No more wildflowers

[Alan L.]

I just got in off the tractor after fighting the results of putting off my first mowing of the pasture this year. We had quite a display of wildflowers, and my wife wouldn't let me shred the field 'til the flowers quit blooming.

I just got this 12 acres in shape last year, and I think it was twice as hard to cut today as it was last year after sitting unattended for 15 years. After several mowings last year and a wetter spring this year it was so thick and tall it choked my tractor down. What was taking about 7 hours to cut last year (and looked good too) took about 10 hours today, and I'm not finished yet. The volunteer oats were so thick they choked the tractor down so that I had to use low range and couldn't go full speed even at that. I also had to refuel after about 6 hours. My tractor will usually do the whole field on a tank. Now whats mowed ain't too pretty, just big glumps of grass laying everywhere.

Moral - don't let your field get away from you in the interest of saving the wildflowers.

 

[W5FL]

Just wonder what mower your are using. I have mowed before and after the wildflowers and cannot tell much difference. I use a 6 ft Medium Duty 260 Bush Hog rotary cutter and NOT a finish mower. Mow in 4th or 5th gear. Not sure how many acres you mowing. I was mowing 10 acres. Don't see much change in gas mileage either way. Also how is the deck sloped. I keep mine flat front to back, but it takes less hp with the rear higher than the front by an inch or two.

 

[gordon]

Bottom line---you have to go home to mama at the end of the day so I would venture to say you made the correct choice on that matter.
Alan this means your one brownie point to the good just don't use it up to quick save it for a sunny day /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
Gordon

 

[Alan L.]

I'm using a 5' light duty Rhino rotary cutter with a B2710 tractor. This is really the first and only time I haven't been able to mow in medium range at about 2 acres an hour. I really had not experienced any bogging down with cutter except when I hit fire ant hills. The blades aren't that sharp, but then they never were real sharp. It also came a pretty good shower right before I mowed, so it was also a little wet, although not really wet enough later on to get the tires wet.

I knew the mower was really working hard, as was the tractor engine, as the cutter was making quite a bit more noise than it usually does. Its usually pretty quiet when theres not much load on it, but in the thick stuff you can hear every revolution of the PTO.

I usually mow it down so close the leading edge of the deck digs into the ground, but yesterday I had to lift it up to get through it, plus I had to slow down.

I hope my tractor hasn't lost power, or the cutter is not binding up or something, but I do know the grass and weeds are much thicker than when I started last year, although there are about 200 trees I had to mow through last year, and that didn't bog it down at all.

The real tall weeds (about 3' - 6' tall) didn't really phase the tractor, but those 18" volunteer oats sure did.

 

[Alan L.]

I left out some info. I originally set the deck about 1" lower in the front, and I just count the threads showing on my top link (13) to get it back the way it was every time I put it on. I had it on concrete before I started and it appeared to be about the same.

I have 24 acres, but I am cutting about 12 acres, plus another couple down around the creek around the trees.

Yesterday is the first time my tractor didn't seem powerful enough.

 

[Thomas]

Alan.
To mowe or not to mowe the wild flowers,
I'm not going there.

Did you use a bush hog or a finish mower?

How about if you lift your mower up a couple of inches or so and re-cut when the grass is dry,and maybe the glumps of grass will fan out.

Have fun and stay safe.

Thomas..NH

 

[JimBinMI]

Alan L.,

Usually, I would take this opportunity to tell you that you should have bought "BLUE"...but I'm not going to do that, instead I come to your defense! I highly doubt, based at least on what other B2710 owners say, that you have lost power. And don't let Wen make you feel bad about him not loosing power! Compared to what you're using, he's using a wimpy rotary! He has 68 hp divided by a 6' rotary = 11.33 hp per foot. You're using 27 hp divided by a 5' rotary = 5.4 hp per foot! If he said that he EVER bogged down using the rotary, then that would be the KUBOTA EVENT of the year!

You probably just tried to take too big a bite in tall/wet stuff and your tractor let you know it! /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif Next time it will probably to a great job! (Can you Orange owners believe that I just said that!) /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

P.S. - Really get a laugh out of your bio, especially the "Hollar" part! /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

Good Luck with the Orange, JimBinMI

We boys and our toys!

 

[W5FL]

You just ran out of HP, plain and simple. The dampness doesn't help the situation and you were going quite slow. The only thing that will help considerably is to raise the tail wheel setting on the Rhino. Then the front is set lower. Now only the front of the blade is cutting and the HP requirement is reduced. The mower, however, does not lift the grass or much as well and thus the finish cut is not quite as good. I mow with a 6 ft mower at 4 to 5 mph, but have 68 HP pushing the mower and I have not yet found anything that bogs it down. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[W5FL]

Hi JimBinMI

I talked to my dad last night and asked him what he could do with an 18 hp NH tractor. He thought a little and said mow narrow strips of grass! /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[Bird]

I used to occasionally bog down the B7100 with a 4' brush hog when I hit fire ant mounds or real heavy grass or brush, but I haven't had anything slow my B2710 and 5' brush hog down at all, and I sure mowed some thick, matted 2 to 3 foot tall grass last Fall. Maybe I just haven't gotten into tough enough mowing yet.

Bird