Buying Advice Best MMM performance on a CUT or SCUT?

[jocola]

First of all, thanks to everyone who reads and posts here. Out of all the places to look for tractor information, this site is the best. Here goes my first post.

As you might expect, I'm writing to ask your help with choosing the right machine.

We have 9 acres in Pennsylvania, we mow about 1 or 2 acres weekly, and mow another 1 or 2 acres a few times a year. The rest is pasture. We're looking at either a BX (FEL but no BH) or a NH Boomer, Kioti CK or Mahindra Max (I realize they're in a different class than the BX, which has pluses and minuses according to our needs). We don't need to haul trees or dig trenches or engage ground implements very often. Most of what we'd use it for is to mow, although we'd also find plenty of uses for the FEL and the 3PH, I'm sure. (We have an old 8N, but it's on its last legs. It's good for some tasks, but doesn't get as much use as a new tractor would get.)

Since I'm not attached to any one brand, the deciding factor seems to be: which company's MMM gets the best results? I haven't seen feedback or reliable info on this anywhere.

Is it ill-advised to buy a CUT or SCUT that will be used mostly for mowing -- when a ZTM would do it better? Or, do any of the new MMM's pass the test and do a good enough job?

Thanks for your thoughts.

 

[forestcreature1]

ZTM will out mow [speed] any tractor using a MMM. However, using large rear mowers that are much wider than a ZTM can handle will get the job done quicker.
I don't know if you have to mow around things or not, so that might limit your rear-attached mower options.
If you are settled on mid mount mowers, then ZTM is faster as it is a special built machine, and a SCUT / CUT is a general purpose compromise to get a wide variety of things done.

As far as cutting quality goes with MMM, I can only speak of the Deere flavor and those cut perfectly fine on kentucky bluegrass, fescue, clover.

Best way to judge - go find a dealer and cut side by side. I can't tell the difference.

I sold my MMM since I prefer the rear finish mower [I can back under the large pine trees with it - also handy when there is a hornet's nest in there...]
It is easier to handle the MMM (you don't care as much where the rear of the tractor is), and since mine is rear discharge, the clippings can't be "moved over".
(you can get side discharge rear finish, but I wanted smooth mower sides for clearances)

My other deck is a rough mower [cutter]

Both are Woods [heritage]

I mow lake common ground, pasture, and roadsides with them.

 

[robstaples]

I have a new Kubota B3350 with cab bought to cut grass with 60 inch MMM. I had a Simplicity Sunstar that did a fabulous job, and I was concerned that the Kubota wouldn't be as good. After first summer, I'm happy with my upgrade. Cut is as good. Both have high speed blades (haven't calculated tip velocity, but you could) Wider deck is (60 versus 48) a problem with unlevel ground. The cab has me going around branches I use to duck under. I have 3ph blower and pickup grass. Works great also, but small storage capacity. I may run higher rpm to maintain blower airflow. Still breaking in...40 hours

Both my machines have floating decks which give uniform cut height grass. I'd look at deck construction ( how deep a deck, rollers and grease fittings,etc) and mount technique and maybe tip velocity. Compare Mid pto speeds and gear boxes.

 

[paulfun9]

This year we switched to a rear mount discharge finish mower soon after purchasing our new Kioti I am very pleased with the performance and will not be going back to a MMM again. Rear discharge is the way to go IMHO as the cut looks nice and smooth without any windrows left behind making for me at least no need to rake or have a bagging system. I also find getting a close cut under the trees is much better by backing into them as opposed to trying to drive under them with the old tractor. With the wider deck I found that I had a bit of scalping the first time I cut with it but having an FEL on the tractor a few touch ups to the surface and some seed and presto no more scalping.

Having cut with just about every type of mower out there I find the rear finish mower to be the second best option for the average yard around here. Second only to the ZTR due to its speed being a huge advantage but even that can be debated as getting under the trees with one here would be harder with the ZTR than the tractor with finish mower and it could actually end up a tie in the long run.

