What size and brand of 3pt finishing mower

[ND teacher]

I have a NH TC40DA and i am in the market for a 3pt rear discharge finishing mower. I currently mow a farmyard that took me 6 hours to do with a craftsman 42" mower. So now that i have the compact tractor that i was dreaming of last summer while i was mowing its time to bite the bullet and purchase a mower for it.

Originally i was going to go with a 72" to cover my tracks. Then i got to thinking why not a 84" that way i can swing over a little closer to objects without rubbing on the tires. My doubts with the 84in is you have to keep looking back to see where the mower is at with a 72 you could gauge it easier with the tires. I dont know if the extra 6 inches of mower on each side of the tire would make a big difference in getting close to objects or not. 84" mowers are higher in price, used 72" are easier to find used, and probably easier to sell if i would decide to sell it. Will an 84" mower fit on a trailer when still hooked up to the tractor? I know i could just measure a trailer but i didnt think of it until now. I dont have a trailer yet, someday.

Brand name? At first i was going to buy a king kutter at runnings for $1495
But i am leary of quality. In my opinion is it better to buy a used higher quality mower that looks as if it is good shape, or buy a brand new one at lower quality. I dont have a whole lot to mow, but i want it to last. I ran across some used ones of better quality. On tractor house there are some nice woods mowers for 2000 and even new ones for 2600, but by the time it is shipped here that adds another 500 to the price.
the other brands i am considering or have seen used was
Farm king used 84" y750r 2100 used very little new 2800(if you can find someone that can still order from them and get them in this summer)
bobcat 72" $2000
USed woods are around $2000

 

[EddieWalker]

I have a 35 hp 4wheel drive Century tractor witout a FEL. I foamed my front tires, which also acts as ballest at keeping my front end down. I bought a used 90 inch Land Pride finish mower that works great. It's a bit heavy when I lift it, but not to where I can't turn the tires when driving while it's in the air. The four tires really make a huge difference when figuring out what size mower you can handle becuase you don't have any weight on the rear of your tractor when pulling it. I have solid tires and highly recomend only buying one with solids. My PTO has plenty of power for cutting grass thats six to nine inches tall. After that, I bog down and fill up with grass faster then I can get through it. For taller grass, or weeds, I use my 6 ft rotary cutter. Mine is a side discharge. I've never tried the rear discharge, but wouldn't make it an issue as a must have feature. If it's the same price, then it's a good deal. I also have a slip clutch on mine. Those times when I get into grass that's too tall or thick, it's come in handy.

Land Pride is partnered with Kubota, and you can get all your parts at any Kubota dealer. Mine orders what I need and it's there in a few days. They stock some parts, but not everything, and nothing for my 90 inch mower. It's very heavy duty and real easy to work on.

Of the other brands out there, I don't know of any that would be better, but some that are just as good. You get what you pay for, and prices are fairly competitive. Buy light duty if you will only mow grass and never push it on taller grass. Otherwise, buy the best you can afford and look at it as a 30 year investment, or more. They don't wear out other then belts and blades. If you hit something, then a new spindle assembly. No reason why it can't last the rest of your life.

Eddie

 

[BRB Hand]

I used to have an 84" Woods and i loved it. CUt my mowing time down from 6+ hours to 5 or so. Still had to go back and trim with a small rider. Ran across an older zero turn (Dixie Chopper) and it changed my life! Cost me about $1600 and now I mow for 4 hours and no trimming. I love the seat time on my tractor as much as the next guy, but there is no beating a commercial Zero Turn. As far as the quality of 3pt RD mowers I found the woods to be very good.

 

[Zork]

I have a 35 HP Branson and I bought a 72" rear discharge King Kutter. I am prone to buyers remorse so I tend to shop and compare. I do not remember what I paid in 2004(?), the year I got my Branny, but I sharpen the blades 2 X's a year and just replaced the belt last season. I have been very happy with it. It fans the debris out of the rear and really doesn't leave clumps. The tension spring is not that good of a design; I think it binds and wears the hook very quickly so I added a ring that allows the spring to sit un-torqued and I have not had a problem since. And, it turned 4 plus hours into just 1 to 1.5 and it burns less fuel than my Craftsman 48".

