Rotary Mower Question

Spudm · Jul 18, 2016

Tractor is 45 horsepower and I need a rotary, 3pt. mower for it, but not sure how big of one, either a 5' or 6'. Grass & weeds are what I would be cutting. What would be the best fit for the tractor?

Geo-TH,In · Jul 18, 2016

My Jubilee handles a 6 ft woods rm660 mower just fine. It's only a 30+ hp. Your issue isn't the HP as much as the belt slipping. If you are using a finish mower, you will burn up the belt if the grass is too tall. So may want to look into a brush hog for really tall stuff. Won't get the finish cut look with brush hog but no belt.

Spudm · Jul 18, 2016

Brush Hog type mower would best fit my needs, to do some clean up and cut some tall rye grass. Just not sure what size would best match the tractor.

Mark - IN. · Jul 18, 2016

45 HP will handle that 6' with power to spare. However, if you're buying new I'm pretty certain that the mower will have specs that include minimum HP required if you really want to be certain before you buy. I'm guessing that if you're looking at used you could probably even google the specs on most of those as well. 45 HP tractor? Just guessing that it might be wider than a 5' mower. Might not.

Good luck.

Mark

Russ from MN · Jul 18, 2016

Something no one mentioned is how low a gears do you have? If you have 45 pto hp you should be able to handle a 6 foot bush hog type mower. We went from a 5 foot to a 6 behind our JD 4600 and I'm using a lot lower gears in brush now!

Butch(OH) · Jul 18, 2016

The best fit will change with conditions. The only minuses with going with a 6' are cost and weight. If you have those covered then go with a 6' as the wider mover will cover the wheels and mow closer to objects plus get done quicker.. In very tall or tough going you might be a bit under powered but that is easy enough fixed by shifting down a gear or moving over and taking partial swaths. Amazes me how the simple concept of slowing down or moving over in tough going eludes so many people, LOL.

Traditional Farmer · Jul 18, 2016

Another advantage to the 6ft and using a lower gear is you'll get a better job cutting overall.

Mike M · Jul 18, 2016

I do know what you mean but I had problem with my flail mower in high grass on a small tractor on the FIRST PASS. You have to go full width there. Lifting it up some and go over it twice.

Spudm · Jul 18, 2016

The engine hp. is 45, pto is probably 35 hp., and a 5' mower would not cover the width of the rear tractor tires. Not sure what would fit the tractor best.....5' or 6'.

Jim Phelps · Jul 18, 2016

I use a 6' landpride on a CA allis with no problems, she pulls down going up step hills but runs great on the flat ground. I would say with 45hp a 6' would be no problem.

Spudm · Jul 18, 2016

The tractor is 45hp., the pto. is about 35 hp.....

buickanddeere · Jul 18, 2016

Weight is another factor. A medium or HD rotary mower will make the front wheels light . Go wide for less tire tracking of the grass.

rossow (mn) · Jul 18, 2016

I agree with going for a 6-footer. I have 5-foot brushcutters behind two of my Ford 8Ns, which have only about half the horsepower of your tractor. They both handle the 5-footers with ease in second gear. You'll cruise with a 6-footer in most conditions.

rbhuntn · Jul 18, 2016

(quoted from post at 05:34:25 07/18/16) Tractor is 45 horsepower and I need a rotary, 3pt. mower for it, but not sure how big of one, either a 5' or 6'. Grass & weeds are what I would be cutting. What would be the best fit for the tractor?

I have always been old to use the rule of thumb of 1 foot per 5 PTO HP minus 1 foot to determine the biggest Brush cutter possible on a tractor. For a 35 PTO HP this comes to a 6 footer.

That being said I agree with others here that you will have to go slower in heavy stuff. Example my tractor has 38 PTO HP and I use a 6 foot cutter. When I get into heavy stuff I have to run in low range 1st gear. In medium I can run in Low range 2nd. In the light stuff low range 3rd does good.

Keeping the blades sharp is a must.

Hope this helps

Cheesehead Fred · Jul 18, 2016

We run a 6 foot behind a WD-45 Allis and it handles it just fine. A little light in the front end on hilly ground, but currently have no extra weight on the front.

notjustair · Jul 18, 2016

I think a six is a good fit. Now, what reactor are we talking? An old 45 horse tractor will pull that with ease. A new 45 horse may work harder. I don't know exactly when the math changed, but a new 45 horse machine is no match for an old 45 horse machine (in good health). It makes me laugh to hear someone talk about their 35 horse "tractor" that they use around the house. It would be the same one that runs a mower smaller than my zero turn machine. It's that new math.

Dean · Jul 18, 2016

It depends upon what you plan to cut, how often you plan to cut it and how fast you plan to mow.

A 45 PTO HP tractor will handle most 6' rotary cutters in most conditions. 35 PTO HP, not so well.

If your ground is relatively flat, your cover is relatively light and the mower is not too heavy, you should be able to handle a 6' mower if you do not try to mow too quickly.

Otherwise, stay with a 5'.

