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@BackRoad south central PA.

I'm no landscaper but water bars in a driveway sound like a pain to resurface. The driveway would never feel smooth. I do like the idea of something that holds the rock in place though. What you don't see in the picture is behind me is more hill and a large corn field. Water from the field runs...

@anomad Speaking of the hard rains. Im in PA and we got hammered Wednesday evening with rain. This is what I had to clean up Thursday morning. The washouts were over a foot deep all the way down to the neighbor's house. Its asphalt millings beyond that. It's hard to tell from the photo but it...

Rear tires are filled. I do keep the front loader and 72" bucket on for front weight. The DK doesn't have draft control. Only the knob to control the speed at which an implement lowers and the hydraulic lever to set height. I do feather the height control to keep the tractor going but most...

I bought an 84" BB last year to use on my driveway. Its 1500ft gravel and on a hill. Gravel will wash on very hard rains and needs carried up the hill and ruts filled. Thank God it doesn't happen too often. The DK4520 pulls it well until the ground is loose. A full load will stop the tractor...

I can attest that 2" will leave a better finish than 3". I've tried running 3" and it leaves a stripe of partially cut grass from what the tractor tires lay over. 3" would probably work ok if you can swing the entire mower to the side and drive entirely in the previously cut row. It really just...

I use a 7ft box blade behind my 45hp tractor. It pulls it great downhill or on flat but if going uphill, it'll stop the tractor and spin wheels in 4wd once it begins to fill. You have to figure, as you work and drag earth around, the ground you drive on becomes loose, so traction begins to...

Betstco says that but it doesn't really do it. I have the same mower as Scootr. With the roller set all the way down, the height is 3.5" with mower level front to back. You would have to pitch the front up pretty damn high to get 6" of cut with the roller on the ground and it won't cut worth a...

It'll splinter and spread the wood out more than it will grind it up. At a certain point, you would be better off with a wood chipper or burn it.

Idk man. Alot of companies are using the same exact pumps/motors in similar size mowers. It's not like there is major reporting's of hydro failures. Usually, the failures that do occur are being caused by people doing dumb stuff like trying to tow a trailer with their grass steer. Realistically...

https://www.toro.com/en/product/76604 Toro Titan 60". 761lbs. Even if the ZT-2800 hydros are rated to 1000lbs as a pair, Toro sized the Titan for a hefty 240lb person. Seems well within reason and not undersized or underpowered for a residential mower. Some people could stand to lose a few...

An update on the "balancing" after sharpening. No issues found. Mower operates smooth and cuts far better than it did when new. I'll probably continue to use the method I did if I need to sharpen them again. Hopefully not anytime soon. No more using it as brush mower.

I cut my fields faster with the flail mower than my dad ever did with a pull type rotary mower of equal width. Take that for what it's worth I guess. The flail mower gives a much better finish than a rotary does.

The only ZTR I have experience with is a 2011 Scag Turf Tiger 61" 31hp Vanguard. It's definitely a work horse of a ZTR. Maintenance on it is surprisingly easy. May be the only shaft driven deck ZTR of all the models. The fuel tank (13 gallon) is under the seat, so it has a very low center of...

Only reason for removing them is I made the mistake of clearing some brush in the woods and made contact with some big rocks sticking out of the ground that I couldn't see and some flails got pretty beat up. None broken luckily but the edges were bad enough that it would knock down grass instead...

I may be mistaken but I think Kioti implements are made by Woods and rebadged. The specs seem to line up between both models. https://woodsequipment.com/products/tillage/rotary-tillers/rt48-30/ https://www.kioti.com/products/implements/tillers

Over the weekend I decided to take the flails off my mower and give them a good sharpening. I then became OCD about the balancing and decided to weigh (measured in grams) every flail and toss the weights into a spreadsheet and calculate the most balanced combination I could come up with. For...

I love my flail mower, but I find it better to cut every few weeks before the grass gets too tall that the tractor tires tend to lay it down. I get a fantastic cut when the mowing height is around 2-2.5" but I also find some rocks at that height, so I rather mow around 3" to avoid the rocks and...

I have a Betstco flail mower. Looking to get a set of grass knives for it. Betstco wants nearly $500 for a set, 64 knives. Anybody know of a cheaper source? I don't know the full dimensions, but they are 5/8" hole. Do I dare try to make my own? Typically, what width and thickness are most...

I run a 77" offset flail mower+ hammers with a 45hp gear tractor without much issue. It's a stationary offset. Not side shift. It's really solid for being a "cheaper" mower. I would recommend grass knives if all you are mowing is grass fields. The hammers do a good job too but takes more power...

