Which RFM? 32 PTO HP,,,, 6 Foot, 7 Foot, or 90 Inches??

[CADplans]

My new to me tractor has 39, 40, or 41 engine horsepower,,, depending on where you look.
The tractor is rated at 32 PTO HP.
I am not worried about trimming,, we have smaller machines for that,,,
So far, I have looked at only Woods,, the "PRD" mowers look much nicer than the "RD" series,,
but, is it $1,000 more?

The mower will be used for just flat out getting about 10 acres mowed. Sometimes as much as 18 acres.

The 72" would work,, but, I found a used 84" RD8400 for only $1100.

There seems to be VERY little price difference between new 72" and 90" mowers.
If I am getting a new one,, it seems the bigger one would make more sense.

I doubt that cut quality of any of them will disapoint me,, this is not golf course quality lawn,,,

I am a little worried about the bigger mowers tearing the gauge wheels off sooner than the lighter mower.
I believe the heaviest mower is right at ~900 pounds.

Hmmmm,,,,, Help me spend some money,,, wisely for a change,,, :laughing:

 

[DK35vince]

I run an 84" rear discharge on my 28 PTO HP tractor with no problem.
My vote would be for at least 84" mower.

 

[RjCorazza]

I ran a 84" Befco on 28hp without issue. It weighs 690 lbs.

 

[LD1]

Provided the tractor can handle the physical size....

Bigger mower and going slower dont take any more power than a small mower going faster. How fast you can mow in terms of acres per hour....is based on your horsepower not mower size.

So the key difference is gonna be ride quality.

IE:....6' mower mowing at 4 MPH and a 8' mower mowing at 3 MPH require the same HP to operate.....will get done in the same amount of time....but slower is gonna be a smoother ride.

 

[leonz]

Aren't you still using the JD390 you bought????????

 

[CADplans]

Aren't you still using the JD390 you bought????????

The JD390 is used for "bush hog" type work,, never on a lawn,,,
it never had any kind of quality of cut that a RFM mower gives,,,


Hmmmmm I wonder what would happen if I hooked the JD390 to the JD 4105??
I think the front end would get awful "light"!!??

 

[Fallon]

Provided the tractor can handle the physical size....

Bigger mower and going slower dont take any more power than a small mower going faster. How fast you can mow in terms of acres per hour....is based on your horsepower not mower size.

So the key difference is gonna be ride quality.

IE:....6' mower mowing at 4 MPH and a 8' mower mowing at 3 MPH require the same HP to operate.....will get done in the same amount of time....but slower is gonna be a smoother ride.

Yup, big & slow is the way to go. Unless you need the maneuverability.

 

[CADplans]

Yup, big & slow is the way to go. Unless you need the maneuverability.

Yea, I need zero manuverability,, the areas are big,, and open,,

I LIKE the idea of slow,,, :thumbsup:

 

[mcfarmall]

Perhaps a small ten foot or so pull-type batwing would work well.

 

[bspeedy]

I have a Kubota L3710 (35-ish PTO hp) and a Bush Hog ATH900 finish mower.

As long as your tractor is heavy enough, wider is better. I did run this mower with my NH TC30 and it was super sketchy when carrying it over rough or sloped terrain. The tail wagged the dog at times. My Grand L handles it very well.

As you your concerns about the weight, the 90-inch mower is built like a tank compared to the narrower models. I think I've had better luck with the heavier, stouter machine than I would with a smaller one.

One point - I've found that second hand 90-inch mowers can be the same price as 6-footers. I have been tempted by 11 to 12 foot batwing finish mowers a few times. Missed one this winter that needed one spindle rebuilt for less than 2 grand. If I had 18 acres to mow, I'd go as wide as I could carry / store / run.