Need advise on buying H

• H photo

Personally I think a belly mounted mower is best for finish cutting. Rigid 3-point mounted mowers do not track well in turns and will miss spots. They also do not float and will scalp over uneven terrain.

I just finished my first season with my Super A and 5ft Woods mower. Overall I'm very pleased. Finish quality is excellent. If you have large expanses of turf that is un-cluttered with plantings, the H should make short work of it. As Hugh mentioned, if you have to do a lot of close work around trees and such, you may find that a smaller tractor is better. I too have skinned up trees and exhaust parts, and plan to modify my muffler for next season so that it points forward instead of strait up. This may not work as I may end up with a face full of exhaust but I'm going to try it anyway for clearance.

I would also recommend turf tires on the rear and implement tires on the front, to minimize ruts and damage during tight turns. Good luck with your new property!

Sam :)

With the Woods mower I found myself mowing ground I never mowed with old mower. Mowed right up to edge of garden, even mowed down crops like beans, peas, lettuce, etc. as they were done. We had two rows of sweet peas; one staked with netting for peas to climb on. I wasn't about to build another fence and wanted to prove a point that sweet peas will grow and climb on themselves, so I planted a row in a band about 15" wide. She complained all summer about this planting proceedure, how it was such a mess. So one day in mid Sept., mowed the grass, mowed down cucumbers, yellow beans, and since this band planting of sweet peas was such a mess, I mowed them down as well. Turns out these sweet peas had flowers and seeds she wanted to harvest. In 39 years of married life, I don't think she has ever been as annoyed with me on any issue as she was on the mowing down of those sweet peas. By now it has become a bit of family humor, how a 62 year old male should have enough work for his mower. Get that one right, make sure you are done mowing when the mowing is done.

scotty

I like the Woods belly mower very much, and think the mowing quality is second to none. I'm not entirely satisfied Super A is the right vehicle for my power source. I have a lot of ornamental trees, flowers, etc. to mow around, and think a utility type tractor with under slung exhaust may be better. Between breaking tree limbs with mufler, and loosing my hat to the same, I'm not sure which is greater risk; breaking parts of exhaust system or sun on my hairless head.

I bought my mower used for $650. CAD, spent another $350. on mounting as mower had come from a BN. I paid out another $70. for new blades. I will at some point need to replace belt as a section of it was saturated with oil. It is deteriorating on that area. I now have a good solid mower for about $1,070. CAD plus a belt. A new Woods here, dumped of in my yard, not mounted would have been about $3,200. CAD. I will admit, I looked at a lot of used Woods mowers, price none less than the one I bought. Many of them were worn completely out, some damaged, etc. If I add that time and travel to price I paid, new would probably been less money.

I also see some merrit to rear hitch model; you can back it under low hanging trees and shrubs, you can remove or mount to tractor quickly. I find the belly mower almost eliminates doing other chores with tractor. If I didn't have other tractors, I would not be happy with this setup.

These have been my experiences, I realize everyone's situation is different. You will have to evaluate this for yourself.

• Epson tractor web page

Here in PA , 1000 for just a tractor with tires and runs ok. Now paint I'm thinking of painting one soon, 150-300. How is the manifold, was head redone, tires Good extra for 6 ply. Mower for 6 acres, you can brush hog it. Mower 250-500. If it is a good sound tractor I would think it is right around average price, if you shop around and go with a brush hog you would have 1000- 1200 anyway.

Have Fun !!

Teddy

Boy, that's the way I go at things too. If ya find one that makes the hair stand up on your arms, grab the thing. If you don't, somebody else will.

Allan

Pricing is a judgement call; depends both on the buyer and the seller. I've got close to $4K in my old H and I'm as happy as a pig in a mud puddle.

I think that H is probably worth about $2K (see what you can buy from a dealer for that amount!). Add in the mower with the mounting and it is getting pretty close to what he is asking, in my view.

On the other hand, we can buy used, tired old Hs out here in the hills for $500 any day of the week.

Sorry Pard, this one is really up to you, your wife and your friend. :>(

Allan