JD4200 with MX5 bush hog?

[Spindejh]

Hey everyone! I was wondering if anyone out there has an opinion of using a JD MX5 Bush Hogg with a JD 4200. My experience with the 4200 is that it is not as powerful as I would like, so I don’t want to bog it down with a bush hog that is too big for it. On the other hand, if I’m going to invest in a bush hog (used) I do want to get one that is beefy enough. Thoughts?

 

[CobyRupert]

What are you mowing and how fast do you want to mow?
Grass takes more power than brush.
Horsepower is a measure of how fast you can deliver the energy to do a task. Less horsepower just takes longer to deliver that energy (until you can’t go any slower because of gears or impatience). With a hydro there’s only one to run out of.

People use a rule of thumb of 5hp per foot of mower. You have 20hp at PTO. It’s just a rule of thumb and doesn’t take into account what you’re mowing or how fast you’re going. If your mowing grass that doesn’t require 100% of your power at “regular speed” you’ll be glad you have that extra foot.
Or if you need to go 20% slower but are mowing 20% more width, it works out.
Just make sure extra weight of bigger mower on back isn’t a case of tail waging the dog. How hilly is your area?

 

[Spindejh]

What are you mowing and how fast do you want to mow?
Grass takes more power than brush.
Horsepower is a measure of how fast you can deliver the energy to do a task. Less horsepower just takes longer to deliver that energy (until you can’t go any slower because of gears or impatience). With a hydro there’s only one to run out of.

People use a rule of thumb of 5hp per foot of mower. You have 20hp at PTO. It’s just a rule of thumb and doesn’t take into account what you’re mowing or how fast you’re going. If your mowing grass that doesn’t require 100% of your power at “regular speed” you’ll be glad you have that extra foot.
Or if you need to go 20% slower but are mowing 20% more width, it works out.
Just make sure extra weight of bigger mower on back isn’t a case of tail waging the dog. How hilly is your area?

Fairly hilly. Just cleared about 6 acres and really looking for something to keep the brush from coming back.

 

[Bavarian]

Hydro or gear?
We've mowed hours on end with our 4200 and a 5ft Bush Hog.
We've sold it but I would buy one in a heartbeat and do the same again.
Just the dust was a bit too much for my wife. Now the cows are mowing.

 

[Zebrafive]

I worked at a summer camp that had a JD 4310 hydro. They had a 6' brush hog for it. It was too big, "tail wagging the dog" when used on off camber areas.
I would NOT buy a JD MX series. Gear box issues JD work not stand behind. Pick any of the other major brands. Bush Hog, Land Pride, Rhino, Woods.

 

[CobyRupert]

Tractor data list a 4200 as 50” wide and 2400 lb bare weight.
Let’s wild *** guess you could add 800 pounds of loaded tires, and another guess that FEL weighs 700 pounds. Total near 4000 lbs?
MX5 mower is around 800 pounds, cantilevered off the back. Front end might be light when mower is raised. Front weights (or loaded bucket) would probably be desired.
My opinion is it’s marginal. ....but throw in the fact you have hilly area and it’s just less worry, easier, safer, more maneuverable with a smaller unit. Especially on hills when the dynamics change rapidly depending if you have the mower raised or lowered, or change directions.
I have a 7 foot mower 1100 lb mower on a ~8000 lbs tractor and sometimes that feels too heavy when I get on hilly terrain and need to lift it. It’s also not very maneuverable around objects.

 

[DieselBound]

I worked at a summer camp that had a JD 4310 hydro. They had a 6' brush hog for it. It was too big, "tail wagging the dog" when used on off camber areas.
I would NOT buy a JD MX series. Gear box issues JD work not stand behind. Pick any of the other major brands. Bush Hog, Land Pride, Rhino, Woods.

Beat me to it!

Totally depends on what what is cutting. No need for a heavier duty (I've found that TRUE "medium duty" is going to be more than ample for 99% of folks running an RC- my 6' (Bush Hog) off my Kioti is about 800 lbs and I destroy just about everything). A smaller tractor ain't going to be needing no 800 lb RC. I run 5' RCs (first was a Rankin, second is a Landpride) off my Kubota B7800, which is 30hp (23 PTO?) and weighs maybe 2,500 lbs with loader (probably less); these 5-footers are light duty, but I subject them to total heck and they've held up well (one second one only because I wanted one that was quick hitch compatable and with a floating top link).

 

[Hay Dude]

I worked at a summer camp that had a JD 4310 hydro. They had a 6' brush hog for it. It was too big, "tail wagging the dog" when used on off camber areas.
I would NOT buy a JD MX series. Gear box issues JD work not stand behind. Pick any of the other major brands. Bush Hog, Land Pride, Rhino, Woods.

So you are saying if the OP goes out and buys a new MX-5 and the gear box breaks, John Deere won’t stand behind it?
Really?
A new mower, built by Deere with ZERO warranty or dealer support?

 

[RalphVa]

NOT a bush hog

 

[Skagit]

So you are saying if the OP goes out and buys a new MX-5 and the gear box breaks, John Deere won’t stand behind it?
Really?
A new mower, built by Deere with ZERO warranty or dealer support?

OP was looking at a used one, I know they had gearbox problems for several years and it cost almost as much as a new mower to fix it. There were several with blown gearboxes on Craigslist when I was looking for a mower. I'm sure they've fixed it by now on the new ones.