Should mower width match wheel width?

[Fallon]

Shaking the dust off my memory,,,, I think there are/were some PTO driven offset flail mowers that could be slid to either side??? Can't remember if it was done manually or hydraulically??

WoodMaxx among others makes a PTO driven hydraulically offset able mower. Only offsets a foot or 18" though. More for being able to mow within inches of a fence or obstacles, not flipping side to side though. LandPride has one that is manually offset able about the same distance with a threaded rod.

 

[Luke'sScreenName]

Use this idea with a hydraulic cylinder and offset on both sides..

View attachment 495592 View attachment 495593

Bruce

That's great. Who makes it? :thumbsup:

 

[bcp]

That's great. Who makes it? :thumbsup:

Probably some guy in China. Photo is from a CL ad.
Galvanized Brush hog

Here's another one with two way offset.

Kanga H Range Rotary Cutter - CTC Tractors Pty Ltd

Bruce

 

[Fiziksgeek]

What's the big deal with insisting that a mower is as wide as the tractor wheel width?

I see this all the time in forums.

This means your tires will run over 2 tracks of grass that enter the mower.
If tires are set wider, the mower is only going over 1 track (the track that you left on the last pass before).

What am I missing? (Besides a little grass next to buildings that I weed-wack anyways?)

I don't see that at all in the forums. I see recommendation for "at least as wide as the tractor".....implying that wider would be better. Never seen anyone recommend a mower be exactly as wide as your tractor.

 

[Fallon]

I love my ancient 7' Ford 917 flail mower. It's offset to the right a fair bit & big. It ran good behind my 5' wide L3200 & still runs good behind my 6' wide L4060. The offset means as long as I'm mowing clockwise I'm generally only crushing fresh grass with 2 tires instead of 4. Makes for fewer stripes showing up a few days after I mow.

I'm also a fan of go big & go slow. My old 5' rotary & 7' flail were similar speed behind my 25 PTO HP L3200. I just went a bit slower with the flail & covered the same or more acreage. Going slow means it's easier on your body & your machine. The only downsides to going big can be implement price & some loss of maneuverability.

Impliment width equaling or exceeding tractor width has a lot of reasons. When using a box blade or snow blower, you want the tractor to fit into the cut you just made. For tillage, you want the impliments to clean up the tire tracks. It's less relevant for mowers, but a good starting point between coverage & maneuverability. Guys who work in the woods or tight spots will insist on a mower equal or smaller than your track to avoid clearance issues & snagging on things.

 

[GManBart]

How come there are no hydraulic controlled offset 3pt mowers? Seem like a relatively easy design and could be very convenient arround obstacles and in tight places.

Sweeping wide or narrow on turns. Mow up next to a tree with offset next to the tree, then swing the other way, drive forward, swing back to the tree and cut the other side.
?

Some flail mowers offer this option. You can buy a Phoenix/Sicma with optional hydraulic offset from Everything Attachments.

 

[GManBart]

For finish mowing I like the mower wider than the tractor....less passes, and easier to get close to obstacles. My 87" flail is quite a bit wider than the rear wheel track on my Massey, as was the 90" finish mower I had before that.

 

[Rustyiron]

It seem's to me that generally a mower or any rear implement as wide as the tractor is the perfect size for the weight & power of the tractor. If you found a great deal on a smaller mower, what the heck, run it. Although it's like driving a thumb tack with a sledge hammer like my old buddy say's.:laughing:

 

[MossRoad]

My tractor tires are 42" outside edge to outside edge. I have a 60" mower. I like having the mower wider than the tractor as others have mentioned is a lot easier to get next to the fence and buildings.

It should be noted that my mower is out front on my FEL arms, and not behind the tractor, but the principle of getting close to stuff with the mower is similar.

Also as mentioned, the wider the mower, the more likely the scalping on uneven terrain, unless the deck articulates.

 

[JimR]

I have always considered that mowing wider than your tire width so that you don't flatten out the grass too much. My rear wheels are just over 6 feet and I mow with a 7 foot LandPride finish mower. My brush hog is a six footer and it never gets beyond my tires. I wish it did.