72" finish mower on a 21hp tractor???

[IslandTractor]

Have you considered a brand yet?

Just starting to consider brands. Sounds like Woods, Land Pride, Bush Hog, First Choice, Sitex, Caroni etc will be on the list. I'm not looking for a very heavy duty model but am just starting to educate myself about some of the features/trade offs involved.

I may also buy used. I've had pretty good luck getting used implements off our local advertizer weekly or Craig's List and as I have 2-3 months before I really need it I may just keep looking.

 

[RoyJackson]

This post has pictures of the cutter rigged to the tractor. As you can see, the cutter is as big as the tractor (length). I normally towed the cutter (loosened the top link and left the tail wheel on the ground). Although the 670 had no problem lifting the cutter, if I made a turn with it raised (slow turns), it felt like the tail was wagging the dog.
Due to the thickness of the brush, I did have to take partial and multiple passes the first time I cut the field.
The 670 did bog down occasionally (not surprisingly) but did the job. As I wrote in my first response, I sold the 670 for more PTO HP (chipper, if you recall) so I don't know how well it would have done when the field was relatively cleaned up. Undoubtedly, it would have done better...

In no way do I think I was overtaxing this little tractor.

So, maybe you should go for the 72" mower (again, if you think your field is ready for a finishing mower!). If you mow often enough, your tractor should do quite well. If you don't mow often enough, you may have to take those extra passes.

I do think many TBNer's underestimate the toughness and power of their tractors.

 

[greg_g]

No offense Roy, but do you think it's fair to equate brush cutting with finish mowing?

//greg//

 

[wushaw]

I ran a Bushhog 60" finish mower behind my previous B7500 and it did fine, it would run warmer than normal in tall grass. I don't know about running a 72" model though.

 

[schmism]

i run a 72" MMM under my TC33.

at anything less than 2K on the tac it easly bogs.

If cutting an inch of grass (heavy thick grass) it will bog the tractor even at 2.2K running almost full peddle in mid range. ~5 mph

mine is a side discharge and it takes a LOT of HP to move the grass all the way to the right. A rear discharge might take a few less ponies.

 

[RoyJackson]

No offense Roy, but do you think it's fair to equate brush cutting with finish mowing?

//greg//

Actually, the point is that a tractor with less then the recommended PTO HP can do the job if used sensibly. The comparison wasn't about finish mowng or brush cutting...just happened that those were the implements that IslandTractor is looking for and I had a comparable situation.

No offense taken, of course, since all any of us are doing is offering an opinion based upon our circumstances.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

i run a 72" MMM under my TC33.

at anything less than 2K on the tac it easly bogs.

If cutting an inch of grass (heavy thick grass) it will bog the tractor even at 2.2K running almost full peddle in mid range. ~5 mph

My experience is similar. But then schmism and I are in the same general area of the country.

Seems to me that one big factor we are not considering is the type of grass/thickness of the lawn. I run a 60" on a TC24 and if it is not at full throttle then my engine bogs down in the lush areas of the lawn. I'm looking at this thread and the people who seem to indicate that a 72" deck will work out are in arrid areas, or in colder climates where grass is not very lush/thick, or are saying you can slow down or take partial cuts.

Ed, to my way of thinking you need to look at your lawn. First, is it sparce or lush? Second, ask what good does it do to take "partial cuts" or to slow down, the net effect is you are not going to be using the whole implement AND you will be putting extra stress on your drivetrain. Third is the overall weight of the mower (any mower of any size) and how that will affect your traction and the balance of the machine. Fourth is the added cost of the larger implement that you will not be fully using.

It boils down to overall practicality. You can probably hook up to a 10 foot batwing mower but it doesn't necessarily mean it will be a good idea.

The rule of thumb I've often heard for a finish mower is that you need 3 to 4 pto horsepower per 12" of finish mower. 6' finish mower = 18 to 24 PTO hp. Logically in an area where the grass is sparce you could fall to the lower end of the HP scale, in an area where the lawn is lush (like where schmism lives) then you need every bit of the upper end of the scale.

 

[FortClatsop]

Last year I began mowing 3-4 sloping acres of rough terrain pasture in a coastal climate. I use a 5' rear discharge RFM on a SCUT with 18 HP at the PTO. When I was pressed for time, hoping it would dry out and trying to beat more rain I contemplated speed, width, and HP. And I had some of the same thoughts. I decided that my most limiting factor was not width but speed. I have to mow in low range to keep from shaking and rattling my teeth out. If I were to drive faster I could get done faster.

That is a great picture. I see a lot of edge work there and maneuverability looks like an issue to me. I'm not sure if you lose your ability to maneuver a good edge when an RFM width exceeds the tractor width. I have some gator tail with a 5'. Would it be worse with a six?

I wouldn't try a 6' with my 18 HP PTO. Not in my wet climate. It's too easy to have wet weather and fall behind the growth. That's when I need the power that I have and the rear discharge pays for itself.

 

[whodat90]

Just because it's a towed weight doesn't mean the mass is unimportant. I used to swing a 5' massey finish mower behind a kub 7200. It could pull it just fine, and had plenty enough power to give a nice cut. When I reached the end of the line and had to do a 180* turn however, that mower would drag the back of the tractor around quite a bit. Once I got that much weight swinging sideways, I didn't have enough tractor weight to stop it easily.

 

[jcotta]

Hi Ed,

With such a great view you should be looking for for a mower that takes more time. I bought my tractor last year and it came with a John Deere 613 rotary, I have not had a chance to use it. I believe it was the model before the Lx 6. You are welcome to try it out as I am still in the process of major clearing. I do know if the pto shaft would match up? My summer house is about twenty minutes from you. By the way, when do you sleep 3:00 am post?

John