[want2be]

The asking price is $4000. Is this a good deal? I want to upgrade from my Craftsman 42" cut 15.5 HP B&S.

I recently joined this site when I was looking at a B6100 (SCT) with a FEL and pull behind finish mower ($5900). That deal got away, and maybe it was for the best. So here I am here I am again.

I own about an acre and a third in the country in central FL. It's not a manicured lawn, but not brush either. I was looking for a sub compact tractor, but the new ones are more than I want to spend, and used...well my wife says I have enough projects. Unless I find a good classic (then I will make a new hobby for myself). To be realistic, I think a sub compact tractor may be overkill. I guess it’s just a guy thing.

I mostly mow, pull a cart, would like to drag a disk, maybe a roller, and a tiller for a garden. A FEL would be nice, but again this is overkill for my actual needs. I do have a road that can use grading from time to time, but its not my primary concern right now. ZTR’s are nice, but I still like to feel like I am on a tractor vs. a mower.

I came upon a one owner Kubota GT 1860 with a 54" deck. Not 4wd, but does have hydrostat transmission and electric power steering. Comes with an extra set of blades. It has 140 hrs, always kept in a garage, over maintained and has all the manuals. The owner was introduced to me by a local Kubota dealer that is trying to sell the owner a tractor/backhoe. I was skeptical about the hours for its age, but his story seems to check out.

Is this a unit that I should consider? I have been reading some older reviews about this model, and they are mixed. Seems this unit is prone to have electrical problems. The current owner says he has had no problems, but with the hours they may have just not started to show up. All the positive reviews were from new or low hour users.

Your thoughts, and/or recommendations would be greatly appreciated. By the way, I have been taking to a local fella with a 1979 Power KIng with a belly mower. Did I say I could make a new hobby for myself?

 

[Volfandt]

Welcome aboard want2be.
From what I've read the TG1860 was a very good mower and having a diesel engine is a definite plus. They're good for 1000's of hrs.

On 1st glance the hrs do sound very low. Most folks normally avg around 30 - 50 hrs a yr, what yr is that TG1860?

Being a lawn mower, it's not really designed to pull/operate a tiller or disc so keep that in mind. The engine would easily handle/pull the weight but extended use could damage the HST/drivetrain.
If you really want to operate ground engagement implements you should keep looking for a GT (garden tractor) or a small used CUT like, the B6100 you were originally interested in.
Like you said, the utility and benefits of an FEL cannot be understated

$4K sounds high and could just be the asking price. If I was interested I'd offer less and go from there......

Good luck

 

[Sergeant]

One of the assesories for the TG series was a sleeve hitch at one time. aAJohnny Bucket for the Kubota Garden tractor series would probaly fit the TG. :thThumbsU

 

[want2be]

Thanks for the information. Like I said in my post, I was also drawn to the older style garden tractors. I enjoyed reading about Volfandt and his wheel horse story. So far I have not found one, like you did.

I did come accross a one owner 1979 Power King 1612 in all origional condition close to home. I started a new post in the Power King fourm, but I thought you may like to know where I was leaning.

The mower dec is origional and it has no rust through. The body has some minor surface rust, but all in all it is in decent shape, and has all the parts. It starts, runs and does not smoke. Engine is a Kohler 14 hp, and its a gear drive. The owner sent me some other photos, but I have to figure out how to add them.

Cost is $2000. I may be paying it a visit next week as I have some vacation time coming up. I believe he may be a little high, but we'll see it when we see it.

 

[jbgtb]

$4000 seems like a good price, especially if the hours are correct. I own a
TG1860 and have zero complaints. This is a serious grass cutting machine. Built to last a lifetime. If you're looking to move dirt, I'd say look elsewhere. They do not make a FEL or Johnny Bucket for this model. Basic attachments like a front blade, power flow bagger and snowblower (if you can find one) are available. Not sure about a tiller. Its built like a tank and either engine (Liquid Cooled Kawasaki or Kubota Diesel) will perform flawlessly. The mower decks (54 or 48) are built out of heavy gauge steel and are run off of a mid PTO, not the engine crank. It does have a rear belt PTO that is probably used for the powerflow bagger. Who knows, maybe a tiller could be run off of it. Good luck in your search. Again, if you're looking to move dirt, this may not be the model for you.