What are the odds.....

Eldon (WA) · Jun 22, 2015

Tomorrow I have a 12 hour mowing contract to fulfill for Ducks Unlimited....today I was on my second job and I felt the mower dragging. Looked around, level ground, then see my rear 18.4 x 30 tire half flat. I limped it through to the end of the job, barely got it loaded on the trailer, but got it home. Luckily it was only 5 miles from home. Pulled the wheel off, used the skidsteer and forks to break the bead. This tire hadn't been off in ages! Well, it had a little CaCl left in it, maybe 10 gallons from when I drained them years ago. Wrestled the tube out of the tire and onto the rim. Used the forks to pick it up, tube caught on the wheel weight bolt and ripped a 1x3" section out of it....well I got the rest of the fluid out of it anyway :-( On to plan B...pull the 15.5 x 38's off another tractor and swap tires for now. I see a sprig of wire sticking out the inner sidewall of the flat one. I remember dodging a 1/4" cable that was buried in the field. The blades must have just nicked the cable and sent a piece into the tire. Such luck....

JD Seller · Jun 22, 2015

With all the tractors you have I would just switch the mower to a different tractor before I would change tires with one of them. It is only for one day so if the fuel economy or something else is not the best it still would be better than changing rims/tires just for the one day.

As to the odds. I have found the more important the job the more likely I will have some thing fail. LOL

Eldon (WA) · Jun 22, 2015

(quoted from post at 21:18:02 06/22/15) With all the tractors you have I would just switch the mower to a different tractor before I would change tires with one of them. It is only for one day so if the fuel economy or something else is not the best it still would be better than changing rims/tires just for the one day.

As to the odds. I have found the more important the job the more likely I will have some thing fail. LOL

True, I have 6 others of the same model, but two have loaders on them so they are out. One is on the produce trailer, so that is out. Another is sitting at a job away from home with a 14' disc. Another has the 5' Howard rotovator on it all the time. All these tractors are set at 6-7' wide, I need 8' for my mower...not a bad job to set out, but still takes time. That leaves one, actually the one with the 38's on it....but it has developed a leak in the radiator so I would hate to be an hour away from home and have it overheat....so, time to swap wheels. I did go mow 3 acres with it afterward and everything looks like a go. Fingers crossed.....

JD Seller · Jun 22, 2015

Why would having a loader on not let you mow with a tractor???? I have a JD 6400 with a loader and it has 17500 hours and I use it for just about anything an the loader has only been off once or twice since I got it.

Actually the loader would make a good counter weight if your mower is three point mounted.

Have fun either way. I am surprised that you have these type of jobs. I guess in more heavier farming areas everyone knows some one so there is little hired work like this to be had.

tractorguy2 · Jun 22, 2015

have you ever tried mowing around trees,fences and buildings with a tractor that has a loader and a mounted mower?

I have. It is very difficult. They have about a 16 foot turning radius.

JD Seller · Jun 22, 2015

Mow all the time with my JD 6400 MFWD loader and a MX8 three point cutter. I find I use the loader a lot when mowing pastures and such. Limbs, deadfalls, dirt mounts, and etc. are handled with the loader. Also in tall grass I will lower the bucket to knock the seed heads off so they do not plug the radiator.

Eldon (WA) · Jun 23, 2015

(quoted from post at 21:40:27 06/22/15) Why would having a loader on not let you mow with a tractor???? I have a JD 6400 with a loader and it has 17500 hours and I use it for just about anything an the loader has only been off once or twice since I got it.

Actually the loader would make a good counter weight if your mower is three point mounted.

Have fun either way. I am surprised that you have these type of jobs. I guess in more heavier farming areas everyone knows some one so there is little hired work like this to be had.

I mow around a lot of trees, lots of rocks and fences. I can't imagine having a loader on the front and being able to watch for these obstacles. With an 8' Bush Hog, these tractors are the perfect balance with just a set of suitcase weights up front...I lift the mower, weight comes off the front wheels, I hit the brake and swing around and back I go. With a loader on the front, they would not turn nearly as well.

Could you imagine mowing with this one?

