Kuhn Disc Mower Thoughts

Anonymous-0

Well-known Member
Hi all,

A few weeks ago I got some good info on a New Idea
disc mower I was possibly going to buy. Turned
out the gearbox was pooched in several ways, so
that sale didn't happen.

Not too far from me someone has a Kuhn three point
hitch disc mower for sale, asking $2500, with some
sort of flail-looking conditioner on it (I really
don't know much about disc mowers). I haven't
seen it in person yet, just looked at pictures.

Being a newer Kuhn with a wider 8' cut I figure
it's a reasonable price if the cutter bar is
tight. I was wondering what you guys thought. Do
you think my 2120 Deere with its measly 60 pto hp.
would handle it? Hay around here is thin and
grassy, no alfalfa at all and not much clover, but
there are a fair number of hills.

I know nothing about disc mowers, so any input is
very much appreciated.
 

2120 will handle a 8' disc cutter. I've pulled a 9' with a 50 HP tractor. Be sure all the blade turtles turn freely and are in time. Be sure cutter bar has no oil leaks.
 
You'll limp around with an 8' on 60 hp. That's about it. It will work. Alfalfa is easy to cut with a discbine. What is hard to cut is short thick wild grass that doesn't shear easily... that wiry fine bladed stuff... that takes POWER.

Rod
 
For the type if grass you describe, the flail conditioner is perfect. In that type of grass the roll conditioners tend to blow the grass down and forward. The flail conditioner tends to pull the grass through the unit. Can't really speak to the power issue.
 
I used to pull an 8' Lely Mower flail type mower/conditioner behind a Massey 168 and it handled it easily, even in thick tangled crops.
 
Thanks to all for the input,

Unfortunately that comment about the thin, wiry grass pretty accurately describes a lot of our fields.

I have a Ford 5000 (later 268 engine) and 6600 I suppose I could use to cut, it's just really handy to keep the 6600 on the round baler, 5000 on the square baler, and 2120 on the mower and never have to change equipment.

One of the reasons I love the 2120 for cutting is its zippy attitude and really quick hydraulics on the three-point hitch. There are large stones peppered throughout a few of our fields, I haven't hit one and broken anything in years, but it does occasionally take some fast three-point hitch action to dodge them. Do you think this mower (model is an FC240) would be a lot of weight for that hitch to bounce around with?
 
Lely is not Kuhn... My observations are with a Kuhn MGD77HD... 9' mounted, no conditioner. That wants 55 minimum. 60 works. 70 is better. Also run a Deere 1470 mo-co which is a 9'9 (3M) cut with the Kuhn FC300 bar. That wants 75 to limp around. 100 works a lot better.
Lely uses a much different bar design that takes somewhat less power...

Rod
 
I'd want to be careful with the rocks... FC bars tend to shear their turtle shafts without too much effort when they hit rocks... If that's a three point mower with a conditioner it's also going to be a good chunk of weight on a small tractor. Don't get me wrong... it can be done, but you need front weight, big balls and be prepared to drive slow for the power you have.

Rod
 

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