Finally a tractor owner!!

[TigerfaninAR]

I've been reading and lurking here for almost 2 years and today finally bought a tractor. Not a new one but will be my first tractor. Got a B7300 with 850 hours. Super excited to get started on projects at our land where our house will be built.

My first question is if I need a rotary cutter or finish mower. I know the difference between the two but I'm kinda in between. Right now the grass is only about shin to knee high and not real thick (yet). I mowed all of it last year with a little JD X300. Not a rock on the place, just some small limbs that would need to be picked up. Could probably get away with cutting in much less with a RC but definitely won't need the RC after this year. (I think I just talked myself into the finish mower). :confused2:

I know a 4ft. bushhog, what about finish mower? Can it handle a 5 ft finish mower?

Now off to get my box blade. :licking:

 

[tractorshopper]

Let me be the first to say Congratulations and I hope I will also soon own my first real tractor.

 

[Bird]

I know a 4ft. bushhog, what about finish mower? Can it handle a 5 ft finish mower?

I think a 4' finish mower is the recommendation. My dealer told me several years ago that he had customers who were happy with 5' mowers, but a 5' mower will be a bit heavy for the 3-point to lift and if you lift it, your front wheels may not have enough ground contact for good steering. Of course as long as you leave it on the ground, it can be done.

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

Congratulations! Get the RFM. I don't know about your model but I had a B7800 31HP and used a 6' Landpride RFM on it. The tractor pulled it fine and ran it fine but....when getting to the bottom of my hill the deck would sort of turn the tractor. It was no problem because I knew it was going to do it. I had a cheap RFM before the Landpride which never swung the tractor but I'll never buy another cheap mowing deck again. Barlows gave me the $1200 back that I paid for the cheapo toward the $1700 Landpride. If your property is flat you may be able to stretch the size abit.

 

[Bird]

John, I think the B7300 was only 12.5 hp so a 5' mower would really be pushing the limit, if not a little too much.

 

[/pine]

Congrats on the purchase...(you're a "fuel" man now)

Welcome to the (older) low end HP B series club...
I have a B1700 (1995 480 hrs) 4X4 w/LA301 FEL

The B7300 is very similar to the B1700 so I will be interested in your experiences and implement purchases...you didn't mention the type of transmission HSD ?

according to tractordata.com the B7300

Engine: 16 hp [11.9 kW]

PTO (claimed): 12 hp [8.9 kW]

Weight: 1320 to 1500 pounds

Rear lift: 1100 lbs [498 kg]

Rear PTO: live

Rear RPMs: 540,2461

Have fun...

 

[TigerfaninAR]

If your property is flat you may be able to stretch the size abit.

Property is flat as a pancake. People I've talked to today are about split on 4ft vs. 5 ft finish mower for this tractor on flat land. There still some leveling in places (bulldozer has been there making drive etc) so I believe I'll just go with the RC and wait until the house is done before worrying about a finished yard. The RC and boxblade will keep my busy for a while.

When that time comes, do they make a 54" finish mower?

 

[TripleR]

Congratulations on your new acquisition. I think you will be happier with a good quality finish mower. I have a seven and eight foot model and you can mow some pretty tall stuff by raising it up fairly high then going over it again. I get a much nicer cut than with a rotary cutter, but need both for my properties.

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

Congratulations on your new acquisition. I think you will be happier with a good quality finish mower. I have a seven and eight foot model and you can mow some pretty tall stuff by raising it up fairly high then going over it again. I get a much nicer cut than with a rotary cutter, but need both for my properties.

Is a rotary cutter the same as a bushhog/brushhog? If so, don't they require more pto hp than a finish mower? Can't see you have any need for RC if it's a bush hog, get the finish mower to start with and to stay with. If your tractor only has 12.5 Hp then you need some advise from someone that has one and what they use as far as size.

 

[TigerfaninAR]

Is a rotary cutter the same as a bushhog/brushhog? If so, don't they require more pto hp than a finish mower? Can't see you have any need for RC if it's a bush hog, get the finish mower to start with and to stay with. If your tractor only has 12.5 Hp then you need some advise from someone that has one and what they use as far as size.

That's my understanding, a RC is a bushhog. We call them bushhogs around here as well. Maybe reading too many posts from some yankees.

Woods has a 54" RFM that should work. Confused again.:confused2:

 

[bp fick]

Yeah, you talked yourself into the right tool. RFM.

A 60" typically calls for a minimum of 18 hp, 16 hp at the pto. Better with 22hp and 18pto hp. I picked this one up, just because it was too good of deal to pass up. I'll likely do some horse trading and downsize to a 48" as well. As others have stated, with 12 hp at your PTO, you absolutely want to look for a 48".

 

[TripleR]

Yes and no, Bush Hog makes rotary cutters, but not all rotary cutters are made by Bush Hog. Bush Hog also makes finish mowers; saw one on CS today.

In my part of the country Bush Hog introduced the first rotary cutters and thus all rotary cutters came to be known as "bush hogs".

We tend to make all of this stuff too complicated even when we try to simplify it; clear?

 

[Bird]

That's my understanding, a RC is a bushhog. We call them bushhogs around here as well.

"Bush Hog" is a brand name; "brush hog" is a generic, but all the manufacturers list them as "rotary cutters" if you want to be technically correct. But as long as we know what we're talking about, who cares?:laughing:

 

[TigerfaninAR]

Woods has a 54" RFM that weighs 401 lbs. In contrast Bush hog as a RC that weighs 455 lbs and Landpride's weighs 475 lbs.

Landpride's 4 ft. RFM weighs 486 lbs.


Is there something else besides weight that comes into play when getting the appropriate implements. Seems to me the Woods 54" would work if compared to the others. Am I missing something?

Woods a decent brand?

Thanks guys

 

[bp fick]

Is there something else besides weight that comes into play when getting the appropriate implements. Seems to me the Woods 54" would work if compared to the others. Am I missing something?

Yup, pretty likely. PTO horsepower. You're missing enough to spin those units.

I looked hard and long at a Woods last month. My dealer would have given me one at cost, to clear it out. I have 18/13.5 horsepower and I balked. You may have a bit less. Why risk buying an attachment that is too much for your tractor, be disappointed, and have to take a big loss in selling it? While you have more size, you have the power output of a BX1500.

 

[Grateful11]

Bush Hog was bought out by Alamo group.

Alamo Corporate Web Site | Alamo Group to Acquire Assets of Bush Hog

Not sure what this means as far as Bush Hog products, we own 2, but I heard
they laidoff a bunch of employees at the Bush Hog factory.

 

[TripleR]

Bush Hog was bought out by Alamo group.

Alamo Corporate Web Site | Alamo Group to Acquire Assets of Bush Hog

Not sure what this means as far as Bush Hog products, we own 2, but I heard
they laidoff a bunch of employees at the Bush Hog factory.

This is one of the reasons I have stayed away from Bush Hog although they make good products. Rumors have been around for years about them going out of business.

I remember when AMF took over Harley Davidson and the quality dropped like a rock.