Field Mower

RS16017 · Jan 31, 2019

Got a question for the forum. Don't think I'm crazy but I've been trying to think outside the box. Got the family farm that stays dormant these days. Needs mowing about 2 or 3 times a year. Been looking at cab tractors and batwing mowers. Don't really want to go $30K in the hole for equipment. Ran across a slick field ready John Deere model 55 combine with cab and A/C the other day for less that $3k. Farm is pretty flat and has mostly prairie grass about waist high. Anybody ever used a combine as a field mower

rrlund · Jan 31, 2019

Forgive me for being blunt,but I think you'd be spending $3000 on something,then going back looking for something that would work for what you're doing. Kinda like what we like to call spending three hours trying to get out of ten minutes work. Those heads aren't made for cutting things that are green,let alone running it all the way through the machine.

Bruce from Can. · Jan 31, 2019

Don?t know how many acres you are talking about, but spending time and money cutting this ground just to keep the grass under control, and keeping trees from growing up all over it. Why not look at putting a fence around the property, and either putting some of your own cattle on it or rent it out as pasture. And let someone else put cattle on it to eat off the grass. A new page wire fence should be good for twenty years, and the return on the rent will , in time , pay for the fence. Cutting it will cost you time and money with no return on your investment.

jm. · Jan 31, 2019

Besides what rrulnd has said a model 55 would have to be 40+ years old and IF it did have working air it want work long. Think you need to think again about this project.

Dave H (MI) · Jan 31, 2019

From my perspective, and I have done a lot of combine repairs...not a good idea. It is not the right tool for the job. Like using a hammer to pound in screws. Might be cheap now but just wait...you will fund that one on the back side. You did not say how many acres, but a good quality and not too old sickle mower is a good alternative. I like the IH balanced head mowers. They run forever if you start with a good one and treat the maintenance like it is your religion. Otherwise running a little livestock on it is a great idea. Goats are very efficient at clearing brush. Cows, although possessed of the devil, should keep the grass short. Heck, I have a flock of 11 heavy breed geese that I keep penned in a 2 acre corner and I only mow that twice a year to get rid of weeds they wont eat. If I was looking at $30K investment with no return I would think long and hard and then get more creative.

flying belgian · Jan 31, 2019

Ok, well 1st. of all $3000 is to much for a 50 yr. old combine. I don't care how pristine it is.
2nd. how big of piece are we talking? Can it be rented out to neighbor for either row crop or hay?
3rd. spend $30,000 for decent equip., use it for 10 yrs. and sell it for $25,000. Always good demand for a good tractor and mower.
4th. you are going to have to do other upkeep on the farm. So even if you could get the combine to work, you need a tractor with loader anyway..

jon f mn · Jan 31, 2019

A decent cab tractor can be had for less than 10k and you can get a stalk chopper that will cut that for a few thousand. Likely for less than 10k total you could have a nice rig. If you give up the cab you could cut a couple thousand off that price.

WayneLee · Jan 31, 2019

Graze it. Or bale it and sell it.

Janicholson · Jan 31, 2019

If you like projects, you could remove the drive for the threshing mechanism and in fact remove it and sheet metal to boot. Then use the header as a windrower with no conditioning, or cut the rear of the platform out letting the "hay" fall through to the ground. Or by a self propelled MowCo. Jim

MJMJ · Jan 31, 2019

Rent it out for hay. Let it make you money, not cost you money.

Field Mower

RS16017

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rrlund

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Bruce from Can.

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jm.

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Dave H (MI)

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flying belgian

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jon f mn

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WayneLee

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Janicholson

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MJMJ

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