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Implement Alley Discussion Forum

Power needed for rotary mower

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MarkS

12-07-2004 11:02:32




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I am new to the tractor world and want to know if my Ford 8N will have enough HP to run a 48 inch KingKutter rotary mower?

People at Kingkutter say I need 25 hp, I am not sure what my tractor is rated for.

Any help will be appreciated.




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Jerry/MT

12-08-2004 21:21:55




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 Re: Power needed for rotary mower in reply to MarkS, 12-07-2004 11:02:32  
The size depends on two things,given the tractor HP; what your going to cut and how heavy the cutter is. A 5 foot heavy duty cutter can weigh 1200 lbs or more. I doubt that your 8N can lift over 750 lbs give or take. At that weight can you steer? Or will you require front end ballast? How will it handle the hills with the mower?It isn't just about power requirements!
Having said that, a five footer that weighs around 550 lbs ought to do you 'cuz most of the 8N people seem to use that size and feel confortable with the handling qualities of the tractor/mower combination.
Be safe!

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Grapefarmer

12-08-2004 09:45:09




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 Re: Power needed for rotary mower in reply to MarkS, 12-07-2004 11:02:32  
5 foot is fine for an 8n. I have seen 100"s of 8n"s in my area using them. I have an old Farmall B that I use a 5 footer with and it does fine and it only rated about 18hp. Sure in heavy, heavy bermuda is too much for it.



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hay

12-08-2004 05:34:47




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 Re: Power needed for rotary mower in reply to MarkS, 12-07-2004 11:02:32  
i have a Ford 4000 diesel in very good operating shape (52 hp) and a 6" bush hog cutter and sometimes i have trouble cutting very heavy thick BAHIA grass with it. weeds and woods bush hogging is not a problem, but heavy field grass will choke down almost any size cutter. if it were me with the "N" ford, i would not go any bigger than the 5 Ft and then take it very easy to see if it could handle it. all depends on condition of the tractor and height and type of pasture grass being mowed.

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Joe in Iowa

12-07-2004 19:58:59




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 Re: Power needed for rotary mower in reply to MarkS, 12-07-2004 11:02:32  
Mark: I've run a 6 foot Woods RM 306 finish mower behind my 1950 8n for two seasons now, mowing over two acres of grass and light weeds. I usually have plenty of power to mow in third gear unless I let the stuff grow too long before I mow. Then 2nd gear does just fine.
Good luck
Joe



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Ultradog MN

12-07-2004 18:03:14




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 Re: Power needed for rotary mower in reply to MarkS, 12-07-2004 11:02:32  
Buy a 5' rotary cutter for your N.
You will not be happy with the 4'.
I have a 5' KK that I use behind my N and it does just fine.
Wider than 5' means your rear tires will go between two obstacles but not the mower.
Make sure you put an ORC on your PTO. (Overrunning Clutch)
Keeps you from running in to your garage or pond or wife's car etc.
Remember, if you get into some really heavy cutting so that your tractor HP wont handle the load then just take half a swath.
Have fun tractoring
Jerry

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Allan in NE

12-07-2004 15:48:17




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 Re: Power needed for rotary mower in reply to MarkS, 12-07-2004 11:02:32  
Hi Mark,

Forget what KK is telling you; buy a 5 or 6 footer for your 8N. It will handle it just fine.

I've got the 7' heavy duty and know darned well that my little 19 horsepower Farmall H will pull it.

Like the other fella said, 4' is a lawn mower width.

Allan



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txblu

12-07-2004 16:38:13




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 Re: Power needed for rotary mower in reply to Allan in NE, 12-07-2004 15:48:17  
Wait a minute Allan. Cabin feever getting to you?

Where'd you get the Idea that the H had 19 Hp? My first tractor, a B, had about that. Hooked a 5 ' mower to it and started to mow the newbie's pasture.....mine; I was the newbie.

Smarta$$ locals came by LTA'sOff saying that they never saw a mower run so slow.

Putting a 6' mower on a 19 hp tractor is a joke. I put one on a 40+ hp tractor and it is work, iffin you want any kind of reasonable ground speed and performance just cuttin grass; not 10' diameter trees.

Mark

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Allan in NE

12-07-2004 17:59:27




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 Re: Power needed for rotary mower in reply to txblu, 12-07-2004 16:38:13  
Mark,

Comon' now, let's get real & talk about the real world.

By the wildest stretch of the imagination, a straight H has 25.5 horse. That's on a darned good day, all the bills are paid and we have a pretty wife who�s just baked an apple pie.

Okay, now let's hook a mower to it. We don't magically get another 25 horse at that PTO, the power is robbed from and divided somewhat unequally with the drawbar.

That's why I don't like horsepower ratings out of a book. Put the thing in a real world field and see "how much horsepower" it really has. Ride �em long enough and you can feel how much power they have.

Realistically speaking, an H working in a real world environment will develop between 17 and 19 horsepower overall and when equipped with the pop-up pistons it will run in at about 27 horsepower.

Allan

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RickB

12-08-2004 15:10:36




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 Re: Power needed for rotary mower in reply to Allan in NE, 12-07-2004 17:59:27  
I think the cutter manufacturers figure the machine will be moving and actually mowing when they calculate HP requirements. An 8N could run a batwing sitting in the driveway. Your 17hp real world H is a sick pup.



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txblu

12-08-2004 06:28:17




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 Re: Power needed for rotary mower in reply to Allan in NE, 12-07-2004 17:59:27  
Well, you probably know better than I. My first 2 tractors were McCormicks and nar had another.

Mark



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paul

12-08-2004 09:24:25




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 Re: Power needed for rotary mower in reply to txblu, 12-08-2004 06:28:17  
I think Allan is confused with the H's predicessor the F-20, which is rated at 19 hp.

The H is rated at 26 belt hp.

The 8N is rated at 21 pto hp.

Engine hp would be a bit more, have to be careful how we compare hp, some gine pto/belt, some give engine....

This is from the Nebraska tests, which are perhaps a bit more accurate than us guessing at it. ;) I'm surprised, I thought the 8N had a bit more than that, so I was wrong too.

--->Paul

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paul

12-07-2004 16:18:15




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 Re: Power needed for rotary mower in reply to Allan in NE, 12-07-2004 15:48:17  
Isn't an H about the same as an 8N, about 26-29 hp???? Unless you are running it on 3 cylinders - my 300 will do that at times, the front spark plug will back out on it's own....

Anyhow, I hear 5 foot works just fine on an 8N, 6 foot can if you aren't always pushing it with heavy stuff.

I've no experience myself.

--->Paul



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Bkeepr

12-07-2004 12:24:05




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 Re: Power needed for rotary mower in reply to MarkS, 12-07-2004 11:02:32  
I have used my 48 8N to run a 5' brush-hog up and down some pretty steep hills for years. I wouldn't even consider a 4' as it'd take forever to cut any size fields with it.

Tom A



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Jim P

12-09-2004 13:49:22




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 Re: Power needed for rotary mower in reply to Bkeepr, 12-07-2004 12:24:05  
Go ahead and get the 5 foot. I have a 6 foot KK on my Oliver 550 and it never struggles. Just keep the blades sharp and everything greased and your N will do fine.



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