Question about 3130/3430

pmoon · May 10, 2005

How many folks out there use these tractors to finish mow with? I have 30cres of which I'll mow around 3. Rest is going to be for cearing brush and saplings, clearing out the underbrush from the nice trees - place was a farm maybe 30-40 years ago so the back lot (old wood lot) is large trees, but stuff in between old wood lot is big brush scattered with some nice trees. I want to get rid of a lot of that kind of brush - which makes me think 3130/3430 might be a good fit? B-series seems ideal for mowing but not for the grunt work. Trying to find a machine to do both - not real picky about finish mowing - old farm not a golf course.

ksmmoto · May 10, 2005

I finish mow with my L3430. Do most of the yard and trails that I have prepped. I use my rider on the tight areas around trees.

Going to remove the loader this year for mowing. Everybody says it works mush better. Less tearing up with the front wheels on tight turns.

ksmmoto

_RaT_ · May 10, 2005

<font color="blue"> Going to remove the loader this year for mowing </font>

I remove and replace my loader sometimes several times a day depending on what I am doing. It goes on and off that easy.

pmoon · May 10, 2005

ksmmoto and rat - rear or MMM?

_RaT_ · May 10, 2005

RFM type.

pmoon · May 10, 2005

Rat (or anyone for that matter) - how much more difficult is a MMM to take on and off than a RFM - would you want to do it often??? How much time/effort is invovled? Thanks

wushaw · May 10, 2005

RFM is much easier to install and remove.
Backing up to the implement as opposed to dragging it under the tractor is much easier and faster.

_RaT_ · May 10, 2005

I think you drive over the mmm for the L30 series.

travelingman · May 10, 2005

I finish mow with a 72" rear finish mower and an L3130. Mow about 2 acres. Use a 60" cutter in the other 6.5 acres when needed. Does a great job.
/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

coveredbridge · May 10, 2005

I've been finish mowing with a Woods RM660 72" rear finish mower for about 12 years, about 3 - 4 acres all together. I pull it with a JD 820, about 30 hp at the pto. The Woods provides an excellent cut, as long as I keep the blades sharp and the underside of the deck clear of buildup. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

Problem is, the 3 acres is broken into about 4 different plots of irregular shape, which means lots of clutching and shifting and running over grass that is already mowed. So, it takes me about 2 1/2 to 3 hours to mow all 3 - 4 acres, which seems like a lot of time for a 72" cut mower. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

One of the pleasant surprises I've found with my new bx1500 is that because of the mmm setup and hydrostatic transmission, as well as the tight turning radius, I can mow these 3 acres in about the same time even though the 48" mmm is 1/3 less cutting width. And without all the clutching and shifting and wasted travel. The power steering is nice too. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif Makes me wonder if I still need the Woods. Plus, I can get at the other areas with the trees and shrubs that I used to mow with my Cub Cadet that are too tight for the Woods.

To answer your question, I think that if the three acres you're going to mow is a rather open regular shaped space, the L series with the rfm will do just fine. If it's chopped up into smaller pieces like mine, you'll still get the job done, but it will probably take longer than it would with a mmm. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

pmoon · May 10, 2005

Coveredbridge - it's pretty chopped up. Need to mow around a 60' x 30' barn, a pond (1/3-1/2 acre). House is back 75 yards from road, trees, old small farm foundations(used to be chicken coops, will probably rip them out). Will a MMM be an effective solution here or am I trying to fit a square into a circle? Help! Anyone!

poco · May 11, 2005

I have a 72" MMM I put the loader on, pick up front of tractor and roll the mower under tractor, one lever in front of mower lift links on each side of mower, put pto shaft on, takes 2 to 3 minutes to install and remove . this is on a l3430. I would not want to run over deck to install ,might bend deck after a while.

BobinCols · May 11, 2005

We finish mow 5 acres of bluegrass with a 3130 and a RD7200 Woods rear discharge mower. The only problem we have is in the spring when the grass grows fast and it rains all the time (can cause ruts)..

ksmmoto · May 13, 2005

I did check on the mmm mower, but I decided that is was too much hassle to attach/unattach and the price of course. I wasn't getting the tractor with mowing as a high proriity.

ksmmoto

OrangeGuy · May 13, 2005

See attached. My Kubota Grand L3430 handles my 90" RFM with no problems. It doesn't take long to cut five acres.

OrangeGuy

ksmmoto · May 15, 2005

Wow, OrangeGuy, that is a large RFM. I thought that my 3430 could go bigger than the 72" that I have because it almost never drops any rpm even at 6 mph in 7" grass. But the 72" is big enough for me anyway.

ksmmoto

cchoate · May 30, 2005

I hate mmm's. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif Having dealt with mine for 3 years now brings me to this conclusion. You spend alot of time on your knees / back, pushing & pulling 400lbs of steel. Aligning / attaching the pto underneath it all is a major pain. Good luck greasing all the fittings without twisting your arms and back every which way.