What is the major difference?

[GreatWhitehunter]

What are the differences between Midmount mowers and 3pt mower other that attachment methods? I'm looking at purchasing some land. Three acres are grass. I plan on getting horses so I'll be making an acre or so a paddok for them. I plan on mowing the rest. I like the look of a well kept lawn so the quality of the cut matters. I have JD 3320 w/o the mid pto. I really don't like the idea of the mid mower anyways since it will get in the way while clearing land and digging. I will probalbly mow weekly so I think the 3pt mower will be best of both worlds. I was also wondering about rotary cutters. What are the major difference in these implements. If I buy it will be the JD brand (frontier) most likley. Any experiance with this subject would be great. I know nothing about these implements so please explain in clear detail.

Thanks
Matt T.

 

[Hooked_on_HP]

Matt if you don't have a bunch of obstacles to mow around go with the rear finish mower. It mows as well as the MM but is so much easier tho take off and put on. A rotary mower is a brush hog . Great for brush and weeds not for yard. I prefer the rear discharge.
Bill

 

[RoyJackson]

I'm not a big fan of mid-mount mowers either. They're model specific and too darned expensive!
As far as quality of cut, I don't think you'd see much difference between the MMM and rear mower. You may have to do a bit more backing up and possibly a bit more trim work with the rear mower...but maybe not. You'll find out when you get the rear mower.
A rotary cutter is for field and brush work. They do not give a "lawn quality" cut. If you must clear a field, don't use a mower. The brush and field grasses will tear the mower up. Cutters are much more robust and can handle quite a bit of tough work.

That 3320 is a nice tractor! I looked into one about a year ago. I'm quite happy with my 790's power, but I wanted more transmission flexibility. I really liked that Power-Reverser (not a hydro fan here). However, more debt isn't in my plans at this time. I'm sure you enjoy your tractor!

 

[jbrumberg]

GreatWhitehunter:

3PH mowers and cutters do not compromise the ground clearance of your tractor, are easier to attach and detach, and give you a greater variance with cutting heights. Jay

 

[flusher]

What are the differences between Midmount mowers and 3pt mower other that attachment methods? I'm looking at purchasing some land. Three acres are grass. I plan on getting horses so I'll be making an acre or so a paddok for them. I plan on mowing the rest. I like the look of a well kept lawn so the quality of the cut matters. I have JD 3320 w/o the mid pto. I really don't like the idea of the mid mower anyways since it will get in the way while clearing land and digging. I will probalbly mow weekly so I think the 3pt mower will be best of both worlds. I was also wondering about rotary cutters. What are the major difference in these implements. If I buy it will be the JD brand (frontier) most likley. Any experiance with this subject would be great. I know nothing about these implements so please explain in clear detail.

Thanks
Matt T.

For 2 acres of grass I'd consider a ZTR mower. Lotsa choices. But be sure that the "grass" area is smooth like a landscaped lawn or the ZTR will really bounce around. You don't want to use a ZTR on pasture land which generally is pretty rough and uneven.

I have a 10-acre spread with about 7 acres of pasture land and a 21-hp Kubota B7510HST that's 4WD and has the LA302 FEL. I mow the pasture with a 4-ft wide King Kutter rotary mower. Takes me about 90 minutes per acre running in low range and going slow to avoid gopher holes, etc.

For my approximately 1 acre of grass around the house and in the almond orchard I use a cheap 42" Huskee riding mower from Tractor Supply Co.

My Bota has the forward PTO to handle a MMM, but they're pricey and a hassle to hook up and remove from the tractor. The KK mower is really easy to hook onto the 3 point hitch.

 

[cp1969]

My Woods 72" 3 pt mower does a better looking job on grass than my Cub Cadet. I won't say that it cuts any better but it does a way better job of dispersing clippings and it's a side discharge, too.

