M-Series Snag!!!

[Dargo]

Hey, you know, I drove past my local Kubota dealer and that 105(something) M class tractor looked awfully sweet!

 

[MtnViewRanch]

Do I see that batwing that I was talking about in the near future. Forget about the 10' cutter, too slow. 15', now we're talking. Now that is a reason too justify that 3rd remote. Ask Sound Guy how much time he saved by going from a 10' cutter to a 15' batwing. Unless you really like mowing, a batwing is the way to go.

Later

 

[Glowplug]

Do I see that batwing that I was talking about in the near future. Forget about the 10' cutter, too slow. 15', now we're talking. Now that is a reason too justify that 3rd remote. Ask Sound Guy how much time he saved by going from a 10' cutter to a 15' batwing. Unless you really like mowing, a batwing is the way to go.

Back about a year ago when I first started looking at tractors seriously on a daily basis I wanted a batwing, knowing full well that I would get plenty of flack from everybody I know for it being overkill. That's what started me looking at 50hp tractors as a minimum. I wanted a decent sized mower. Part of the appeal for me for a batwing over a wide 10 or 12' mower was that it is in several flexible sections. 3 5-foot sections instead of one long section. You get less scalping over uneven terrain. Also, a 15' batwing is actually easier to transport than a 10' mower. Just fold the wings up and lock them in transport position. But the real reason is that it's just plain cool. It would be just "bad to the bone" pulling that thing out of the barn then letting down the wings slowly. But, I came to my senses. Plus, they're extremely expensive. I can get a really good 10' mower for less than half what I would pay for a 15' batwing. I do enjoy mowing and seat time. I had even considered getting a 7' or 8' mower just to get more seat time. But I just don't have that much time to spare. So, It looks like 10' for me as a good compromise for decent seat time but not too much.

Hey, you know, I drove past my local Kubota dealer and that 105(something) M class tractor looked awfully sweet!

Probably M105S. Don't tempt me dude! Nah, just kidding. Now those things are BIG!! I did joke with my dealer a couple of weeks ago. I said, "Hey, since I'm going overkill anyway, why don't I just get an M105?" But, the thing about the M7040 is that it is not a huge tractor by overall size. True, it may have more hp than I need and I would likely be happy with the M5040 (which is the same size) but I like the cast rims and limited slip differential on the M7040 enough to justify a couple thousand more. The extra horsepower is just a side bonus!!

 

[Lynkage]

Here are my planned tasks since everybody's so curious and doubtful:

Eventually, once cleared of fences and saplings, my property will be essentially wide open rolling pasture. Now I do have some decent size trees between 6 and 18". I plan to have these removed with an excavator. Total number is approx 50 on the 16 acres. Double that for the extra 12 acres.

.

I have removed a 24" tree with my L48's BH and it took about 1 1/2 hours. When I was done the base was about 7' round. Stuck it on the forks and in the dump trailer and away I went!!

 

[m7040]

I hooked up the 15 ft batwing to three remotes so each wing can be operated separately. If rocks are around on one side I just lift that side up a little to clear

 

[Glowplug]

I have removed a 24" tree with my L48's BH and it took about 1 1/2 hours. When I was done the base was about 7' round. Stuck it on the forks and in the dump trailer and away I went!!

I hooked up the 15 ft batwing to three remotes so each wing can be operated separately. If rocks are around on one side I just lift that side up a little to clear

All I've got to say is . . .
Sweet!!

 

[Glowplug]

Just stopped by my dealer's lot. I saw this one on the lot. M105S. Here you go Dargo.

 

[IslandTractor]

I like the cast rims and limited slip differential on the M7040 enough to justify a couple thousand more. The extra horsepower is just a side bonus!!

Me thinks you are a closet horsepower junkie.

 

[IslandTractor]

Well, it's not a lawn. Most of my sixteen acres, except for right around the house, is old horse pasture. ..... I'd like to keep it cut well, kill off all the weeds, overseed it, and fertilize it so that it eventually becomes a nice green pasture. That way, if there's no weeds, it could grow waist high but not look like a jungle.

If you fertilize it you'll need to mow every week, batwing or no batwing.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

Check this site out for cutters and for acres cut per hour. These guys have what I consider to be some of the best cutters out there. Of course you realize that you will cut more than 50% faster with a 15' batwing and you would be super cool.

More food for thought, I'm happy that you are getting the 3rd remote. I sure wish that I had.

Later

 

[Glowplug]

If you fertilize it you'll need to mow every week, batwing or no batwing.

