Tractor Sizing tractor size ??

   / tractor size ?? #1  

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DK45S
looking for a tractor that can perform the following.

mow along side private road 8' cut on each side - road is 30 miles long (60 miles round trip) approx 10 hours to cut, will cut 2 times per month.

looking at a MF1552 CT w/ cab & woods 7'-6" finish mower - actually REALLY need an 8' but can't find 8' finish mower. the mower is close to maxing out the tractor HP, but I believe it would handle it ok. An 8' rotary cutter would be ok but I think it would put me in a bigger tractor than I can afford.

Need a VERY dependable tractor since the road is in the middle of nothing - breaking down would require a long walk.

I think the MF451 would be fine but no Cab available.
any suggestions on tractor sizes & manufacture (Case, JD, kubota, ect...) would be appreciated.
 
   / tractor size ??
  • Thread Starter
#2  
forgot to mention.
Reason I referenced MF is that they are the only ones I got a price from so far.

MF1552 w/ cab & Woods 7'-6" finish mower: $27,500.00
since its a "cab" tractor it automatically comes w/ the DynaQS(??) tranny.
 
   / tractor size ?? #3  
Wow....."mow along side private road 8' cut on each side - road is 30 miles long (60 miles round trip) approx 10 hours to cut, will cut 2 times per month..."

Just curious, but what kind of deal is this? You contract cutting a county road??? Seems like a tremendous amount to tackle.

"looking at a MF1552 CT w/ cab & woods 7'-6" finish mower - actually REALLY need an 8' but can't find 8' finish mower. the mower is close to maxing out the tractor HP, but I believe it would handle it ok. An 8' rotary cutter would be ok but I think it would put me in a bigger tractor than I can afford."

The 1552 has the horsepower, but it is a smaller-framed/lighter tractor in this HP range. Nothing wrong with it. But, does it have to be a finish mower? An 8' rotary cutter can be handled with that HP and the 1552's weight.

Kubotas are bulletproof concerning drivetrain...the L4400 falls into this range with slightly less HP. NH TC48/TC55 are in the same category spec-wise. All are good equipment.

What dealers do you have?
 
   / tractor size ??
  • Thread Starter
#4  
guessing on the 10 hrs. may take 8 or 12??? yes contract cutting. and yes 60 mile round trip

got a Massey dealer 2 miles away (great guys over there), kubota, kioti, JD, Mahindra are all within 20 - 50 minutes away, I'm sure theres a Case & NH dealer within an hour.

I am somewhat price driven, but do want quality and definately a CAB!! I could use an 8' rotary, but the finish mower could also be used at my property (along w/ the CUT). I found Rhino has a FM100 that seems ok, but have no history or knowledge on them.

BIG Problem....FUEL! the 1552 (and most other CUT) only have a 12-13 gallon tank, which would force me to carry a 5 gallon can of fuel somewhere on the tractor...... (assuming 1.5 - 2 gallons /hr)

thanks for any advise you have.
 
   / tractor size ?? #5  
I won't comment a whole lot on the tractor issue just be sure to sit in a lot of seats, talk to many dealers, and pick something that you feel comfortable with (tractor & dealer). You could probably get into a Kioti DK65S Cab or one of the new Branson 65hp Cab models for the same price the Massey guys were giving you for a 52hp compact tractor. Shop, shop, shop!

About the finishing mower though to my knowledge nobody make a true 8ft finishing mower. However, BushHog make a 90", I belive Rihno make a 100", and Befco makes a 110". So you should be able to find a dealer for one of those brands around you and get some pricing. Good luck and keep us posted.
 
   / tractor size ?? #6  
<font color="blue"> BIG Problem....FUEL! the 1552 (and most other CUT) only have a 12-13 gallon tank, which would force me to carry a 5 gallon can of fuel somewhere on the tractor...... (assuming 1.5 - 2 gallons /hr) </font>
If you use that much in a day, you are going to have a pretty long day. The 1.5 would be on the real high end.
As far as the trannys go, the next tractor that I get will have the DynaQPS. That is one sweet transmission having full power shift and power shuttle combined. You would think that they would have come up with a different name for it. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif
 
   / tractor size ?? #7  
I wonder if any finish mower is made to cut that much road side. There is bound to be some trash and irregular ground which is going to put a hurting on that mower. Have you looked into flail mowers? Road crews in this area use them for road side mowing where they need a better cut than a rotary mower gives.

MarkV
 
   / tractor size ?? #8  
I agree with MarkV, a flail mower would cut faster and would be less likely to be damaged mowing roadsides.
 
   / tractor size ?? #9  
For 60 miles, if you want to do it all in one day, I'd be looking at a 2WD full sized utility tractor pulling a bat wing cutter (if it's field type mowing) or flail mower (I'm sure 96" wide flails are available). In my opinion, this is not a job for a compact utility tractor!

If lawn type mowing, I'd look for a gang RFM (either rotary or reel).

I'm pretty sure I'd want a canopy at minimum or an air conditioned Cab model.

Another option, since you're talking a pretty expensive proposition, would be to look for a Unimog with a PTO drive. That would give you more room for carrying tools, extra fuel and other essentials (including a rifle) out in a rural area. I don't think a Unimog can carry implements in a raised transport position though. Since you're cutting continuously, you could carry your cutter/mower on a trailer to the start point and leave it there until you make your return run.

Since you're in Florida, I don't think you'd need MFWD. If you've got to have a tractor (rather then a Unimog), you could rig a "buddy" store on your front weight bracket to carry fuel, food, tools, etc.
 
   / tractor size ?? #10  
If you're wanting to do it in one day I'd definitely look for a machine with a larger fuel tank, a place to carry a big toolbox with enough stuff to tackle stuff you may run into, carry several extra shear pins etc. With mowing all day and running a pretty high rpm I'd look to be safe on fuel consumption and say more like 4-5 gallons of fuel per hour. If yoou're 30 miles away you don't want to run out of fuel, if you're on hills and the fuel slides to one side you want more tank with more fuel. (I've had 5 gallons in a 15 gallon tank and my tractor, the pickup in the tank is in the rear on the left, has run out while going downhill or on the side of a hill). If the hills are steep I may even look into duals on the rear for added stability. But again I'd have to see teh roadway's you're talking about.
Seriously I'd look into something bigger than a large frame CUT, I'd look into something like a 471 with a 8'-10' bushhog for two reasons.

(1) The ag tractor will have a wider stance to it to make it more stable while driving sideways on a hillside. The 471's I've looked at would be good tractors for roadside mowing. Running an 8'-10' bushhog wouldn't underpower it, and it woudl pull it just fine.

(2) If it's steep ground I'd look into a pull behind mower simply so when you lift it while on the side of a hill you don't have the weight on your tractor and raise you center of gravity. With the 471 being heavier than a large frame CUT you 'll have more traction and pulling a mower that sinks in mud you'll be happy to have the extra traction. Also if you do lift it it will make your front end lighter (front weights may be needed, 2wd or 4wd) but regardless you don't want to lift your mower and feel your front end skip or slide downhill.

I use to mow for the highway department as a summer helper and you would not believe the things you will run into when mowing roadsides. You don't want a finish mower unless this is super manicured and trash picked daily. And don't skimp on your bushhog choice either, heavy duty is the only way! Another good tractor to look into would be the JX55 (or JX65) Case/IH. You can get one cabbed and MFD and a big fuel tank!
 
 
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