tow behind vs. 3pt brush mower

[Ken45101]

I'm thinking about getting a new brush mower for mowing pastures and trails. Probably an 8'.

I currently have a 6' 3pt mount, single tail wheel. I wondering if a tow behind would be easier to work with, or not? I have a lot of uneven terrain and hills. Seems to me that a tow behind would follow the ground easier and would have less stress on the changing terrain.

Also a tow behind would follow the tractor on turns instead of swinging wide. I seem to push grass over rather than cutting it in the corners.

I recognize that backing up or turning around would be a lot easier with the 3 pt mount.

Or maybe just having dual tail wheels on a 3 pt mower would give me most of the advantages.

What are the pros and cons of the two approaches?

(Yes, I have the tractor for either setup, 55 hp and hydraulic connection.)

thanks

Ken

 

[MikeInEburg]

I like pull-behind for wide-open spaces and 3-point for tight quarters. The pull-behind is way easier on the tractor and driver, as well as following the contours better.

There have been a couple of recent threads on this very subject - you may want to do a search.
Mike

 

[jenkinsph]

I like a tow behind especially if cutting large areas. Backing up is no problem either and the ride is alot better than if you used a heavy 3 pt model. You can get a nice cut with a pull type too.

I currently have a 6' 3 pt model but would buy a larger pull type if I had more to cut.



Steve

 

[LBrown59]

I like pull-behind for wide-open spaces and 3-point for tight quarters. The pull-behind is way easier on the tractor and driver, as well as following the contours better.

The problem I'd have with a pull behind is you can't drive the tractor out over road banks and ditches or through wet areas.

I like a tow behind especially if cutting large areas. Backing up is no problem either and the ride is alot better than if you used a heavy 3 pt model. You can get a nice cut with a pull type too.Steve

Tow behinds are worthless to mow out over banks ditches and wet soft areas.
I'll take a 3 point suspended mower.

 

[jenkinsph]

The problem I'd have with a pull behind is you can't drive the tractor out over road banks and ditches or through wet areas.


Tow behinds are worthless to mow out over banks ditches and wet soft areas.
I'll take a 3 point suspended mower.

Gee Mr Brown,

I think everyone in the discussion has a 3 pt deck, were discussing the addition of a pull type deck. Both have their attributes.

Steve

 

[Ken45101]

I like a tow behind especially if cutting large areas. Backing up is no problem either and the ride is alot better than if you used a heavy 3 pt model. You can get a nice cut with a pull type too.

Steve,

Help me understand why the ride would be better or the cut nicer with a tow behind. Assuming dual tail wheels, both rears normally ride on two wheels and on the front on either a single (pull) or double pivot (3 pt lower arms) at about the same distance behind the tractor axle.

You can lift the 3 point rear off the ground, but that's not normally the way I mow. The tow behind can be adjusted on-the-go for different heights and the deck stays level, which is an advantage over the 3 pt.

Thanks,

Ken

 

[jenkinsph]

Ken,
Anytime you have a heavy implement rigidly mounted to the 3 pt hitch it tends to move the tractor around, especially one like a mower deck which extends so far back. With a pull type the hitch allows it to swivel which greatly reduces the lateral forces, same is true with the vertical movement over terrace rows and dips ect.

 

[jenkinsph]

Ken,
If you are referring to the semi mount MX8 it will still have the lateral forces.

For a pull type deck I would prefer one with the support wheels closer to the center line of the deck and to each side. Bushhog and Mohawk used to make them.

 

[bigdeer2000]

i have a 15 ft pull behind cutter that i bought to mow the sloping banks arround ponds and the right of wqy on the road i live on. i have a 6 ft 3 point cutter for my smaller tractor that doesn't do near the job of mowing arround a pond.

 

[FlaDon]

The problem I'd have with a pull behind is you can't drive the tractor out over road banks and ditches or through wet areas.


Tow behinds are worthless to mow out over banks ditches and wet soft areas.
I'll take a 3 point suspended mower.

A 3 pt also might make your tractor sink in in the wet spot while the trail behind wouldn't. In really wet areas, back the pull behind back into the wet areas and finish cutting when pulling forward. Both 3 pt and pull behinds have their places. A 3 pt is less safe when mowing uphill and you have to raise it. We have a 5' King Cutter pull behind on the Case VAC while the Ford Farm Master had a 5' King Cutter 3pt.