I don't know about that. I had to mow my "lawn" at least once a week before I fertilized and killed the weeds. I call my lawn the couple acres around the house. The thing is, weeds grow really fast. After I sprayed to kill the weeds and fertilized it I could go longer between mowing if I wanted. A lot of people don't realize it but with well-established lush fertilized grass you probably don't have to mow as much as poorly established grass full of weeds. If it does go several weeks without mowing it will hopefully be just a high green field of grass and not look like a weedy jungle. And hey, if it does get to a point where I have to mow every week that'll give me some leverage with the wife to trade in the 10' cutter for a 15' batwing.

Me thinks you are a closet horsepower junkie.

Perhaps.

I actually am an "acreage junkie". I always wish I had more land.

 

[IslandTractor]

Maybe one of the professional landscapers on TBN knows the real answer. I always thought that you could pretty well control the weeds in a lawn by mowing regularly as grass grew pretty well even with mowing while weeds were controlled by not allowing them to get high enough to seed etc.

The most important factor in how quickly grass grows is probably rain but I'd still be careful about fertilizing a pasture that you did not want to grow quickly.

 

[Glowplug]

Check out this quote I lifted from the General Forums Buying/Pricing/Comparisons in the thread "Help! New Compact Tractor":

The other key is to NOT BUY TOO SMALL!! Too many people buy a tractor that is smaller than their needs and are disappointed. My neighbor has a Kubota B series tractor. He complains about it almost every time I see him out on the property. He whines about what it cannot do and won't do. He breaks things on it. The truth is the tractor is a fine machine. He simply underbought. Had he gone to the next size machine he would have been fine, as his property and his work demand a higher horsepower heavier duty machine. I have many times told him to go back and trade up to a larger machine, but he continues to "make due" with a too-small machine for his needs and is not happy. Food for thought.

That makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside!!

 

[Glowplug]

Another quote from another thread. This one from BTDT on the infamous "Landscaping tasks . . ." thread:

". . . (buy the most tractor you can afford now) so you don't have to re-do your purchase later."

Reading these other threads just puts a great big smile on my face every time.

I have GOT to stop replying to my own thread though. It feels kind of like I'm talking to myself.

 

[Dargo]

...but I'd still be careful about fertilizing a pasture that you did not want to grow quickly.

Okay, that's it! You've been talking to my wife now, haven't you!!?

She teased me all this last year about our lawn. You see, early this last spring I put out about 3000 pounds of 12-12-12 in the yard. I hadn't fertilized in years and I was thinking that the grass just wasn't looking quite that green anymore. Well, after having record rainfall this last year...you know what happened. If we didn't mow at least twice a week during the summer the lawn got out of control! I told her that I was just going to make it thicker and a deeper green looking.

 

[m7040]

here is a pic of my batwing mower. Mowe about 15 to 20 acres weekly during season

 

[IslandTractor]

I have about 4 acres or so of former pasture in front of my summer home that I mow about every two to three weeks. It looks like it hasn't been fertilized since the colonial farmers ruined the land two hundred years ago and I have at times thought about fertilizing and reseeding to make it nice and green. Then I pondered the consequences of doing so on my mowing tasks. Ye gads, I might even have to buy a bigger tractor with more horsepower. Given that I am a card carrying member of the "Less Horsepower" subdivision of TBN, my name would be mud if I did that so I've avoided spreading the fertilizer-On the pasture that is. Instead, I refocus my efforts towards keeping TBN green and healthy.

 

[72chevy4x4]

He said he located an M7040HD in Lexington.(

sorry this is off topic Glowplug-I've considered moving back 'home' to Lexington for a number of years and would love to have acreage! My preference would be to wake up in the morning, drive out with on a new Kubota tractor in Scott county and watch the fog in the valleys.

whatever you choose-good luck. Whatever size you choose, make sure you're happy.

 

[Glowplug]

I always thought that you could pretty well control the weeds in a lawn by mowing regularly as grass grew pretty well even with mowing while weeds were controlled by not allowing them to get high enough to seed etc.

I think that's absolutely right as well. That, as well as fertilizing the lawn and killing the weeds, helps establish the turf, choking out the weeds. A landscaper told me that if you just have healthy turf growing you may find you have to mow less because the turf doesn't grow as out of control and look as trashy as a bunch of weeds growing. So a tall healthy green turf looks okay, but a pitiful turf with tall healthy weeds looks like $h!t. So I think we both may be right.

M7040--I didn't know you had a batwing finish mower. That's pretty nice. I thought you probably had the old batwing rotary brush cutter. Your place looks better than a golf course though. Congratulations!


72Chevy4x4-I'm gonna send you a PM.
Hey, what happened to this being a thread about M-series tractors?!?!

 

[m7040]

chuck, seems like I keep surprising you. I may have to show you the Unimog truch as well