped a tree on myself. She wasn't very happy with me.

So Saturday we get the crew together, and go back for another dose. By about 2PM, we have almost all of the trees cut.
I'm almost finished, and I happen to notice that my Carhartt work pants have a big rip below the knee. I set the saw down and lifted up my pants leg.
Yup, you guessed it. I have managed to chainsaw my leg. There was only a small amount of dried blood, and no serious injury. NO stitches required!
I never even felt the accident. I was VERY lucky!

We got ready to do the actual stands and blinds work which required returning to the cabin for supplies.
Burlap & zip ties for the ground blinds, ass pads and back rest pads for the ladder stands, and the self erecting fabric popup blinds.
Back to the cabin for supplies, and dropping off the chainsaw equipment.

We have a fairly complete first aid kit at the cabin, along with a big bottle of isopropyl alcohol.
I scrubbed out the chainsaw slice in my leg with the alcohol, and trimmed the leg hair away from the cut with scissors.
Just two Band-Aids covered the disaster zone.

All the while I'm getting the "stink eye" from the better half.

We completed the property preparation well before dark, and returned home and unpacked the equipment.

Today, I called my Primary Care Doctor early this morning, and they got me in for a Tetanus shot.

I looked on the Stihl website, the chainsaw chaps are less than $200 for the "Pro" version. (complete leg wrap below the knee)

Maybe Santa will bring me a pair of those chainsaw chaps for Christmas!

The formerly good pair of Carhartt work pants? They are now cut-off shorts.

Cheap lesson, my friend. Glad you're okay.

Chaps, heavy leather boots, logging helmet, someone near by or at least knows where you are and what you're doing.

And yup, I cheat - "I'm just gonna lop this branch off..." - and one day that's going to bite me on the ass. Because Murphy.

We try and complete at least one "major" project at the cabin every year. This spring it's been several.
We installed running water at the cabin in August 2021. The backfilled trench between the water source and the cabin has been settling for about 1.75 years and was a chore when mowing.

I ordered ~ 20 tons of screened topsoil (15 cubic yards) and used the Kubota to spread it out. When we get a forecast for several days of rain I will spread the grass seed and straw.
No more sunken area in the lawn! I had several cubic yards of topsoil leftover and saved it for future projects up there.

IMG_20230510_154835641_HDR by cee_Kamp 32ACP, on Flickr

I store tractor equipment at the house and take it to the cabin when I need to use it. However, the bushhog has no purpose at the house and I had no secure storage for the bushhog at the cabin,
and getting the tractor and the bushhog at the cabin required multiple trips up and back. The trailer length was the issue. Also I'm running out of storage room at the house.
So this year secure storage at the cabin moved up near the top of the list.

I ordered ~ 20 tons (15 cubic yards) of crusher run stone and had it delivered. I used the Kubota to spread it out into a pad for a shipping container.

IMG_20230510_155024249 by cee_Kamp 32ACP, on Flickr

After agonizing for weeks trying to find a shipping container source, I finally made my choice and set up the delivery for earlier this week.
I used this company: https://eastcoastcontainersinc.com/
They will sell/deliver from Maine to North Carolina.
This was the only company I could find where their website generated the final price including delivery and without dealing with quotes and salesmen.
It was fairly painless other than the container company had website problems the day I ordered with their credit card processor.
I called them and they agreed that paying cash to the driver would be OK.
The container arrived at the recreational property late afternoon on Thursday and took about 45 minutes for aligning on the pad and unloading.
40' long, 8' wide, 9' 6" tall so I can back the Kubota into the container with the tractor ROPS up and hook up the bushhog easily.
(40' hi-cube)

IMG_20230518_164822964_HDR by cee_Kamp 32ACP, on Flickr

The delivery equipment is rather specialized using a fancy tilt bed trailer and a late model Ford F350 4x4 turbo-diesel.

IMG_20230518_170928108_HDR by cee_Kamp 32ACP, on Flickr

IMG_20230518_171048070 by cee_Kamp 32ACP, on Flickr

IMG_20230518_173537547_HDR by cee_Kamp 32ACP, on Flickr

The container is deliberately placed so it has a small "tilt" in both directions for rain/snow runoff.
I need to source some security locks and locking bars for the container before anything goes inside.

We also added a solar street light on the front of the cabin.

IMG_20230510_154842927_HDR by cee_Kamp 32ACP, on Flickr

Now that most of the hard work is completed for the warm weather season, and I have completed most of the modifications that I wanted on the new Yamaha R3, I can spend the nice warm weather riding
motorcycles instead of tractors!

IMG_20230515_140048395_HDR by cee_Kamp 32ACP, on Flickr

DSC02280 by cee_Kamp 32ACP, on Flickr