Ideal JD for these chores

[ducati996]

I wonder how much FEL or dirt work I can expect to get out of a 2520 with 4x4 & turf tires?

R-4's just seem like they'd be too rough on a "front" lawn.

As much as you can throw at it or handle - I run R4's over all types of lawns - not an issue as long as its not a wet lawn. I do it with loaded tires and FEL and BH. Lawns still looks great

I say the 2520 size will be perfect - heck even look at the orange (B2630/B3030) these machines will all accomplish what you need

 

[Builder]

OK, thanks. I just have to decide on the tractor and whether it's gonna be R-4's or turfs.

 

[VA Rebel]

It sounds like we use tractors for roughly the same things. I have a 4100, probably a little smaller than the 2520 as far as hp goes. I run a 5 foot finish mower on it with no problem. You will probably never use your gt anymore once you see how nice it is to back the mower right under trees that you cant get to with a belly mower.
As far as the tires go, it's pretty simple. If it is dry enough to cut grass, then it is dry enough for R-4s. After all, even with turf tires, the grass wont stand back up after the tractor runs over it if it's too wet, but those turfswont do anything for you with grading.
I would go with a 5' bush hog. I bought a 4' on deeres recommendation and have regretted it ever since. I have borrowed a 5' bush hog and it handles it with no problem. Not saying it doesnt bog down ever, but that happens even when Ive bush hogged with a 4230 (100 hp) and a 6' Hardee. That 4 footer is just too small. It seems like the blades arent long enogh to get any kind of help with centrifugal force for cutting like the bigger ones. I wouldnt use a finish mower in tall grass or rough stuff unless I had too. The belts that it has cost around 50$ to replace and they break pretty easily, not too mention what it does to the blades.
Ive graded a number of yards with a 5ft KK box blade. The combo of the backhoe and cut w/ box blade is a great one.

 

[Builder]

Thanks for the advice guys.

It's funny. I keep trying to picture finish mowing with a rear finish mower, and I can't seem to get comfortable with it. I keep striking up visions of a bush hog basically ripping the grass off rather than a nice smooth cut.....I'm so used to a MMM, it seems like there's nothing else that would work.

 

[VA Rebel]

Ha ha, I hear you. It's tough for people to get their head around that sometimes. One homeowner told me, "I'm more of a belly mower person" after I had recommended a rear mower. But I promise you will get used to and even prefer it. Just think of it as a F9 series going backward. MAybe the dealer will let you test it out. I dont even have a push mower anymore, just the 4100 and a weedeater.

 

[orlo]

Hi:

RFM's can work well. When I first got my 3320 (Which I've not traded for a 3720 Cab). The 72"MMM wasn't in so the dealer lent me a Woods 84" RFM (Rear discharge). It had 4 wheels (that's the key). The cut quality was great and I could pull it at 6-7mph and get a good cut (5mph would be more sane).

Look at the blade tip speed (Above 16,000ft/min is best). The only issue you might have is manuverability. If you have a bunch of small circles you need to cut (around trees, etc.) it's going to suck.. If you don't I don't think you'd mind at all.

After that experience I'd use a RFM in a heartbeat. And depending upon the MMM you get it can be a lot easier to take off.

The other thing with a RFM is your not going to be using your loader with it on and ram it into something and bend it.. (No, I've never done that with my MMM.. None of the MMM's pull up very high and are ALL easy to bang up if you don't remove it for loader work. Not a problem if you don't mix up tasks, but if you find you do a lot of loading and mowing you might be tempted to not remove the MMM.

 

[RoyJackson]

Thanks for the advice guys.

It's funny. I keep trying to picture finish mowing with a rear finish mower, and I can't seem to get comfortable with it. I keep striking up visions of a bush hog basically ripping the grass off rather than a nice smooth cut.....I'm so used to a MMM, it seems like there's nothing else that would work.

