Snow Removal
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I have a lake cabin in Minnesota that I am trying to figure out snow removal for. The drive way is long, about 350ft and is gravel. Over the 350 ft, it rises about 20 ft, so there is a bit of a grade there. It is also a narrow driveway, so a blade is not an option, I need a snow blower. I talked to my local John Deere dealer and have narrowed my choices down to two, the X739 with four wheel drive and the X584 with four wheel steering. The X739 is about $8500 more expensive but I get four wheel drive. Do you think it is worth it? Any advise is welcome!
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Seems to me a better choice would be a 1025R. You're probably looking at about the same money. It's a much more desirable tractor and couple that with an FEL and you've got a real work horse.
How straight or winding is the driveway? Are there winding sidewalks as well? Four wheel drive steers better if some of the snowblower weight is carried but it pushes the side of the blower into the cut. Four wheel steering might steer better as it brings the rear wheels around.
My neighbor has an X7xx something, maybe an X738? It's either all wheel drive or 4 wheel drive, and a gas engine. I think he has the 54" blower. He stages it inside the garage and when it snows he just pulls out and goes down hill, turns around and comes back up. No chains and I think he might have wheel weights on it. He probably gains close to 100' in 500'. Paved drive. That thing does his drive effortlessly. My X540 works to get my drive, about the same grade, but only 75' or so. After seeing Tom's at work, if it was in my budjet, I'd be on an X7xx
I didn't think about going up to a 1 series?
The x739 is also 4-wheel steer along with the 4x4. that's the route I'd go with the blower
The X739 has all-wheel-drive (AWD) AND all-wheel-steer (AWS). So you would be getting both features with the X739.
If you have the budget for the X739, the combination of AWD and AWS will make it a far superior snow removal tool. Especially given the narrow confines and slope of your driveway.
By comparison, a 1025R will not be nearly as maneuverable, especially with mechanical 4WD engaged. In you narrow driveway a 1025R would probably end up needing to do a 3-point turn, whereas with the X739 you could just bang a u-turn.
If you have the budget for the X739, the combination of AWD and AWS will make it a far superior snow removal tool. Especially given the narrow confines and slope of your driveway.
By comparison, a 1025R will not be nearly as maneuverable, especially with mechanical 4WD engaged. In you narrow driveway a 1025R would probably end up needing to do a 3-point turn, whereas with the X739 you could just bang a u-turn.
Bigger is better. 1025 is the trick. Add other accessories to it and you have an all year tractor.
I don't understand the infatuation with the 1025 on these forums, they are big, bulky, cumbersome and great at nothing. I would go with the X738/X739.
I don't understand what is so hard about making a three point turn. It is not like a manual transmission where you have to coordinate a gear shift and clutch. On my 1026R, I just move my foot over 3-4" to the reverse pedal and push down and back to forward and go. I also very seldom use the 4WD for blowing. My drive is gravel and about 1/10 mile slightly up-hill to the road. I do have a heavy TekTite Cab, and Chains. I did add Wheel Weights a couple of years ago for side to side stability, they didn't make an appreciable difference with my snow blowing. This fall, I replaced the Turf Tires with the Versa-Turf and I do think that has helped some on the front end being pushed around a little. I also run my blower in the full float mode 95% of the time the rest of the time the blower is lifting the front wheels off the ground to better scrape the hard-pack and the county road blacktop at my driveway entrance and the cement pad in front of my garage. It took me about 3 hours to clean up my place after the Blizzard and Lake Effect Snow this past week and slightly less than 1/2 tank of diesel. Using my old 445 and the same blower, it took about the same amount of time and was a lot colder with-out the cab. I used the 445 from 1994 to 2013 when I got the 1026R and haven't looked back. The 445 did have the 50 and 72 pound weights and chains and I did get stuck a couple of times per season in the early years, but as I gained experience with my property it happened less often. I also have gotten the 1026R stuck a couple times since 2013 so they are not UN-stoppable. Before I retired, we had a 425 and 47" blower we used to clear sidewalks and replaced it with an X738 and eventually added a X758 and the crew liked both tractors. We still chained the rear wheels and added the single 50 pound weighs to both tractors. When I priced out my 1026R and the X7xx diesel, when I added the PTO and the three point, the price was very close. With the 1026R I could and did get the FEL. Also the X738 we got at work had the three point added as we wanted to use a rear blade to clean in front the office doors and found out it would not work. The three point is controlled by the Snow blower chute rotation control so when we rotated the chute the blade went up and down in the most inopportune times. The one series have a truly independent three point for rear implement operation.
