Can you mow a hayfield with a BX24?

[BigD23]

Mowed my neighbors field this evening, over an acre with my 54" MMM...First cutting for the year...Worked with no problem/deck fully raised.

Don

 

[CHDinCT]

Before you make any final decisions, go up to the attachments forum and read the threads on flail mowers. A flail is kind of between a rough cutter and a finish mower and can handle most of what a rough cutter can. It's center of gravity is much closer to the 3PH lift pins so lifting and moving it with a BX would be easier, and it can be used as a finish mower in a pinch. Issue may be price. I read the bigger units go for close to $2,000 and up new, but a 48" or 54" would cost something less. Used would be even better if you could find the right size for a BX. Just another option to confuse you.

 

[thavil]

Mowed my neighbors field this evening, over an acre with my 54" MMM...First cutting for the year...Worked with no problem/deck fully raised.

Don

Don - I have wondered about this since I bought my BX24, when you say "deck fully raised", do you actually mean in the top position or in the #4 position? I mow 7 acres of horse pastures but have always mowed in the #4 position because I didn't know if I could safely mow in the fully raised "Top" position. Thanks and I apologize to the OP for a slight HJ.

Tod

 

[Tom_H]

We have a wet winter and the lawn grows quite tall before the it and the ground are dry enough to cut. I always have to do my first cut of the season in the full up position. The manual says not to, but I've never had any problem of any kind.

 

[megaboz]

We have a wet winter and the lawn grows quite tall before the it and the ground are dry enough to cut. I always have to do my first cut of the season in the full up position. The manual says not to, but I've never had any problem of any kind.

The one thing you would need to make sure of about running the MMM in the full upright position would be that the drive shaft wouldn't bottom out if the deck or something would get jarred really good.

Actually with the deck being higher making the drive shaft closer to level, it would be easier on the joints, the only thing to really worry about is the drive shaft pounding into the joint because there is no place for it to go.

I never inspected to see if there was still travel, but I imagine that is one reason why Kubota doesn't reccommend it.

I think you could possibly run into the same issues like you have with a 3 point piece of equipment with a too long of a drive shaft and then raise it all the way up, the drive shaft bottoms out.

 

[harpoonalt]

I had a brush hog for my BX and hated it. The cut wasn't that good, it was slow, and once the meadow was at a reasonable level, it was much easier to just keep it mowed with the MMM. Hitting a rock with a brush hog will wake you up in a hurry! For one account, I wouldn't bother. I have a friend who brush hogs for people and he only does meadows he can walk before the grass is too tall. Venturing into tall grass that you've never been in before can be dangerous. He's hit old barbed wire fences, run into wet spots or holes that got him stuck, and hit some rocks pretty badly. His brush hog after 2 years has had many repairs. Considering his time and repairs, it's not a moneymaker for sure. Up to you, but if you're in business there are other things you could do that are more profitable.

 

[thavil]

Thanks Tom_H and megaboz. I will get up under my tractor (with it off!) and check out my clearances before I try to mow in the fully raised position. I have a rear skid plate to account for also when checking. I have accidentally engaged my PTO in the raised position thinking the deck was lowered but then shut it down when I realized my mistake.

 

[Berniep]

I spent most of the weekend on my 23 running my 4 foot rotary cutter on some ground that had not been mowed since last August.
I wasn't concerned with quality but it did pretty well if I overlapped a little.
I snapped a cell phone pic, sorry it's not very clear but I think you can get the idea.
You can see the average size sapling in the background. Some were larger and I have a guard on the belly and have had no problem runnign over stuff like that.

 

[RobJ]

When cutting sapplings with a Rotary Mower you lift the mower all the way up, back over the sappling, then lower the implement....move back and forth until the sappling is turned into mulch.

Rinse and repeat.

I guess everyone does it different. I run over them, if they are big enough to bring the front wheels off the ground, then i back up and go around. Running over them will bend them over, sometimes breaking, then the blades slice them down. Easy.

 

[megaboz]

I guess everyone does it different. I run over them, if they are big enough to bring the front wheels off the ground, then i back up and go around. Running over them will bend them over, sometimes breaking, then the blades slice them down. Easy.

I consider the only wrong way of doing something is when it hurts you or your equipment.