Vermeer RC 9120 Discmower

Hey guys,
A farm local to me is selling off their equipment.
They have a discbine for sale - Vermeer RC 9120.
From what they tell me, it is a late 90's model.
I am not familiar with Discbines (have a NH 488 and 479).
As far as tractors - I have a MF 265 (60hp), a MF 1080 (an over-estimated 80 hp) and a Landini 105 (100 hp).

With all of our equipment, I like to have at least 2 tractors that can use it, so, would the 1080 be able to handle this discbine? Would the 265 too (i understand that is pushing it).

We are wide-open fields, a slight slope but nothing very hilly.

Is this a good discbine? From what I have read, the Lely style cutter head is the better, more durable, design. Also, the vermeer uses steel rollers? How are parts to get?

Not sure if this is the way for us to go. He has it marked at $8,000 or best offer. Both of our haybines work well, so this upgrade is nothing pressing but it would be nice to mow faster.

The direction I have been leaning for our upgrade is to wait for a good condition center-pivot 12-14' haybine to come up for sale locally. I think that would speed us up considerable, would be great to use in the open fields and would not push our HP limits.

Thoughts on any of this?

Your Landini would handle it but the other two would be hard pressed to handle it in very heavy hay. The 265 more than likely would not handle it at all in heavy hay. The RC 9120 is an 11 ft 8 inch machine. Around here you would usually run that with 125 HP because of the hills.

No worries pulling it with the 1080,265 might struggle in the hills ,but when I was a kid we pulled a 10ft tarrup mower conditioner with a IH 574, don't expect to do 10mph, but you'll be able to do 5mph all day with all three tractors. Side pull will be easier on the smaller tractors thana centre pivot mower, less weight being thrown around.

Hats what I suspected. Based on my reading, it seems like up requirements vary by brand with the discbines.
Just was having trouble finding info on the Vermeer
Thanks.

I sold my NI 5209 nine foot discbine to my son, who used it on 3020 and 4020s. Cut a lot of ditch hay with it and they handled it well. But JDSeller mentioned the width of what you"re looking at, and I don"t think my son"s tractors would handle that width very well. Gotta have a bit more snoose on the front to handle that.

Overall, how would you/they rate the 5209?
Major areas of concern?

I had the early (white) style. Some improvements later with the red ones. More protection for the cutter head drive gears by more hefty casting.. Also heavier slip clutch was on later whites, but especially more welding on the frame. Mine cracked and I removed it, rebuilt, and reassembled. Found out factory was doing more welding on frame components by then. I liked the machine enough to buy another, but was willing to look at others as well.

I checked a piece of old literature that we have for the RC 9120. The minimum horsepower listed is 80HP. In my option that would be on the very edge. We have a few RC 7120's running in our area and so far we have not had any issues getting parts.

With disc mower/conditioners, a little bit too much usually turns out to be just enough. I pulled a 10 ft 2 in Gehl 2365 with a 100 hp 4040 and a 125hp 4430 last summer. The 4040 handled it most of the time, but sometimes it handled the 4040 in the hills. I think it was the 18.4-34 tires that cause me the most trouble on that tractor. The 4430 never had a single issue, but was probably a little bit much too much.


Dunno how your Disc mower Conditioner market is near you, but they're cheap here. Unless his machine is super nice, I think he's asking a bit more than it's worth. If you have your heart set on a center pivot machine, you maybe should pass this one up.

I went to Hennessey's auction this past Thursday & watched a Vermeer 1030 center pivot sell. They were bidding it up & the guy quit. Bill stopped the sale, asked him what he'd pay. Guy wouldn't say, so Bill said he had 8k in it, but $6k will buy it and he'll guarantee it. If the guy took it home and decided he didn't like he could bring it back and get his money back. Guy offered him $5750 and owned it. It was a little rough looking.

I bought a Gehl 2415 off a jockey that he guarantees for $5900 that same day. That should give the 4430 a little more of a workout. I was looking for a 2412, but this one was too nice to pass up for his price.