Personally I have open yard to mow and many other things that I need a bigger tractor for. If I'm going to spend 20+K on a tractor it better do everything I need it to.
I bought a Duetz/Allis 5220 26hp diesel 4x4 with a FEL and backhoe for my business used for a great price, but i was looking to upgrade from my JD 332 before I found the Duetz for just things I needed done around the house. Yep it's bigger than a 1025 but still small enough to get around things and do the jobs I need to do.
The 1025 is a nice "oversized" garden tractor with lots of options you can add. It is a better "homeowner" option than the X7xx stuff if you are doing more than blowing snow or mowing.
If all you do is mow and blow snow then that's great for you to only need/want an X7xx series, others need more than the X7xx series can provide. Thus the 1025 for them.
I don't understand why people still buy and use gear drive mowers. BUT that is their choice for them not mine.
To each their own it's not for us to judge.
The responses are personal due to needs and experience with these tractors. It is all advice to help the person asking what to buy to help them. Nothing more.
Instead of bashing those that suggested the 1025 maybe you should give a good reason for the X7XX stuff............
I bought a Duetz/Allis 5220 26hp diesel 4x4 with a FEL and backhoe for my business used for a great price, but i was looking to upgrade from my JD 332 before I found the Duetz for just things I needed done around the house. Yep it's bigger than a 1025 but still small enough to get around things and do the jobs I need to do.
The 1025 is a nice "oversized" garden tractor with lots of options you can add. It is a better "homeowner" option than the X7xx stuff if you are doing more than blowing snow or mowing.
If all you do is mow and blow snow then that's great for you to only need/want an X7xx series, others need more than the X7xx series can provide. Thus the 1025 for them.
I don't understand why people still buy and use gear drive mowers. BUT that is their choice for them not mine.
To each their own it's not for us to judge.
The responses are personal due to needs and experience with these tractors. It is all advice to help the person asking what to buy to help them. Nothing more.
Instead of bashing those that suggested the 1025 maybe you should give a good reason for the X7XX stuff............
It is a straight driveway.
I used to have a x738 with a 54" plow widened to 62" and pushed 2 feet of snow on a flat driveway with no weights or chains. Rarely ever used the diff lock, maybe a couple times. I now have a 1025r and it's a great machine but not as nimble or maneuverable as the x738 was but suits my current needs. Sure it has a lot more options available but doesn't do any good if you aren't using them, I loved my x738 and am sorry I had to let it go but just outgrew it. I would say if you are going to use a snow blower and cut some grass the x738 will definitely do the job they are a snow moving beast.
Just pop onto Youtube and search "x738 Snowblower" and you will see most everyone has no weights or chains and what a beast the tractor is.
Just pop onto Youtube and search "x738 Snowblower" and you will see most everyone has no weights or chains and what a beast the tractor is.
The 1025 might work good on a big open piece of land. I have lots of trees, hills, fencing and other obstacles that would make a 1025 pretty much useless. A X7xx will turn a lot sharper, get in tighter spots, go under tree branches, less tippy on hills, mow better and not tear up the grass. The 1025 is no substitute for a garden tractor, they are way too cumbersome. No offense to any 1025 owners.
The obvious solution is to have both. Then you can use whichever one best fits the job.
NOW that's what I'm talking about right there! 😁
I want the garage!
I want the garage!
Actually I've owned a x738 for over 5 years and a year ago stepped up to a 1025r. They BOTH have their place. Loved my x738 for lawn/yard work and clearing snow, awesome tractor for what it was capable of and was sorry to see it go. The 1025r isn't as nimble, maneuverable and a bit more tippy BUT it has a FEL, mower, backhoe and snow plow and runs circles around the x738 because of the capabilities and strength. It does for me what the x738 couldn't. With the 1025r it also takes little to no effort and mere minutes to switch from one work configuration to the next. Was the X738 better at what it could do, to a degree yes but not substantially. While I agree some 1025r owners like to push them both tractors have their place. Size wise, not much difference, capabilities are distinctive. I always recommend people think hard about the current and future needs then decide what fits those voids best. In this case I recommended a x738.