 

[czechsonofagun]

What are the differences between Midmount mowers and 3pt mower other that attachment methods? I'm looking at purchasing some land. Three acres are grass. I plan on getting horses so I'll be making an acre or so a paddok for them. I plan on mowing the rest. I like the look of a well kept lawn so the quality of the cut matters. I have JD 3320 w/o the mid pto. I really don't like the idea of the mid mower anyways since it will get in the way while clearing land and digging. I will probalbly mow weekly so I think the 3pt mower will be best of both worlds. I was also wondering about rotary cutters. What are the major difference in these implements. If I buy it will be the JD brand (frontier) most likley. Any experiance with this subject would be great. I know nothing about these implements so please explain in clear detail.

Thanks
Matt T.

we have a horse less than a year - plus some sheep for longer time - but I would think you will need all of those 3 acres to rotate pastures. With just little bit of rain horse will totally destroy the area he/she is in. If I had the option to move or buy land, I would give our animals at least 3 optional pastures 1 acre each. Same thing for dry summer, they will eat it down flat if theyh dotn have enough space.

I am sure here are people who now much better the me how much land you need for a horse.

That said, I would notbe really worried about mowing the rest - my $0.02 only.

 

[53gravely]

Mid mount mowers...
-cut you clearence to 6"
-discharge all the grass thru a narrow chute and clump long grass clippings
-are a tremendous pain to take off/put on
-cost 2-3 times as much

Rear 3pt mowers
-Don't rob clearence
-rear discharge models spread clippings nicely
-easy on/ off
-left on, they act as a counterweight for loader work

BTW...I have a mid-mount for sale, would you believe?

 

[jk96]

I must be the only oddball on this preference. I have a 72" inch Mid mount/Rear Discharge for my DX33 and love it. With the rear discharge, I can mow right up to my trees, retaining wall, sidewaks etc on either side of the deck. With this and the hydro it makes mowing a breeze. No clumping problems, although the rear discharge is more of a mulcher than a discharge and can bog down in deep grass. As for removal, my mower only has the pto and 4 pins to remove. I can remove or attach the deck in about 5 minutes tops if doing heavier loader work. With all the trees I have and tight areas to get into the mid mount works great for my needs.

jk

 

[jcmseven]

I am voting for the RFM. For your tractor, I would recommend either the 60" or 72" Frontier brand. The RM series is made by Woods Equipment and is I match compatable. The rear discharge is the ticket also. My only complaint is that I have no grass; I explicitly bought my RFM to mow at my parents' places, one of which is around 2.5 acres and the other 10+, half of which I mow every other time. It can require a longer trailer to haul a RFM and if you choose to leave the loader on, it pushes 18' in length. I bought my dad a 757 JD ZTR to mow with and I like to use it, but not at their mountain place, too tippy. My tractor will mow almost as fast and does just as good a job, and better when the grass is heavier. I really would not look at a mid mount mower unless you have plans to leave it on or if you mow at other places a lot and have a short trailer.

John M

 

[vmarc]

we have a horse less than a year - plus some sheep for longer time - but I would think you will need all of those 3 acres to rotate pastures. With just little bit of rain horse will totally destroy the area he/she is in. If I had the option to move or buy land, I would give our animals at least 3 optional pastures 1 acre each. Same thing for dry summer, they will eat it down flat if theyh dotn have enough space.

I am sure here are people who now much better the me how much land you need for a horse.

That said, I would notbe really worried about mowing the rest - my $0.02 only.

Excellent advice.I would put no more than than 2 horses on 3 acres.Divide into 2 paddocks and rotate when one gets eaten down.You won't have much to mow.You will be amazed at how quickly 1 acre will be stripped and trampled.

 

[GreatWhitehunter]

It wouldn't be possible to use all three acres for the horses. I was planing on splitting the paddoks in half for rotating the horses. I should point out that I don't have any horses now. I'm just trying to plan my purchases for the future. The 3pt finish mower seems the no brainer way to go. I plan on mowing weekly and don't plan on leaving it on my machine. Thanks for all the insiteful replies.

Matt T.