dknarnd
Gold Member
noobie...which cutter model did you get 72, 720 or 7200?
HELP ME CHOOSE TC33D OR TC35D?
- Thread starter JPN800
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jinman
Rest in Peace
- Joined
- Feb 23, 2001
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- 20,387
- Location
- Texas - Wise County - Sunset
- Tractor
- NHTC45D, NH LB75B, Ford Jubilee
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( jinman....what would you think is a good size to pull a 6' cutter? Not sure if you were being facetious when you said that you thought it was a good size.
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Nah, when I'm being anything but up-n-up, I try to put a wink or some other indication. For a 6' cutter, you need about 30 PTO hp. That means the TC40 has just slightly more than that. If it were 7', it would work too, but I think the 6' is the best just because of the reason you gave. It's big enough to cover the tires, but not so big that it sticks out too far and hangs up on everything you get close to.
I really do think that we get used to our speed and want our tractors to go a lot faster. First cuts are notorious for being tough. When a cutter gets dull, it's even tougher and if you go too fast, the quality of cut will also suffer. I like to sharpen my blades once or twice per year and when I get into deep grass, I slow down to make sure I get a good cut.
On my 5' cutter behind my TC45D, I can pop a shear bolt without even bogging the engine. This last weekend, I managed to go through five shearbolts in one afternoon. Sometimes when the mower starts to bottom out on a mound of dirt, the shearbolt goes before I can lift the cutter. I was mowing my county road right-of-way and the road graders left me several "prizes" to hit. I was really frustrated when I popped two shearbolts within 5 minutes.
I really think my tractor has too much power for my little 40 hp gearbox. However, I had the cutter when I bought the TC45D and I'm going to use it until it finally gives up. It paid for itself many years ago, so I will not complain if it "blows up" the next time I use it. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif
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Nah, when I'm being anything but up-n-up, I try to put a wink or some other indication. For a 6' cutter, you need about 30 PTO hp. That means the TC40 has just slightly more than that. If it were 7', it would work too, but I think the 6' is the best just because of the reason you gave. It's big enough to cover the tires, but not so big that it sticks out too far and hangs up on everything you get close to.
I really do think that we get used to our speed and want our tractors to go a lot faster. First cuts are notorious for being tough. When a cutter gets dull, it's even tougher and if you go too fast, the quality of cut will also suffer. I like to sharpen my blades once or twice per year and when I get into deep grass, I slow down to make sure I get a good cut.
On my 5' cutter behind my TC45D, I can pop a shear bolt without even bogging the engine. This last weekend, I managed to go through five shearbolts in one afternoon. Sometimes when the mower starts to bottom out on a mound of dirt, the shearbolt goes before I can lift the cutter. I was mowing my county road right-of-way and the road graders left me several "prizes" to hit. I was really frustrated when I popped two shearbolts within 5 minutes.
I really think my tractor has too much power for my little 40 hp gearbox. However, I had the cutter when I bought the TC45D and I'm going to use it until it finally gives up. It paid for itself many years ago, so I will not complain if it "blows up" the next time I use it. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif
djradz
Veteran Member
Jim, you're hitting mounds of dirt? Not that it would help much if mound is really high and small, but are you using check chains?
djradz
Veteran Member
You might get better results if you ran at about 2500 rpm or whatever results in the "540 light" turning on, on your dash. Also, make sure the blade are reasonably sharp, unless your field is full of exposed rocks. Cutting, rather than beating, the grass will greatly reduce the hp. Also, several folks like to run their decks with the rear slightly higher than the front and find that is less drag on the engine. The theory is, with the front lower, the grass is only cut once, and then easily discharged through the slightly higher rear. My guess is, you'll get a slightly more ragged cut, since there's less opportunity for the grass to be cut several times, but maybe that will help speed up the operation, at least for the initial cutting. Lastly, if you've not already done so, equip your cutter with "check chains" to control the height and allow the deck to float.