I went with Kioti because my dealer is 5 minutes from my house and at the time I was able to get .99% for 84 months. Going from a Farmall M to a new DK4520 felt pretty damn amazing. I put 60 hrs on it this past year and may put more on this year with projects accumulating. I don't think you...

He doesn't race through trails but he does drive through some less-than-ideal places in the woods when looking for new ground hog spots. The golf cart would get trashed. The last thing I need is him driving a golf cart into a swampy bottom of a field and getting stuck, requiring him to walk back...

One of the problem he has with his age is his spatial awareness is beginning to decline. He's been driving a S10 4x4 around the farm for years but recently he has ran over stumps and logs because he didn't see or notice them. I figure a smaller SxS with an open cab will help with his ability to...

I appreciate all the good suggestions. I took my dad with me to sit on the Ranger 570. He was basically trying to scoot his ass up on the seat instead of stepping up into it. That's when I knew something that tall wasn't a good choice. I have a local dealer with a Mule SX FE model available...

Go with whatever is as wide as your back wheels and built from 1/2" plate all the way around for structural integrity. Isn't the Workmaster 75 like 80" wide? A heavy 7ft BB should be perfect for it. Too bad you aren't close to PA, I would sell you my LandPride 2584 BB so I can downsize to a 72"...

I have a Betstco HD flail mower as well. 77" Cut Heavy Duty Flail Mower, FH-EFGC195 | Betstco Sales, Parts, and Service: Had it for a year now. I mow around 10 acres 4 times a year. Put about 25-30 hours on it so far. Only complaint are the cheap belts that it comes with but that's an easy fix...

I'm shopping for a UTV that my 82 yo father will use to putt around the farm. He primarily would use it to check his groundhog spots throughout the year and a slow cruise around the property. I'll use it occasionally to carry a chainsaw, tools, pickup the mail and trash cans, simple stuff like...

I paid about $30k for a Kioti DK4520 with FEL, a 72" bucket, and loaded rear tires. It's been an awesome tractor so far.

These ideas are ridiculous but im invested now 🍿

It sounds easier to build a 10x12 shed dedicated to the mower.

Im at a loss then. If you run out of adjustment, then a shorter belt will be required. Regarding the noise when running, is the side shaft hitting the cover? Does the gearbox have plenty of oil? Are there metal shavings in the gear oil?

The 4 bolts of the gearbox do not get loosed. The piece of metal that the gearbox attaches to has 4 bolts, 1 at each corner. I circled them in the photos. You can see how they are slotted to pivot when the adjuster bolt is raised or lowered.

From the design of the mower, it looks like the deck that the gearbox is mounted to raises with the long adjuster bolt. Loosen the deck bolts and as the adjuster bolt gets screwed in, the deck raises which raises the pulley, tightening the belt. Is this correct?

That's the ultimate downfall of any business. If the customer doesn't trust the company, demand goes away, revenue goes away, employees go away, and the business goes away.

100% with you on that. A spring-loaded tensioner would resolve the belt issues.

I really wanted an EA box blade, but they would never return my inquiry about stock. I would never buy one from them unless it was in stock and ready to ship.

The belts broke midway through my 3rd mow and I had about 4 acres left. Luckily I ordered a spare set of China belts with the mower so I put them on to finish up. No issues the rest of the job. I haven't had to mow since. The Goodyear belts are sitting on my workbench for next year. I cant...

I have the same mower and yes the belts took 3 mowing sessions to burn and break. What I noticed was the belts kept loosening themselves each time I mowed, so I would tighten them back and eventually, they would slip, burn, and snap. My mowing height was 2.5" and the skids were set around 1.5"...

You won't know unless you try.

The DK4520 has a sticker of the gear/rpm/speed chart on the right fender. It was useful for maybe the first 10 hours of operating. Now I just know what gear to be in depending on the job that needs done.

The website is still up accepting payments. Are they really closed or is the reputation just shot to hell?

I have the LandPride BB2584 behind my DK4520. No issues pulling it. Changing the pitch front to back using the top link will change the aggressiveness of the cut. Something else I learned very quickly is to modulate the 3pt height while driving. Don't just keep the implement against the ground...

Check these guys out. They are in PA. Commercial Aerators & Deep Tine Ground Aeration Equipment

Maybe a clogged DPF?

I'll toss this one out there. I have the 78" Betstco HD (Farmer Helper) flail mower with hammers. It's a heavy piece of equipment and has done a great job mowing pastures this summer. Any small branches that fall around the edges, it chops them up. For the price, it's been fantastic. Fairly...

