Tractor for mowing

[Tinkerer]

Well, our old John Deere lawn mower finally bit the dust, so I pawned.. I mean sold it to a guy from work. Which means that I have no lawn mower for next year. How well do the 8N's work for mowing a yard? I see them all the time, but have never used one. My yard is about two acres and the back part is a pretty serious hill, but that is the smallest part of the yard. Most of the yard is reasonably flat.

Would I be better off just getting another lawn mower? As I see it, if an 8N would work fine for this use, I couls justify getting another tractor to the wife, killing two birds with one stone!

 

[RobertN]

I have no expierience with one, so my opinion, is , well, just an opinion.

I have friends that have mowed with an 8N. They said it had a pretty fast ground speed, making mowing possible but a bit difficult. If you go to fast, the mower tends to run over the grass more than mow it.

It also required an overrunnuing clutch added to the pto shaft. Otherwise, the momentum of the mower blades could keep the pto, which is tied to the transmission, turning. In turn, it drives the back wheels. Apparently people have done without it over the years, with hairraising rides as they went down a hill or through a fence.

Newer tractors have those clutches built in.

So, yes, you can do it. Add the over-run clutch for safety. Surely more folks will chime in with more info/data /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Rimmer]

I have an old 8N (well, come to think of it, aren't they all?) that needs a good overhaul, but still runs OK. I do occasional rough cutting around the farm with it using a Woods M5 "Dixie Cutter" bush hog. It does an OK job on wide open areas, or on long, straight runs, such as along a fence row. In first gear it is reasonably slow, but maybe not as slow as you would want to go in some cases -- depends on how many obsticles you have to maneuver around in your yard. In close quarters you need to have at least one eye in the back of your head to turn. That big ol' tailwheel swings pretty fast in a turn, and I have whacked several fence posts with it. Just about every corner of the barn (galvanized, corregated metal) has been dented from my father mowing with the same tractor many years ago. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif How close to your house do you plan to trim with it? One slip with 3000 pounds of rolling machinery, or one turn made a few inches too soon and you will wish you hadn't come up with this idea! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

I suppose it's too late, but what model JD did you give up on? I have a Model 108 (8 hp lawn tractor/mower) that is about 25 years old, and is on its second engine, transmission, and front axle. I was going to sell it when I moved last year, but realized that I had put so much money in it I couldn't afford to let it go. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

Anyway, I'm switching to a Kubota BX23 for tilling, grading, mowing, digging, spraying, and general dirt moving around the place and will continue to use the Deere for lawn mowing. Hope to be able to treat the 8N to an overhaul one of these days.

/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[KenNTx]

I am a bit partial here..An 8N that is in good running condition will run you about $3500..You will need a finish mower for grass..This is not a brush hog, it is a deck with three blades..This will run you another $1000..And yes, an ORC is a MUST!! It prevents you from plowing into things when you depress the clutch..

Check out John Smith's site

http://home.att.net/~jmsmith45/

 

[Soundguy]

ist gear on the 8n, is arount 3 mph at pto speed.. a good finish mower with sharp blades should have no problem in grass 6" or less.. even shaggy thick grass.

While an ORC is great for big inertial loads like a rotary cutter.. probably not needed ( though won't hurt) on a finish mower.. as they have no flywheel ( stump jumper ).. and the blades are similare to lawnmower blades.

Soundguy

 

[Soundguy]

With 2 acers your right there on the edge.. but heck.. go for a 2nd tractor.... Why wear out a rider mower and take the extra time.

While I love an N... they ae not the definitive lawnmower.. unless you get a belly mower and turf tires.. ( if ya do.. then they are a great lawnmower.. ).

Might also look at a cub with a belly mower.. probably cheaper.. especially since you will pay 2-3K$ for the 8n, and another 1k$ to 1.2k$ for the rear finish mower.

Another option is a compact chineese tractor.. like a jinma.. new ones gor int he 3k range... gives you a new tractor not an older one.. similar price as the vintage 8n.

Cub is probably cheapest option.. but also weakest option.. no tall thick grass for it.. they ARE geared too high with their 3 spd tranny..

Good luck with that second tractor...

Soundguy

 

[Soundguy]

Oh yeah.. forgot to mention this... the price of a new rider mower.. if ya get a good one is going to be close to the tractor price range too... a new sears 25 hp rider mower is 3k$!!!

A economy 800$ mower would work.. till it died from overuse.. etc...

( get a tractor! ).. I got extra ones and love them!

Soundguy

 

[jinman]

For the price of an 8N and finish mower, you can get a very nice Cub Cadet shaft drive hydrostatic mower with a 46" deck at Tractor Supply. You'll have a brand new piece of equipment and your wife will love operating it. ...just a thought, but I'd think you'd want to consider all options.

 

[Egon]

I would also go for the rideing mower. It will be a lot easier to operate and get into much tighter spots. Easier to store too.

Egon

 

[g42guy]

I've had 8Ns in the past. Wonderful tractor to own. But if my main use was for mowing, even with 3 or 4 times larger lot than yours, my choice would not be a "N".

I would agree with Soundguy, a Cub would be a good choice. A Cub lowboy would be even better. You could even go up to an Farmall "A". They are a little bigger but still run a belly mower and are pretty easy to operate. AND may be a little cheaper than the Cubs. Cubs can sometimes get a little spendy just because a lot of people are doing exactly what you are thinking about.

Good Luck!!
Guy