Rotary cutter for M7040?

[canoetrpr]

Verticaltrx, thanks. I guess that provides some more perspective. My L3400 about 60 hrs of use per year. That's it! I'm golden if I'm doing what I need to do with a machine to ensure it lasts two or three of thousands of hours. Then I'll be dead!

So far I simply haven't found a decent reason other than saving fuel to go with a smaller machine for practically the same price. That and the luxury of HST. The M is sensible in every other way.

 

[TripleR]

rjkobbeman has something very similar to your proposed set up:

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/kubota-buying-pricing/174697-wait-almost-over.html

 

[gwdixon]

Another factor may be the knowledge that a 6' mower behind a M7040 will not cover the tire track (unless it is the "narrow" M7040 model).

Lots of manufacturers make a 7', single blade (single gearbox) rotary cutter. It would seem to be the ideal solution for what you want. Just remember that they are rather long and bulky.

 

[slowzuki]

I've never had a bushhog / tractor combo that covered the tire tracks. Other than being faster, there is no real reason for it. As I said, offseting the hitch gets you tight to a fence if you need.

It is a big annoying though as you can get yourself pinned against the fence if your front tires are even with the rears and the mower, and on a downhill slope towards the fence. In that case I don't bother swinging the mower all the way tight to the fence.

 

[slowzuki]

Clipping pasture doesn't need a 65-75 hp gearbox. Takes maybe 5 hp tops. Sure the heavy gearbox is nice if you're going to use it for rough cut mowing brush on a big tractor but otherwise is just extra cost.

Just get one with at least a 65-75hp gear box and don't worry about it.

 

[Verticaltrx]

Clipping pasture doesn't need a 65-75 hp gearbox. Takes maybe 5 hp tops. Sure the heavy gearbox is nice if you're going to use it for rough cut mowing brush on a big tractor but otherwise is just extra cost.

I agree, but you have to be pretty careful with the lighter duty units. I put my little light duty 5' cutter (40hp gear box, shear pin) behind our 65hp 2550 JD once and it didn't work well. The tractor was so powerful that if you got into really tough grass too fast it would just snap the shear bolt. I'm sure if it had a clutch it would have fried it too. The other problem is they are generally so light duty that behind a 8-10K lb tractor you can bend stuff up easy if you aren't careful. That said, there are some 'economy' minded cutters that are cheaper than Landpride/Woods, but still have a 75hp gear box and are better quality than what you get at TSC.

 

[canoetrpr]

I've never had a bushhog / tractor combo that covered the tire tracks. Other than being faster, there is no real reason for it. As I said, offseting the hitch gets you tight to a fence if you need.

This might be a silly question but how does one go about offsetting the hitch? I'm going to feel silly if this is is a trick that I should have been doing all along with my current rig which has a 5' cutter and 5' tire width.

 

[canoetrpr]

rjkobbeman has something very similar to your proposed set up:

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/kubota-buying-pricing/174697-wait-almost-over.html

Do you know if those are wheel weights that he has on his wheels?

 

[canoetrpr]

I agree, but you have to be pretty careful with the lighter duty units. I put my little light duty 5' cutter (40hp gear box, shear pin) behind our 65hp 2550 JD once and it didn't work well. The tractor was so powerful that if you got into really tough grass too fast it would just snap the shear bolt. I'm sure if it had a clutch it would have fried it too. The other problem is they are generally so light duty that behind a 8-10K lb tractor you can bend stuff up easy if you aren't careful. That said, there are some 'economy' minded cutters that are cheaper than Landpride/Woods, but still have a 75hp gear box and are better quality than what you get at TSC.

The LandPride RCR1872 I had in mind has a 65 hp gearbox. Just enough so that it is above the 62 PTO hp of the M7040. Typically I like a bit more margin of safety but given what my pasture is like I suspect that only a 5% margin of safety is fine.

What were the other economy minded cutters you had in mind.

 

[crazyal]

Is the 7040 a cat 1 or a cat 2 3pt hitch? Just curious.

I'm not sure I would worry about loading of the engine being too light. My Case BH never even comes close to loading the engine. The pressure relief kicks in long before any real loading of the engine occurs as long as the motor is running more than 1500 rpm. Anything more than 1800 is just a pointless waste of diesel.

 

[PoorPlowboy]

The LandPride RCR1872 I had in mind has a 65 hp gearbox. Just enough so that it is above the 62 PTO hp of the M7040. Typically I like a bit more margin of safety but given what my pasture is like I suspect that only a 5% margin of safety is fine.

What were the other economy minded cutters you had in mind.

The more popular "premium priced" companies that have been around the block usually are very conservative in their gearbox ratings. Its the newcomers and off brands that like to exaggerate on paper to make their models seem more competitive and a better bang for your dollar than they really are. Land Pride, Bush Hog, and a couple others are usually on the conservative side.

