B7100 or newer kubota riding mower

Fargo · Oct 2, 2015

OK here's my dilemma. I love the old B7100s. I grew up with them around my dads implement dealership. But I haven't sat on one in 25 years. So I don't remember clearly how sharp they turn or how hard they steer and things. Now I have a small rural property and I need a lawn mower.

I recently picked up a L3800 loader tractor for some light loader work and mowing with a rough cut mower. What I really need is something smaller for my wife to mow the yard around the house with. It would also get used for other small stuff like pulling a little yard wagon around and bagging grass for mulch and stuff. Maybe even put on a roto tiller, but I can always get a tiller or cultivator for the L3800.

So the question is, will a B7100 with a 60" deck be too big of a machine for mowing around the house? I just happened to come across a B7100 HST 4wd with turf tires at a dealership an hour and a half away. It looks clean from the pictures I've seen. I love these old B7100s and I want one for sentimental reasons as well as I just know how fantastic of machines they are. However, I wonder if I might be better off with something that is smaller and turns sharper like the old G series or the newer GR series.

Currently we are using a little MTD yard machine with a 42" deck. But its on its last legs I think. So what do you think. Is a B7100 a decent size for mowing around the house or do I need a smaller dedicated little lawn tractor.

85Hokie · Oct 2, 2015

Fargo said:
OK here's my dilemma. I love the old B7100s. I grew up with them around my dads implement dealership. But I haven't sat on one in 25 years. So I don't remember clearly how sharp they turn or how hard they steer and things. Now I have a small rural property and I need a lawn mower.

I recently picked up a L3800 loader tractor for some light loader work and mowing with a rough cut mower. What I really need is something smaller for my wife to mow the yard around the house with. It would also get used for other small stuff like pulling a little yard wagon around and bagging grass for mulch and stuff. Maybe even put on a roto tiller, but I can always get a tiller or cultivator for the L3800.

So the question is, will a B7100 with a 60" deck be too big of a machine for mowing around the house? I just happened to come across a B7100 HST 4wd with turf tires at a dealership an hour and a half away. It looks clean from the pictures I've seen. I love these old B7100s and I want one for sentimental reasons as well as I just know how fantastic of machines they are. However, I wonder if I might be better off with something that is smaller and turns sharper like the old G series or the newer GR series.

Currently we are using a little MTD yard machine with a 42" deck. But its on its last legs I think. So what do you think. Is a B7100 a decent size for mowing around the house or do I need a smaller dedicated little lawn tractor.

I would get up early and get down to the dealer quick!

That 60" deck will eat the MTD's lunch

how many hours and how much????

that GR is nice stuff - but it is $$$$

I got rid of my commercial cut and bought a very unused B7100HST and it is NOT the best cutter due to hills and valleys in my yard, but damn it is fun!

but it depends on what the dealer wants for it too. I would think you could get a "good" used 7100 with MMM.....mmmmm $4500??? or less?

Fargo · Oct 2, 2015

85Hokie said:
I would get up early and get down to the dealer quick! That 60" deck will eat the MTD's lunch

how many hours and how much????

that GR is nice stuff - but it is $$$$

I got rid of my commercial cut and bought a very unused B7100HST and it is NOT the best cutter due to hills and valleys in my yard, but damn it is fun!

but it depends on what the dealer wants for it too. I would think you could get a "good" used 7100 with MMM.....mmmmm $4500??? or less?

Dang, right on the money. It is $4500 with 1160+/-hours.

Yeah the GR looks nice but I can't see me ever spending more than around $5000 on a mower. New or used. Thats why this is tempting.

I have lots of hills and valleys in my yard as well. That is my wifes biggest concern.

ShaunBlake · Oct 2, 2015

Well, I have a very small lot with serious slant issues, and a B6100D w/FEL to tame the slopes with backfill. I tried to buy a GR, but the price was prohibitive, and on my slopes, the GR was almost as tippy as the B6100.

I wound up with an R322T which still induces a certain "pucker factor", but is nowhere as prone to performing barrel rolls as the B6100.

More money than a sane person would squander, but considerably less than the GR (and no HST issues). However, 48" cut means I would have to make an extra pass every 4 rows...

Fargo · Oct 3, 2015

Well I drove 2 hours each way to look at the B7100. But after all that I decided against it. The tractor was in decent enough shape and I think they have it priced reasonable. But I don't think its the right machine for me. I think I need something more nimble for mowing. I did drive a BX1860 that was parked next to it. I was stunned at how sharp the BX turned and how smooth it ran. The B7100 really felt like an OLD tractor next to the new BX. Not sure if the BX is really right for me either though so I'll just keep looking. I'm not in a rush. Thanks for the input guys.

chim · Oct 3, 2015

Fargo said:
............I think I need something more nimble for mowing..........................