Dean

jeffcat · Jul 18, 2016

Only thing I will add....Keep those blades SHARP. My dads machine I would sharpen them once or twice a season and it takes an hour or two but well worth it. Balance on those slow turning mowers compaired to a lawn mower is not super critical but the closer the better. You can use a bolt or something laying on the bench and put both of them so they just do a sea saw balance. Sharpen and redo them so everything is even. Makes them mow nice and clean. Also go out and buy yourself a spare set of blades and bolts. Do the change out in ten or fifteen minutes and sharpen the other set when it is a rainy day. Not that expensive at a farm supply store.

JMOR · Jul 18, 2016

(quoted from post at 11:55:38 07/18/16) I think a six is a good fit. Now, what reactor are we talking? An old 45 horse tractor will pull that with ease. A new 45 horse may work harder. I don't know exactly when the math changed, but a new 45 horse machine is no match for an old 45 horse machine (in good health). It makes me laugh to hear someone talk about their 35 horse "tractor" that they use around the house. It would be the same one that runs a mower smaller than my zero turn machine. It's that new math.

xpect there is truth here, as I have for years pulled an 8 foot behind my 1954 44hp Farmall.

Geo-TH,In · Jul 18, 2016

New math? Older horses are stronger than new horses?

BarnyardEngineering · Jul 18, 2016

New math, in a sense.

Older engines produce the power at lower RPMs, consequently they have much better torque, or lugging ability. These new tractors have smaller displacements and make their power by turning at 3600 RPMs, and as such have very low torque, no lugging ability.

rbhuntn · Jul 18, 2016

(quoted from post at 10:19:32 07/18/16) New math, in a sense.

Older engines produce the power at lower RPMs, consequently they have much better torque, or lugging ability. These new tractors have smaller displacements and make their power by turning at 3600 RPMs, and as such have very low torque, no lugging ability.

There is truth in this statement. My Dad's old MF 135 Diesel tuen ed 1800 RPM for 540 PTO while my new Mahindra 4550 turns 2000 RPMS for 540 pto.

Dean · Jul 18, 2016

Agreed, but HP is HP.

Recently I replaced a 2007 MF 533 with a 2015 Kubota L6060. I use/ed both tractors to pull a HD 6' rotary cutter through various conditions.

The MF had a 202 CI NA three cylinder Perkins engine rated 44 PTO HP at, I believe, 2,100 RPM. Rated PTO speed was about 1,750 RPM.

The Kubota has a 148.5 CI 4 cylinder turbocharged engine rated at 53 PTO HP at 2,700 RPM. Rated PTO speed is about 2,400 RPM.

The MF was definitely a lugger but the Kubota will mow the same parcels at a higher ground speed condition/condition, while "screaming" along at 2,400 RPM (It sounds like a ZT mower.).

I do the same jobs in considerably less time with the new Kubota, though some (not all) of the time saving in some (not all) of the parcels is due to the convenience of the hydrostatic transmission in the Kubota vis a vis the 8X2 crash box in the MF.

The down side: The high RPM, turbocharged Kubota uses over twice the fuel to do the same jobs than did the MF, no doubt, mostly due to the inefficiencies of the hydrostat. It is, however absolutely wonderful to drive.

Dean

rusty6 · Jul 18, 2016

40 horsepower handles my 6 foot Farm King rough cut with no problem. If it gets heavy going just gear down. I posted a video of the Cockshutt 40 pulling the mower back in January. I used the 730 Case diesel on the same mower this weekend cutting some silverleaf and buck brush in the pasture. Third gear most of the time. Second in the heavy spots.
Sharpen blades?? I think I might have had the blades off this mower once since I bought it new in 1992. Sharpened them once and that was all. It cuts just fine still on those original blades. Yes, I've hit the odd rock with it too.

newhollandnut · Jul 18, 2016

Only thing I have to say is I've never owned or ran one ever that I wished was smaller

w1ebb · Jul 18, 2016

I have a New Holland TC35 and an ancient Bush Hog Model 12. It is a 5 ft cutter with new blades and slip clutch drive shaft. My 35 HP tractor works it just fine in the waist high grass and saplings on the pipeline on my hunting lease. I run the tractor in low range and 4th gear. If it bogs down or doesn't cut well enough, I shift down a gear or two. Keep the radiator clean!
A heavy cutter is best. A 6 foot cutter shouldn't be any problem for your tractor.

Scott

Mark - IN. · Jul 19, 2016

Then you're good. I know a fella that has an Allis D15 as his primary tractor. 35HP draw bar and he mows with ease. You're good.

Good luck and use it safely.

Mark

buickanddeere · Jul 19, 2016

(quoted from post at 11:55:38 07/18/16) I think a six is a good fit. Now, what reactor are we talking? An old 45 horse tractor will pull that with ease. A new 45 horse may work harder. I don't know exactly when the math changed, but a new 45 horse machine is no match for an old 45 horse machine (in good health). It makes me laugh to hear someone talk about their 35 horse "tractor" that they use around the house. It would be the same one that runs a mower smaller than my zero turn machine. It's that new math.

How is 45 Pto HP on a Nebraska test different than another tractor making 45HP during a Nebraska test.

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