Buying Advice Cab and Mid Mower Options

[HappyOne]

I am on the hunt for a 40ish hp Cab tractor that can run a belly mower. Kubota L3940 HSTC would be my first choice. As there are not too many for sale, I am wondering what else might be a good choice. I have an L5740 and will likely sell it after finding a good unit. It just uses way too much fuel for mowing duty. I mow 20ish acres of rolling hills. I have pretty bad allergies during spring and fall. So basically looking for a oversized riding mower with a cab. Any suggestions?

 

[nybirdman]

If you like your current;keep it.The fuel savings would be small.L40 series are in high demand;I am certainly not letting mine go.
My L4240 HSTC burns 1.25 gal/hr at PTO speeds.

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

I think Deere makes one, can't remember the series, 4000 series? Have to go with the -R model if I recall correctly. It's been over 3 years since I looked at them.

 

[finn1]

Wouldn’t some sort of finish mower or batwing be better than a belly mower?

Belly mowers never seemed efficient to me, and tie up the tractor from other uses. Seems way down the list of viable options, but maybe that’s just me.

 

[dodge man]

I really like my mid mount mower but if I was mowing that much and wanted a finish type cut I’d get a large rear finish mower. You can get cabs on small tractors but they are after market. I think in JD you have to go 3 series for a factory cab and can get a 72” mid mount. In Kubota a B series can be had with a cab and Grand L’s can be had with a mid mount also I think.

 

[Hay Dude]

There’s something about mid mount mowers that I like, too. They are so easy to drive when you have hours and hours of cutting around objects. There’s no “trailer” to have to be mindful of like a pull type mower. It’s also very easy to maneuver around trees and operate in reverse. It’s part of the tractor, rather than towed by the tractor.

I’d even consider a Case-IH DX with a cab and an 84” mid mount mower, if you have a 20 acre parcel of mixed trees and lawns.
Now if it’s a 20 acre rectangle of grass, I’d be looking at a multi deck pull type mower. If you have say 10 acre field, and a mix of trees and lawns, you could own the Case-IH with a 72-84” AND a pull type multi deck 11’ finish mower. The DX is more than enough tractor to run that mower. Those multi deck mowers go real cheap used if budget is a concern.

Only bad thing about mid mount is cleaning and sharpening blades.
2 ways around that:
1. local mower shop guy sends his helper to do it for you once a month.
2. Build a “pit” or a lift so you can get under the mower and DIY.

I’d love to get rid of having to sharpen blades. I have 2 John Deere CX-15 bush hogs and even with wings folded “up”, they’re a PITA to sharpen. If I had the money, I’d pay a sharpening service to do mine.

 

[LouNY]

For mowing 20 acres I wouldn't even consider a mounted or three point mower.
Seeing as how you are using a belly mount mower now I am assuming several mowings a season.
I would be running a multi deck floating tow behind.
My :2cents:

 

[Texasmark]

Something to consider: MMMs are usually triple blade, always belt driven, and difficult to access and/or remove. Depending on the time of year and what you are cutting, clogging the deck underside will become an issue. Ways of cleaning out the mess are varied, but I have yet to find one that is guaranteed bullet proof for a senior citizen. Other thing is that the MMM is there, always there and in the way when you aren't mowing, in one way or the other.

My advice is to do your mowing with something else, or something that you can detach from your tractor with relative ease. Wonder why my Avator is full of tractors? My 5 self powered mowers, nor my 4 tractor driven, aren't even listed.

 

[paulfun9]

I also wouldn稚 bother with a mid mount mower, especially with that much land and that size tractor. Go to a rear mount rear discharge and you will most likely never go back to a mid mount.
The good news is you could buy a used one and test this without having to sell off your machine and buy a new one.

I have a friend who at great expense purchased an aftermarket mid mount for a DK40SE exactly like I have and after using my rear discharge finish mower when he was stuck waiting on special order belts, decided after one mowing that he had wasted his time and money buying it in the first place. When he switched to a rear finish mower just a couple months later he fount the market for used mid mounts of that size is not very good and he took a bath when it finally sold. I actually got more for a used Tractor supply finish mower than his best offer. He ended up letting it go to the highest bidder at the local auction.

Almost forgot, for those with mild allergic reactions while cutting moving the mower away does help if your mindful of wind direction.
My wife notices a big difference but she only has mild reactions that only seem to bother her when she is closer like on the JD with the MMM. This also reminds me that deck didn稚 sell when we purchased a rear mount for it and has been here for years just sitting wasting space.

 

[BrkMstr]

Kioti is offering a MM in their entire CK line this year - which has a 25, 35 & 40