Thanks UpNorth -- valid point on the ability for a tow behind to "float" -- although its my understanding that on the M5-111 even on the 3 point setup -- it can be set for the mower to "Float" for uneven ground ? Do I have this wrong?
I also thought that by going the 3 point route that if you accidentally hit something..a stump or rock..I could more easily raise the whole mower deck from the cab versus the tow behind type..?? any thoughts on this....
But I do have fairly open areas that a tow behind would work mostly...a little backing up but not a lot...the point above about raising and lowering is one of my biggest concerns...not sure if I can easily raise and lower the mower from cab with the tow behind...?
Yes and no about making the 3pt float. You
can set the 3pt to float from inside the tractor. However, in a mowing application, especially on uneven terrain, it does not work as well as you would think, at least in my experience on my property. It's not the fault of the tractor, rather the combo of the mower and the tractor. It does not allow for much pivoting when going over a series of rolling areas as a tow-unit would. For example, picture you are mowing on a flat surface then begin to go downhill. Depending how steep that "curve" at the top of the hill is, the 3pt may not be able to extend down far enough to keep the mower at the correct mowing height, i.e., it will raise the mower into the air, creating a patch of tall grass.
With a tow behind mower however, there is a pivot point that has a much wider range of motion to float. Still, even though my land is very hilly, the 3pt is fine, and I only experience this problem in a few very uneven areas.
As for the second part of your question, with tow behinds you will be able to raise and lower from the cab via hydraulics. However, I will say that it will not raise it as high as you would be able to with the 3 pt, if that's a concern.
