2.8m front mower overlap

[Gettin by]

Wondering if I’m shortsighted in considering purchasing a 2.8m front mower to run with our existing rear mower.
overlap would be 7” give or take where a 3.1 m front mower would give another 6” on paper.
Advantages to both along with disadvantages but in anything other than a nice field I’m curious about the overlap and keen to avoid an obvious problem purchase.
Anyone care to share their experiences with a 2.8m front mower.
I’ve used 3.1m front mower combinations and know how side slopes and right hand bends need to be managed. Don’t want to be continually hugging left or cutting narrow to avoid missing strips! Defeats the exercise.
Thanks.

 

[Hesstondriver]

Neighbour has that combination
As long as two mowers meet and don’t miss (overlap will help on slopes / corners

just think of it as a total cutting width of 5.9 meters

 

[SaMASZ_Jake]

I'm not sure what rear mower you're using, with different mowers having different rear overlaps but this is what we usually suggest with our Samba range.

The mowers on the left are 3.00m and the right images are 2.80m. I always advise for a 3.00m front mower as the price difference isnt huge, but makes mowing so much more comfortable and easy when you dont have to worry as much about the fringes left when turning or working on slopes.

 

[Gettin by]

Thanks.
there’s a degree of movement to alter the rear mower offset of around +-2” plus stabilisers if needed.
3.1m front mower would be far more flexible in every respect other than manoeuvrability.

 

[mf7480]

Will 6” each side make that much difference to manoeuvrability? I’d have thought a 3.1m would be much easier to mow with?

 

[Jim B]

Next to no 2.8 front mowers sold, more chance to leave strips, everything is 3.1/3.2 metre.

 

[AdamHoggard]

We ran a 2.8 mower and quickly swapped it for a 3.2m and never looked back! Loads easier to use. Cannot tell and difference in swath size.
We are actually selling one of our 3.2m mower conditioners due to upgrade . A kv 3632ft £3500 plus vat

 

[Gettin by]

We ran a 2.8 mower and quickly swapped it for a 3.2m and never looked back! Loads easier to use. Cannot tell and difference in swath size.
We are actually selling one of our 3.2m mower conditioners due to upgrade . A kv 3632ft £3500 plus vat

Just what I was thinking and unfortunately hoping for.
Anything purchased new will be 3.1 or wider but there’s a few cheap tidy 2.8m used non contractor units out and about. Cheap enough to take the gamble on. Dig a lot deeper into the finances and do the job proper by the looks of things. Thanks.

 

[davidroberts30]

I run a 2.8front and 3.2 rear
If your roads and gates are anything like here a 3.2 front is too big

Dont forget if u swop a 2.8f to a 3.2 u only gaining about 20cm as the rest is overlap

 

[Gettin by]

Yep.
It’s never simple. Advantages and disadvantages to both one way or another.
Up side is that both will work so I’ll see where we end up amongst the finance!

 

[Horn&corn]

2.8 front here. 3m+ is too wide to get into lots of daft gateway built by local horse folk.
Really doesn’t seem to affect output. Can just go slightly faster when in big open fields. Slight miss if working across a bank but wind your stabiliser a bit for that field. Would barely fit in a carrier bag so why worry?

 

[AdamHoggard]

Don't be daft. 3.2 all the way. Some gate ways need a shunt to get round. But being able to turn more is way more beneficial for our Derbyshire fields