tractor configuration

[moonstruck]

I am in the process of buying a 7.7 acre horse farm on which I do not intend to raise horses. Therefore I will need a tractor to mow the roughly six acres of pasture. There is extensive fencing and a number of trees scattered on the somewhat uneven ground. I am wondering if a 30 hp tractor is about right and which mower I should consider. I don't really understand the advantages/disadvantages of mmm vs. rmm. I will need to make some tight turns and would like to mow as close to the trees/fencing as possible. Any informed advice will be greatly appreciated.

Moonstruck

 

[Golfgar4]

Welcome! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Based on the information you've provided, I would think a 30 hp would work well for your needs.

You mention that you will be mowing roughly six acres of pasture. For this, you would typically use a rotary cutter (a.k.a. bush hog, brush hog, shredder). This is a 3 pt. implement that is designed to do rough mowing of small diameter shrubs/trees, heavy weeds, etc. Once pasture areas have been mowed for awhile, the rotary cutter can actually do a reasonably nice job in maintaining the area and looking fairly groomed. However, the rotary cutter is not intended for "finish" mowing, such as on a typical lawn.

This is where the mid-mount mower (mmm) and/or the rear mount mower (rfm) would be used. The mmm deck fits under the tractor between the front tires and the rear tires and can be raised or lowered. It is the better choice IF there is a lot of close turning mowing that needs to be done. I believe that some mmm's can be found with rear discharge, which is an advantage because then you can up against an object in either direction rather than being forced to alway mow in one direction because the mower is a side discharge. I'm sorry that I can't tell you which manufacturer's offer rear discharge. The imprortant thing to remember with a mmm is to make sure to get a deck that is wider than the tractor's footprint so that you can get right up next to objects. Typically, mid mount decks are more expensive than the rear mount.

The 3 pt rear mount mowers are less expensive, easier to attach or remove, but do add length that you need to worry about when making turns. One of the common problems for a new operator is turning too quickly after running alongside an object and whacking it with the deck as you turn away.

Another advantage of the rear mount is that you can back it under a tree or fence to mow, while you couldn't do that with a mid mount. You also can get rear mounts in either side discharge or rear discharge styles.

I would think that if you expect to be using the tractor in a variety of ways, the rear mount mower would be more convenient just from the standpoint of ease of attaching and removing. That being said, the manufacturer's have been making improvements in the design of the mid mounts to make them easier to get on and off, although I would suspect that the rear mounts are still, overall, easier to handle.

Hope this helps. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[DAP]

Moonstruck ... although possible and I've even done it from time to time ... using a finishing mower (rear, middle or otherwise) is generally NOT used for horse paddock maintenance. Most folks use a rotary cutter, which is almost always a rear mounted implement. Your post sounds like you intent to use a finish mower as I've never seen a mid mount rotary cutter - as in bush hogging, etc.

As I said, I have finish mowed my paddocks (usually out of necessity) but it is hard on my equipment due to divets, soil gouging, small rocks turned up by paddock activity, etc.

Some folks even have PT machines with mowers or cutters on the front .. FMM!

Also if you end up not mowing the bark of those trees in the paddock, not to worry, the horses will do it for you.

If you run a rear mounted finishing mower and it has a wider footprint than your tractor, the fence lines and tree lines are much easier to get close to with the blade tips.

I've always thought that the MMM were a lil tougher to take off and put on, but that's just my opinion.

Now if all you're going to do is mow, than you could get buy with a much smaller machine but it will take more time.

I can't imagine owning a horse farm and not needing a tractor to do other things besides mowing [where horse farm means more than 2 or 3 animals].

Some very general rules:

The bigger the machine, the bigger the implement, the less maneuverability, and the best time to complete tasks. Bigger also means heavier and more expensive all around.

The smaller the machine, the smaller the implement, the better maneuverability, and a proportionate increase in the time it takes to complete tasks. Smaller usually means lighter and less expensive all around.

