Woods 208 on a TC40D?

[RickM39]

I recently bought a TC40D with a 16LA and a 758C.

So far the unit is great, much nicer to operate than the old 530CK.

I'm still keeping the 530 for heavier work.

I maintain 11 acres, and the back 6 usually gets mowed a few times a year. I mowed with the old 5' bush hog on the TC40, and I'm looking for a wider unit.

There is a Woods 208 available at a reasonable price, and I'm figuring on using the old 5' unit if it gets too high.

Has anyone used a 208 3 point mower? It looks like a rugged unit and the tractor should have enough power to run it, but will the 208 be too heavy for the TC40?

 

[jinman]

Most Woods 208s I see are towable mowers with dual tailwheels that use a hydraulic cylinder to set height. Are you asking about a cutter that attaches to the 3PH and the tractor lifts the whole mower? Does it not have hydraulic lift on the rear wheel(s)? I definitely think that would be too much for the TC40D and would not use it. However, if you use the towable model and have a single hydraulic remote, I'd give it a try. I also see that some (maybe all) of these cutters don't come with stump jumpers on the blades. That's something else I would not like to be without.

 

[RickM39]

Thanks for the reply, but I did pick up the mower on Monday afternoon. For $950 I figured it might be awhile before I found another at that price.

It's not in bad shape, although one of the gearboxes was leaking and out of oil. The gears looked OK and it seems it leaked out as it sat since the last time it was used a year ago. I filled it and used it the last two days and it hasn't leaked a noticeable amount. I did order shaft seals and shims from Messick's, but it's not clear if you add or remove shims to remove play from the mower shafts. There's not alot of play in the bearings, but any amount should make the seals work harder to keep the oil in.

The TC40 seems to run the mower fine, although I do take it easy and lift the mower a little when making a tight turn, as it is alot of weight swinging back there. I could not find an official weight on the mower, but it is pretty heavy.

You are right that there are no stump jumpers, but the plan is to only mow known areas with no obstacles. The old 5' unit will be pressed into service in risky areas.

 

[jinman]

There are lots of changes to that cutter to make it lighter than the towable model, most obvious is the single tailwheel. Even so, I don't think it would be advisable to carry it completely suspended on the 3PH for long distances or over rough terrain. If you hit a bump, you will be putting tremendous force on your 3PH lift cylinder and lift arms. I'd tow it with the tailwheel touching to support 1/2 its weight. For long distances down a smooth road, you can even take the toplink loose and raise the front. You can use the 3PH to lift the cutter for inspection or some other relatively static task, but I think my best advice would be to not transport the cutter that way on a regular basis.

One thing for sure, you are gonna speed up your mowing tasks. With open fields and smooth ground, you'll be a mowin' machine with that cutter.:thumbsup:

 

[djradz]

So that you are not always supporting the entire weight with the 3-pt (and the tail wheel) you may want to consider installing check chains.

 

[RickM39]

Thanks for the advice, I'll take it easy and look into check chains.

The tractor lifts the mower with no problem even though the pressure is a little low at 2330 psi. It was sluggish when I was looking at the tractor at the dealer. A return trip with a pressure gauge revealed 1800 psi, and adjusting the relief on the loader relief got it to 2330 but it would not get any higher and now I can hear the main relief working. I did order shims for the main to get it to the 2500 psi spec.