B7500 Manuel Trans?

[Bird]

Nope, Haldawson, you're not the only one, or they wouldn't still be making them and selling them./w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif It's true that the HST has lots of advantages and most of us prefer it, but if the manual transmission meets your needs, and you're comfortable with it, and can save money, then I say that's the way to go.

Bird

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Well If you like taking more time to mow then BOTH opf those choices are for you. But If time is important then both the HST and the MMM is the way to go. The Cost on the HSt is far cheaper then what the Cost of keeping the Gear shift in Clutch's over the years is most often more then the differnce in the hst cost new. And nothing is harder on clutch's than mowing because of all the gear changes. And the MMM is faster because it dosen't have to pick the grass up after being ran over by both sets of tire's. And if you are like me with a touch of arthritis then looking over the shoulder all the time to see where the deck is can be a real pain in the neck! Some times saving money can cost you more in the long run in repairs and asprin! to give you a Ideal I used to mow my deck with a 48' wheelhorse gear shift tractor and it took me a 1:45 to mow it I used my neighbor's same horsepower but it had a HST and a 42' mower and I could mow my same yard in 1:15. So when I got a new machine it was a Hst and Rear mower BUt I traded it for a MMM and have NEVER regreted it!

 

[ScottieM]

First of all I just want to thank all of you, for all of the valuable information that I have read at this site also for answering my questions. I went to test drive a manual drive B7500, while driving it I played with the FEL, and my hand/foot coordination would need great improvement if I wanted to stick with a manual drive transmission. So I opted for HST. I put down some money to reserve a B7500hst, ag tires, fel, 6' 3pt finish mower, foldable rops, 4' backblade with skids, all for only $14,695.00. The dealer I bought this from is Seyberts out of Coldwater Michigan, they were just awarded the title of Fifth largest seller in the nation for Kubotas, so they got some breaks from Kubota on their equipment. After looking around for weeks for the best price prior to this I found 14,900 without foldable rops, so I truly feel I got a good deal in my area of the country. I will taking delivery of it in late October early November.

 

[glennmac]

Congratulations. I think you'll have fun. I guess you'll take delivery just in time to use the backblade and fel for snow. That's what I use. And if you are sure you want the 3ph mower, it can serve as the counterweight for your fel during mowing season.

 

[Bird]

Sounds like a good deal to me, ScottieM. I guess I'm a little surpised at the 6' mower instead of a 5' one. I'm just using a 5' one on my B2710, but sometimes think maybe I should have gotten the 6' mower.

Bird

 

[ScottieM]

I am getting the 6' mower because the dealer had no plans of ordering 5' mower,(same price as 5' cause of that reason) but I was just looking at the B7500 brochure and it look like it is only rated for a 5' mower, will I be ok with a 6' mower or ask the dealer to order a 5' mower?
Also anyone tried both is a 6' harder to keep and eye on than a 5'? Also will my tractor be ok to pull it?

 

[Bird]

ScottieM, I think the tractor will pull it just fine; however, if you're mowing with the FEL off (as I always do), you may have to have weights on the front of the tractor to pick up the mower without lifting your front wheels. Of course, I don't know what brand/model of mower you're getting, so I don't know just what the weight will be. I know you can sure tell the front end is light on my B2710 when I pick up my Bush Hog RDTH60 mower, although not light enough for me to worry about it.

Bird

 

[GlueGuy]

I agree with Bird. I have a 4' brush cutter (Woods). It's pretty heavy, but I can cut without the FEL for getting into tight areas. However, I "usually" leave the FEL on for a counter-balanbce.

When I'm turning on a slope without the FEL, the front end is noticably "light" and the front tires will "skid" because the the lack of traction.

I would imagine the 5' would be even worse.

The GlueGuy

 

[glennmac]

Scottie,

Bird has raised a good point and I think you should give some further thought to whether you might not be better off with a 5' mower. I wouldnt get the 6' solely because that's what your dealer has available. He shouldnt sell you one solely for that reason either. (Not saying he is.)

I'd say there are 5 things to consider:

1. Can your tractor lift the 6' mower when you are transporting it. That will depend on the weight of the mower (get the exact weight) and the lift capacity of your 3ph.

2. Even if you can lift it, can you comfortably and safely drive it with no fel or weight on the front of your tractor. Bird mows without fel or weight, but he has a larger, heavier tractor and a smaller, lighter mower than you are considering. If you end up rear heavy two things can happen. You lose good steering ability. More dangerously, you have the chance of tipping over backwards when you go up a hill. This then partially depends on the character of your land.

3. Can your tractor pull the mower. I'm sure it can on flat ground, but you have to consider the contours of your own land. If you have hills, the tractor will have a more difficult time with larger implements.

4. Scalping. The wider mower will have more of a tendency to scalp the lawn if you have dips and gullies and small mounds. If you are very flat, that wont be a problem.

5. Maneuvering between and around things. The rear mower in general is more difficult to maneuver around things than a midmount. The wider the mower, the more careful you will have to be. Also, you may not be able to squeeze through some places with a 6' mower that you could with a 5'.

Only you can judge these factors. My gut instrinct without knowing your land is that the 5' is more properly sized for a 7500.

 

[radman]

I used to own a B7500 with a 5' rear mount finish mower. A 5' is the best for this size of tractor. A 6' would probably work but if the grass is thick or damp you will probably need to overlap as you mow. The biggest concern I believe is the weight of the 6' mower. I used 50-100 lbs of front end weights when I mowed without the loader on using the 5' mower. Without the weight the front end is quite light. I doubt if the tractor could lift a 6' mower without front end weight. A 6' mower will also max out the lifting capacity of a B7500. I used a King Kutter 5' mower I purchased on a close out sale for $650. I sold the 7500 but still kept the mower for use on my brothers B7500. Still works great. My recommendation would be a 5' finish mower.