Will a B2601 handle a 5' rotary cutter? Cutter recommends 20 pto hhp and B2601 has 19.5 pto hp. Just wondering would I be wasting my money on a 5' rotary cutter ? Would love to hear from you if you use 5" cutter on your B2601
B2601 with rotary cutter
- Thread starter robert2601
- Start date
rkidd
Active member
Lifetime Member
Equipment
B2650, FEL With QA 60"mmm, 3pt FDR1672,homemade ballast box, BB 1572 box scraper
I ran an RCR1548 on my B2601 it did really well, however in thick grass it was about at its limits.
having said that, I sold that RCR1548 to a guy with a BX! He used it successfully to clear 10 acres of 5' tall grass. I dont think 5' would be optimal on B2601 but I bet it would do it as long as you took it easy in thick grasses, prob also an extra 150 pounds or so to take into consideration...
having said that, I sold that RCR1548 to a guy with a BX! He used it successfully to clear 10 acres of 5' tall grass. I dont think 5' would be optimal on B2601 but I bet it would do it as long as you took it easy in thick grasses, prob also an extra 150 pounds or so to take into consideration...
Last edited:
TheOldHokie
Well-known member
Lifetime Member
Equipment
L3901/LA525, B7200DT/B1630, G2160/RCK60, G2460/RCK60
I ran a Woods 72" rear discharge finish mower with a B7200 for years. It was way too heavy to transport for the tractor but cut fine as long as I kept the grass at a reasonable height. If I let it get 12" tall I had to gear down to first and go slow and/or reduce the width of the cut to avoid stalling the tractor. Far from optional and my 4 foot finish mower was a much better match. I also ran a 5' hog with the B7200. Same story there.
Dan
I use a 4' RCR1548 bush hog and a 5' FDR1660 finish mower on my B2601 with rear wheel spacers and filled tires. You got to be REAL CAREFUL with the 5' mower on the B2601. It can pull and turn the 5' just fine...........that is not the issue at all........... but if you lift the 5 footer on anything other than level ground the front end is VERY light. If you keep the loader on it will offset the weight of the 5' cutter and not so much of an issue but then it struggles with power mowing up slopes. Take the loader off and the power is much better but all can say is BE CAREFUL .
I've run my dad's RCR1860 on my B2601. The B2601 will do it no question. It was mostly to mow down some light pasture grass where our walking paths were. If I was going to do some serious work on a regular basis, I would stick within what Kubota recommends.
As TomRC mentions, big mowers are heavy so be wary of how light you're getting upfront.
As TomRC mentions, big mowers are heavy so be wary of how light you're getting upfront.
Thanks for info Dan, I had been mowing 7 acre field with bx2350 and the mid mount mower. Had to mow every 3 weeks or so before the grass got too high and was hoping a 5' rotary would cut out a couple of mowings but I am beginning to think I didnt buy enough tractor with the B2601
Thanks Tom I am leaning towards the 4' one my dealer suggested. Just dont like the extra hour or two to mow my 7 acre field
If you added weight in the bucket of the B2601 pulling a 5' mower and had to deal with going up any slopes you will be in the seat until xmas. Medium gear would not even be an option at least from my experience. If you are not mowing much on a regular basis its a non issue. Mowing in low gear if you have a fair amount to mow on a regular basis is just no fun.
I'm coming up on my one year B2601 anniversary and will end up with about 150 hours seat time the majority of which is mowing with the 5 foot finish mower. The B2601 is a GREAT tractor but its not the best tool to pull a 5 footer if you have any slopes and have to cut a fair amount on a weekly basis.
I would be curious to see how even a L2501 with a 5' mower would handle going up slopes in medium gear. I don't know (would love to hear input) but I'm thinking you would need a L3301 to pull a 5 or 6 foot finish mower in medium gear up slopes at a decent speed.
I'm coming up on my one year B2601 anniversary and will end up with about 150 hours seat time the majority of which is mowing with the 5 foot finish mower. The B2601 is a GREAT tractor but its not the best tool to pull a 5 footer if you have any slopes and have to cut a fair amount on a weekly basis.