Now that you are completely confused, I will let the rest of TBN at you until you are swimming in answers that you didn't know questions existed for!

/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[DAP]

Gary, have you ever attached a RMM to a 3PH?

 

[Golfgar4]

Yes, I have.

If you're referring to my not mentioning hooking up the pto, that was an oversight on my part. I guess I didn't think it realy needed mentioning.

If that oversight was confusing, I apologize. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

[frank_f15]

i would think 30 hp is more than what u need, but not to oversized. and for your stated tasks i woull suggest the rear mounted rotary cutter, u just want to keep the pasture down not make a lawn of it.hope u are getting fel with it.

 

[DAP]

Naw Gary ... I just wasn't sure if there was a diff between attaching a rotary vs. a finish mower. I realize they're both 3PH, but have never set up a RFM.

/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Bob_Skurka]

moonstruck . . . I've got a 24 hp and a 30 hp tractor. I like the smaller tractor better for mowing because it has a tighter turning radius. I use a 60" rear finish mower. I also had a 60" rotary cutter, but sold it after I reclaimed the land and got it tame enough for the finish mower to handle without any problems. If you pasture land is smooth and if it is mostly grass and if they used to have horses on it and kept it maintained, then you may be able to simply use a finish mower. If it has not been maintained for a couple years or if it is rough, then you'll pobably need a rotary cutter for a couple years to help tame it. You may also need to smooth the land to get out any ruts, etc with a box scraper or york rake so that the pasture turns into a lawn. I was able to reclaim a soybean/corn field on the second summer you may find that your pasture becomes lawn pretty fast.

 

[moonstruck]

Thanks to all for your posts. It sound like a rear mounted rotary cutter is what I need, especially if I miss a week and end up with long grass/saplings etc. I just hope my wife does not start complaining that she thinks the pasture should look like our front lawn. If so, I'll go buy her a Snapper and tell her to "get to work" /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif <font color="yellow"> </font>

No, I haven't planned on getting a FEL since I'm not planning on keeping horses. I do have a mountain farm property about 2 1/2 hours away where I keep my B7800 with FEL and box scraper. I have come to the conclusion that the FEL would be in the way a little bit for tight mowing and I guess I could trailer the B7800 down if I really needed it. I may change my mind when snow comes but I live in NC where we don't get that much.

Now I have to decide on brand. I'm not stuck on Kubota even though I like my B7800 very much. Any ideas?

 

[Golfgar4]

Doug,

The basic differences in attaching the two are in the wheel setups. Usually, the rotary cutter has one tail wheel that has some height adjustment. But most of the adjustment comes from the top link and the 3pt arms. Tipping the top link so the front of the mower deck is lower than the back will give a rougher cut but will more easily cut heavier growth. Tipping the top link so the front of the deck is higher than than the back will provide a "cleaner", more finished cut, but you can't mow thick stuff as well without bogging down.

There are some larger rotary cutters that have two wheels coming off the back of the deck, but these seem to be for the larger hp decks.

The finish mower generally uses the four wheels at the corners of the deck for height adjustment, although they are used in conjunction with the 3 pt. Many times, guys don't even hook the top link up on a finish mower, which allows the deck to kind of float while mowing, thus giving a cleaner cut.

Now I need to say that I do not presently own either type of mower (or tractor for that matter! /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif). I'm sure some of the guys can give even better information than I have. I have used both rotary cutters and rfm's (and mid mounts too) in the past. I prefer the 3 pt rfm's over the mid mounts myself.

Hope this answered your question. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Bob_Skurka]

I've spent today on my Kubota B2910 and forgot how much fun it is to play around on that thing. But that said, I do admit to liking my NH TC24D better. I bought it specifically for mowing and doing work where the Kubota w/FEL simply does not fit. The TC24D is one frame size smaller than the B2910 and has a much tighter turning radius. I actually went to buy another Kubota and ended up with a New Holland. I still like Kubota and I like NH. The one thing I would recommend is HST transmission for mowing, especially if you have lots of things to mow around and in between.

