B6200 2 wd

[Jim-Iowa]

The local Kubota Dealer has a B6200 2 WD in pretty good condition with ag tires for $3100.
I have 8.9 acres, and primary use would be gardening. I have over 6,000 Sq feet in garden(and expanding), this year using a rear tine walking tiller.
Along with that would be mowing maintaining a 1300 ft lane and snow removal. so will be using a mounted tiller, rear blade, possibly box blade and a front mounted push blade in winter.
My delima is would I be greatly handicapped, doing ground engagemnt work w/o all wheel drive?

 

[hodge]

I think that you will be. Even with loaded tires and chains, I think you would fair better with 4WD. At times, depending on how the garden is plowed, I need 4WD to till. I doubt that you could move much of anything with a box blade on that tractor.
I would imagine that you experience a fair amount of snow, plus with a lane that long, I think that 4WD with loaded tires and chains might not be enough sometimes. You might consider finding a larger tractor. Your acreage and needs will more than tax a 15 hp tractor. Even if you don't run out of power, you will run out of weight.
That being said, you can make anything work, if you are determined and limited by funds. But, it probably won't be long before you realize that you didn't buy enough tractor.

 

[kubotasam]

I agree with Hodge. I have a B7100 ( well now actually 2 of them) I could not do the things I do without the 4x4. Unless you are just mowing a flat lawn hold out for a 4x4.

 

[Eric McCarthy]

I own a B6100E which is 2wd and have been blown away with what that little tank can do. I dare say the B6200 you're looking at will do everything you want it to do and then some. I have a grading box for mine and have move mini mountains with it. Biggest job todate was putting in a driveway and spreading 24 tons of stone. I love my little B6100 and have no regreats buying it years ago. My only delima is running a landscape business with that small of a tractor is a bit troublesome. I do need a larger tractor to be more productive and really need a FEL. I'd love to add an addational tractor to the arsonal of toys, this way I have a tractor I can tackle any size job with.

 

[Jim-Iowa]

Well Hodge & Kubotasam,you have reinforced my suspicions.
And Eric, now you just confused me more.. Your opinion is valued and it is an option to consider.
Growing up on 50's era Row Crop tractors, I have no concept of the capabilities of Compact tractors in this class. And yes I learned to make do with less than ideal equipment in the 50's & 60's. Bottom line is a small tractor and a bigger would be ideal, but a tough sell to my finacial advisor(wife).
I do like the mechanical simplicity of two wheel drive, and the additional maintainece issues of all wheel drive is a consideration. But don't want to handicap myself either.
Kubotasam: no such thing as a flat lawn. The whole 8.9 acres is one big hill.
The house and garden are on the mildest of slopes.

While the past two years I have flat tilled the entire 6,000 sq ft of garden.
It occured to me that it was silly to do so when more than a third of the area tilled was walkways. So my intent is to reseed to grass this fall.
And then till only the strips I would be planting in, and form raised beds for the crops. Some of you may have seen the bedshapers sold by Buckeye tractor, and I intend to build one to fit what ever tractor I end up with.
So a small tractor would be an asset for that part of the job.

Many of the chores a larger machine would be better. Especially as you mention Hodge, while we had a very mild winter last year. I sure can't count on it normally we get some heavy snows.
The neighbor(We share the lane) plowed what we had with a polaris 4x4 ATV last winter.
I've looked at a few of the smaller L series machines(around 20 hp) as well. But notice that 1 mph is the lowest speed available in them.
Which brings me to the question. Is there an optimum ground speed for operating a tiller? I may be wrong in my assumption that a ground speed under 1 mph is required? Now I realize conditions have a lot of bearing on this. And can tell you my soil is mostly Clay/loam, though I have been adding organics(tilling in mulch and grass clippings) to loosen it up.

 

[284 International]

One thing I can say is these little compact machines excel at tilling. It makes sense, because they were originally designed specifically for that purpose. I have a small tiller for my Yanmar machines, and have guide wheels like in the attached picture. A single bungee cord to keep them tilted in means they leave perfect beds of soft tilth ready to drop in potatoes, squash or melon seed, or whatever else one wants. The grey market tillers are frequently available for relatively cheap.

Any of the older Kubotas will certainly go slow enough to run a tiller well. The newer ones frequently are HST, so don't have an issue either.

Your needs will vary, and obviously there are members here who have had good success with their two wheel drive units. If I were doing more than tilling, running a mower or cutter of some sort, spreading loose fill etc, I would need a 4 wheel drive unit in my conditions. My B6000 is smaller than the 6200, my Satoh and Yanmar 1401D are both a bit larger (14 PTO hp) and four wheel drive.

I think for tilling, maintaining the property, mowing, and the like, that machine would work great. I don't know anything about moving snow. I would guess, based on my experience with loader work in dirt and wood chips, that you will want the front axle pulling to move much material.

I am often one of the few who defends the smaller machines over a bigger one, largely because I really like how precisely they let me work around my fruit trees and in tight quarters. Even the difference in size between a 20 PTO hp tractor and a 14 PTO hp machine really makes things vastly easier. One can do useful work much more closely to an obstacle, or fit through a narrow gate where another machine may not fit.

However, if you need to move or manipulate a lot of soil at a time, there is no replacement for mass. Bigger is better if you have the room and conditions to allow it. Just like the hoe and shovel still have a place in the garden, even with a walk behind tiller, different jobs call for different tools. Everything except moving snow should be done well and reliably by the 6200. How does the ATV do in two wheel drive? That's probably not an unfair comparison, and may give you a baseline as a reference.

(Photo stolen from TBN member Mickey FX)

 

[Eric McCarthy]

My closing statement from before I was talking about productivity in my landscaping business. I need a larger tractor to get the jobs done faster, move onto the next job and make more money faster. I have to get in get it done and go onto the next one. My tractor is a tool I used to earn a living with. Like I said before I have no regrets buying my B6100 but due to my business I need a larger tractor for productivity.

Here are a few pictures of some of the jobs I've tackled with my B6100
This first one is a driveway I installed with 24 tons of stone.

http://s974.photobucket.com/albums/ae221/Lurch52181/Driveway Gading-Repair/

The second is a area I tore up and reworked to make room for a garden. This job was tractor work I donated to a school so the kids could build garden beds and install them their selves.

http://s974.photobucket.com/albums/ae221/Lurch52181/Dominion Academy job/

 

[Jim-Iowa]

My closing statement from before I was talking about productivity in my landscaping business. I need a larger tractor to get the jobs done faster, move onto the next job and make more money faster. I have to get in get it done and go onto the next one. My tractor is a tool I used to earn a living with. Like I said before I have no regrets buying my B6100 but due to my business I need a larger tractor for productivity.

Here are a few pictures of some of the jobs I've tackled with my B6100
This first one is a driveway I installed with 24 tons of stone.

http://s974.photobucket.com/albums/ae221/Lurch52181/Driveway Gading-Repair/

The second is a area I tore up and reworked to make room for a garden. This job was tractor work I donated to a school so the kids could build garden beds and install them their selves.

http://s974.photobucket.com/albums/ae221/Lurch52181/Dominion Academy job/

Eric your doing some good work with that little machine.
I can understand your needing a bigger machine to improve production.
And there is defineately a place for having both a small oneto get into tight spaces, which you have and a larger one for the more open areas.
I more or less grew up doing simular jobs. Besides working at Maytag my dad had a landscaping and grading business. With 6 sons who would work to put their feet under his table labor was cheap.
I pretty well grew up on a 58 310 Case Utility( about 28 hp and around 3500 lbs) doing a lot of grading and later(after he got a backhoe) installing septic systems.