Rear Finish Mower

[Eddie Jr.]

gktilton - solid plan with the pair of tractors for lawn care! My old lawn tractor has bitten the dust so I need a "do-it-all" tractor now. I have a little DX22E Case right now with a FEL and back blade and it has worked well for snow and moving a few tones of gravel but I want to step up a little in size and hp, and of course join the "Orange" gang for good!
Bulldog and Eric, I know you guys are right and that it will become second nature in time. What do you think about the ballast issue in the front with the loader off (Bulldog, you clearly have a bigger tractor so maybe not an issue for you)? Or do you guys run the rear mowers with the FEL on?

 

[Bulldog]

Eddie, now that I have the quick detach for my loader I just take the bucket off and leave the loader. Up until that point I would remove the loader when I mowed. It was way to long with the loader to get in tight spots. My mower is a 72", 613 lbs and without the loader the tractor does just fine. On a steep slope it was wise to carry it low so in case it did rare up it would only come a inch or two and then the mower wheels were back on the ground. When I say steep I mean to the point where 4wd is a requirement and you start to question whether you should even be there or not. Regular ground is not a problem at all. Some people swear by the MMM but I just don't see any advantage over a rear mount. Well, I should say a quality rear mower. It will show in a hurry if you have a good finish mower or not. I went cheap once and it's hard to see the difference until you pull a good mower. I think you will be fine with a rear mower. Get you a Bushhog or any of the other heavy built quality mowers and you'll be fine. I would suggest one with a blade tip speed at least 15,000 fpm or higher.

 

[Eddie Jr.]

Thanks Bulldog! You are sporting a larger tractor then the "B" aren’t you? I have an area to swap it on and off that is smooth. And like you mentioned, the overall length is what I am looking to keep to a minimum while mowing. I don’t plan on doing too many odd jobs for my neighbors as most of them have tractors already. My buddy down the road is an equipment guy as well and has all the cool stuff like hi-hoes and back-hoes I would imagine they will be calling him first!
So I think I am going to try the MMM and maybe get a bush hog for the back later down the road. I may curse it later, but I certainly appreciate the insight from everyone thus far. I have been weighing this heavily for the past few days and really want to try the MMM for a few seasons, worst case is I have to buy a 3pt version later and trade the MMM I guess? I wish my sales guy would get back from being sick so I can finish the deal with him. I feel like a little kid waiting for my new toy!
Ps. The MMM from Kubota has a tip speed of 14,450 fps.

 

[gktilton]

Not sure if this factors into your calculations, it always hits mine. What is the Price difference between the MM and the RFM?

Also the dealer said you could drive over it, but does the Kubota manual say you can drive over the MMM. I would hate to see a $2000 mower crushed. I thought the ones Kubota approved driving over had the ramp and reinforcements.

I hope you enjoy the new tractor.

 

[Eddie Jr.]

@GK - Good point. There isn’t a huge difference in the price of the two units, maybe 400$, and for sure that weighs in for me too! They offered to weld on some brackets to attach the ramps to but I am not interested in having a bunch of "stuff" welded on the deck if it wasn’t supposed to be there, hooks on the loader are a little different story of course. The drive over unit for the B2920 is a 10 gauge unit and the one for the B3200 is a 9 gauge piece so it is a little heavier to start with. I don’t plan on driving over it but knowing I could in a pinch would be nice I guess? I hope this all comes together soon.

 

[Bulldog]

Hi Eddie, I understand what you mean about the wait for your new toy. When I ordered my M 9000 I had to wait for 7 months. I thought I would have a nervous break down before it got here. I don't blame you for not wanting a bunch of crap welded on the new mower deck. The way we dropped the MMM we formerly used was fairly easy. Built one ramp to drive one tire over the deck and let the other side just barely squeeze by the end of the deck. The speed you listed on the Kubota mower should cut pretty good. I hope your salesman will get in and take good care of you. Enjoy the new orange and remember to get us some pics when the new baby gets home.

 

[Eddie Jr.]

Bulldog, 7 Months!!! ??? Man I would have lost my mind! That M9000 is quite a rig though man, you must be pleased even after the wait. I have been on this for about a year, but I found the little Case last summer and couldn’t pass up the deal. I am at the point where the bigger tractor will be almost necessary for the work that needs to be done around my place now.
I am super pumped for sure! There will be pics for sure too, not to worry there! I just appreciate al the info everyone has given me in the past few days while I blasted this board with a million questions!
So here is the final wish list for tomorrow:
2011 B3200, FEL with 2 hooks welded on, 6’ rear blade (a farm king 30?) and the MMM 60” version. They are also including the ballast box in the price but I may have to negotiate that out to get the final $ figure I want.
I will keep you posted.
Max. (Eddie is my dad on here)

 

[Eddie Jr.]

Ps. Sorry to dylanjohn08, I think I kind of hijacked your thread man.

 

[dylanjohn08]

its ok i was learning some more about mowers too.

 

[Eddie Jr.]

She is on her way! I will be in the seat TONIGHT!!!
Mower will be in next week. I will keep you posted.
It's like Christmas for big kids!!

M.

 

[Eddie Jr.]

She has ARRIVED!
I posted some pics in "Case Guy Looking to Defect" in the "buying" section of the forum, have a look and let me know what you think!

Thanks agian for all the info guys!
Max.

 

[bx1500]

I won't be worried about the none drive over deck . The wheels turn so
so you can role it under the tractor. On or off in about 3 min.

 

[Eddie Jr.]

Thanks BX! The front 2 wheels swivel, but the 2 in the rear are fairly wide and fixed. Might be a bit of a chore but we shall see.
It should arrive next week!
Thanks again!
M.