 

[Golfgar4]

Moonstruck,

Since you obviously are willing to consider something other than Kubota, even though you already own one of those, you should visit as many dealers as you can get to and compare the various brands and options that are offered. Make sure that you compare like sizes and options to each other.

Since you didn't mention anything in your earlier posts, I'm guessing that you've not had to deal with any specific dealer for your Kubota, correct? If this is the case, then pay close attention to the qulaity of the dealer. I know I, and many others here, would gladly pay a little more up front for our tractor to ensure that we deal with a top notch dealer. That's the long term association that you need to worry about, and I believe that it is just as improtant, if maybe not more important, than the tractor that you finally decide to buy.

Of course, all of this was just my opinion. And you know what they say - " Everyone's entitled to their own stupid opinion! " /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[bebster]

You might find that with a rotary cutter in the back and no FEL that you become back heavy. This could be uncomfortable especially going up a hill. So you might consider at least suitcase weights on the front bumper as well.

 

[Poncho]

Moonstruck... there has been a lot of good information posted here but there is something else that may help in what type mower you get... that's what kind of grass is planted. Since it was a horse farm more than likely it will be a bahia or bermuda grass is my guess since you are in NC. These grasses are very coarse and are not to be mowed to close to the ground... if you do... eventually you won't need a mower because all you'll have is dirt and poosible erosion... which is where the FEL would come in handy! I'd recommend a bush hog... if you keep the blades sharp you will have a nice looking grass area and it's design won't allow you to mow too close.

 

[MossRoad]

You want to consider how much time you want to spend mowing. The larger tractors can run larger mowers which cut faster, which get you done sooner.... blah, blah, blah /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Also, a finish mower works great for finish mowing, but do you want to finish mow a pasture? Finish mowing requires mowing more often to get a lawn like look.

I have a 60" mower that will cut about 1 acre of lawn in 20-25 minutes if I don't beat on it. 6 acres would take me a little over 2 hours providing the lawn is nice and I only have to cut a couple inches off it. If it is more like a field than a lawn, then it wowld take much longer with my size tractor. In that case, I'd want something larger.

 

[moonstruck]

This discussion has given me a lot of good information. I did talk with my wife last night and she seemed to agree that we don't have to keep the pasture looking like our front lawn. I also don't want to have to mow every week either. It would be nice if I could get the job done in 1 1/2 hours or less. Maybe if I go with a 72" deck it would go pretty fast. I don't envision needing to remove the mower deck very often so ease of install/remove may not be a big factor.

Since the area is now occupied by 4 horses I assume that the ground may be rough in some areas for finish mowing and a rough cut mower would be best. Can you get a mid mounted rough cut so I could make tighter turns??

 

[Golfgar4]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Can you get a mid mounted rough cut so I could make tighter turns??
)</font>

No, I'm not aware of any rotary style mid mount mowers. As far as I know, they're all 3pt's.

Maybe there's some type of option where you can change the blades on a mid mount mower that will make it less of a finish mower, but I wouldn't know about that. I'm sure someone else may have some ideas for you, though. I can almost guarantee that anything that you can think of has probably already been looked at by someone else on TBN! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[KiotiJohn]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I don't envision needing to remove the mower deck very often so ease of install/remove may not be a big factor.
)</font> I'd like to make a prediction. You'll get your tractor, and before you know it, you'll be getting every implement you can put on it and will be changing out the mower frequently. It's kinda like gambling: becomes addictive! But then, life is short and should be enjoyed to it's fullest! John

 

[grandad]

Something else to consider about a mid-mount mower. It is often much more difficult to put on and take off than the rear 3 point types. Once it's on, it tends to stay on for extended intervals. Why is that important? Well, your situation may vary from mine, but that tractor of mine is always going into rough terrain where a mid mount mower would get snagged on something. If all you are going to do is mow the pasture, maybe that's not a problem, but mobility is definitely more limited with those mid mount mowers.