Birch Hill Farm
Bronze Member
Need some advice if our International 444 could handle a disc mower. Its a heavy old tractor with wheel weights, suitcase weights and 38 hp at pto. We currently mow maybe 100 acres of hay over the course of the year and use an old massy wooden pitman arm sickle mower. I am tired of fighting with the finicky thing to the point I dread cutting the hay. I would really like to move up to a disc mower, currently looking at a hm235 new holland. Its rated for a min of 40 pto hp. Also thought about the hm234 which has a pto rating of 35hp min. My big concern is how the tractor will do with all that weight hanging out to the side. Our land is hilly for the most part but, not super steep. I have never seen a disc mower on this size tractor so that concerns me. We bale with a new holland 630 4x4 baler and it does okay, mostly low 2nd to 1st going up the hills. Any thoughts or advice is appreciated, Am i doomed to the frustration of an old sickle or do I need to look for a bigger tractor or could I make it through with a disc mower. Thanks