jinman
Rest in Peace
- Joined
- Feb 23, 2001
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- 20,387
- Location
- Texas - Wise County - Sunset
- Tractor
- NHTC45D, NH LB75B, Ford Jubilee
Duane, our roads are pretty crude. The graders sometimes push up little terraces of dirt/rocks at the ends of their grader blades and these are just off the road, hidden by overgrowth. Most of the time I see them and raise the cutter to go over them. In some areas, it's really so rough I have no business being there with a cutter in the first place. If it weren't for shear bolts, I would have wrecked several mowers. Sometimes I go for a month without popping one and then there are times like last weekend when I discover that I should have walked the area and cleared it of obstacles. It's just that I had it all clear last year, and then the county graders made a couple of passes. Next time they come by, I'll check the area if it's overgrown so I can find the "prizes" they have left for me before my cutter does. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif
djradz
Veteran Member
When I mow one area of our neighbors field, so full of rocks I probably have no business being there in the first place, I usually take a couple of links out of the chains so the deck rides a couple of inches higher, at least in the front. Since the tail wheel is so far out back though, this seems to raise the entire deck up some too. ... just a thought. Kind of hard to keep the blades sharp whether it's hitting rocks or gravel - does save switching to the box or scraper blade though for leveling. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
TMAC
Gold Member
Late on this but with your land I'd go with at least a Class III TC40 or 45. 15 acres of field to mow will take you a good days work at that with a 6' cutter. Plus another 135 acres. Lot of land for little HP.
Oh and you got to consider the loader. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif In all honesty though if you don't have the finances to get a class III now you won't anyway when you trade the TC33 in to get the Class III. There's been many to do that here. Tell me if I'm wrong TBNer's? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Oh and you got to consider the loader. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif In all honesty though if you don't have the finances to get a class III now you won't anyway when you trade the TC33 in to get the Class III. There's been many to do that here. Tell me if I'm wrong TBNer's? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Noobie
Member
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( noobie...which cutter model did you get 72, 720 or 7200? )</font>
I got the 72. It seemed like the lighter weight version was maybe a better match to the 40hp tractor than the more heavyweight ones, but honestly I didn't do a lot of research into the cutter like maybe I should have. I was all spent after all the work on the tractor.
I got the 72. It seemed like the lighter weight version was maybe a better match to the 40hp tractor than the more heavyweight ones, but honestly I didn't do a lot of research into the cutter like maybe I should have. I was all spent after all the work on the tractor.
Noobie
Member
</font><font color="blue" class="small">(
I/Rabbit tells the transmission range and 75% tells the throttle range. How far down were you pressing the hydro pedal? If it was near maximum, I'm not surprised. The first cut of growth like that takes a lot of power. On repeated cuts, you won't need nearly as much power. The 6' cutter is a good size for your tractor in my opinion. )</font>
I should have said that the forward pedal was at about 75% of maximum. Throttle was at the necessary spot to put the RPMs on the PTO mark, probably also about 75%.
Good to hear subsequent cuts will go better. This first one is proving to be a PITA.
I'd also repeat what was said before. In my vast experience of about 6 hours of cutting, I liked having the cutter width and tractor widths about the same. I could put the edge of the last cut right on the edge of the bucket and get the maximum cut.
I/Rabbit tells the transmission range and 75% tells the throttle range. How far down were you pressing the hydro pedal? If it was near maximum, I'm not surprised. The first cut of growth like that takes a lot of power. On repeated cuts, you won't need nearly as much power. The 6' cutter is a good size for your tractor in my opinion. )</font>
I should have said that the forward pedal was at about 75% of maximum. Throttle was at the necessary spot to put the RPMs on the PTO mark, probably also about 75%.
Good to hear subsequent cuts will go better. This first one is proving to be a PITA.
I'd also repeat what was said before. In my vast experience of about 6 hours of cutting, I liked having the cutter width and tractor widths about the same. I could put the edge of the last cut right on the edge of the bucket and get the maximum cut.