Batwing fuel consumption

[Overtaxed]

So, I finally got a BW12 for my NX6010. Great machine, and seems like a good match. You know it's back there, but there seems to be plenty of power. I can still run the machine faster than I want to go (bumps, ruts, etc) and not run out of power. Loving the cutter, it's very, very nice. I'll post up a review on it at some point.

I cannot believe how much fuel I use with that thing back there! I think that going from a 6 to 12 ft cutter cut the time necessary to cut by close to 1/2, and yet, it seems I use the same amount of fuel in 1/2 the time! I've never seen it use fuel so fast, I think I burned around 1/3 of a tank in a little under 2 hours. It's funny, the tractor gets real thirsty with that thing spinning away back there, WAY more so than with any of my other implements. Just amazing how much impact the PTO power has on fuel consumption.

 

[npalen]

What does "1/3 of a tank in under 2 hours" equate to in gallons per hour? Just curious.

 

[mcfarmall]

Getting work done takes fuel...bottom line. I can't get 22mpg on the highway bareback and then get 22mph towing a travel trailer...doesn't work that way.

 

[Overtaxed]

What does "1/3 of a tank in under 2 hours" equate to in gallons per hour? Just curious.

I've got a 14 gallon tank, so it's probably about 2-2.5 GPH running the batwing.

Getting work done takes fuel...bottom line. I can't get 22mpg on the highway bareback and then get 22mph towing a travel trailer...doesn't work that way.

No doubt. I'm just surprised at the magnitude of the difference. I'm done SO much faster than with the 6' rotary using the BW12, but, I think it's darn near exactly the same amount of fuel to cut the field, just burned in 1/2 - 1/3rd the time. Also, a lot of my surprise is just seeing the tractor burn fuel that fast, most tasks I do with it are "fuel sippers", I can run the chipper for hours and hours and barely use a 1/4 of a tank, or run it around the farm for weeks pulling crap around and FEL work and not see the needle move.

I'm not upset about it, just surprised, that's all. I didn't expect the bigger cutter to have such an impact on fuel consumption, the 6' rotary I wouldn't even run at PTO speed, I was was overpowered for that. But even the BW12 doesn't "load up" the tractor when I'm cutting, you know it's back there, but I've yet to hear the engine really "lug" when I'm mowing along. There's more HP available, but, wow, if you use that all the time (something that really pulls down all 50HP) baby, you better have a big tank of diesel sitting around!

 

[CobyRupert]

I cannot believe how much fuel I use with that thing back there! I think that going from a 6 to 12 ft cutter cut the time necessary to cut by close to 1/2, and yet, it seems I use the same amount of fuel in 1/2 the time!
... Just amazing how much impact the PTO power has on fuel consumption.

Well yeah.

For a given area, it's going to take approximately the same amount of energy (fuel) no matter how you cut it (no pun intended).

Regular speed with 6' in normal amount of time = Given amount of energy (fuel)
Mowing at twice the speed with the 6' in 1/2 the normal time (need twice HP) = Same amount energy.
Twice the width with 12', at normal ground speed (need twice HP) in 1/2 the normal time of 6' = Same amount energy.
Twice the width with 12', at 1/2 the ground speed (using same HP as 6') in same amount of time as 6' = Same amount energy.

There's no free lunch.
What can change is the efficiencies of different machines, or the efficiency one gets because they're turning (not mowing) more or less can change with different machines.

 

[PAUL161]

I pull a 15 foot bat wing with a 60hp tractor mowing pasture using off road fuel and by treating the fuel with addative to raise the CT rating I get aprox two more hours of running time doing the same job. What is the HP of your tractor? PJ

 

[Overtaxed]

I pull a 15 foot bat wing with a 60hp tractor mowing pasture using off road fuel and by treating the fuel with addative to raise the CT rating I get aprox two more hours of running time doing the same job. What is the HP of your tractor? PJ

Same, 60HP, but a hydrostat, so I'm sure that sucks down a little more fuel. What's your burn rate per hour? That's amazing, you get 2 more hrs with an additive?? Wow!

 

[Industrial Toys]

Our JD 6200 sucks fuel no matter what. When I used to pull a 14 or 16 foot bat wing to cut high field grass in the fall, I never noticed an increase in consumption.

Come to think of it, I don't notice any crazy fuel consumption blowing snow either, which a salesman once told me, is the hardest thing many tractors will ever do.

 

[searcyfarms]

thats a stretch of a mower for a 60hp hydro, you are not 60HP at the pto and then lose even more with the hydro mediocre height and thickness you should be ok..........we run two 15 footers on 105hp and 90+ PTO HP gear drive tractors and you can put them on their knees pretty quick in CRP fields. We are lucky to run 3 mph in that stuff and occasionally will have to clutch and gear down/watch the temps too and we are using around 3.5 to 5.5 gph.

You wouldnt mow CRP here with that tractor very long it would overheat and you would be going about 1mph if lucky. We mow all of our CRP at 1foot tall as well so if you dropped the mower down to 6 inches it gets all balled up. The faster you go and the shorter you go you will burn more fuel.

Topping pasture is one thing........mowing tractor tall CRP is another. I have a 150 hp tractor i mow with occasionally but it stresses the batwings too much in the CRP so i stay out of it with that big tractor. Our B/W are only rated at 135, i have enough things to fix lol

 

[Overtaxed]

I'm doing all "pasture topping" with it. And I was actually surprised with how well the tractor handles it, I never feel like I'm lacking power (well, not yet, let the summer grass really start to take off and I might change my tune). I better get a big transfer tank if the summer mowing takes even more fuel though!!