Newbie needs advice on choosing mower for JD 5205.

felonius · Sep 29, 2005

Awaiting delivery of my first tractor, a Deere 5205 MFWD. I will be using it to mow 15-20 acres of pasture. The land is a bit hilly, has some bottomland that can get boggy, and there are two wet-weather-only streambeds running through the pasture. The pasture hasn't been mowed regularly for several years, so there is some privet, nettles and other brush that needs to be controlled. The only mower I have had experience with was an old 6 foot Bush Hog on my grandparents' Ford tractor many years ago.

What will work best to cover this size pasture and be able to keep saplings and brush under control along the streambeds? Can I run a larger (i.e 96 inch) or dual-rotary cutter with my 50 HP PTO? Am I better of with a drag mower or one I can lift like the smaller bush hogs? How about a bat-wing type mower?

One neighbor pointed out that a wider mower is better for working along fence lines, since I won't have to drive the tractor wheels right up against the fence. I would guess that a wider mower (i.e. wider than the tractor's width) would also be better for mowing the streambeds without having to drive the tractor down into them.

Any thoughts on type, brands, etc. would be greatly appreciated.

beenthere · Sep 29, 2005

Either a single batwing (two decks) or a double bat-wing (3 decks) depending on the recommended mowers for your tractor. The dealer will have that info. I suspect a single batwing.

Just consider the batwings are the pull type and may have a detrimental effect if you get stuck in the mud in the pasture. Might have to disconnect to get out, and retrieve later, or find someone to pull you out with everything connected. Best thing is to not mow when it is wet, or avoid those areas. Sometimes that is easier said than done. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

tjkadar · Sep 29, 2005

Take a look at Bush Whacker Rotary Mowers We recently purchased a T-104 eight foot cutter for our 63 PTO HP tractor. We could have gone wider, but then I would have had to change out all the gates on my pastures. We considered a batwing mower, but the extra cost and the added complexity easily dissuaded us from going that route. Our tractor can handle the weight of the 8’ mower on the 3pt hitch, so that is the type we went with.

You can usually get more cutting width per PTO HP with a pull behind as opposed to a 3pt hitch type. A 3pt hitch type is easier to back and gives you the ability to completely lift the mower off of the ground to clear obstacles, etc. If that is not a concern, then a wider pull type might be better option.

One of the first things to do is to set a budget and then begin looking at the options within that budget. Sometimes it’s the cost that determines the width as much as PTO HP. For your needs, I would consider a 7’ to 10’ dual spindle rotary mower. If you are going 8’ to 10’, consider a pull behind and maybe a batwing for the bigger end of the spectrum.

Don’t be afraid to call some of these manufacturers and/or their sales reps and see if they can give you some helpful advice. With enough opinions, you can start to sort through the wheat and chaff.

Soundguy · Sep 29, 2005

50 pto hp should let you pull a 10' mower fine.

I personally have a 3pt 10' mower ( howse HD ), and love it.. price was so good I could not say no. However.. I have that nice florida 'flat as a pancake' land... no dips / hills.

If you have hills that are more than 'rolling' you might consider a side wing / batwing / v mower.. that way the mower will follow the contour more evenly.

I don't know if a 10' batwing is available.. I know 12' are... if you went at it slow.. i don't think a 12' will be much more 'hard work' than a 10'

Otherwise you have already rec'vd info on the differences between pull and 3pt...

If you have the remotes.. that is also a plus.

Another thing to consider is pto spline/speed. Some 'large' mowers are set up for the 1000 rpm pto some aren't.. then again.. some tractors have swapapble pto shafts as well. Just be informed before you buy.

Soundguy

have_blue · Sep 29, 2005

felonius,

With 52a to mow (aargh!), you need to choose the widest mower you can pull without having to slow your tractor down. Wider is better only up to a point. When you get right up against the last foot of capability for your tractor, mowing speed usually trumps mower width.

In other words a 10 footer you can pull along briskly will probably finish faster than a 12 footer you have to drop a gear or 2 for.

Good luck! Please keep us posted on your choice and results!

Soundguy · Sep 29, 2005

( With 52a to mow (aargh )

Was 15-20a right?

( In other words a 10 footer you can pull along briskly will probably finish faster than a 12 footer you have to drop a gear or 2 for. )

I'd deffinately agree.. except.. finding a batwing 10' may be like pulling teeth... especially from a price point of view.

