Author	[Modern View]
Hobo,NC 05-25-2012 17:56:02 98.17.85.214 Report to Moderator	Bud has a 1980 MF285 Diesel this is his email to me... I've been thinking about getting a bigger bush-hog to mow my pastures. Right now I have that 7ft bush hog and it takes forever to mow that 10acre horse pasture. I've been thinking about getting a 15ft batwing mower, but I'm not sure my MF 285 can handle it. Most of the manufacturers say that the minimum power for most of 15ft mowers is 50-60hp. That tractor is 85hp with 75hp PTO (I believe). Do you think it is still putting out that much power? It seems to be running well. Tractor runs well but I have never drove it other that for a test drive after servicing it.. Will it run a 15 foot'et... [Reply]   [No Email]
Ellis VA 05-26-2012 07:47:18 166.251.214.241 Report to Moderator	Re: MF285 Will it run a 15Ft bat wing mower. in reply to Hobo,NC, 05-25-2012 17:56:02   Plenty of power but the pto clutch brake will not stand up. If you put a slip clutch on and just pull fuel cutoff when you want to stop you might be okay. I have been through 4 pto brakes with a 10ft [Reply]  [No Email]
Laneman 05-26-2012 05:38:10 199.115.190.204 Report to Moderator	Re: MF285 Will it run a 15Ft bat wing mower. in reply to Hobo,NC, 05-25-2012 17:56:02   I ran a Massey 65 through very thick 6 foot tall weeds using a 14 foot pull behind mower and it did fine. It was not a batwing, just a solid mower, not sure if that makes a difference or not. I will say I could hear the engine laboring, but diesels seem to like that. Was mowing in 1st gear high. [Reply]  [No Email]
Dean 05-25-2012 18:43:08 152.216.3.5 Report to Moderator	Re: MF285 Will it run a 15Ft bat wing mower. in reply to Hobo,NC, 05-25-2012 17:56:02   It should pull it if he mows regularly enough to prevent the grass from getting too thick and he does not expect to mow to fast in anything but light cover. Dean [Reply]  [No Email]
MF 285 05-25-2012 18:36:41 96.53.210.246 Report to Moderator	Re: MF285 Will it run a 15Ft bat wing mower. in reply to Hobo,NC, 05-25-2012 17:56:02   You don't have to take a full swath if the grass is thick. [Reply]  [No Email]
416c 05-25-2012 18:19:11 174.130.46.140 Report to Moderator	Re: MF285 Will it run a 15Ft bat wing mower. in reply to Hobo,NC, 05-25-2012 17:56:02   we have run a 14' woods mower in picked sweetcorn patches with a 55hp Ford tractor. We just slow down a little when the going gets tuff. [Reply]  [No Email]