Mowing New tractor. New 8 foot rotary cutter. A good match!

plowhog · May 14, 2017

Finally got my new Massey Ferguson 1758 into operation! Spent several hours brush hogging yesterday. What a difference from brush hogging with my Massey GC 1710 open station! Bugs are *outside* the cab. I'm in the shade, with a/c, sitting on an air ride seat. The cab model is not as nimble to brush hog around or under trees, but otherwise, it is a huge difference. I only brush hog morning or evenings with the 1710 because I don't like to sit in the hot sun. The cab opens the schedule to any time of day.

The selection of a rotary cutter for this tractor was a difficult decision. Single or dual spindle, width, 3pt, pull, or semi-mount, and which manufacturer. I chose a Woods MDS 8.30 eight foot dual spindle with 3 point hitch. Safety chains front and rear. It works great. The tractor has the needed PTO power to operate it just fine, and the HLA grapple in front is plenty of counterweight. With eight feet of width it cuts the pasture pretty quick. I did wonder if I could have run a ten footer, but I'm plenty happy with the current combination. All in all, a good matchup.

Slowpoke Slim · May 14, 2017

Looks nice. How much pto hp does that cutter need?

I have yet to use my 6 footer.

plowhog · May 14, 2017

I believe the cutter requires 45 PTO horsepower, which is exactly what the tractor has.

motownbrowne · May 14, 2017

Very nice setup! There was a nice looking 84" twin spindle on my local Craigslist for under $1500 that I should have snapped up. I would really like a mower like that, but I emptied my attachment budget already this spring, so I couldn't do it.

One thing I'd suggest is to try mowing without the grapple. Unless you're using it while mowing, of course. After trying all the options, I really find that it's my preference to mow with the whole loader off, but usually I just cheat and drop the bucket instead. Of course your mower is pretty heavy, so some weight up front would be nice, but it's so much easier to maneuver around stuff when the tractor is 2' shorter and doesn't have a wide heavy implement hanging off the front.

plowhog · May 15, 2017

I will try it without the grapple next time. This was the first pass through about 15 acres, and I wanted *something* in front sniffing for boulders or hidden sprinkler heads. Probably should have used the bucket for the first pass as it would be more effective for that.

bspeedy · May 15, 2017

Beautiful equipment. The cab really is a different world of tractoring. I agree about the grapple. Drop it and you will feel like you are driving a sports car.

jenkinsph · May 15, 2017

plowhog said:
Finally got my new Massey Ferguson 1758 into operation! Spent several hours brush hogging yesterday. What a difference from brush hogging with my Massey GC 1710 open station! Bugs are *outside* the cab. I'm in the shade, with a/c, sitting on an air ride seat. The cab model is not as nimble to brush hog around or under trees, but otherwise, it is a huge difference. I only brush hog morning or evenings with the 1710 because I don't like to sit in the hot sun. The cab opens the schedule to any time of day.

The selection of a rotary cutter for this tractor was a difficult decision. Single or dual spindle, width, 3pt, pull, or semi-mount, and which manufacturer. I chose a Woods MDS 8.30 eight foot dual spindle with 3 point hitch. Safety chains front and rear. It works great. The tractor has the needed PTO power to operate it just fine, and the HLA grapple in front is plenty of counterweight. With eight feet of width it cuts the pasture pretty quick. I did wonder if I could have run a ten footer, but I'm plenty happy with the current combination. All in all, a good matchup.

View attachment 509458

Very nice set up and ideal for mowing with a large compact. Enjoy the new bug free environment.:thumbsup: I have had cabs for many years and only rarely need an open station tractor.