Belly mower vs 3-point finish mower

[Mtsoxfan]

I'm not familiar with a tractors that have down pressure on the 3PH. I've installed chains on cars, pickups and a tractor without lifting the wheels. Really isn't too difficult.

Yeah, it was a fleeting thought. Having the wheels up made all the difference in the world. Plus, I can run the tractor to make sure they are snug. Once, I ran tractor around yard and one came off. Not fun...

 

[Shawn T. W.]

Most three points are only power up, gravity down ... A Backhoe though has stabilizers that have "down pressure" and will lift the rear tires ...

 

[Corbinb432]

Those Kubota mowers are nice machines and they should be for costing over $20k. I suppose there are folks who can afford them. I had a tough time breaking out $5k for a ZT but glad I did. At my age it will last my lifetime so one and done deal. My mowing time for about 2 acres is an hour but I am taking out 20 trees and that should make it even better.

If I had to cut more grass than my ZT could handle in two hours (figure around 4-5 acres) I would think about how to reduce the amount of grass that needs cutting on a regular basis.

Never used a finish mower so something to consider is how fast it will do the job. Weigh that against what your time is worth and how much you enjoy cutting grass.

I looked at getting a flail mower so I could cut my grass in my cabbed tractor but having to cut over a septic tank killed that idea. Sure would be nice to have AC and not deal with the bugs, dust and crap that the ZT flings around. Might put a little wild flower plot and rock garden over the septic tank so I would not need to cut over it.

Something for the OP to consider is a flail mower. More money than a finish mower and not as good cut quality but it will do light work Driving Cars Lowers that would require a bush hog. It is one reason I want to get a flail mower.

The cut quality is just as good as any mower, yet it’s versatile enough to handle our fields too — including the ones we only mow once a month during the summer.

 

[diesel85]

Little late to the game, but I have the 60" MMM for my BX2200. It does a great job at mowing, but I can't get under my pine trees with it, unless I lollipop them. Which some of them I did, simply because the bottoms died out and looked like garbage. But some of my pine trees look really full and nice at the bottom, so they won't be getting lollipopped anytime soon if ever.

Only problem I've ever had with my MMM has been the spindle bearings even after routine grease jobs, they still end up failing after 400-500 hours. I had to replace the gear box seal about 10 years ago as I noticed it was leaking. Luckily I caught it before using it as I saw the puddle on the shop floor.

I'm still tempted to get a lightweight 60" rear mount with rear discharge just to get under the pine trees so I don't need to use the push mower.

On another note, I do have a 62" Woodmaxx flail mower with Y grass knives, and that does a fantastic job too. I've used that to mow in the spring when I can't get to mow as frequently to avoid windrows I get with the side discharge MMM.

But in terms of hooking it up, I prefer 3 point. I can hook up any 3 point without a quick hitch in under 5 minutes. I also find that the 540 RPM with the higher torque seems to handle tough tasks better than the mid-PTO which spins faster (more HP/less torque).

During the summer when it gets dry out and I'm mowing nearly once a month, anything will do to be honest.

You'll also stay a LOT cleaner when it is windy out with the mower way behind you. Important if the chaff gives you the sneezes (allergies).

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Driving over a septic tank with a 5000+ pound tractor does not seem like a good idea anyway.

This is a nonissue if the top of your septic is at least 2' in in the ground.

I've driven over mine hundreds of times with my big loader tractor carrying a half cord of wood on the pallet forks, without EVER having a problem.

SR

 

[litework]

I suspect finish mowers would be pretty popular here. I prefer using a 3 point finish mower [60" Land Pride] mainly because I prefer the appearance of my lawn when I use it. I don't really dig the rows of grass that my zero turn leaves.