another "what size" question

[ugabulldog]

I'd agree!

even better would be to raise some beef cattle and have my four legged mowers paying me...:thumbsup: ........but that is for another forum.....btw...if anyone hasn't visited homesteadingtoday.com I highly recommend it, (If I am not supposed to list other forums on here, i apologize.)

 

[KU Gator]

I have about 12 acres that are recreational, ie not where I live at the moment. About half is woods, so mowing about 6 acres. I have a B2920 with MMM and a Bush Hog Squeeler rotary mower. I would definitely not put bigger than a 5' rotary mower because of the weight. Last year after mowing the property the 1st couple of times with the rotary mower, I was keeping up with it at least every other week and used the MMM on it. This has been a busy year and I have only mowed it once so will definitely be mowing it again with the rotary mower.

As TripleR said, the 1/4" valve on the B model Kubotas are a bit of a pain when using the rotary mower because they let the front of the mower gradually sag down as you mow. The last time I mowed with it, I had chains which kept it at the height I set. The Bxx30 Kubotas have the position control system which will keep it at a set height. I do not think I would be satisfied with the quality of the cut of the rotary mower on our yard, at least with me running the mower. Also with the rotary mower on the back of mine, I keep the FEL on as a counter balence, and I don't like mowing around anything I care too much about with the FEL on.

So with all that said, if you kept the pasture pretty regularly cut with the MMM and the pasture is in good shape so youre not cutting brush, rocks, limbs etc, the MMM is pretty tough.

If you choose to go with a RFM, the 1/4" valve issue is not a problem because the RFM has wheels on all 4 courners and you just sit it on the ground and go.

 

[Earl Ohl]

Makes sense......my 10 acres is already established pasture.....after reading these posts I am leaning towards a bigger B series, like 26xx or 29xx.....are these big enough for a 6' bush hog?? Also with the hills that I have I am worried that a 6' might be too wide and end up scalping??.. Also, if I cut the lawn w/ bushog or got a RFM or MMM for the B26xx B29xx Do you think I could run over septic with it?? btw...I am in process of building house now so maybe i could pay a little extra to have septic tank buried a little deeper??

I would ask the guy that's putting in the septic system. 3 years ago I built a new house. Also around that time I got a Kubota B3030HSDCC. I asked the guy that put our septic system in if I would be OK using it to mow over the septic. He advised against using it because he thought it would be a little too heavy.

 

[DiezNutz]

I've had no problems mowing over, driving over, etc. my whole septic system with my B3030. In some cases I've had no choice but to drive over parts of the drainfield with the BH on and a FEL bucket full of dirt (but I won't drive directly over the tank loaded like that ). When fully loaded not much different than driving over with a full-size pickup, and the ground doesn't give that much.

My system has been in the ground awhile though, I would be more cautious with a new system until everything had settled into place.

I should also clarify that my soil is fairly cohesive, i.e., has a lot of clay in it - when dry it's rock-hard and has a high load bearing. Depending on where you live your soil type may dictate different practice.

 

[MarkV]

Welcome to the forum. Another thought is forget the MMM mower and get a dedicated mower for the finish lawn. The MMM mowers are expensive and you still have some maneuvering and weight issues. Many here use MMM successfully but I just could never see putting them on and taking them off every time i wanted to do a tractor task that required the ground clearance.

MarkV

 

[DiezNutz]

The MMM mowers ... and you still have some maneuvering and weight issues.

Could you elaborate?
How could a RFM be more maneuverable than a MMM... and if by weight you mean weight added to the tractor, that's not the case with the ground-contact decks on the larger models.

I tend to agree about taking a MMM on and off... although... 1) there's still time & effort involved in attaching/removing RFM (nothing comes for free), and 2) like anything else, with practice it becomes easier/faster.

We have a zero-turn that can take over the mowing chores when the BH and FEL are on the tractor. Which is all of the time, lately. Similarly, I wouldn't want to be taking the BH on and off to put on a RFM.

 

[MarkV]

Could you elaborate?
How could a RFM be more maneuverable than a MMM... and if by weight you mean weight added to the tractor, that's not the case with the ground-contact decks on the larger models.

I tend to agree about taking a MMM on and off... although... 1) there's still time & effort involved in attaching/removing RFM (nothing comes for free), and 2) like anything else, with practice it becomes easier/faster.

We have a zero-turn that can take over the mowing chores when the BH and FEL are on the tractor. Which is all of the time, lately. Similarly, I wouldn't want to be taking the BH on and off to put on a RFM.

I was suggesting a dedicated finish mower like a garden tractor or riding mower. As to weight I try to keep the tractors off of my finish lawn to avoid compaction in our Ga. clay. A riding mower would be much lighter than a CUT. Sorry if I wasn't clear.

MarkV

 

[DiezNutz]

Doh! No, that was my fault. You were clear.
I think I've been reading too many posts about RFMs lately, and my brain saw "finish" in your post and derailed from there.

Yes, having a separate ZTR mower has been great for us, with not having to change tractor configurations around more than necessary.
Agreed.

 

[ugabulldog]

It looks like I need at least a 26 hp, a 5' bush hog, and a mmm would be ideal that i could leave on and cut lawn with.....sounds like best option other than buying two machines....

 

[davatk]

It looks like I need at least a 26 hp, a 5' bush hog, and a mmm would be ideal that i could leave on and cut lawn with.....sounds like best option other than buying two machines....

Yes, you can leave the MMM on when bushhogging, but you'd wanna remove the bushhog when mowing the lawn. I have the B2630 with 5 foot bushhog and leave the MMM on when bushhogging and it handles it fine. Actually the MMM helps to provide stability when the bushhog is attached.