 

[Smallplot]

I think yall are both over thinking this. You will absolutely not cause any long term harm to your tractor by using it at less than capacity. A 6' cutter will work just fine behind a 7040 if that is what you want. Just get one with at least a 65-75hp gear box and don't worry about it.

This is the most important thing to consider damage to, the gear box. Running a brush mower is not going to tax the tractor engine until you hit the tall thick stuff. If you were running through tall thick stuff that would be a different matter all together and I am sure you would be addressing that instead. Just remember Engine HP is always more than PTO HP.

Yes with a wider platform you would be able to get just a little closer to a fence in theory or would you? If the implement width is within inches of the tractor width I don't see any difference unless your axle sticks out further than the edge of the tractor tire. Doubt the neighbors would see any difference.

 

[canoetrpr]

Is the 7040 a cat 1 or a cat 2 3pt hitch? Just curious.

Now that you have mentioned that, I've wondered what it means when the specs say CAT 1/2. This is the case on the GL5x40, M5040,6040 and 7040.

I've interpreted this as I can run either cat 1 or 2 equipment but know that there is a difference in pin width of the links. I wonder if this means that bushings are required to convert cat 1 equipment I might have to the cat 2 size so that there isn't any 'play'.

Both the blower and the rotary cutter I am looking at (RCR1872) also list that they are cat 1/2 so I wonder if they come with bushings.

 

[TripleR]

Do you know if those are wheel weights that he has on his wheels?

Yes they are.

 

[gwdixon]

Is the 7040 a cat 1 or a cat 2 3pt hitch? Just curious.

The M7040 comes with a Cat 2 hitch. Of course, it can be bushed to a Cat 1 for less than $10 in bushings from Tractor Supply or any tractor dealer. The way the lower arms are set up there is no excessive play.

Cat 2 implements are heavier duty and thus quite a bit pricier. Almost impossible to find on Craigslist, too.

My LandPride mower was listed as a Cat1/2. It came with a special "two sized" pin that could be used for Cat 1 or Cat 2. Other implements sometimes come with two holes if it is a clevis-style hook up.

The implement can be offset a bit by using the sliding lower arms on the M7040 - lengthening one and shortening the other. The attachment comes out a bit crooked-looking but it cuts the same.

 

[slowzuki]

On a Kubota, pull the stabilizer pins, push the mower to the side you want, reinsert the pins with the holes. With a 5 ft mower, I can get 6" past my R4's on a L5030 that is set with the tires 6 ft wide.

On my MF, it doesn't have pins, you screw the opposite stabilizer out to push the mower sideways on the hitch.

This might be a silly question but how does one go about offsetting the hitch? I'm going to feel silly if this is is a trick that I should have been doing all along with my current rig which has a 5' cutter and 5' tire width.

 

[slowzuki]

Run all kinds of Cat 1 stuff on Cat 2 tractors, have never used a bushing. Makes hooking up much easier too. Mowers, rakes, 2 furrow plow, post hole digger etc, all Cat 1 stuff.

The only thing is on my 100 hp tractor, its a true cat 2 and you can't get the posthole digger on it. Works fine on all the 50-70 hp cat 2 tractors so far.

The M7040 comes with a Cat 2 hitch. Of course, it can be bushed to a Cat 1 for less than $10 in bushings from Tractor Supply or any tractor dealer. The way the lower arms are set up there is no excessive play.

 

[canoetrpr]

Glad we got into this cat1/cat2 stuff.

I currently run the Pat's hook system. I was going to move them over to my new/old MF 255 and purchase a LandPride QH for the M7040.

Anyone for-see any problem with this? I figured the LandPride QH could be bushed if necessary to Cat2 and everything from that point on is Cat 1.

Comments?

 

[MtnViewRanch]

Glad we got into this cat1/cat2 stuff.

I currently run the Pat's hook system. I was going to move them over to my new/old MF 255 and purchase a LandPride QH for the M7040.

Anyone for-see any problem with this? I figured the LandPride QH could be bushed if necessary to Cat2 and everything from that point on is Cat 1.

Comments?

The dimensions of cat 1 and cat 2 are different. You are not going to get a cat 1 quick hitch and use it on a cat 2 implement just as a cat 2 QH will not work on cat 1 implements.

 

[canoetrpr]

The dimensions of cat 1 and cat 2 are different. You are not going to get a cat 1 quick hitch and use it on a cat 2 implement just as a cat 2 QH will not work on cat 1 implements.

I should be able to get a Cat 1 QH, use bushings so that it fits on my Cat 2 3PT and then hook up to Cat 1 equipment correct?

Everything I've got is Cat 1 and the new stuff I am getting is labelled as Cat 1/2. I suspect as a result what I want is a Cat 1 QH hooked to my tractor.