The Life of a Custom Mowing contractor

[BleedingOrange]

Great stuff. Can those 2 posts be accidental pushed over, or completely removed, to make turning a lot easier ?

 

[Hay Dude]

Great stuff. Can those 2 posts be accidental pushed over, or completely removed, to make turning a lot easier ?

No because there’s a chain pulled between them to keep the party punks and their lifted trucks out of the field.
The owner has given me a key. I am responsible for keeping the chain up between the posts.
I saw a guy wandering around in the field Saturday late morning and told him to leave.

Trespassers are a big annoyance around here. They come in via the RR tracks. It’s no wonder all our property owners vote down on “rails to trails” when a railroad goes dormant.

 

[scootr]

Great stuff. Can those 2 posts be accidental pushed over, or completely removed, to make turning a lot easier ?

I was thinking removing the one on the right would give 5-6 ft more room.

 

[Hay Dude]

I was thinking removing the one on the right would give 5-6 ft more room.

That would be nice. The owner is a great guy. has a backhoe and pulled me out once when my son got a little too close to some soft ground….

 

[EddieWalker]

Do you need 4wheel drive for a dedicated mowing tractor?

My neighbor has two tractors. Both 100 hp. One is 4 wheel drive and he barely uses it. The other is a 2 wheel drive, cab, and no loader.

I was watching him mow with his 15 foot batwing yesterday, and I was impressed at how quickly he could turn around. I bet his visibility is really good too!!!! I talked to him later in the day and he said that it's night an day better mowing with the 2 wheel drive tractor. The more I thought about it, the more it makes sense if traction isn't needed.

 

[MMC]

Do you need 4wheel drive for a dedicated mowing tractor?

My neighbor has two tractors. Both 100 hp. One is 4 wheel drive and he barely uses it. The other is a 2 wheel drive, cab, and no loader.

I was watching him mow with his 15 foot batwing yesterday, and I was impressed at how quickly he could turn around. I bet his visibility is really good too!!!! I talked to him later in the day and he said that it's night an day better mowing with the 2 wheel drive tractor. The more I thought about it, the more it makes sense if traction isn't needed.

Your point is well taken, but only in select areas of the country. Two wheel drive used tractors are available with high horsepower at (relatively) attractive prices.

The problem comes when trying to have good directional control and provide enough tractive power when dragging a heavy boat anchor behind us... And yes, I can use differential brakes to steer on hillsides - I'm old.

For perspective, my Bushhog 2815, tricked out, weighs about six thousand pounds. It's a given you need a heavy tractor in front of it in Kentucky.

Ninety percent of the time you can do fine with a two wheel drive. It's that ten percent that get you in trouble on even slight hillsides with surface moisture (or even very dry - read, slick) on your grass. You begin to put yourself and your machinery in some peril. Even if you are smart and quit while you're ahead in these situations, you're going to spend a good part of a productive day getting a stuck machine back out.

Not to mention the damage to one's ego. Yeah, of course I've done it...with 4WD...

I'm certainly not against two wheel drives. We got along with them for many decades. But admit it, don't you love these newer 4WD drives?

 

[Hay Dude]

I seem to be “the guy” that does all the steep/dangerous ground in my area, so yes, definitely want 4WD and a cab.
I’m going out in comfort and safety!

 

[MMC]

I seem to be “the guy” that does all the steep/dangerous ground in my area, so yes, definitely want 4WD and a cab.
I’m going out in comfort and safety!

Yeah, I'm "that guy" too, on this farm. To the point I have put my hand on the manual throttle and feet lightly on each brake, saying, "When this freight train breaks loose, what's my plan to land it at the bottom?"

And I don't allow others to mow certain areas where I go. No bravado here...just lucky enough to learn how close you can get to the edge over decades. But younger people, a hard no, for their safety and my conscience.

But if the AC or heater ain't working, other folks are doin' it, not me at my age LOL.

 

[pmsmechanic]

Do you need 4wheel drive for a dedicated mowing tractor?

My neighbor has two tractors. Both 100 hp. One is 4 wheel drive and he barely uses it. The other is a 2 wheel drive, cab, and no loader.

I was watching him mow with his 15 foot batwing yesterday, and I was impressed at how quickly he could turn around. I bet his visibility is really good too!!!! I talked to him later in the day and he said that it's night an day better mowing with the 2 wheel drive tractor. The more I thought about it, the more it makes sense if traction isn't needed.

For me the fact that the 2wd tractor has no loader would automatically make it better for mowing.

 

[Hay Dude]

Yeah, I'm "that guy" too, on this farm. To the point I have put my hand on the manual throttle and feet lightly on each brake, saying, "When this freight train breaks loose, what's my plan to land it at the bottom?"

And I don't allow others to mow certain areas where I go. No bravado here...just lucky enough to learn how close you can get to the edge over decades. But younger people, a hard no, for their safety and my conscience.

But if the AC or heater ain't working, other folks are doin' it, not me at my age LOL.

We have had a couple guys get banged up real good around here rolling over on hills.

We call it getting “tumble dried” (like a person being tumble dried in a clothes drier) when you roll sideways on a hill.