Rotary Cutter Rotary mower recommendations

[jhansen17]

I'm in the market for a rotary mower. Here is my situation:

• Occasional use (less than 20 acres to mow a few times a year)
• Mowing mostly brome, red clover, etc.
• I own a '58 JD 630 and dad owns a JD 4030. Would like to have one mower that we can both use if possible.
• Live in eastern Nebraska.

Knowing these things, where would you advise me to spend my research energy (or what other questions do I need to answer first)?

Thanks.

 

[smstonypoint]

I would want a mower at least as wide as the tractor.

Does your budget allow for a batwing or a multiple spindle cutter? You have enough HP with the 4030.

Steve

 

[jhansen17]

I would want a mower at least as wide as the tractor.

Does your budget allow for a batwing or a multiple spindle cutter? You have enough HP with the 4030.

Steve

I would like that, too, but my 630 is about 7' wide. Can it handle a mower that big?

I think I want to stick with single spindle. We don't have that much to mow and time is not a factor (this would be more play than work, so if it takes a little longer to do I won't be complaining).

 

[Rocky Hoffler]

Would look a 6 ft. rotary cutter as they jump pretty good in price when you step up to 7 ft. try and select one that has gear box rated for your tractors bigger is better than smaller for as little use as you said will be using it look at craiglist for used one wouldn't pay more than half price of new and then would have to be in good shape. Happy mowing

 

[oldnslo]

How tall & how thick is the grass going to be when you mow? Iagree you want a mower as wide as your tractor and 7 foot would probably make the 630 grunt but those old 2-bangers had a lot of torque. Used to pull a 2-row Gehl chopper with a 520 gas.

 

[smstonypoint]

IMO, your 630 should be able to handle a medium-duty 7' cutter. I don't see the need for a heavy-duty cutter if you aren't dealing with saplings, brush, etc. You could always switch to the 4030 if you go too long between cuttings.

What brands do your local dealers carry? I don't think you can go wrong with any of the major brands.

Steve

 

[Poopdeck Pappy]

I'd recommend an 8 foot dual spindle if you can swing the price of it. Mowing with a 6 foot mower on a 7 foot tractor just doesn't sound appealing to me.

 

[Capricious]

Well, i am going to offer an opinion based on the 4 hrs of brush hogging experience that I now have.

While a cutter as wide, or wider, than the tractor is probably the way to go if one has large open areas to mow, I don't think I would want that in my situation. I have numerous trees to cut around, in addition to the piles of rocks that I created trying to clear the place of stones, and also have a few piles of un-burned logs remaining from bulldozing many years ago:



My cutter is about 4 inches narrower than the rear tires of the tractor (2 inches per side), and if it had extended out past the rear tires I would have been forever "hooking" things, or else i would have a sore neck from looking back all the time watching the thing (I do look back, but not constantly).

I should add that I only have a short section of one boundary that is fenced, and for other reasons I do not mow along that fence.

The OP did not describe the layout of the land in question so i don't know if any of the above would apply in his situation.

 

[Poopdeck Pappy]

For all you guys who like a rotary cutter to be narrower than the tractor, do you also want your lawn mower deck to be narrower than the track of the mower tires? I hope you never have to use a 15 foot bat wing mower because they don't make too many 16' foot wide tractors.

Mowing with a mower that is narrower than the tractor tires would be a PITA to me.

It's not a big deal to figure out how far your cutter sticks out from the tractor tires and leave yourself some room to maneuver around obstacles.

 

[Capricious]

"...Mowing with a mower that is narrower than the tractor tires would be a PITA to me..."


I didn't say it wouldn't be a PITA to you.

I said it wouldn't be a PITA to me.

 

[MESSMAKER]

Money will play into your decision. A 6 foot mower will be waaaay cheaper than a twin spindle or a batwing??. 20 acres is not that much with a 6 foot mower. Knock it out easy in a couple days or less. People would have you spend 5 thousand dollars to save 3-4 days a year. At $500 a year for your extra time, you would take 10 years to get back to even. The mower width is not that much of an issue as you are probably only talking a few inches of uncut grass.

 

[EddieWalker]

Are you buying new or used? What is your budget? With mowers, you get what you pay for. Lower cost means lighter mower, which might be fine for what you are looking for, but I've found that over the years, even with light use, they take a beating.

Like the others have suggested, get as big a mower as you can handle. Mowing sounds like fun, and it starts out being fun, but there will be a time when it turns into work. Might not be this year, or next year, but it will happen.

Most important thing when buying anything is where are you going to get the parts? Blades wear out, and things break when you hit something that wasn't supposed to be there. I have Landpride and I can get parts from any Kubota dealer quickly and easily. Even if you buy used, be sure there is a dealer or source for parts that's quick and reliable.

Eddie

 

[LD1]

I too would suggest an 8' twin spindle. Would be a good match to the 630 w/48pto HP, and would also work well with the 80HP 4030.

With a 6' mower beind a 7' tractor, you are going to be leaving a pretty good bit of grass around things cause you just cannot get close. Like along a fence or whatever.

7' single spindls are big and heavy. Not that your tractors couldnt handle them, but they take more power to run than a dual 8', and for similar build, price isnt much different.

And when you get into 7' and 8' twins, there really isnt any cheap units. They are all well built.

IF you do indeed decide to go 6', in my experience, there are FAR more light duty units out there than good ones, especially used. Sure, you can get a $300 cutter, and sure it might work a year. But mowing 20 acres a few times a year with it, with the tractors you have, it wont last.

 

[Poopdeck Pappy]

. . . . Mowing sounds like fun, and it starts out being fun, but there will be a time when it turns into work. Might not be this year, or next year, but it will happen. . . .

Ain't THAT the truth!