By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
Someone has to mow the nearly 800 miles of roadside in Barton County. And they need working equipment to do it. Tuesday morning, County Works Director Chris Schartz went before the board of commissioners for approval on the purchase of a used mowing tractor and two new rotary mowers.
In June, the county Road and Bridge Department put out bids to three local businesses for a new and used mower tractor. BTI Great Bend provided the lowest bid for the tractor, the best trade-in value for a 2016 Case IH tractor currently used by the department, and also provided the lone bid on a used tractor.
“With the used machine only having 200 hours on it, then we gain a pretty good warranty back, almost as good a warranty as a new machine for $114,000, it just made sense to go with the used unit,” Schartz said.
Barton County will pay $114,000 for the 2024 John Deere 6155M with 211 hours of service. The implement was previously leased by the city of Ellinwood. The deal includes a $43,000 trade of the 2016 Case IH tractor with nearly 7,000 hours of service. A new mower tractor was quoted at nearly $175,000.
“With the cost of repairs and maintenance, then the warranty running out on that tractor, it’s starting to get costly to run that tractor,” Schartz said. “With anything, the life of things just gives out in time.”
Road and Bridge currently operates four rotary mowers, but Schartz said the department can get by with three. The decision was made to trade in three used mowers for the purchase of two new mowers. BTI again submitted the best bid. Barton County will pay just shy of $30,000 for two new 2026 John Deere Flex Wing mowers. The purchase includes a $42,000 trade credit for the three 2022 mowers that have warranties which are about to expire.