Nimble is a perceived thing. It's just a matter of getting accustomed to the equipment. Here's a picture of my nephew driving what Wifey refers to as my garden tractor. I drop the whole loader assembly when mowing and it gets around quite nicely.

There are a few inside corners the 6' wide deck won't reach into. It will trim to within inches of the solar driveway lights. The widow across the road has about 1/2 acre and I can do her place in a real jiffy
.

Fargo · Oct 3, 2015

chim said:
Nimble is a perceived thing. It's just a matter of getting accustomed to the equipment.
.

True to an extent. That little BX sure turned a lot tighter than the old B7100. I was just really impressed with the BX. I'd never driven one before. But your right that once you get used to something you can get into pretty tight spaces.

I'm impressed that you do all your yard with your L3200. I use my L3800 for mowing the acreage and it does great out there, but I can't get up around the house nearly as quick and easy with it as I can our cheap little riding mower.

Jimc3165 · Oct 3, 2015

Fargo said:
Well I drove 2 hours each way to look at the B7100. But after all that I decided against it. The tractor was in decent enough shape and I think they have it priced reasonable. But I don't think its the right machine for me. I think I need something more nimble for mowing. I did drive a BX1860 that was parked next to it. I was stunned at how sharp the BX turned and how smooth it ran. The B7100 really felt like an OLD tractor next to the new BX. Not sure if the BX is really right for me either though so I'll just keep looking. I'm not in a rush. Thanks for the input guys.

Newer is nearly always better. Having gone from a Craftsman to a Ferris 60" zero turn and now back to the older B7100, I sure wish I'd kept my zero turn. I know it wold have been dicey on these hills but I used it to pull a garden cart around the yard and It would zip through tall grass like nobody's business and it cut my mowing time in half. I'd get something newer than the 7100 and you will be happier.

Steve NC · Oct 4, 2015

I can relate to the sentimental aspect of the B7100s Fargo. I also grew up around them. My family used to have a Kubota Dealership back in the 70s and 80s. I own one of the B7100D tractors that was sold there. I started restoring it last winter after taking possession of it from another family member. They are tuff little tractors and almost bullet proof. I use it to mow my lawn and other chores around home. My brother in law lives next door, he has a BX 2360. He is able to mow faster and get into tighter places than I can. It has the turf tires and 60in MM. He mows around his pond and the ditch banks without a problem. The tractor seems to be more stable than my 7100 but I use a rear mount mower. The BX is a great upgrade to a mtd/murray lawn mower. If I hadnt picked up the 7100 for such a great deal I would have bought a BX. They are great tractors for home use in my opinion.

comfun1 · Oct 5, 2015

I have six acres and a b7100. When I first bought the property in '92 it was just grass with no trees. I used the b7100 with a brush hog to mow it. Now a couple of decades later, I have a house, shop, pond, greenhouse and several hundred trees, shrubs and flower beds. The b7100 is not used at all for mowing (to many obstacles). Instead I use a Cub Cadet RZT50S, it does a great job and is quick. For a few of the places I can't fit the cadet I use a Murray 42" hydrostat. From there it's a 20" push mower and finally the weedeater.

If your land is wide open with no obstacles the tractor will work fine and give you versatility as well. The ztr will mow as fast or faster and give you a neater job as well as manuevering around obstacles. For a small tractor to mow with I think the BX would be a nice choice.

hodge · Oct 5, 2015

Previously, I mowed with various Wheelhorse tractors. I now use my B7100 with a Woods 59" finish mower. There is no comparison. I live on mountain land, so a riding mower has it limits, in both traction and durability. The B7100 handles the 5' finish mower with authority, and it saves time. It isn't as nimble as other options, but those options also have drawbacks. So, for me, the B7100 is a fantastic mower.

Aside from that, what takes a gallon of diesel to mow took almost 3 gallons of gas with the 520H Horse that I had.

I also mow our church recreation area, which is about 4 acres. I can mow that in about 1.3 hours, on half a tank of fuel. Wide open mowing like that (it is flat field) is where the tractor and finish mower really shines.

I can understand why you chose to go a different route; but, an older tractor like the B7100 isn't a bad choice, depending on your circumstances. I bought my tractor and mower, in excellent condition and with low hours, for $3000. I couldn't purchase another option, that would do the same job, for that amount of money.

chim · Oct 6, 2015

Here's a picture of our yard. There's a small creek, bridge, some trees and a couple sheds hiding behind some pines. When I mowed last night I had to run the trimmer for less than a minute to get what the 6' deck couldn't where I poured a small sidewalk last year. It is an inside corner bordered on one side by a flower bed and another by the sidewalk. It is probably 2 or 3 square feet in total.

The aerial shot was taken just after we buried a propane tank to the left of the house - a year before planting the grass to the right of the driveway.

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B7100 or newer kubota riding mower

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