 

[k0ua]

I had a BEFCO on my old TC33DA (when I had it). and really like it. I thought it was a great mower.

James K0UA

 

[dapper]

Hay Teach...
I am kicking around the same issue sorta. I have a Woods rm660 (60" finish) on the back of my NH3930. Not wide enough for me. Need 84" to cover wheel tracks, so have been looking around for answers. I mow about 3ac at least weekly and this time of year, every 3-4 days. I want to use the 84" to mow most of the yard, and then trim with my bota zd21. I have done this using an old Ford 600 for years and it has worked well. Upgraded recently to the 3930, and one big issue I have with doing this is that this tractor (or any med to lg tractor) is only good for DRY ground. Moist at best. If the ground is wet, it will leave tracks/ruts due to its weight, the weight of mower, and how wet the ground is. And if you cross cut your yard, you know how jarring those ruts can be at anything more that a walking speed. In OH, most spring weather is too wet to mow with the tractor and I end up mowing all with the ZD anyway. So does it make a sense to spend the 2-3k on a new 3pt mower?? Hummm... I will say this... If I could only have one mower, then, there is no real choice to make. The Zero Turn is the only way to go for a dedicated mowing machine.
What size and brand??? Many good units out there, but I have had good luck with the Woods brand on many implements and will stick with them for the next one. PRD84 will probably be my choice. I like they way the wheels track in the same tracks. not 4 sets of tracks like some. (4 muddy ruts thru the wet spots ) Look forward to others opinion on brands.

 

[CentralNC]

I worked through this exact same conundrum last year. I have a lot of acreage that I would like to mow closer and nicer than I could cut with a bush hog. I looked at a lot of finishing mowers to pull behind my TC35A. It would take at least a 6' finishing mower to do that.

I ended up buying a used JD F935 mower instead of a finishing mower. It is a Yanmar powered diesel front deck mower with a 6' cutting deck. It used to take 4 hrs to cut a large field with a bush hog and now I cut it in a little over an hour.

The drawback to finish mowers (in my opinion) is the price (vs. a used zero turn or front deck mower), speed and cut. You just can't get as close to trees or make fast turns with them. There are a lot of people who use finish mowers and really like them, but I am glad that I bought a used front deck mower instead. Faster cut, better cut, easier to manuever and possibly even less expensive.

I will agree with Eddie about the Land Pride. I looked at a lot of them and talked to several people in the area who owned big Land Pride finish mowers. They are nice products. Good luck in your search.

 

[RoyJackson]

The 84" RFM's are big beasts...make sure it'll fit through any door if you park it inside a building. Mine clears the garage door by about an inch on either side.
They're also heavy, but shouldn't be a problem with your TC40DA (you might need front ballast if you mow without the FEL...but I'd try it without front ballast first).

As far as brand...mine is a Befco and I'm very happy with the quality.

You are correct about the 72" RFMs being more prevalent. It takes a pretty substantial tractor to handle an 84" mower. However, once you buy one...probably never have any need to sell it (as long as you buy tractors big enough to handle it).
But if you do want to sell it, the buyer market will be smaller then for a 72" mower.

 

[sweettractors]

I have some 84 inch First Choice with anti scalp wheel coming in this week for $2195 + cheap shipping. It is the same mower as the Phoenix and Farmaxx that Everything Attachments sells. Ken Sweet

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

First, the ultimate mowing machine is a Kubota F, not a zero turn.
I bought a cheap $1250 French made RFM first. It kept breaking on my rough land. Barlows (my dealer) gave me my $1250 back toward the 6' Landpride ($1750 at the time). The Landpride was a tank and did a great job. I've found out over time that weight matters in implements. The heaviest one is usually the strongest one. Also if you can't see the weld, then that's the prettiest one but not the strongest one. I want strong instead of pretty for my implements because I use them instead of look at them or get rid of them if I don't use them.