Disc Mower + front ballast

Phred · May 5, 2003

For those of you that mow hay.....

Do you use a front ballast with your disc mower?
I have a 70 hp cab tractor and will be using an 8 ft mower.
The weight is about 1200 lbs. That does not worry me so much since I routinely use a 9ft rear blade that is about the same wieght, without a front balast. But the mower sticks out to the side quite a bit.

The motive is that the only avilable front ballast, my loader, ties up my remotes. Even if i use just one remote for the loader its still inconvenient.

The tractor is about 6500 lbs without filled tires or any attachments. Its 4wd.
The portions of the property I will be mowing are pretty flat but moving from field to field is very steep in places, but the mower will be in the up and locked position and It will only be straight up and down.

Thoughts?

Fred

JerryG · May 6, 2003

Phred,
I don't think that you would have any trouble at all given the size and weight of your tractor by not using any front weights.
Most of the 50 hp tractors in my area run 6-7 ft. disc mowers and don't have front weights.

cowboydoc · May 6, 2003

I've never used any, even with my big round baler. I've got a 14' disc mower conditioner that I use on the 4020 quite a bit and have never a problem with it either.

Phred · May 6, 2003

Guys,

Thanks for the feedback. I need to break down and fill the tires but most of the guys that have been in this area for a long time worry about thorns and filled tires.

Jerry; Rain has been marginal this year until its time to mow and then it rains every day! can't win.

Richard; I guess you folks up north (realitively speaking) get a latter start on hay?

Fred

cowboydoc · May 6, 2003

I'm looking to do my first cutting of alfalfa probably next week Fred.

Anonymous Poster · May 13, 2003

I wouldn't worry about it at all, you've got plenty of weight there. If you tried you could get yourself in trouble, but using common sense you'll get along just fine.

With ours we use either a CIH 995 (6300lbs, plus 2255 loader) or a CIH 7220 (WAY overkill, but A/C is nice). Both are well over what is needed for the particular mower, but are what we have available.

Phred · May 16, 2003

Nice looking tractor!
Your right that does look like overkill
I guess that in most cases there is no such thing as to much tractor.

Fred

cowboydoc · May 16, 2003

Be careful on hay fields. I always go with the smallest tractor I can to get the job done. Reason being is the bigger the tractor the more compaction. Same reason I have a Gator instead of a Polaris Ranger. The Gator is the best out there by far for non-compaction.