If your lawn has few trees and other obstructions, an RFM is a good way to go. They're cheaper then a MMM and can be used on any tractor you buy (that is reasonably close to the RFM manufacturer's recommendations).
Even with trees, you can back under them if they have low hanging branches. There may be more back and forth work with an RFM though.

Since R-4's were brought up, I may as well throw in my 2 cents...
I've been cutting with R-4's for a couple years now. I'll see some tracking, but that goes away in a day or so.
I never cut when the grass is wet, however. And always in 2WD (except for one steep area).

 

[aesanders]

I don't agree with this post. I sure wouldn't use a rather expensive implement (finishing mower) to cut 2' (or more) field grasses. You'd get a lot of clogging and, as you wrote, hard on the mower.
One reason I'm running a tractor now instead of my old Wheel Horse lawn tractor was because I cut tall grass with it. Tore that mower right up...

Personally, I'd stick with a brush cutter for grasses that tall.

It really depends on the pasture. Some pastures are as nice as lawns --smooth and full of grass. If you cut them frequently enough (say once a month or so, or have animals constantly eating the grass) then a finish mower will work well. You can raise the cut height up to max so your still leave a fair amoun of grass on the plants. Some pastures are rough and full of rocks and only mowed a couple times a year. If this is the case then only a good brush cutter will work. If you have something in between I'd probably side more with the brush cutter. I've seen some beautiful large horse farms that are all done with finish mowers. They really look great.

 

[Z-Michigan]

It really depends on the pasture. Some pastures are as nice as lawns --smooth and full of grass. If you cut them frequently enough (say once a month or so, or have animals constantly eating the grass) then a finish mower will work well. You can raise the cut height up to max so your still leave a fair amoun of grass on the plants. Some pastures are rough and full of rocks and only mowed a couple times a year. If this is the case then only a good brush cutter will work. If you have something in between I'd probably side more with the brush cutter. I've seen some beautiful large horse farms that are all done with finish mowers. They really look great.

I've hesitated to stay in this particular discussion because I have only a few months experience, but in that limited time my reasons to hesitate on using the brushhog for just grass are:

1) Cut quality - I am finding erratic cut quality on grass with my LX6, which is nearly new (20 hours or less of use since brand new) and not beat up. Sometimes it does a very good job, sometimes it seems to miss a lot. Often the job looks good immediately afterward but in a day or two I find a lot of the grass/weeds was just bent over and not actually cut off. Now on woody stuff the LX6 is great, slicing right through. It also seems to work better on lush, tall grass than it does on thin mixed weeds and grass, but the latter needs mowing more than lush grass does.

2) Ground damage - I believe I have everything adjusted optimally (tailwheel height with front lower than rear of cutter, links in float position, etc.) but I still find I am often damaging the underlying ground with the brush mower, either from the tailwheel or side skids. Maybe further adjustment would stop this, maybe not. It seems to be a worse problem when grass is thin and scraggly with some weeds, but that is the type of area that, if in pasture, needs cutting and may need repeated cutting. Ground damage to a pasture just sets back your pasture renovation/maintenance, which is presumably why you were mowing the pasture in the first place.

I definitely wouldn't sell my LX6 nor would I use a finish mower on trees and woody, thick weeds, but on thin weeds mixed with grass I find that our riding mower (cheapo MTD) seems to do a better job than the LX6 on my tractor.

 

[kude]

I have a rear mounted mower on my 3520 and a middle mounted mower on my 755. One advantage of the middle mounted mower is that if you want to cut high grass and weeds you just don't lower the deck. I find I use that mode more than putting the rotary cutter I own on. I suppose you could figure out how much to raise the rear mounted mower for that, but it's kind of a no brainer with the MMM, and seems to work better.

I kept the 755, rather than trade it in, to get to the hard to reach area, the ditch and and around trees.

It's too bad the deck is about shot though. It is pretty rusted andf has a few holes. I wonder if I can get one of those roll over decks that would work with the 755? Maybe trade the 755 for a 2000 series?