Learning a different tracftor.

[Diggin It]

No goofy stuff here, this might be kind of serious.

Neighbor has asked for help. They're both in their 70s and have always been active and maintained their own place. They have about 50 acres, but only keep 6 or 8 groomed around the house. The rest is left to grow and another neighbor or two mow it and roll the silage for their cattle.

Recently, both have become ill (not that) and are unable to be out in the Sun and heat for extended periods. Until the last year or so, he was mowing most of that 6-8 acres with an older Ford tractor and rotary cutter while she mowed the rest with a Simplicity rider. The last year or so, he hasn't been able to so and she's been doing it all with the rider which is obviously taking a toll on it. Takes her a couple of hours or more with only a 48" deck.

Now, she can't be out in the Sun due to some new medication and has asked me to mow, offering to pay me. Despite them being far more well off than I am, I won't be taking any money for my time; only enough for fuel if I use my own machines.

His tractor is a 70s or 80s model Ford, unsure of the number. Manual shift, Cat2 probably. I've never driven it, or even started it or anything similar. How difficult would it be to learn?

If I can learn to operate it safely, I could use that and the 7 foot finish mower I got from them and refurbished, but haven't sold yet. No wear and tear on my SCUT and it'll take a lot less time than using her rider. I'm not all that well either and can't handle the heat like I used to, so I don't want to be out there for hours each week if they don't get to feeling better.

 

[ptsg]

Maybe you could ask them to get some seat time on their tractor and get comfortable with it.

It's not to hard to drive, just bigger than yours. Basically you set a gear that gives you a speed your comfortable with, engage the PTO and let it cut.

 

[Diggin It]

The other neighbor I mentioned has some big and old JD stuff, so he can probably show me the basics, but right now, I don't even know where the brake pedals are.

The areas to be mowed are rolling hills but not as steep as mine. Not sure how 'tippy' they might be with a 2WD drive tractor with a narrower front wheel stance than mine.

 

[LouNY]

Basic tractors are actually fairly simple,
clutch is on the left side,
two brake pedals on the right side, left one left brake, right one right brake.
PTO could be a bit different depending upon live or independent.
As far as being tippy with a taller stance possibly, because of a narrow front wheel spacing not really.
The only precaution with a narrower or narrow front end is don't make a sharp turn at speed while going down hill,
but that same precaution should be followed with any taller vehicle.

 

[kthompson]

It is great to be able to help someone who appreciates it. The first thing will tell you is be sure you use the right gear for the right ground speed. Realize the rpms really have to be there to keep the pto at most likely that age tractor 540 to have the blade tip speed where it needs to be. Take the turns slow and wide, the front wheels digging in is what mares the grass and rips it, not the rear wheels as many believe. Be sure the wheels on the mower pivot freely and you keep them and the spindles greased for mowing that size area the spindles will get hot. RFM mower wheels if they will not spin easy and turn easy or pivoting can tear a lawn up when turning. I assume you know how to adjust the height of cut on the rfm.

Really should find all the things you would do with your tractor and it to be the same: mover with mower off the ground, engaging pto with lower engine speed. The tractor has a two stage clutch and if you have never used one the bottom travel of the clutch pedal operates the pto clutch and above it is the transmission or gear part of the clutch range. Would suggest with engine off operating the clutch pedal slowing till you can tell when the pedal is moving between the two stages. If you cannot feel it then with tractor running and with mower connected operate it listening to the pto engage (blade noise). You will only depress the clutch to that area to change gears and you have the full pto engagement before the gear engages. Really a great set up to me. Tractor will have two ranges, could have more and best to read manual, decal what ever you have to get idea on gear based upon again full 540 pto speed. tractordate.colm should be able to help there on the info. One thing you don't mention but reading doubt the tractor has a canopy on it. With the sun issue get one. Let them pay for it and get a 12 volt fan made for equipment in the weather, probably around a $100 dollars. Mount to roll bar to blow on your back and shoulders. Much better than in your face to me.

I have used a Kubota M6800 with 6 foot rfm for many an hour. Works great, more tractor than needed and have to realize the mower blades and belt are the weak link, the tractor will not stall so listen to mower to be sure it does not stop turning.

Unless that tractor is used for something else, if the rear tires are filled would suggest draining them. You don't need the weight nor traction of filled tires and if they have extra weights on the tractor on rear wheels or front end would consider removing them also. I don't think a Cat 2 tractor would have light enough front end a 7 foot rfm would be an issue. Learn how much the mower extends past each rear wheel, again the mower if the weak link in this setup. The stabilizers could be linkage or chains, for rfm I don't want it rigid for you may bump post or tree but I don't want full sway for don't want it wandering around and skipping a streak.

Sorrow for skipping about. Kenneth

 

[kthompson]

A Ford with narrow front end? Know they made them but have never seen one and this was Ford country for many years, well till they sold out. Do you mean a tricycle narrow front end?

 

[LD48750]

First thing, find out what tractor they have.
I doubt it is cat2.
We can give you advice once we know what you have to work with.

Learning basic handling, won't be any harder then when you learned your toy tractor.
You will never stop learning on either.

 

[fruitcakesa]

A Ford with narrow front end? Know they made them but have never seen one and this was Ford country for many years, well till they sold out. Do you mean a tricycle narrow front end?

He said "Not sure how 'tippy' they might be with a 2WD drive tractor with a narrower front wheel stance than mine."
Not tricycle, just narrower.

 

[kthompson]

He said "Not sure how 'tippy' they might be with a 2WD drive tractor with a narrower front wheel stance than mine."
Not tricycle, just narrower.

He also said his is a scut, how a full size tractor can have a narrower front end than a scut puzzles me.

 

[LouNY]

Without the basic model information it is hard to say what would work the best for you.
As an example attached is the data for a Ford 4000 for the years of 68-1975,
this tractor was independent pto, with 540 at 1800 engine rpm and avilible with 2 different transmissions,
a 4 speed with reverse and a high low range box or the S-O-S 10 speed.
TractorData.com Ford 4 tractor information
Many of the older tractors of this size were both cat 1 and cat 2 compliant, the hitch balls in the lower lift arms either had 2 sets of holes bored thru them to be able to rotate to the desired size or were easily removed and swapped.