New Ford v3000 Tractor

Morning I just bought a new to me Ford 3000 tractor

Okay here is the thing

I need to buy a 60 or 72 finish mower
(been cutting 3.3 acres last 10 months so grass is down and clean)

Just need a finish mower to do it quicker!

What is a good cost effective brand???

Also want to put in small 1/4 acre garden with no clue

of what i need to put turn up ground to plant HELP HERE GUYS!

Any advise will be very appreciated!!

Thanks in adance.

Ed

Well Ford made a nice flail mower. You can find them used and pretty good price too.
Landpride makes a good finish mower. Many tractor dealers sell them. I'd stay away from the Rural King or TSC models only because I bet it is a Hassel to get parts for them as those places do not service what they sell.

Stay with the 72" or something at least as wide as the rear wheels. For the garden, you have some options, assuming you have an 8 speed, you could use a 3 point hitch tiller, more so if your soils are not full of rocks or similar kinds of things, tree roots or whatever etc. The other option is a 2 bottom moldboard plow and a disc harrow. If its a new area, the moldboard plow is viable to get through sod/root bound soils. A good model is a Ford 101 with mechanical trip if you hit something like a large rock, roots etc. wear parts are still available for them too. You would need to learn how to set it up on the tractor, adjust level in the furrow etc, you'll get lots of advice here on how to do that too. Heres a few shots of my 101 on a 4630 Ford tractor.

I'd agree with the moldboard plow but you might look for a 3 bottom along with the 2 bottom as that Ford should handle either pretty well, depending on whether you have wheel weights or fluid filled tires.

Ed,

I pull a 72 inch Bush Hog brand finishing mower behind my Ford 2000. Your 3000 wouldn't know that a 72 inch finishing mower was behind it.

I must admit that I'm not 100% pleased with my Bush Hog brand. I have replaced three or four belts in the past 5 or 6 years, plus one idler pulley, plus one tension spring an its mounting brace. Maybe that's not too bad, but I still expect more from that brand.

Oh, I also pull a simple little 16 inch one bottom plow with my 2000. It would pull two bottoms with no problem.

Good luck with your new adventure.

Tom in TN

I might add that I would look for a used mower. There seems to be allot of good ones around for less than a grand. I think there's allot of people who switched over to a zero turn. I for one have almost a new one sitting in the barn, I keep for a backup just in case.

Its should handle 3-16's or maybe 3-14's, not sure on that one, but its fwd and the rear tires are ballasted with very good tread. Even then, in 4wd, and its my first time trying this plow on it, it hung up in these heavier soils on the steepest part of the slope of that patch. More or less a traction issue in that one pass. I did adjust it level both ways in the furrow, the ends on my factory top link were not even in the tube or barrel of that top link, I have since free'd it up and the ends are now equal so I can adjust it all the way. So it could have still been nosed down a bit too much, + it has new shares, shins, and landsides. Those shares did catch easily and it did trip a few times on rocks in the subsoils. Whats funny, is that I've had my single bottom 110 Ford, (shear bolt protected not trip back) and I've run it through the worst areas of round rock in one of our fields, (it too has a new shin and a heavier rock share), it never sheared a bolt, it really adjusted well to my 850 ford and pulled very easily in most soils, just not so much near the perimeters of marsh areas. It just glides along and does quality work once its set and adjusted as it should be.

Well anyways, not about me here, but thought I'd add that in regards to plowing, all of these make a good tractor for the smallest of ones needs, larger gardens, utility work, problem is you have to source all the good implements, and its taken me a few years worth to do that, but well worth it now. Sounds like that's what he's embarking on and its a good place to post this one for discussion with all the experience of everyone here!

I have a 72 inch King Kutter Rear Discharge Finish Mower and it works well. I am kinda rough on it sometimes, I mow not only my lawn type areas, but trails through our woods, and I have used it to mow down the high weeds in my garden at the end of the season, and deer food plots too (sometimes). Have to go really slow when I do that. Because of this heavy usage, I find it will need a new belt about every other year. Parts are easy to find locally though and also online.

