MMM v. RFM

   / MMM v. RFM #1  

HorseHusband

New member
Joined
May 30, 2003
Messages
20
Location
Montgomery County, MD
Tractor
JD 4310
(First time poster). I've decided to buy a John Deere 4310 for a small 16-acre horse farm (12 acres pasture, 2 acres lawn, 2 acres buidlings/barn/ring). I know that I need a front-end loader (for barn work, etc.) and rear bushhog for the fields. However, I am trying to determine whether to go with a MMM or RFM for my lawn.

I've browsed other postings and am aware of the typical pros/cons between the two. I will need to maneuver around both trees and fences on my lawn, which seems to favor a MMM. But what I can't figure out is how often I would actually have to detach a MMM to do my other work. Is it safe to mow pasture (grass, weeds, very minor brush) with the bushhog and still leave the MMM mounted? Ditto re loader work? Or would I need to detach the MMM each time for fear of damage?

I'm new to country living (but my wife isn't), plead ignornace, and appreciate any and all help. And regrets if this post opens old wounds in the MMM v. RFM debate...
 
   / MMM v. RFM #2  
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Is it safe to mow pasture (grass, weeds, very minor brush) with the bushhog and still leave the MMM mounted? )</font>

Yes. Assuming you have clearance over top of any obstacles in your brush. Just pin up the MMM and hook up your 3ph implement and go.

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Ditto re loader work? )</font>
Again, it depends on your clearances. If I was moving manure in an, open flat area, I wouldn't worry about it. If I was moving in a narrow run-in or excavating a rough area, I'd take it off.

Mark
 
   / MMM v. RFM #3  
I leave mine on pretty much the complete time. I take it off to sharpen the blades which is normally late winter early spring. But the surface I work on is not too ruff or bumpy where my mmm might get hung up. Oh.. yea... I do take it off if I get a big snow.
 
   / MMM v. RFM #4  
HorseHusband,

I have a 4210 with a Fel, MMM, and BH. I normally keep mine on most of the time. My property is a stairstep design with lots of flat areas in between the slopes. I remove mine in the winter, when I am doing real rough grading, or when working ground when it is to wet. If I am just doing FEL work it stays on.

BH work on fairly flat ground it stays on.

Something to think about:
Keeping it on helps keep tractor stable by adding more weight to a lower center of gravity.
 
   / MMM v. RFM
  • Thread Starter
#5  
All very helpful comments. Leaning toward going with a MMM for maneuverability, and will use my little garden tractor to get the corners that I miss.

Folks on the JD board told me that I'm overestimating the difficulty of attaching/detaching. Anyway, I'll probably also keep the MMM on for most of the time, except for when I will be dealing with obstacles that I could get caught on.

Does this sound right? My fear is that if I go with a RFM, I'll regret not going with the MMM later down the road...
 
   / MMM v. RFM #6  
With my BX22 I had too take the MMM off everytime I used the FEL or BH. I figured I'd spend the extra couple of minutes putting it back on and off rather then wack a $2000 piece of steel /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif I went with a 72" RFM for my new tractor. MUCH easier to hook up.
 
   / MMM v. RFM #7  
on the Deere the MMM doesn't have to come off for the others to work...
 
   / MMM v. RFM #8  
I didn't mean I "HAD" too take it off but the ground clearance is low enough without the MMM on the BX22. I re-read my post and it sounded like you needed to take off the MMM to use the FEL and BH and that wasn't the case.
 
 
 
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