Kubota G-2460 Garden Tractor

Over the years, the dividing line between high-end garden tractors and low-end compact utility tractors has gotten pretty faint. Size, weight and horsepower used to be good indicators. But not any more. This garden tractor is over 74 in. long, weighs 860 pounds and comes with a water-cooled 24-hp gas engine. When outfitted with the 60-in. mowing deck shown, you end up with a serious piece of equipment designed for serious work.

Its 3-cylinder engine has a 45-cu.-in. displacement, an automotive-type alternator, a canister-type air filter and a spin-on oil filter. The tractor also features a hydrostatic drive, a hydraulic deck lift and power steering. At every turn, this machine has robust components made of high-grade materials. Large-diameter bolts with self-locking nuts are standard. Underhood wiring is bundled into neat plastic sheaths that are tethered out of harm's way. And each rear wheel is mounted with four bolts instead of simple locking clips.

The same high-end approach is true of the mowing deck. Both drivebelt guards are substantial and easy to remove, and both include a hole for access to the pulleys' grease fittings. Another nice touch is the guard on the outlet chute that is spring loaded to prevent rattling when driving over rough ground. The deck has a front roller and four heavy-duty wheels that can be turned 90° for easy deck removal and installation.

All the controls are sensibly located. Especially well thought out is the tractor's PTO (power takeoff) override switch. Like most tractors these days, this machine will not mow in reverse unless you override a safety switch. Kubota puts a flashing red button on the dash above the ignition key. If you want to mow in reverse, just push the button and mow. The light keeps flashing, as a reminder, until you re-engage the safety switch.

In our tests, this unit handled anything we threw at it: 10-in.-high wet grass did not stall the 60-in. deck and the quality of cut on 6-in.-high dry grass was excellent. The seat was very comfortable and the forward and reverse throttle pedal was the best we've used by far.

As tested, the tractor left a 62-in.-dia. uncut circle of grass and rated only 87 dBA when the deck was running. Remarkably, the unit by itself tested only 81 dBA at full throttle and was barely audible when idling. This is extremely quiet for such a large tractor. Our only complaint was an oil drain plug that was so inaccessible, we concluded the engineers must have taken drain plug day off.

Although machines like this usually are sold for high-capacity mowing, a full range of other attachments is available, including a smaller mowing deck, snowblower, tiller and front blade. The tractor is also designed to receive an optional 3-point hitch and a rear PTO kit. The G-2460 carries a suggested list price of $6810, and the 60-in. deck goes for about $1800. Both are sold at Kubota dealers and are made by Kubota Tractor Corp., 3401 Del Amo Blvd., Torrance, CA 90503; 888-458-2682; www.kubota.com.