Mowing Mowing with the loader off?

[daTeacha]

I don't bush hog very much, just when the hay is taken off the field across the street and I clean up the edge near the ditch. Last time, I just took the bucket off and left the loader arms and such on. That seems to be a good compromise, allowing me some counter weight, some ability to mash things like small trees before mowing, and yet not having all that weight quite so far out in front. I can see the QA plates a lot easier than the front edge of the bucket.

 

[wushaw]

Loader off for all the reasons already said if i use the Bota.

 

[Theowegian]

I always remove the front end loader when I bush hog or finish mow. It is so easy to remove (less than 5 minutes) and the result is a more pleasurable mowing experience, for me anyway.

 

[thcri]

thcri... Chances are very good you wouldn't come to a stop, the loader would rise up over the problem and hopefully give you the time to stop before the mower hits that problem...

If you are high enough and the front tipped up yes you would be ok. However, if you hit something higher than your loader you will stop. And if you hit something large enough from one side you will be twisting your arms. I just would not do it, to me it is not designed for that. If using for counter weight the loader on is ok, but otherwise take it off so you can see.

murph

 

[LeadPoison]

Instead of taking the whole loader off I just pop the bucket off. Takes the bounce out.

 

[MossRoad]

I had a big discovery this past weekend. I took off my 853FEL when I mowed my 10 acres. What a difference! I could actually mow faster, see better, less weight and less bounce/rattle on the loader when I hit the bumps. The loader took about 5 minutes to take off and the same to attach when I was done.

Anybody else do this?

Why yes, I do. It takes me 15 seconds to drop my loader and I don't even have to get off the tractor. Watch a video of that here.

But seriously, on my old traditional tractor, I found the loader just gets in the way in tight spaces and also is hard to see over. On the plus side, it was useful for knocking down brush before having to run it over with the tractor to get it under the brush hog.

This works much better Watch another movie and then watch this last one. Much easier to mow over the stuff before driving over it.

 

[PineRidge]

Moss that thing really is a mowing machine. Is that you in the movie?

 

[DMF]

I have always mowed with the loader on although I have always wondered how smart that was... I have also used the loader as a "stump" finder when hogging a new area at low speed.

When I added front hydrualics I ran the lines down the loader arms and mounted the QD's to the front spreader (in hindsight, maybe not the greatest idea...) so it would be more difficult at this point for me to remove the entire loader. I've been planning to try to mow without the bucket at some point but just never got around to it... maybe I'll give it a try after reading these comments...

 

[JerryG]

I always mow with my loader on. A lot of the area that I mow is so steep that the front of the tractor tries to lift. I would have to put several suit case weights on to keep the tractor stable.

 

[Volfandt]

FEL always off when mow'n.
I finish mow around all kinds of things that wouldn't take to kindly to getting aquainted w/the FEL.