Buying Advice ford 861 powermaster

[denmeck]

Ask people who do alot of mowing what they think about flails. especially people that have to mow for a living / charge for mowing.

Ask Farmwithjunk. he runs a mowing business.

I do alot of ( non charge / personal ) mowing.

I have mowers from 40" on up to 15' I have rough and finish mowers.

I got -0- flail mowers.

to much upkeep, too much maintenance.. too slow.

a rough cut mower will beat a flail in speed any day, and cut heavier material. rough cut mower is cheaper to buy. knives don't fly off either.. don't take 2 hours to sharpen them.

finish mower will make a super nice cut like a finish flail.. and is still cheaper and faster and less maintenance.

just my opinion. you do whatever you want with your money and time.

25 ac on a 5-6' flail? better build a bed and toilet into that tractor as you may be mowing it on a permanent basis... maybee setup an in-flight refueling setup so you don't loose any time stopping to fill the tank, as you will need that time to MOW.

i reccomend a nice comfy chair, and ros with a topper / sunshade, a drink cooler holder, and a place to store some sandwiches. I also reccomend a good set of headlamps as you will be mowing in the dark alot trying to keep up with that much mowing on that machine and mower

soundguy

Very funny
Thanks for all the good advice....much in need of that.

[Soundguy]

a bit toung in cheek.. but flails generally take more hp and are slow on a given cut, thana given rough cutter. to make up for speed, you need more hp, / larger mower. then you run ingo problems on them swales and ruts you mentioned.

a dual flail setup say.. 2 4' flails.. I have seen of a ford industrial tractor.. like a 3400 or 3500.. it ran slow, but did ok.. a 6' bush hog would have out cut it though...

soundguy

[strum456]

I guess I should clarify my comment. I would not recommend a flail mower either. I don't like them for the reasons already mentioned.

I am suggesting a front mount rotary mower. Jacobson, Toro, Kubota, New Holland, John deere, all make them. They range from around 20 to over 50 horsepower. You mentioned that you plan to mow weekly or bi-weekly. If you are mowing that often, you do not need a brush cutter. No exageration, a front mount will run circles around any tractor on smooth regularly cut ground. They also come in 4x4, if you have wet areas.

If the ground is pretty rough, then go with a tractor. I just don't know why you would cut every week or two if the ground was too rough for a front mount.

[denmeck]

I guess I should clarify my comment. I would not recommend a flail mower either. I don't like them for the reasons already mentioned.

I am suggesting a front mount rotary mower. Jacobson, Toro, Kubota, New Holland, John deere, all make them. They range from around 20 to over 50 horsepower. You mentioned that you plan to mow weekly or bi-weekly. If you are mowing that often, you do not need a brush cutter. No exageration, a front mount will run circles around any tractor on smooth regularly cut ground. They also come in 4x4, if you have wet areas.

If the ground is pretty rough, then go with a tractor. I just don't know why you would cut every week or two if the ground was too rough for a front mount.

I need to clarify my need. Not only do I have to finish cut common areas, I also have to mow a dozen 1 acre lots 3-4 times a year. The grass and weeds on those lots is about 2 feet high when I mow....so really looking for a dual purpose tractor/mower combo if possible to handle these jobs....plus I would like to plow snow...so FEL is desireable.

[Soundguy]

5' hog plus a 7' finish mower.. get a unit with power steering and a simple 2 post loader with hyd bucket.

soundguy

[strum456]

I'd go for a 6' hog. You can always raise it up a little or take less on a pass if you need to. 5' impliments work ok on 800s, but don't allow for much overlap, even with the wheels the whole way in.

For your finish mowing, you need to decide what kind of a job you want to do. If you want lawn-like results, get a front mount or a zero turn unit. If you are limited to getting just one machine, then a 7' finish mower would be my choice (in addion to a bush hog for the tall stuff). In my opinion, you should really have two machines for the use that you described.

As for the FEL, keep in mind that you will not want it on the tractor when you are mowing. Not only does it make the machine less manuverable, but it is way harder on the front of the tractor. If all you are doing is snow plowing, maybe you could have someone fabricate a mount for you to attach a power angle truck type plow. My father in law had one on an 861 he used to have, and it sure was slick.

One last bit of advice: No matter what tractor you use for hogging, make sure it has a good grill guard. Mine is a factory bumper that I added on to. Radiators are expensive!

[Diamondpilot]

I have a 861. Its a good old tractor but some things to look at on any old iron is 3 point lift, steering slop, ect.

I would not want one with a FEL. Modern tractors with power steering and 4 wheel drive are the only way to go for loader work.

25 acres on a 861 is going to take some time. I did 8 acres last fall on a neighbors 961 and 6' hog and it took quite some time.

Chris

[denmeck]

I have a 861. Its a good old tractor but some things to look at on any old iron is 3 point lift, steering slop, ect.

I would not one with a FEL. Modern tractors with power steering and 4 wheel drive are the only way to go for loader work.

25 acres on a 861 is going to take some time. I did 8 acres last fall on a neighbors 961 and 6' hog and it took quite some time.

Chris

Thanks for the info....I have talked my self out of my love for the 861 already. Now looking for good Used or new JD or KUB which could handle all this work.

[Soundguy]

I have a 861. Its a good old tractor but some things to look at on any old iron is 3 point lift, steering slop, ect.

I would not one with a FEL. Modern tractors with power steering and 4 wheel drive are the only way to go for loader work.

25 acres on a 861 is going to take some time. I did 8 acres last fall on a neighbors 961 and 6' hog and it took quite some time.

Chris

4wd is hard to come by on the old ones.. but you can get ps in them.. less common, but available as an option in 55 or as an aftermarket .. etc.

still.. for that work.. I would not be looking forward to mowing 25 ac weekly or bi-weekly with an 861

soundguy

[Soundguy]

Thanks for the info....I have talked my self out of my love for the 861 already. Now looking for good Used or new JD or KUB which could handle all this work.

you can still love one.. I just wouldn't want it as the sole tractor for the tasks you have.

soundguy