Curt
Member
When I bought my machine in 2000, I really wanted a MMM, because it was my promise that I would take care of the more open lawn that allowed me to get the tractor. The MMM was very strong and I also used it for a 1.5 acre field-when it was dry, even though a rotary cutter would be more suitable.
In 2001 the rains started, and have yet to stop. Since then, the tractor (even with turfs) has been banned from the yard, and the field could hardly be entered by mid-summer. Then I bought a loader, with a weight bar for ballast. This meant (with 3ph disabled) that I couldn't mow with the loader on. Worse yet, I couldn't do much loader work with the mower on because of lack of ground clearance. Even with the deck off the linkages still managed to get buried. It was then I discovered, to my horror, that MMMs have $0 trade-in value. My dealer explained that very few tractors use that mower, and that most people who wanted one bought it with the tractor, as I did. For 2-1/2 years I put up with take loader & weights off for mowing, take mower off for loader work. What a pain! I know that most people here can make that switchover in three minutes tops, but I move slow.
At long last, accounting logic prevailed and I realized that the MMM was a "sunk cost" and that I should bite the bullet and look to the future since it's getting shorter. I made a deal with the reluctant dealer that he would remove the MMM and keep it, redo the loader braces, and sell me a 4-ft rotary cutter. I don't have room to store it, and he will try to sell it, perhaps to another dealer. He will decide if I get anything for it. I trust these people, and I have forgotten about it already. I've cut my field three times already, slogging through the mud and water. With all the rain, the MMM would be hung up most of the time. Our property is turning into a marsh, and I feel better prepared for the future.
FINALLY, I get to the points I wanted to make. First, MMMs are wonderful for mowing, and easier to use than any alternative. But make sure you really need one before you drop in your bucks. Be really careful if you plan to do much loader work. You might have lots of trouble in less than favorable circumstances. Second, life is too short to endure intolerable situations if you don't have to. I feel a new sense of freedom; my heart and back have thanked me already. I've always liked my tractor, but I like it even more now.
Regards, Curt p.s. sorry this is so long
In 2001 the rains started, and have yet to stop. Since then, the tractor (even with turfs) has been banned from the yard, and the field could hardly be entered by mid-summer. Then I bought a loader, with a weight bar for ballast. This meant (with 3ph disabled) that I couldn't mow with the loader on. Worse yet, I couldn't do much loader work with the mower on because of lack of ground clearance. Even with the deck off the linkages still managed to get buried. It was then I discovered, to my horror, that MMMs have $0 trade-in value. My dealer explained that very few tractors use that mower, and that most people who wanted one bought it with the tractor, as I did. For 2-1/2 years I put up with take loader & weights off for mowing, take mower off for loader work. What a pain! I know that most people here can make that switchover in three minutes tops, but I move slow.
At long last, accounting logic prevailed and I realized that the MMM was a "sunk cost" and that I should bite the bullet and look to the future since it's getting shorter. I made a deal with the reluctant dealer that he would remove the MMM and keep it, redo the loader braces, and sell me a 4-ft rotary cutter. I don't have room to store it, and he will try to sell it, perhaps to another dealer. He will decide if I get anything for it. I trust these people, and I have forgotten about it already. I've cut my field three times already, slogging through the mud and water. With all the rain, the MMM would be hung up most of the time. Our property is turning into a marsh, and I feel better prepared for the future.
FINALLY, I get to the points I wanted to make. First, MMMs are wonderful for mowing, and easier to use than any alternative. But make sure you really need one before you drop in your bucks. Be really careful if you plan to do much loader work. You might have lots of trouble in less than favorable circumstances. Second, life is too short to endure intolerable situations if you don't have to. I feel a new sense of freedom; my heart and back have thanked me already. I've always liked my tractor, but I like it even more now.
Regards, Curt p.s. sorry this is so long
