Bigger rear moco or stick with smaller front/rear combo

[Manney]

Bit of a mower dilemma. Currenlty run a 2.8m kuhn rear moco and an ancient 3m claas front moco on my Fendt 711 which is about 140hp on the shaft. Front mower has died as it has a large crack in the bed. This combination on the 711 works ok but is slow uphill and is on the limit in our usually heavy crops.

I also have a Fendt 818 which is more powerful but doesnt have a front pto. I have mown with it with the rear mower and it just plays with it.

I use a contractor to help cut 1st cut that we clamp and I mow all 2nd and 3rd cut myself which we bale so smaller areas done each time.

Options are as I see it:

Trade the kuhn in for a bigger rear mower and use the 818 to mow with. 3.2m or bigger? I do like the balance of a front and rear combo though.

Replace the front mower for a 2.8m kuhn and carry on mowing with the 711.

Re bed my old claas front mower. I bought a written off one from a neighbour so got loads of spares so just need a new bed and a full rebuild.

I guess this is more of a question of work rate. Can a higher hp tractor with a large rear mower have a similar output to a lower hp tractor with front and rear combo which travels at a slower speed.

2 x 2.8m mowers = 5.6m working width and i think I travel about 12 - 14kph. What size rear mower would give me a similar output? Needs to be a mounted fold up mower for our narrow roads.

 

[ollie989898]

Are your fields sensible shapes and sizes (gateways also) to be worth looking at a big 5-6m trailed machine?? Some of them you can fit in quite funny places by moving them with a spool.

 

[Wellytrack]

Front PTO. Triples on your 818.

 

[Fendt516profi]

Would you need a 3.7m mower and travel 18-21k to get same output with a single rear

 

[ollie989898]

Front PTO. Triples on your 818.

Could drive a bit slower and save on the contractor doing any mowing.

 

[dave mountain]

saw a kverneland 3336 the other day, that was capable of some serious work. would also give the option to run on either tractor at a push.

 

[Fendt516profi]

Front PTO. Triples on your 818.

Better on rear cross shaft

 

[rusty]

Don't forget that you will have more headland turns to do with just a rear mower. It soon adds up especially when doing short ends.

 

[Gerbert]

If the 818 doesn't have ridiculous hours, put a front pto on that one no doubt. This would also give you a back up which is valuable aswell.
Triples is really really nice but a fair bit up in price and you still need a frontmower.

On the other hand, a big pull type mower might be a different idea, kuhn alterna 500?

 

[Fendt516profi]

Does a centre pull have any speed benefit over a standard set up

 

[Wellytrack]

Does a centre pull have any speed benefit over a standard set up

Great for blocking up runs using a straight ditch. Less points and triangles.

 

[mf7480]

Does a centre pull have any speed benefit over a standard set up

Id have thought GPS has put an end to centre pivot mowers? The argument always used to be you can work from one side of the field to the other with no striking out but the trouble is with a 3m mower it’s a very tight turn to get back on yourself. With autosteer and a standard mower you just strike out in lands as many times as you like and it always matches up, and you can take nice sweeping turns on the headland.

 

[Wellytrack]

If the 818 doesn't have ridiculous hours, put a front pto on that one no doubt. This would also give you a back up which is valuable aswell.
Triples is really really nice but a fair bit up in price and you still need a frontmower.

On the other hand, a big pull type mower might be a different idea, kuhn alterna 500?

Looked into getting a big trailed mower like that a few years ago, the 5 meter has two beds and leaves the rows very close, not ideal for baling. A big heavyweight mower too which would sap 50hp before you even engage the PTO.

180-200 hp would be put to more productive use by driving steadier with triples.

 

[ollie989898]

Looked into getting a big trailed mower like that a few years ago, the 5 meter has two beds and leaves the rows very close, not ideal for baling. A big heavyweight mower too which would sap 50hp before you even engage the PTO.

180-200 hp would be put to more productive use by driving steadier with triples.

They have never been particularly popular for some reason.

 

[Fendt516profi]

Great for blocking up runs using a straight ditch. Less points and triangles.

Id have thought GPS has put an end to centre pivot mowers? The argument always used to be you can work from one side of the field to the other with no striking out but the trouble is with a 3m mower it’s a very tight turn to get back on yourself. With autosteer and a standard mower you just strike out in lands as many times as you like and it always matches up, and you can take nice sweeping turns on the headland.

Was thinking coupled with a front so you would not be turning quite as tight

 

[Wellytrack]

They have never been particularly popular for some reason.

Think they are quite sore on themselves in transport too.

 

[ollie989898]

Think they are quite sore on themselves in transport too.

A long time ago, I had a friend who did a fair bit of mowing with a Kuhn 500 and a JD 6910. It was pretty magic to watch in the field as he was very good with it. This is some time ago back when a 5m mower would have been considered a big mower. I seem to remember it had two separate beds and a pretty complex driveline. In sensible fields it would work nicely but it really didn't like rough ground.

I don't know if any firms still make big centre pivot machines. All the people I know locally have gone away from trailed machines and now are all front and rear mounted rather than get a contractor in.

 

[Fendt516profi]

 

[Manney]

Thanks for the replies.

Triples is a definite no as I havent got the acerage to justify them.

Large trailed rear mower is also a non starter as it woukd be a pain to move around here.

Front and rear combo is sounding like the best bet. Could put a front pto on the 818 which would take the strain off the smaller 711.

 

[Sid]

Would the turning circle of a reverse drive be less than the same tractor going forwards given the momentum trying to push the front axle straight?