7 iron 72" deck

[billyvan]

Wondering if anyone can tell me how short you can cut grass with a 7 iron 72" deck. I will be buying a 3120 very soon with turf tires. I have my own RC aircraft runway, I'd like to be able to get it down to at least an inch if possible. I'm told JD will have this deck available as a drive on quick attach deck very soon, might wait for that. Also wondering how well a box blade will work on my driveway when it gets hard packed. Quarter mile of driveway is made of a sandy clay material with 1 1/2 crush gravel on top and can pack pretty hard. Thinking a 60" box blade for the 3120, will be my first tractor which is replacing my L130 riding mower and my quad I use for clearing snow.

[Killer_B]

Hi Billy,

I have a tractor set up very similar to the one you are getting. My son and I also like to fly RC planes and helicopters. We prefer the electrics these days, but have a few glow fuelers as well. The Lipo batteries and brushless motors have been the best things to come along in years.

I'm sorry, but I can't tell you how short the 7 Iron will cut as I keep mine about 4". Nor do I have any experience box blading a gravel drive. But I suspect it will work quite well if you catch it when it's not too wet or too dry, but that in between state where it can be easily graded. My 3320 will pull a 60" BB full of anything without even grunting.

Best of luck to you.

KB

[billyvan]

Hi Killer, people come from all over to fly on my RC field, lots of electrics too. I assume this is not your runway at 4" high, would be tough to get off the ground. I've been to your pictures, the day one is awesome! Have been using it as my desk top background since I do not have my 3120 yet to take my own picture. Perhaps I owe you a fee for that! lol Thanks for the advice, sounds like the 60" box blade is a good choice then.

[billyvan]

Originally Posted by Killer_B

Hi Billy,

I have a tractor set up very similar to the one you are getting. My son and I also like to fly RC planes and helicopters. We prefer the electrics these days, but have a few glow fuelers as well. The Lipo batteries and brushless motors have been the best things to come along in years.

I'm sorry, but I can't tell you how short the 7 Iron will cut as I keep mine about 4". Nor do I have any experience box blading a gravel drive. But I suspect it will work quite well if you catch it when it's not too wet or too dry, but that in between state where it can be easily graded. My 3320 will pull a 60" BB full of anything without even grunting.

Best of luck to you.

KB

Killer, forgot to ask you, how tough is it to remove that 7-iron deck from under your tractor? Do you usually park on a concrete pad when taking it off or have you done this parked on a lawn? Just curious since I may decide to wait for the drive on deck version that is supposed to be coming out in June. The drive on will be much easier I'm sure and be similiar to the current 62D for the 2520 which can also be picked up with the 3pt hitch iMatch and moved around. Does the non-drive on deck have the mounts to pick it up with an iMatch?

[Wayne_H]

Billy: We have an RC field (www.flymha.com) but the 6 foot mower has problems scalping when you cut the grass that short. We usually use a 15 foot gang mower that floats over the bumps and small hills since it is not graded 100% flat. The gang mower has 7 gangs, and the max width on any one is 30 inches. Grass really fllys when we use it. Or in this case while I'm drinking a beer watching my wife cut the grass....

Wayne

[billyvan]

Hi Wayne, you have my interest here, thanks for the idea! I will spend some time researching this type of mower. What is the price range for such a mower and what do you do about sharpening or replacing blades? My field is very flat since it was groomed with a cat when I built it but it's still not perfect.

[kennyd]

Kenny here, good friend of Wayne's and the prez of the club...

The gang mowers are great, just do not let the grass get to tall or you will have problems with cut quality. The blades are self-sharpening by a friction bar that touches them in the rear and is adjustable for optimum drag on the reel. We bought our setup used about 10-12 years ago...not sure what we paid.
Check around some golf courses, find the maintenance shop and have some cash and beer with you, you might just get lucky!

Another thing to remember when using it is to plan your route carefully, you CANNOT back these things up! We used to tow it with a pickup truck before we bought tractors!

[billyvan]

Hi Kenny, never expected to meet so many RCers on here. I beleive you are the third one now and I haven't been a TBN member very long. I have a private field on my own land. There are few locals in the area that fly here regularly and a few weekends a year we have people come from within a few hours away to camp, relax, socialize and occasionally fly a plane or two. Been tough to keep up with my 48" L130 but it did do the job. A new tractor is much needed for snow removal when my 1/4 mile of driveway blows in during the winter months. Here are some pictures of my setup. Thanks for the information and ideas.

[kennyd]

WOW That sure is impressive!

I rememberd today who made our reel mower, it's Jacobsen, and I think Toro also made some...
So search for:
Reel mower
Gang mower
Jacobsen mower
Toro mower

[Killer_B]

Originally Posted by billyvan

Killer, forgot to ask you, how tough is it to remove that 7-iron deck from under your tractor? Do you usually park on a concrete pad when taking it off or have you done this parked on a lawn?

Does the non-drive on deck have the mounts to pick it up with an iMatch?

Billy,

It takes me about 5 or 6 minutes to mount or dismount the deck. It is not the drive over type. I do it on a concrete garage floor. It is quite simple once you have done it a time or two. However, I think it would be tough to do on gravel or grass as you have to roll it sideways after you unhook everything.

I do not have an Imatch. I don't know if it can be picked up that way or not. I just use a short strap and lift it with the bucket for cleaning etc.

BTW: Very nice looking field! Our club's field is rather rustic by comparison.

KB