Is a L4701 to big to mow my yard?

David9723

Member

Equipment
B2650
Sep 28, 2013
40
2
8
VA
With a land pride 72 finish mower? I've never had any trouble with my B2650, i know the L is bigger, i want it for the PTO HP to run larger implements.

I have trees in the yard i always just mow around them with a lawn mower. B2650 is to big to fit under trees.
 

jimh406

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Kubota L2501 with R4 tires
Jan 29, 2021
2,356
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Western MT
It’s probably twice as heavy as the B2650 but has larger tires. I guess it depends on the type of grass and how dry it is. I’ve driven my L2501 over my grass with loader full of dirt and land plane with loaded R4 tires, and you can barely tell I’ve been there unless I go over and over the same place.
 

David9723

Member

Equipment
B2650
Sep 28, 2013
40
2
8
VA
It’s probably twice as heavy as the B2650 but has larger tires. I guess it depends on the type of grass and how dry it is. I’ve driven my L2501 over my grass with loader full of dirt and land plane with loaded R4 tires, and you can barely tell I’ve been there unless I go over and over the same place.
My B2650 has filled tires not sure how much weight that is. I don't put much work into the yard just keep it mowed but i don't want ruts.
 

NCL4701

Well-known member

Equipment
L4701, T2290, WC68, grapple, BB1572, Farmi W50R, Howes 500, 16kW IMD gen, WG24
Apr 27, 2020
2,791
4,233
113
Central Piedmont, NC
That’s a really big lawnmower. Honestly probably depends on how you configure it.

I briefly thought about getting a 10’ or 12’ batwing finish mower for lawn type mowing for mine but the way I have it set up, it’s really too heavy for routine lawn mowing.

TractorData lists the weight of just the tractor at 3219 to 3307lb. Loading R4 rears adds about 1000 - 1100 lb total depending on what you fill them with. Loader adds another 1100lb. So with no implement adding weight on the rear, mine runs about 5500lb +/-by the time my 220lb fat butt sits on it. Implement adds whatever the implement weighs.

So a lot of it depends on how you set it up. Skip the loader and that drops 1100lb. Remove the removable part (boom, bucket, and cylinders) that drops a good bit of weight but the subframe is still there so not the full 1100lb.

Whether you load the tires and what tires you need depends on what you’re using it for. Turfs are obviously best for turf; which is why their called turfs. R1’s are best for traction in dirt/mud but they’d likely tear up your yard. R4’s are a compromise between R1’s and turfs. I’ve found them to be decent for minimizing damage to the ground while mowing when in 2WD. If you need decent traction for pulling things you may need to load the rears. If you’re using the loader you’ll need a serious weight box on the 3 point (like 1500lb or a bit more) to keep the back end on the ground if you don’t load the rears.

With the box scrape on the back and a decent log in the grapple mine is running around 7500lb and I have driven through our red clay yard like that without damaging the yard but it needs to be reasonably dry to do that.

if you ran turfs unloaded with no loader, or loader removed, and your yard is pretty solid, you could probably do it. R4’s unloaded… maybe.

I bushog a field with a bunch of trees in it. 5’ bushog. I remove the loader for that. Maneuverability is good with a quite short turning radius and HST to deal with quite a bit of back and forth.

With ROPS up it’s just shy of 9’ tall. About 75” with ROPS down.

I do think you could configure it to be a REALLY big lawnmower if you have a big yard, don’t have to get under low hanging stuff, pick the right tires, and keep the weight down. If your need for the PTO hp is for generator, pump, snowblower, etc. the tires and traction for pulling aren’t important. If you want a farm/construction tractor that you can mow your lawn with, I think you’ll have some difficulty configuring it do both adequately as it’s going to either be too light to perform the farm/construction stuff or too heavy for routine law mowing.
 
Last edited:

Jchonline

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Kubota L6060, KX040-4, M7060, RTV X1100C, M62 (sold)
Oct 28, 2018
1,389
602
113
Red Feather Lakes, CO
My B2650 has filled tires not sure how much weight that is. I don't put much work into the yard just keep it mowed but i don't want ruts.
Well lift your car with your tractor then drive around on the yard...see if it makes ruts!

