3pt finish mower Land Pride

[Grumpyjoe]

I have been reading a lot on the different mowers out there. For now I am just hogging most of the 10 acres but I do have about 1.5 acres I mow now. Within a couple years I want to convert 5 acres to nice grass or at least county park quality grass.

As I looked many still call the Land Pride as one of the best to buy. I went to the local shop to inquire which one would be best and how wide I could go. I was thinking I might be able to go 6 foot wide but the dealer says if I miss a week here in Missouri the extra cut will be harder to catch up with using the 6 foot mower. He then also told me the 1660 would not be as good as the 2560.

Naturally I had to check. I went to the parts page and everything but the actual deck is interchangeable except the price. Same spindles, blades and gear boxes. So is the heavier dec really worth another $1200?

Is there another finish mower I should be looking at?

Most here swear by the Bad Boy Zero Turns or any zero Turn. I wish I had an extra $5-10k to throw at a mower but I bought my tractor to mow as well as work the property. Maybe later when I am old or older I will prefer a faster Zero Turn and can dump some wasted cash.

 

[rjcorazza]

You don't mention what tractor you have...
I mowed with 18hp and a 72" rfm for years without issue, but I generally don't mow high grass. The 16 series vs 25 series could be an issue with smaller machines because of their weight. My old B8200 got real light in the steering with a 600lb mower. I had to add 150 lbs of suitcase weights up front.
I would check the implement weight specs for your machine, then look at the models under consideration to see if they will meets your needs. Also, the Land Pride site doesn't list a 2560, only 2572 and 2584 (if I read the charts right).

 

[Grumpyjoe]

RC yes my mistake it was the 2 6 footers not 5 footers I was comparing.

I own a BX25d1. Because of the backhoe the MMM is not the best choice. I was looking into the difference of 16 vs 25 series 3pt mowers. There are times I do not get to the grass right away and it gets a bit high. 6-12 inches at worst. Some areas are real thick and it does bog down even the rotary cutter aka hog.

It is more the occasional rock or branch in the field that worries me. My riding mower has broken two spindles already in a year. They a cheep but a pain to replace. THe design of the 3pt mower spindles is much heavier regardless of brand yet the cost is what is holding me back.

The more I look the more I think of buying a used 3pt and saving up for a zero turn in a few years. I see a lot of 1660 Land Prides for $800-1000 used but well worn. $300 for new spindles and a belt I am thinking it should work for a few years.

 

[rjcorazza]

Looks to me like the 2572 mower is going to be too heavy for your tractor... That's a lot of weight back there, even with the loader as counterweight.
As previously mentioned, I mowed my 6 acres with a lighter duty 6' rfm for years with a lower hp machine. Now I primarily mow with diesel zero turns, 6 acres of my own, and (12) 2+ acre lots.
Happy shopping!

 

[Missouribound]

I have a B2320 and I use a 1660 land pride and am very happy with it.
Very sturdy and easy to maintain. It's a 60" and it works for my 3.5 acres very well and surely would do 10 easily. I know there are cheaper mowers available but I can't attest to their quality.

 

[Dave_eng]

I have had a Landpride 2572 since the 1980's.

Buy BP158 kevlar belts for it for about $40 on ebay. Use grade 2 shear bolts.

Don't think you have a bush hog.

Kubota now owns Landpride and I have bought a few parts at a Kubota dealer

Trying to cut grass that is very tall and thick results in a burning belt.

Using too strong a shear bolt and you will find the pieces of gear box rotating and bashing around on the end of the pto shaft.

Another aspect of a heavy mower riding on its own wheels is soft ground in the spring. It will sink in a bit changing the cutting height and causing scalping. Several weeks with no rain, ground as hard as concrete, then no problem but then the grass is not growing.

It is a different beast than a wide MMM.

Dave M7040

 

[Grizzy3901]

I run a 1672 on my 3901 I mow about 6.5 acres for a year now and it's a beast. I just recently started mowing my neighbors field this past summer with it instead of the Bush hog and I have been impressed last weekend it was probably close to 14 inches and I just put the tractor in low and went about it. No major issues yet with spindles or belts. I have had a couple bolts the hold the deck to the frame break but that's it.my land isn't the smoothest so the front edge of the mower has taken some abuse little bent in places. Only thing I really do to it is grease the spindles.

One question for others looking at the thread was are your opinions on solid casters compared to pneumatic tires?

 

[rjcorazza]

...
One question for others looking at the thread was are your opinions on solid casters compared to pneumatic tires?

I ran air tires on my Befco for years and after a few years I was constantly filling them and fixing flats. Gave up and put the original solid tires back on. The air tires give a smoother ride for the deck on rough terrain, but weren't worth the trouble imho.
I now use the mower mostly for backing up to a stream bank so it really doesn't make much difference what wheels are used.

 

[fatjay]

I pulled a 60" finish mower behind my 19hp kubota and if the grass was high or wet it would bog a bit, but always worked through it. I ended up getting rid of it because it would scalp over hills, didn't give a smooth cut on slopes, and wasn't very manuverable for going around obsticals. If you're mowing a flat field, though, I'm sure it'd be fine.

Second hand 60-72" zero turns can be had for around 2k if you shop around. I picked up my zd21 60" kubota for $500 in need of minor repair, $600 in parts and a half day of labor and it runs like a top.

 

[Grumpyjoe]

Thank you for all the thoughts and ideas. I do believe we will be going for a used 3pt mower for now. A MMM is not a good options as I have the BH kit installed and it greatly limits the size and adjustments of a MMM. Next week is the big Farm Fest at Ozarks Fair so I will be able to see and touch mowers while talking with salesmen of each brand.

I also met another transplant out here that went straight to a Bad Boy Zero Turn 30 HP mower. He loves it for his 5 acres but he had no work to do with the property before mowing. So later we may go to the Zero Turn.

As to size two dealers for Kubota both agree nothing more than 72" but 60" would work best. A few of the Green and Red guys all limit it to 60" and do not recommend 72" ever. So now the search is on for a solid framed 60" that I can go thru and get ready for spring.

 

[Grumpyjoe]

Just an update, we went with a Hustler 60 inch mower and left the tractor as it was. What used to take 3 days to mow I can almost do in an afternoon. THe cut is nicer and I do not have to worry about changing out parts. I can run the tractor and the wife can mow. Some days that is nice. When taken care of the Hustler can last 10-15 years. If I get 5-8 I would be happy. Then I can scrap the main part and reclaim the mower into a three point contraption.

 

[Russell King]

Thanks for giving the feedback.

What is the tallest you can mow the grass? I use a shredder to cut the grass tall to allow it to become more native grasses but would like a better cut and faster completion. I don’t think I will ever be able to find anything that cuts real high like 7 to 9 inches. Most types of finishing mowers are 5 inch max.


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