Mowing Kubota frontmount mower

[gollum]

I have been looking at a frontmount mower with 4whl drive . Can anyone tell me how well do these machines mow on a hill side? I have about 3acres to mow,1 of which is all hillside. I would love to hear from someone here before I talk to a dealer. Thanks!

 

[ronjhall]

gollum
I have a <font color="green">JD</font> 60” diesel front mount mower. It does not have FWD. But does have a lock for the drive wheels. Some of the hills on my property are steep that require using the lock when lawn is damp.
The front mount mowers are a very maneuverable mowing machine, especially if you have low hung trees to cut under.
I did not get FWD because of cost. The new <font color="green">JD</font> and <font color="orange">Kubota </font> front mount movers that I looked at with 60” mowers were $20,000 and more.

 

[hwp]

As you can see from my signature, I have a Kubota F2400 with 4wd. the older version of the current "60" series. 4wd is essential for serious side hill mowing. You will still get some crabing but you get the job done. I don't use the differential lock on side hills but I do for going up steep hills, especially if the grass is a little wet.

BTW, it took me three tries before I got the right tractor for me. I started with a small yard tractor, then a CUT and finally the front mount. The F2400 is the perfect machine for my needs. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[gollum]

Thanks Howard. I'm currently trying to get this right in only 2 tries. Right now, I have a lawn tractor (takes way too long to mow 3 acres), am skipping the CUT for now ( I'll get one to play with, I mean to work with in a couple of years) and the frontmount mower looks like the right choice. I looked at a couple of ZTM , but the dealers all said they don't mow very well around hills, so I quess that leaves a frontmount. I'm currently looking at a used one, it has 900hrs. and a grasscatcher $5000 . I think it's time for a testride!