Doaner tires....

bison · Jun 23, 2015

(quoted from post at 21:54:27 06/22/15) Mow all the time with my JD 6400 MFWD loader and a MX8 three point cutter. I find I use the loader a lot when mowing pastures and such. Limbs, deadfalls, dirt mounts, and etc. are handled with the loader. Also in tall grass I will lower the bucket to knock the seed heads off so they do not plug the radiator.

2.
So do I

Eldon (WA) · Jun 23, 2015

(quoted from post at 21:54:27 06/22/15) Mow all the time with my JD 6400 MFWD loader and a MX8 three point cutter. I find I use the loader a lot when mowing pastures and such. Limbs, deadfalls, dirt mounts, and etc. are handled with the loader. Also in tall grass I will lower the bucket to knock the seed heads off so they do not plug the radiator.

I bet you can't mow back and forth with the 4x4....just won't turn that sharp. I mow for people who want maximum acres per hour....a cab tractor, loader tractor or 4x4 just slows me down. FWIW, I used to use a JD MX8, I couldn't get it to cut even at 5 mph. Dealer had no idea what the problem was. Sold it and bought the Bush Hog 3008, cuts even no matter what speed. Fit and finish isn't as good as the Deere, but it definitely cuts better and $1000 cheaper.

JD Seller · Jun 23, 2015

I can't flip around like you can but with the shuttle shift I can turn faster than you think. I will bet that the trouble with your JD MX8 was the blades. I have always used the HI lift blades they just flat out cut better. They where not offered as a factory order code you had to buy them through parts. The factory blades just do not work very well in grass type cutting.

Have good day tomorrow!!!

37chief · Jun 23, 2015

I have had that happen a couple times. Wonder why the mower is dragging. Then I see the flat tire. hope you have a better day tomorrow. Stan

DoubleR · Jun 23, 2015

I do a little custom rotary cutting myself. That's my biggest fear a 16.9x30 loaded tire going flat. I was thinking about it this morning as a matter fact. Think I may just call a tire man if it happens again or should I just say when it happens again.

massey 333 · Jun 23, 2015

Different names for diff.areas,but your picture is not a mowing job,but a clipping job.What we call a mowing is almost entails grass as high as your front axle or higher and no 5MPH plus your 8'tread with a 8' mower will leave two nice unmowed streaks.Like JD said no one really mows for hire except a few with steel wheel tractors or 1 or 2 with Deeres running 1000PTOs on 540 mowers at 7-8 MPH,but no one has a mowing business per sa.

GordoSD · Jun 23, 2015

What are you mowing. I would think that a conservation group like DU would know that there are lots of hens and little ones in the pastures and grasses sometime quite a ways from water.Care to email some details on this so I can write DU?

JMS/.MN · Jun 23, 2015

It"s surprising how much more limber a FEL is with the bucket removed. I"ve had a quik-tach on the JD 148 for decades....much handier. Loader arms don"t stick out in front of the steering tires very much.

Eldon (WA) · Jun 23, 2015

(quoted from post at 08:15:17 06/23/15) What are you mowing. I would think that a conservation group like DU would know that there are lots of hens and little ones in the pastures and grasses sometime quite a ways from water.Care to email some details on this so I can write DU?

This area was overseeded last fall and the weeds got ahead of a lot of the grasses. No water around, too dry this year. Normally it is swampy most of the year, that is why the farmers gave it to DU to revitalize as native wetlands. I never saw any waterfowl today, flushed up one turkey, saw an elk in the woods and chopped up a badger or something. Fur like a skunk, but no white that I could see. Don't know if he was dead or alive when I hit it....but seems odd to hit something alive.
Video to come....I knocked it out in under 10 hours, so got a bonus

Eldon (WA) · Jun 23, 2015

(quoted from post at 14:34:17 06/23/15) It"s surprising how much more limber a FEL is with the bucket removed. I"ve had a quik-tach on the JD 148 for decades....much handier. Loader arms don"t stick out in front of the steering tires very much.

I grew up running an Allis WD45 diesel with FEL sans bucket....maybe that is why I am against running with one now...that and my loader tractors have loaded tires. I am already around 8000# on my trailer, why haul another 3000# 80 miles......tractor was fine, used around 15 gallons of diesel in ten hours. New blades on the bush hog sure seem to extend the hours on a tank of fuel!

What are the odds.....

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