In case you never looked at a 1025r and x738 sitting side by side... don't know why people think the 1025r is a huge difference in size it really isn't. Bare 1025r tractor does weigh about 400 - 500 lbs more though.
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In case you never looked at a 1025r and x738 sitting side by side... don't know why people think the 1025r is a huge difference in size it really isn't. Bare 1025r tractor does weigh about 400 - 500 lbs more though.
These discussions regarding 1 series vs X7xx are frequent.
The common theme in them is people reinforcing their own purchasing decisions with the rationale being, "It must be better because I bought it". Often the author has no direct comparison due to not having owned both but that doesn't stop one from having opinions.
I have had a JD 2305, predecessor to the 1 series for 16 years and a X758 for 3 years.
My observations are:
1. Both are equally stable on hills and I have very steep hills.
2. It is delusional to think any 2 wheel drive is even close to being as capable as a 4WD. The JD 2305 is very capable with the snow blower, turf tires and no weights except the rim rear wheels as long as it is in 4WD. After I get down doing the driveway I often put back in 2WD to park and it will not back up a slight incline on pavement and it necessitates 4WD to put away.
3. The maneuverability of the JD2305 is not much different with the exception of the roll bar hitting tree branches as it doesn't fold.
4. The JD 2305 has a 2 speed transmission and pulls a heavily loaded 6x10' trailer on the hills easily, the X758 having only one speed and geared higher struggles.
5. The X758 mows much better. The JD 2305 with independent lift cannot be adjusted to mower higher than 2.75".
6. Many put loaders on the 1 series, personally I don't think it is a big enough machine.
7. I have 3 pt. attachments that when loaded would be pushing the capacity of the X758. (55 gallon sprayer and spreader).
That case is a bit smaller than my Duetz 5220, but not by much. I love having my 332 for mowing and blowing, and the Duetz for heavy duty stuff.
Not to steal the OP's thread but I couldn't agree with you more... actually this may add to what he may not have considered.
1: When mowing I too have steep hills and have mowed across a section of 15 degree hill (on my tilt meter) with both tractors no problem. I get in and out of all the same places as I did with the x738 no issues, just drop off the FEL it takes about a minute. With a 54" deck I see no difference in time to cut but maybe the X did it a little better.
2: After a couple surgeries having a FEL and backhoe are priceless. I went from moving 2 yards of mulch behind the tractor in a cart (pitch fork in and out) to picking up 5 yards of mulch with the bucket and dumping it where I want.
3: If it's heavy I have pallet forks and pallets... I don't lift anything anymore.
4: Done digging... backhoe does that for me. I can keep my stream free of debris with the backhoe thumb then pull stumps and never break a sweat.
5: I've only plowed once so far it wasn't much but I never engaged the 4 wheel drive. I too just have 50lb rim weights no other ballast and turf tires.
I can go on but those are the highlights. I'm back to what do you need to do. In 5 years my x738 had 100 hours on it but in 5 months the 1025r has 55 hours so I think the versatility speaks for itself in seat time.
1: When mowing I too have steep hills and have mowed across a section of 15 degree hill (on my tilt meter) with both tractors no problem. I get in and out of all the same places as I did with the x738 no issues, just drop off the FEL it takes about a minute. With a 54" deck I see no difference in time to cut but maybe the X did it a little better.
2: After a couple surgeries having a FEL and backhoe are priceless. I went from moving 2 yards of mulch behind the tractor in a cart (pitch fork in and out) to picking up 5 yards of mulch with the bucket and dumping it where I want.
3: If it's heavy I have pallet forks and pallets... I don't lift anything anymore.
4: Done digging... backhoe does that for me. I can keep my stream free of debris with the backhoe thumb then pull stumps and never break a sweat.
5: I've only plowed once so far it wasn't much but I never engaged the 4 wheel drive. I too just have 50lb rim weights no other ballast and turf tires.
I can go on but those are the highlights. I'm back to what do you need to do. In 5 years my x738 had 100 hours on it but in 5 months the 1025r has 55 hours so I think the versatility speaks for itself in seat time.
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