Some people like to mow. Some people don't have a car to drive to work and all they got is the lawn mower.

I replaced the electric PTO clutch on a Scag Turf Tiger last year. The part cost $650. So yeah, they are very expensive.

I have a JD S140 lawn tractor. PTO engages manually using a lever at the steering wheel. I wouldn't recommend the JD though. My model was $3200 and it doesn't even have front & rear casters on the deck. I am not impressed with the construction of the mower at all. The Cub Cadet I had before was...

Not to hijack the thread but what size box blade would you guys recommend for a 45hp tractor? My local dealer sells Woods products.

I got the DK4520 for $31k with FEL w/ 72" bucket and loaded R14 tires. An excellent tractor for the money as long as you don't mind a manual.

Start looking into how to use Snatch Blocks. Creating a mechanical advantage will save a lot of wear and tear on equipment.

Most 48" models should work if it's not insanely heavy material being cut. Del Morino, Betstco, and others that I can't think of at the moment. The choice then becomes, y blades for grass or hammers for brush which also cut grass.

I don't even follow what people are talking about anymore. We go from talking about working rpm's, to DPF's, to transaxle's, to limp Kukje's! This thread is out of control!

How many have you needed to replace so far?

I'm not so much concerned about the regen events as I am about the ash buildup that WILL occur over time. Hopefully, that crap is easy to clean out with water when the time comes.

I bought a case of Lucas Red and Tacky Grease and 3 new spindles for a Scag Turf Tiger. I went with Stens Spindles since they have grease fittings and are half the price of OEM. Hopefully, they hold up well.

Does a geared tractor put a more constant load on the engine vs an HST?

Every tractor is a bit different. I generally stay between 540e and 540 pto on the tach. That's like 1700-2600rpm on the DK4520. If I am on and off the clutch a lot, I'll keep the revs down around 1700rpm but once I'm rolling with no stopping, I'll bump it up to 2400-2600rpm. From what I read...

Logging Winch/Skidder would be a great idea since you work a lot of wood.

What jobs do you need done?

Nobody asked this yet but is the tractor HST or Manual? With HST, you can run the rpm up to 540pto rpm since the tractor speed is independent from the engine rpm, but if it's manual, you may want to work a lower rpm to save from needing to slip the clutch for smooth operation. My DK4020 is...

OEM muffler from 91 lasting up until now is pretty good. Not the worst way to spend $400 if you want something to last a long time.

My father made brackets that mount to the drawbar with a hydraulic cylinder to raise and lower on a Farmall M. He then made a 7ft box blade to drag the driveway. So anything is possible if you want it bad enough. I'll see if I can snap a few photos.

My point is the mowing chart is not practical in the real world. It's using static values that do not fit the reality of the majority of environments. Sure, it's a possibility but it's not a probability.

I could have a use for a small frame tractor. Mowing trails in the woods would be nice with the narrow width. Moving mulch and pulling a small wagon. You have to stay practical given the size. Heavier jobs require heavier equipment.

Statistical mowing charts are pointless. Nobody is mowing a flat straight line with no turns and a 100% steady speed. Every turn adds time. Every variation in speed adds/decreases time.

It might be worth taking the knives off and running the mower up in RPM to see if the drum rotates smoothly.

I love my zero turn but it beats the hell out of me on rough fields. I also notice my shoulders get a bit soar holding the sticks forward for 5+ hours at a time. A tractor is nice in that regard. Just set the speed and roll along. I'll gladly take an extra hour mowing if I'm more comfortable.

I'm currently mowing 8 acres of old hay field and horse pasture. For the past 3 years, I've used a 61" Scag Turf Tiger. If I cut it every 2 weeks, it takes me about 5.5 hours. If I cut it every 4 weeks, it takes closer to 7 hours since I will need to slow down a lot to allow the mower to process...

I've never used a finish mower behind a tractor but I've been mowing 8 acres of orchard grass fields with a 31hp 61" zero turn. It does a great job if I'm not letting the grass get tall. Once the orchard grass stalks start to develop, it becomes difficult to get a clean cut. Pretty much have to...

Hey everyone I got a new DK4520 8x8 shuttle today and I'm a bit curious what everyone's advice is on operating rpm's to minimize the regen process from occurring. The dealer told me to keep it above 1700rpm at all times and the higher the better while low RPMs can be attributed to clogging the...

Something else to consider, are you financing or buying outright? Kioti has 0% for 84 months right now on CK series. 0.99% for 84 months for DK series. TYM has 0% for 60 months. TYM is 3.99% for 84 months. That is enough to sway me to the Kioti if I'm looking for 84-month financing. Nobody...