Need Finish Mower suggestions please

[02_powerstroke]

I'm looking to buy a finish mower for my Mahindra 2615 HST. The tractor is a 23 PTO HP and I'm not sure whether I should look into a 6' or would I be safer with a 5'?

I'm really new to all these different brands of implements and could use some of your suggestions about which ones to stay away from and which ones are good buys, etc....

I will be mowing around two acres on a weekly basis.

Model numbers, prices and dealer info would be much appreciated too.


Thanks in advance,

Matt Sullivan
Scipio, IN.

 

[hunterridgefarm]

02,

I pull a 6' finish mower behind a 25 PTO HP tractor and have no problems. I think it will work fine behind the 23 PTO HP that you have.

Now if you were talking about a bushhog type rough cutter then the 5' would be the limit for me.
Usually on a Finish Mower you can go one or two sizes bigger than the recommended brush cutter.

On the finish mower keep the blades sharp and the deck level and you will get a great cut.
Side or Rear discharge...? From some threads I have read in the past most seem to prefer the rear discharge.

As to brand, most major brands make a good finish mower, Woods, Bushhog, Land Pride... etc. I think some on TBN have the King Kutter brand and are happy and there is a brand called First Choice that looks good but I have never used one.

I am sure others will reply with information on Brands.

My rear finish mower is a Krone, is about 12 years old, has been a good one and I should get many more years of service.

Price, depending on brand maybe $900-$1500.

Dealers, Not being from your area I can't recommend a dealer but others may be able to.

 

[kingoflawns]

I also am in the market for a 60" finish mower for a 23 hp pto. I'm going with the landpride, the landpride gearbox in built to last!

 

[02_powerstroke]

One thing that I forgot to mention, the ground that I will be mowing is somewhat rolling. In other words, it's not totally flat (it has several mild dip and rises). So, I guess whatever I buy will also need to pivot (for lack of a better term) over the contour of the ground without scalping the grass terribly.

BTW, I'm sure it has been said a million times, but I really appreciate this site and all of it's members.....it's hard telling what kind of mistakes I might make or would have already made without all of the helpful insight. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Thanks again,



Matt Sullivan

 

[Newblue]

As far as dealers go in your area, I have dealt with some. I sent you a PM about a King Kutter I have for sale but for new around here--

Rural King in Columbus carries Farm Star finish mowers

Jacobi sales at the SR 9 and SR 46 crossing carries Woods and Bush Hog finish mowers

Miller Eq. in Greensburg carries Woods and LandPride

Deere dealer just down the road from Miller Eq. carries of course Frontier

Daves Farm service in Edinburg carries Befco

Tractor Supply in Greensburg carries King Kutter

Hope this helps. Any questions on prices just PM me if interested.

Mike

 

[Bob_Skurka]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">(
Daves Farm service in Edinburg carries Befco
)</font>

Befco, in my opinion, is by far the best brand of finish mower. They are not cheap, in fact they offer some pretty darn expensive models. Their high end models have features that are not found on most mowers, and the competitors that offer those features may only offer some but not all of the features. I sold a 60" Befco mower that was 10 years old to my dealer, he gave me $600 for it. He resold it for over $800. That was a 10+ year old unit!!! New finish mowers of the same size from some of the discount brands can be purchased for a little bit more than that price. But the prices paid for used equipment goes to show the reputation of Befco mower decks. They are built better. JMO

Now I also look at implements in terms of use. I will buy a cheap implement if I don't plan on using it much, but for something like a mower deck, where I will use it several hours EACH week, for perhaps 30 to 36 weeks a year, it seems to me that it is easy to justify the extra cost of buying a quality implement.

 

[Bill_in_MI]

I have used a Land Pride 60 inch (AT model) for my 2 acre field of weeds for several years now. I have about 25 pto hp now but used it very successfully on a tractor of about 15 pto hp for years. I put it to pretty tough use....weeds, green underbrush, leaf shredding, and the occasional gopher mound and big rock. The weeds get up to 10 inches high sometimes and I can still get cut just fine in one pass. The only thing I have had to do over the years is grease, sharpen blades, and tend to the gearbox oil. I would buy another when this one gives up the ghost.

 

[TBrown]

I mow with a 5' finish mower behind my 2015 HST with no trouble. I would think a 6' finish mower would be perfect for your 2615 even with some rolling hills.

Mine is a Bush Hog brand, and I'm happy with it. But there are a lot of different brands out there and I've no idea how Bush Hog measures up against Woods, Befco, Caroni, Sitrex, Rhino, King Kutter, Del Morino etc etc etc...

 

[NewToy]

I have a LandPride 60" finish mower I use with my 23.8 PTO HP FarmTrac. It's the AT series with a side discharge. The "AT" means air tunnel discharge in LandPride jargon. It works great on all types of grass, even damp grass from the dew. It really lifts up the grass and whacks it off real well. My land is also somewhat hilly and the floating top link really does a swell job. I was using a Cub with a 54" deck and was having all kinds of scalping issues that have been eliminated with the RFM. I also added the optional anti-scalping roller on the front. I don't think I would want to go any bigger than the 60" for my application as I'm able to weave in and out of some trees and other obstructions. I mow 3.5 acres and am satisfied with it. It's a heavy, well built unit.

John

 

[02_powerstroke]

I have found in shopping around today that I can have a new Land Pride FDR 1660 shipped to me for around $1,500.

That seems pretty fair to me. It is, right?

I have called two local dealerships and they were both well above that cost on this same model. In fact, one of them was at $1,750 and the other was $1,625 and both of those prices were before taxes.

 

[sweettractors]

The "First Choice" brand is probably 1 of the best grooming mowers out there--Ken Sweet

 

[accordionman]

SIR,
take a good look at your tractor.
measure the widest part, then buy a mower
that is no wider than your tractor. if you
have a mower that is wider than your tractor,
you might be in trouble if you try to drive between
trees that will only accept the width of your tractor.
i suspect a 60in mower would be about right for your
size tractor, as this size would take up to about 40HP.
good luck.
accordionman
wlbrown
wright city, mo.

 

[accordionman]

SIR,
forgot to add. buy a mower that only has
solid tires. my landpride had tube tires when
i bought it. i had lots of flats, until i bought
solid tires.
accordionman
wlbrown
wright city, mo.

 

[jcmseven]

I have had a Frontier (John Deere) branded mower for my tractor and really liked it. It was basically a Woods mower painted green. This topic is really a matter of opinion to some degree, but Woods and Befco consistently receive high marks for their quality. Befco mowers are made here in NC and are really excellent. Bob mentioned them and I would second his thoughts. Landpride and First Choice, etc. are close in quality and quality of cut, and would be less expensive. Personally though, I have never heard anyone I know complain about spending a bit extra for a Woods or Befco brand. Also, I do not know how wide your tractor is, but generally I would recommend a 5' for a machine with 23 PTO HP.

John M