Pull behind mower - AgriFab, Swisher or other

[slappie]

I have about 7 acres of pasture/yard to mow in addition to my regular yard.

For the regular yard, I have a Cub Cadet ZForce 50 that works great. I have used it to mow the pasture area but I feel like after doing a lot of that it will tear it up - it is very rough and I'd like to keep the Cub for mowing the grassy, smooth yard area.

Does anyone have any experience with the self powered pull behind mowers, like this one?Swisher Rough Cut Trailmower — 44in. Cutting Width, 12.5 HP, Model# RTB115441 |Trail Mowers | Northern Tool + Equipment

Looks like it is just the ticket for what I need to do. I'd pull it behind my Polaris Ranger UTV.

Thanks

 

[scott_vt]

Afternoon Slappie,
I have often looked at those mowers in the Northern Catologue, and they seem like a great idea for someone that has a quad or a tractor with low horse power and or no 3 pt hitch. I would think that would be the biggest drawback in my mind, not being able to lift the mower up. I dont have any real experience with them but they may fit the bill fore someone in the above category.

 

[1bush2hog]

Slappie -

I went with one of the rough cuts from Acrease over the Swisher - more expensive, but worth it to me. I used it last summer a good bit. The mower tracks very good behind the atv and would be very difficult to turn over.

Kunz Engineering Inc., AcrEase Pull Mowers & Till-Ease ATV Tillage Equipment, Finish and Rough Cut Trailmowers

I use mine behind my ATV to mow areas of my preoperty that are too steep for my tractor. Compare the specs - it is one heavy duty mower and does a very good job.

 

[Soundguy]

I bouhgt a craftsman 44" ( or was it 48" ??? ).. I used it exactly 1 time on my 3 ac pasture, and 1 time on a buddies 6 ac pasture.. then it sat int he barn for a couple years... It didn't handle thick grass well. I had the carb repalced under warranty 3 ys in a row.. I finally sold it to a guy that works at the same place I do at way less than half of what I paind for it... and I was glad to have it out of the barn too.

Soundguy

 

[MadDogDriver]

Does anyone have any experience with the self powered pull behind mowers, like this one?Swisher Rough Cut Trailmower — 44in. Cutting Width, 12.5 HP, Model# RTB115441 |Trail Mowers | Northern Tool + Equipment

Looks like it is just the ticket for what I need to do. I'd pull it behind my Polaris Ranger UTV.

Thanks

Slappie,

I have an Agri-Fab 63" finish mower, Agri-Fab , that I love. I have a little over 3 acres in grass that I pull the finish mower offset behind a 46" 20 hp garden tractor. I can finish the 3+ acres in about 1hr 15min. Cuts about a 9ft swath when not turning. The construction is solid. It's not light (600#). It's 14.5 hp engine hardly uses any gas. I also like the fact that it's a rear discharge. By offsetting the mower to my discharge side of the garden tractor I get a natural mulching effect and the engine is powerful enough not to choke on the discharge & uncut grass.

 

[jwstewar]

I used to have an Agri-Fab 63". Used to pull it offset behind a 12HP Sears Suburban w/ a 42" deck. Did OK. Used to kinda mulch the grass left by the Sears. Then when the Sears died, I pulled it behind a light duty lawn tractor. It was much too heavy for that tractor. Spent more time getting unstuck then cutting grass. So I quit using it for that and for what I'm about to explain.

When I was using it behind the Sears we had some major dirt work done. Well, while they were bull dozing they must have flipped a metal T-post upside down. Somehow I managed to get the front of the mower over it (it sat very low and caught on everything) but one of the blades managed to hit the T-post. Shattered a mandrel, bent 2 jack shafts, broke a blade, and bent almost every pulley in the thing. I spent a couple hundred dollars rebuilding it. Kept throwing belts. Then because the Sears died I started using the light duty mower. So I stopped using it.

Then when I bought the NH, I wanted to start using it again. I had a new hitch fabricated for it. Then because it had sad. It started having engine problems - not so much it wouldn't run, but was just down on power. Then if I could keep it running it would still throw a belt. Decided to cut my loses and sell it.

If it hadn't been for the fence post, I would probably still be running it. That would be awesome to be making a swipe almost 10' wide. The NH didn't even know it was back there.

 

[Noodlearm]

I used a swisher 60' finish mower for about 5 years and had very few problems with it. I used it over a lot of stuff that could never be called a lawn. I think the brush mower should hold up pretty well. Mine took a good beating and had to tighten some nuts and bolts here and there but overall it worked well.