Kinda depends on what his budget is. If low.. he might look at an economy brand 10' fixed 3pt unit.. they are cheaper than a drag.. however won't follow the terain quite as good as a 10' fixed pull type.. nor would either fixed unit follow the terain as good as a batwing or v wing design... etc.

10ac takes me less than 3hrs to mow with a 10' 3pt mower.. that would be 4.5-6 hrs on 15-20 ac... not a bad job either way. My land is flat.. but not pavement smooth. If it were.. i could probably catch another gear /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif but as it is.. 5th(high) is fine! and the seatbelt is a nice option /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Soundguy

tjkadar · Sep 29, 2005

10' Flex-Wing Rotary Mower

felonius · Sep 29, 2005

So if I understand correctly, the main advantage of a batwing is that it follows the terrain better right? I guess it's also a big advantage when going wider than 10 feet since you can fold it up to go through gates or tight spaces. The main disadvantage would seem to be cost and complexity.

It sounds like a ten foot pull or 3pt might be a good option for me in terms of cost. I'd rather not spend more than $3,500, but will do so if needed to get the job done.

My main concern is being able to get the wet-weather creek beds mowed as much as possible. They're fairly small (3-4 feet across and maybe 2 feet deep and dry most of the time) and I'm not sure what, if anything, will work here. It would be quite a job to have to use a weedeater all the time. There are currently cedars and brush growing out of stretches of them, which I am going to clear. I then hope to keep the trees and brush under control there with a mower of some sort.

A few more questions. Do you think my JD 5205 could lift a 10ft dual spindle three point mower? Would the three point setup be better for the creek bed areas vs. a pull mower? I'm guessing I'll have to get a mower that is wider than the tractor's width in order to mow these areas without driving the tractor down into the creekbed. I'd be willing to spend more for a batwing if I though it would be flexible enough to get down on the creek bed banks and mow it well.

Kyle_in_Tex · Sep 29, 2005

I wonder how much that Hall 10 footer costs?

$3500 won't get you real far when it comes to 8' and up cutters. You might look for a used one.

Soundguy · Sep 29, 2005

( I'd rather not spend more than $3,500, )

/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif For 3500$ your local dealer -may- let you drive by his yeard and let you -look- at a batwing mower, as long as you don't get out of your car /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif.

The big players are schulte, bush hog, jd makes some fine mowers too. many others. When I was pricing mowers.. Many times I found the 12' mowers were as high as 15' mowers due to lower sales volume. I got prices that ranged 8000$ and up and up /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

Real beater rust buckets can be had in the 1200-4000$ range.. with the 3000-4000$ ones still having some good usefull life left in them. The 1200$ ones will have multiple deck rust holes.. missing or different rear travel tires.. leaky bad hyds.. LOTS of BAD repairs, and gear boxes full of grease, cause the oil seals leak.. blades with rounded off tips.. etc /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

After i bought my tractor.. I had not much money left over for a mower.. I ended up getting a 10' howse HD mower for 2300$ plus tax.. I had to arange to pick the unit up from the dealer from that price, and it was a 'crate' deal.. unassembled. Took me about 3 - 4 hours to assemble the 'A' frame, install pins, setup turn buckles and travel wheels, install pto and slip clutch, fill all three gear boxes with lube, and then bolt the gearbox drivetrain shield in place.

the 3pt was hundreds of $$ cheaper than the 10' lift model... mostly due to hyds involved in the lift wheels.. etc.

I'm happy.. Have mowed part of last season with it, and all this season so far. No issues.. except that I did have to go back after a few hours and tighten a few bolts ( wheel hub on a travel wheel, and a 3pt lift pin... )

A few things to think of. At 10' your mowers will have cat 2 pins.. make sure your tractor is cat2 ready. Also.. this mower was still using 540 rpm pto.. some mowers use the 1000rpm pto.

Mind you that was last years price before the steel shortage.. so I expect $$ to have gone up a bit. But I can sure tell you.. I could not find a cheaper new 10' mower anywhere..

I hear howse will be making a 15' mower.. perhaps a copy o fthe flex15 soon.. I may sell my 10' and get the 15 if that ever becomes a reality.

The upright metal supports are at least 1/2 and some 5/8 inch stuff.

Deck metal is thick enough for me to walk across with -0- give.. so that's what? 1/4 plate at least?

Good mower for the money in my book, so far.

Good luck with whatever you choose. undoubtedly.. a 'big' name brand will imply a bit more quality.. I expect that.. (schulte is a grass cutting monster ) however at 4+x the price?? kinda makes ya think a bit /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Soundguy