John Deere 506 Rotary Mower

[zilla24]

I found a 506 brush hog mower locally. It was shed kept with no rust and the gear box/pto shaft works great, only issues are the back skirts are dented up pretty good, there was a weld repair to the back wheel shaft and a small crack that needs fixed on the frame beneath the RH side 3 point attachment.

What HP tractor are these mowers rated for?

Do you guys think its worth $200?

 

[JCB]

Zilla,

I don't know about the model, but I think ANY rough cutter is worth $200. Those dents are gonna happen. The skirt on my JD hasnt' been straight in years, but still cuts through stuff I wouldn't want to drive through forwards.

Moving parts with potentially hard use and you can have some welding and repairs on those before they're done, but they should last a good long time.

If you have a welder and NEED a brushhog you'll spend a long time looking for a better deal. (Heck even taking it into the local welding shop you'll still be money ahead.)

Joe

 

[thatguy]

thats sounds like a bargain as long as its running.. New that mower was probably pushing $1,000

I think that the 506 was the numbering system used before they went the the LX/MX naming..

brian

 

[kennyd]

$200 would be like stealing it! Especially a JD mower! The "general" rule of thumb for rotary mowers is 5HP per foot of cutting width, so at 5' you need about 25 PTO HP, it also depends on what you intend to be cutting with it. You did not mention what tractor you have-but you also need to consider the weight of the mower.

 

[zilla24]

I picked up that mower yesterday, thanks to everyone's advise. I got the original owners manual and two sets of blades with it. It is definitely a little beat up but I have a welder and can fix the frame crack I mentioned. It seems to run fine with no funny noises coming out of the gear box, I can't cut any brush with it since there is 3' of snow outside now. I mainly wanted to make sure these mowers weren't known for chronic gearbox issues or something like that. The tractor that will be running this is a Massey Ferguson 1035 tractor (31hp).

 

[sunnyside360]

..........The tractor that will be running this is a Massey Ferguson 1035 tractor (31hp).

The MF 1035 should be able to handle the 5' rotary cutter HP wise. Hopefully the 506 doesn't weigh much more than 550-600lbs if it is 3 ph attached. I ran a 5' Bush Hog (forget model) with an MF 1045 tractor for about 15 yrs and I would not have wanted to go any heavier on the 3 ph due to the front end dancing around especially going up a hill. Tractor did not have weights on the front but this would have helped a lot. Good luck.

 

[RoyJackson]

The MF 1035 should be able to handle the 5' rotary cutter HP wise. Hopefully the 506 doesn't weigh much more than 550-600lbs if it is 3 ph attached. I ran a 5' Bush Hog (forget model) with an MF 1045 tractor for about 15 yrs and I would not have wanted to go any heavier on the 3 ph due to the front end dancing around especially going up a hill. Tractor did not have weights on the front but this would have helped a lot. Good luck.

Yep, you will want to keep your loader on or add some front weights if you intend to transport the cutter raised.
If you do not have a loader or front weights, you can disconnect your top link and "tow" the cutter on it's rear pivot wheel. This works but only for a short distance (couple hundred yards on a field..not for road use though). And don't try to raise the 3ph more then enough to lift the side skirts...especially going uphill.
$200 is a great deal on a Deere cutter, BTW!

 

[zilla24]

Thanks all for the advise. My tractor is 4x4 and I do have a loader on it which should help. I run a woods RM660 on it during the summer in the meadow, hopefully the 560 brush hog isn't much heavier than that.

 

[RoyJackson]

Thanks all for the advise. My tractor is 4x4 and I do have a loader on it which should help. I run a woods RM660 on it during the summer in the meadow, hopefully the 560 brush hog isn't much heavier than that.

You should be good to go. If you do transport the cutter raised, there's no need to take it to full 3ph lift height. Just raise it enough to get the tailwheel off the ground. Also, this cutter will probably weight 100 lbs or so more then your RM660 and it will extend back quite a bit further. Keep your turning speed low (especially when the cutter is raised) and always keep in mind that extra length behind the tractor!

 

[dannydimitt]

Is W34295 the correct part # for blades for this cutter ?
Does any one know if Tractor Supply carries blades for a 506 ?
Thanks !