If you will be mowing a lot of really heavy tall weeds or anything with saplings, best to use a bush hog, it will just tear up a finish mower too much.

Re your garden, like others have said try to find a 2 bottom plow. a 2-12 or 2-14 would be a good fit. After plowing, if you can hit it with a disk, it will really even out the chunks, ridges, and valleys.

If you can find an old cultivator, they are handy too, for making a nice seed bed to plant into.

I pulled a 6' finish mower behind a Ford 2N for several years. It handled it just fine if you do let yur grass get too tall.
When I upgraded to a 3000 it was a better match. A few years later I found a 7' finish mower and sold the 6'.
I wish I hadn't. The 7' is too cumbersome and scalps a lot. I will go back to a 6' when I find a used one.
For what it's worth, I bought the 6' mower new. It was a King Kutter.
I know they are a cheaper brand but I had very good luck with it. Mainly because of the floating hitch they have. See photo.
One downside to the KK is they use cheap greasable bearings in the spindles. I had to replace most of them in the first couple of years. Then a fellow told me I should use sealed bearings instead and those lasted untill I sold the mower.
A 3000 is a great small tractor.
I have bought and sold several 2/3/4000s over the years but will probably keep my 3000 till I go to that great mowing field in the sky.

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PS,
As to the garden work, I suggest you find a good 2-16" Ford plow.
I use a Ford 101 and it pulls nicely in our rocky, claey loam soil.
I also have an 8' Ford 201 disc which is also a good match for my tactor.
I plow and disc several gardens for my cousins and keep my deer plots in order.

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Recommend 6 foot finish mower with rear discharge. Read discharge spreads out the clippings and reduces the tempation ro rake the clippings, and I've had both kinds. Manufacturers make light and heavy versions of their mowers, get the heavy version. Examine the thickness of the deck and get a thick one, but I don't have a idea of what the thickness of the better ones is, but it is easy to tell which is which by looking at them side by side.

KEH

We've used Douglas at Junkshow to cut our display and camping areas. We have two that are nearing 30 years old. Now we did change over to a zero turn about ten years ago because of the time saved turning around all we have at the show and less wear on the sod. We kept both old Douglas's and I would agree that the rear discharge is better for the cutting we do.(road ditches, low ground, out lots) After years of use the Douglas's have had some cracks and show wear in the spindle mounts, but all the parts we've needed are available. Never had a gear box issue, but have turned a few shafts on the spindle over that time cutting approximately 20 acres a week for 20 years. Walco-Douglas still puts out that mower.

I use a Bush Hog 60 inch rear discharge finish mower behind my New Holland TC35 to mow 4 acres on a hillside. After 13 years it needs its first belt replacement belt. I've replaced the bushings in the gauge wheels every other year.

My neighbor is extremely rough on his stuff. He has a 23(?)HP Kubota and a 48 inch Land Pride finish mower that's about 9 years old. He's had to replace the gearbox once and has knocked the left rear gauge wheel clean off and now mows with only 3 wheels.
I'm not bad mouthing anyone's equipment. If you start with good equipment and take care of it, it will take care of you.

That is the guy who tried to sue me because he flipped his scut with my middle buster.

Scott

I have had a King Cutter 6ft that I cut three acres with. Use it behind an 8N and it handles it in 3rd gear with no problem so your 3000 won't even know it's back there. So far I have replaced the bushings and bolt on one wheel and the drive belt. When I put it away for the winter I installed the first replacement set of blades. Other than that, I grease it after every use and have replaced no other parts.

Thanks Ed

Thanks Scott

Thanks for the great information!

Thanks for the super information!

Thank for the tip!

Thanks Tom

Thanks for the information!

Thanks for good information!

I have 72" (2572) Land Pride that I bough used 10 years ago. It had been worked hard and put away wet for +- 15 years prior to my purchase. I run it behind by 8n in decent grass and it does an excellent job. I also have a 60" King Cutter that I bought new and used for a couple of years prior to the Land Pride. I works good, but there is no comparison between the 2 (all it does now is sit).