Don't think because you have some things to cut around that you wouldn't be able to use a rear mower as its not always as complex a task as it seems. We have well over 20 trees here that I have to cut close to but find that using reverse just after passing one and backing up to it gets a real close cut without much time lost. Compared to my MMM on the JD or even the little Husky ride on its actually faster with the rear mount.

Good luck with your search!

 

[DHD]

First of all, thanks to everyone who reads and posts here. Out of all the places to look for tractor information, this site is the best. Here goes my first post.

As you might expect, I'm writing to ask your help with choosing the right machine.

We have 9 acres in Pennsylvania, we mow about 1 or 2 acres weekly, and mow another 1 or 2 acres a few times a year. The rest is pasture. We're looking at either a BX (FEL but no BH) or a NH Boomer, Kioti CK or Mahindra Max (I realize they're in a different class than the BX, which has pluses and minuses according to our needs). We don't need to haul trees or dig trenches or engage ground implements very often. Most of what we'd use it for is to mow, although we'd also find plenty of uses for the FEL and the 3PH, I'm sure. (We have an old 8N, but it's on its last legs. It's good for some tasks, but doesn't get as much use as a new tractor would get.)

Since I'm not attached to any one brand, the deciding factor seems to be: which company's MMM gets the best results? I haven't seen feedback or reliable info on this anywhere.

Is it ill-advised to buy a CUT or SCUT that will be used mostly for mowing -- when a ZTM would do it better? Or, do any of the new MMM's pass the test and do a good enough job?

Thanks for your thoughts.

You mentioned your 8N is on it's last leg.
Do you presently have any 3 point attachments that you've been using on the 8N and wish to continue to use on the new tractor ?
If so, a CUT would probably be a better tractor choice, because it would be closer in size to your 8N than a SCUT would be.
In the areas your mowing, are there any steep slopes, many objects to mow around, soft or wet spots, septic drain field, rough uneven ground ?
A CUT would be better over rough uneven ground because it has bigger tires and more ground clearance. The CUT would also be heavier, so soft wet spots or driving over septic drain fields probably would not be a good idea.
maneuverability would be better on a SCUT vs CUT, for mowing around objects.

We use two different machines to accomplish our mowing requirements.

We have a 2005 Kubota B7800 (30hp) with a 72" rear discharge 3 point finish mower, and use it to mow an old hay field 2 or 3 times a year.
I prefer a rear discharge mower because the discharged cut grass lays flat and spreads out evenly behind the mower and does not end up in a piled row like a side discharge mower will do, I don't have to worry about gathering up grass clippings, even after mowing knee high grass.
I've tried to mow my lawn with the B7800 but it's too heavy and left depressions in my lawn, it also was not very maneuverable around objects, making turns would sometimes cut into the turf, (R4tires) in 4wd it's even worse.
Near trees (overhanging limbs) is an issue too, prior to installing my cab, the ROPS even in the down position was always hooking into limbs when trying to mow near trees, now with the cab it's even worse.
We have some soft spots on our lawn and can't have anything heavy for mowing in those areas. Riding lawn mowers that weigh no more than 500-600 pounds seem to work ok. At one time we did look at getting a 4wd SCUT for mowing the lawn. Some of our lawn has steep slopes and our 2wd lawn mower was always losing traction in those steep areas and tearing up the turf. The 4wd SCUT would have been good for the steep slopes but weighed at least 1300 pounds and would have been too heavy for the soft areas of the lawn.
We ended up getting the Husqvarna R322T AWD for our lawn mowing. It handles those steep slopes with no issues, is very agile around objects, at 570 pounds is light enough for those soft areas in the lawn. The B7800 is still used to mow the hay field 2-3 times a year, snow removal, FEL work, rear balde work etc.
In our case, one tractor to do everything would not have worked. In some cases it's best to have two different machine to increase your flexibility.

Good luck in your search.