I would be curious to see how even a L2501 with a 5' mower would handle going up slopes in medium gear. I don't know (would love to hear input) but I'm thinking you would need a L3301 to pull a 5 or 6 foot finish mower in medium gear up slopes at a decent speed.
TheOldHokie
Well-known member
Lifetime Member
Equipment
L3901/LA525, B7200DT/B1630, G2160/RCK60, G2460/RCK60
You might find the wider mower is no quicker if you have to reduce ground speed or take partial cuts because the tractor cant spin it at full speed and cut.
Dan
TheOldHokie
Well-known member
Lifetime Member
Equipment
L3901/LA525, B7200DT/B1630, G2160/RCK60, G2460/RCK60
I am having similar thoughts wrt my L3901 and more specifically the LA525 loader. I think it is a universal law of tractors.
Dan
I'm only cutting 4 to 5 acres weekly / bi weekly with my B2601 and 5 foot FDR1660. From my standpoint coming up on my 1 year anniversary and 150 hours seat time the majority of which is mowing the B2601 with even the 5' mower is not the right tool for the job. My newbie tractor buying mistake and I just didn't factor in this as being a major problem. I had seen B2601's pulling 5 foot finish mowers but what I didn't realize was the stability and or power to pull trade off I'd have to make. Not to mention even cutting 5 acres regularly a 5 foot mower is a tad small unless you have a lot of time on your hands.
I love the B2601 and its handled all the other non mowing work I've needed with spades but mowing not so much. I will say the FDR1660 finish mower produces a GREAT manicured cut., so much better than a bush hog. For even 4 to 5 acres of regular mowing I'm not so sure even a L2501 is the answer as I wonder if even the L2501 could pull a 5 foot finish mower up a moderate slope in medium gear with ease. For my 5 acres of regular mowing and after a years experience on the B2601 with the 5 footer I'm already looking at either a dedicated 6' zero turn or something like a L3301 or L3901 that has the stability AND equally important the power to pull a 6 foot finish mower on even moderate slopes in medium gear. Low gear is a no go for frequent mowing of larger areas in my opinion.
I love the B2601 and its handled all the other non mowing work I've needed with spades but mowing not so much. I will say the FDR1660 finish mower produces a GREAT manicured cut., so much better than a bush hog. For even 4 to 5 acres of regular mowing I'm not so sure even a L2501 is the answer as I wonder if even the L2501 could pull a 5 foot finish mower up a moderate slope in medium gear with ease. For my 5 acres of regular mowing and after a years experience on the B2601 with the 5 footer I'm already looking at either a dedicated 6' zero turn or something like a L3301 or L3901 that has the stability AND equally important the power to pull a 6 foot finish mower on even moderate slopes in medium gear. Low gear is a no go for frequent mowing of larger areas in my opinion.
Last edited:
Well I guess the last thing I want to do is give the tractor more than it can handle. Will decide later wether to mow more often with 5" mmm or go with the 4" rotary mower. I am grateful for your comments and the others here.
Thats a big field to be cutting with that compact tractor. I would look for a big old used 40 to 60 hp diesel powered beast. The guy that farms my place is partial to the International brand. Been a farmer all his life and never spent over $6,000 on a tractor. Mows, makes hay, spreads horse poop on 70 acres. The tractors stay outside and are well used. Reporting from Appalachia.
BigG
Well-known member
Equipment
l2501, FEL, BB, Rotary cutter, rake,spreader, roller, etc. New Holland TL80 A
If the B2601 does everything you need but mow fast enough then this will increase the cutting speed with minimal costs.
Cutting almost 10 feet at a time it will cut your time almost in half. And yes I had one at one time and it worked well.
I just sold a Ford 3600 40 hp tractor and my bx2350 thinking I only needed one tractor if I upgraded to a b2601 because I wanted the front end loader and wasnt too concerned about the mowing. Expensive mistake maybe?