A finish on a larger machine will stick out more, wider turning radius...etc. Just going to leave you more to push mow or weed-eat after. It could absolutely make ruts, but it really depends on soil conditions. How many acres?
 

PaulL

Well-known member

Equipment
B2601
Jul 17, 2017
2,435
1,363
113
NZ
How big is the yard? I think you're really in territory where you could buy a decent zero turn for the price of the rear finish mower, and have a dedicated mowing machine that mows like a demon, and then configure your L properly for farm work. In a perfect world your wife could mow the lawn while you drive the tractor, which would be a huge benefit. :^)

If you did that, I'd look at the MX instead of the L4701, apparently they cost about the same but quite a bit more capability.
 

David9723

Member

Equipment
B2650
Sep 28, 2013
40
2
8
VA
Well lift your car with your tractor then drive around on the yard...see if it makes ruts!

A finish on a larger machine will stick out more, wider turning radius...etc. Just going to leave you more to push mow or weed-eat after. It could absolutely make ruts, but it really depends on soil conditions. How many acres?
16 acres yard is only 3.
 

David9723

Member

Equipment
B2650
Sep 28, 2013
40
2
8
VA
How big is the yard? I think you're really in territory where you could buy a decent zero turn for the price of the rear finish mower, and have a dedicated mowing machine that mows like a demon, and then configure your L properly for farm work. In a perfect world your wife could mow the lawn while you drive the tractor, which would be a huge benefit. :^)

If you did that, I'd look at the MX instead of the L4701, apparently they cost about the same but quite a bit more capability.
Yard is 3 acres but i have 16 in total. I already have a lawn mower to go under/around trees, i actually have two............ even the B2650 is to big.

I have to much equipment and wanted to trade it all in for a do it all machine. Two lawn mowers one is only 2 years old, two B series tractors.
 

sdk1968

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B2601HSD & CK4010HST 4WD/FEL
Oct 19, 2016
929
36
28
Ohio
if a 2650 is too big? then a 4701 is for sure too big.

2601's make an awesome lawnmower. then again: an old B7200 is the ultimate lawn mowing machine!

just cant imagine ever mowing grass with a tractor or riding mower again after owning a good Zeroturn.
 

RCW

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BX2360, FEL, MMM, BX2750D snowblower. 1953 Minneapolis Moline ZAU
Apr 28, 2013
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Chenango County, NY
We have an OTT member (chim?) whose main lawn mowing tractor is an L4240, I think with cab. Posted a picture of it a few years ago.

Loves it.
 

PaulR

Well-known member

Equipment
BX 23S -- 100 hours seat time so far
Aug 3, 2020
579
459
63
Hadley, MA
Me perennially: Not a fan of big heavy machines to mow lawns, way too much compaction. Being a lawn geek that tests his soil and all that, you want it to be as loose as possible. I don't even mow with my little BX.

Depends on what you want I guess, I like to keep the lawn as nice as possible.
 

David9723

Member

Equipment
B2650
Sep 28, 2013
40
2
8
VA
Me perennially: Not a fan of big heavy machines to mow lawns, way too much compaction. Being a lawn geek that tests his soil and all that, you want it to be as loose as possible. I don't even mow with my little BX.

Depends on what you want I guess, I like to keep the lawn as nice as possible.
I never do any of that as long as it's been mowed i don't really care. Maybe with a rear discharge of a finish mower i wouldn't have to rake it.
 

PaulL

Well-known member

Equipment
B2601
Jul 17, 2017
2,435
1,363
113
NZ
I assumed raking meant you were picking it up somehow. If you're just raking it to spread it, you must be able to adjust what you're doing so it doesn't windrow. Yes, rear discharge, or side discharge with the chute lifted a bit so it spreads well. With my MMM I discharge to the centre and mow over it again on the next round. So long as I don't let the grass get too long it gives a really tidy finish, no raking, no bagging. But if hte grass gets too long I end up with a windrow slowly moving to the centre. Worst case I can just bag that at the end, but if I let it get that long I usually have to shift to discharging over the already mowed grass instead of the to-be-mowed grass - which leaves a bit more mess.