Five Deere Tractors Are Their "Best Buys"

Five Deere Tractors Are Their "Best Buys" TRACTORS Miscellaneous 22-3-16 Kenneth C. Brecht, Moorcroft, Wyo.: Kenneth's pleased with the five "best buy" Deere tractors he and col-leagues use at Keyhole State Park near Moorcroft. Left to right in the photo are: a 1997 5500, a 1981 302, a 1990 770, a 1990 1070, and, in front, a 1985 660 lawn tractor. "During summer, these tractors will be used every day for jobs at the park," says Kenneth. "Rotary mowers mount on the 5500, 302 and 770. A backhoe mounts on the 1070 and a mower deck on the 660. When the 500 and 302 aren't mowing roadsides and fields, they are used to load and level dirt. Both of these tractors are fitted with brackets to permit the use of forks to handle poles, posts or trees that have blown down or have been re-moved because of disease. "We have six miles of hiking trails through various terrain and we mow this trail to make it easier and safer for hikers to follow. This rugged 770 with MFWD is able to follow the trail with ease. The 4-ft. mower deck keeps the grass in check. "The 302 was the workhorse of the park up to last year. This 3-cyl. diesel worked every day into winter. Fitted with a back blade, it was used to push snow into piles and to blade snow off roads and parking lots. Warmer weather saw it loading gravel and dirt with a 3/4 cu. yd. bucket and back-dragging with the blade. Also, in the past, it was fitted with a 100-gal. tank and sprayer to fight weeds along roadsides and parking lots. It has also been used to mow ditches and camp grounds. "The newest addition to our green line is the 5500 with MFWD powerhouse. We plan to equip it with a 15-ft. folding pull-behind mower. It's currently equipped with a 6-ft. Bush Hog for mowing. Last fall, we used it to load 500 yards of top soil left over from a parking lot graveling project. With the front wheel assist it was no problem to fill the 7/8 cu. yd. bucket to overflowing. "Our smallest and oldest tractor is the 550 lawn tractor. It's used to mow two acres of lawn surrounding park housing and offices and to mow around camp sites. It's on its second engine and shows no signs of slowing down."

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