 

[Ken45101]

Ken,
Anytime you have a heavy implement rigidly mounted to the 3 pt hitch it tends to move the tractor around, especially one like a mower deck which extends so far back...

I just realized that we may be discussing different 3 pt setups My current Woods mower has over a foot of front-back movement on the top link connection so I guess that's not the "rigid" that you are referring to. I just realized that some 3pt mounts don't have that movement and do move the entire 3pt hitch up and down as the terrain varies. My Woods does not, the top link doesn't become tight unless I want to lift the tail wheel off the ground. So essentially there isn't a whole lot of difference between my Woods 3 pt and a tow behind when moving in a straight line. It's just on turns where a tow behind would trail better.

That's a good point for me to remember when I'm looking a new mowers.

Ken

 

[LBrown59]

*A 3 pt also might make your tractor sink in in the wet spot while the trail behind wouldn't. In really wet areas, back the pull behind back into the wet areas and finish cutting when pulling forward. Both 3 pt and pull behinds have their places. A 3 pt is less safe when mowing uphill and you have to raise it. We have a 5' King Cutter pull behind on the Case VAC while the Ford Farm Master had a 5' King Cutter 3pt.

*That's the reason for hanging a mower on a 3 point so i can mow over the wet area while keeping the tractor on dry solid ground.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

The problem I'd have with a pull behind is you can't drive the tractor out over road banks and ditches or through wet areas.


Tow behinds are worthless to mow out over banks ditches and wet soft areas.
I'll take a 3 point suspended mower.

What would make you think such a thing?

We mow road banks, ditches, and PLENTY of wet areas every day with batwing mowers. EVERY one of them a pull-type mower. I actually PREFER a drawn mower in wet conditions. Less weight on tractor (rear wheels) ----less sinking by rear wheels----less "stuck"/less damage to turf. We've had more'n enough chances to test that theory this spring.


To OP; Drawn mowers allow you to size up in some cases. NOT having to tote all the weight of a bigger 3-point hitch mower takes a little bit of the load off the tractor. In conditions favorable to a drawn mower, they're a lot more pleasant to operate than a typical 3-point mower of the same physical size. Much better ride. You sacrifice a small bit in regards to manueverability, but not so much as it would seem.

 

[jenkinsph]

I just realized that we may be discussing different 3 pt setups My current Woods mower has over a foot of front-back movement on the top link connection so I guess that's not the "rigid" that you are referring to. I just realized that some 3pt mounts don't have that movement and do move the entire 3pt hitch up and down as the terrain varies. My Woods does not, the top link doesn't become tight unless I want to lift the tail wheel off the ground. So essentially there isn't a whole lot of difference between my Woods 3 pt and a tow behind when moving in a straight line. It's just on turns where a tow behind would trail better.

That's a good point for me to remember when I'm looking a new mowers.

Ken

Ken,
I have an MX6 3 pt which also has the free play in the top link. As far as a straight line both will ride well but picking up the mower, turning sharp or just transporting to the field are all part of the ride and the tow behind is more comfortable with less strain on the tractor. In most cases you will find both may be needed.


Steve

 

[Ken45101]

Ken,
In most cases you will find both may be needed.

Aww gosh, Steve! The battle in hooking up the 3pt is one of the reasons I am considering the tow behind.

Yeah, I know an 8' or 10' tow behind for the fields and the existing 6' for the trails would be ideal, but I don't really want the battle of hooking up.

Ken

 

[Builder]

I have no "alliance" to either type, but wouldn't a 3 pt mount be easier to clean since you could lift it with the 3pt, block it up, slide yourself under & scrape the deck clean?

One other thing to ask the experts while they're here:

Anyone ever see a 7' 3pt (not pull type) rotary bush hog with hydraulic tail wheels to adjust the height?

Thanks.

 

[Ken45101]

I have no "alliance" to either type, but wouldn't a 3 pt mount be easier to clean since you could lift it with the 3pt, block it up, slide yourself under & scrape the deck clean?

OMG! I would never crawl under it to clean it, even if it were blocked up. But then I've never found a need to clean mine and I've never seen any accumulation under it.

Anyone ever see a 7' 3pt (not pull type) rotary bush hog with hydraulic tail wheels to adjust the height?

I think Bush Hog calls that "semi mount". It is an option.

Ken