 

[tractorshopper]

I borrowed my brother's BX-25D with MMM a month ago to test at my property. I cut the areas that I normally cut with my 5' bush hog on my L3800. His MMM is 5'. I was so impressed with it's cut and speed that I have sold my L3800 and am going to buy a BX-2370 as my one and only all-purpose machine that I will put more hours on and get more bang for my buck now that my bigger chores are all done that I originally bought the larger tractor for.

It cut way better than my JD lawn tractor cuts my lawn and was so much more maneuverable than my L3800 on the same terrain. My cut time decreased dramatically.

And this was field that hadn't been cut in 4 months or so. The finish was great and you can set the deck as high or low as you want. I only make this comment to let you know that cutting your hay field may be as simple as using the same machine with the deck set higher. The blades are about twice as thick and strong as my lawn tractor blades and the speed is way faster. I was blowing thick stuff 4 feet out the side of the deck way better air flow and pressure than my lawn mower.

I have never used a zero turn, so can't comment on a comparison to that.

 

[Tractor Tom]

Go with a rear mount finish mower for whatever size tractor you get, they are less expensive to buy and they do a MUCH nicer mow. And because it's a 3pt mount, if you ever change tractors, you keep your mower and mount it to the new tractor. The rear mount mower also makes a great counter weight for a front loader. I was a skeptic about the quality of mowing with a rear mount.... Not anymore, 8 years, 2 tractor, and it still does a great mowing job.

 

[jocola]

You mentioned your 8N is on it's last leg.
Do you presently have any 3 point attachments that you've been using on the 8N and wish to continue to use on the new tractor ?
If so, a CUT would probably be a better tractor choice, because it would be closer in size to your 8N than a SCUT would be.
In the areas your mowing, are there any steep slopes, many objects to mow around, soft or wet spots, septic drain field, rough uneven ground ?
A CUT would be better over rough uneven ground because it has bigger tires and more ground clearance. The CUT would also be heavier, so soft wet spots or driving over septic drain fields probably would not be a good idea.
maneuverability would be better on a SCUT vs CUT, for mowing around objects.

Good question about the attachments, I do have a few from the 8N that I'd like to use on the new tractor.

Right now we're leaning toward a BX-2670 because of its reviews and maneuverability. It's a different animal from the old Ford, but:

1) At 25.5 hp it's more powerful than the 8N, plus it's diesel and is more than half a century newer
2) It has HST, which = infinitely low gears and no danger of stalling
3) I can bring the weight to 2000 lbs with the FEL + some ground in it
4) The only disadvantage apparent to me is that the wheels are smaller, but considering that it's 4WD, doesn't that make up for it?

I know it wouldn't be ideal to pull a plow or small disc with something like this, but can it be done? Given the power and weight, I don't see why not.

Ok, I can hear some of you laughing at the idea - but is it impossible?

 

[G31]

The only comment I have about rear mount vs mid: rear mount around chain-link or wood fences can be disasterous, if you are not careful while turning. The reason I went with the MMM is for that reason. I have inside corners to watch, and mow close to a deck, and retaining wall.

 

[DHD]

Depending on your tractor application, ground clearance might be a consideration

The Kubota BX series and Kubota B series have a more tender belly than your 8N and the BX has a noticeable lower ground clearance than the B series.
Coupled with BX series low ground clearance is a vulnerable HST cooling fan, which is not always easily detectable if damaged.
Last I knew, replacement of the cooling fan is not a simple process and can be an expensive dealership procedure.
There has been some discussion about this fan issue on this forum and also on the MyTractorForum,com.
There are some after market protective plates that can be installed on the BX, with some pro and con results.

Not sure if the BX has the ground clearance and weight to be an effective ground plow tractor, and it might be tough to find someone whose done it with a BX.

Your 8N's ground clearance and underbelly toughness maybe more comparable to the Kubota L series rather than the BX series or B series.

It's uncommon to find a perfect fit in a tractor to cover all your wishes and desires and usually some compromise needs to be considered.

The 8N is a pretty tough tractor, how much of an investment would it take to give it some new life ?

Maybe a revived 8N for certain tasks, coupled with BX's capabilities for other tasks might cover your needs better.