Bush hog

[Tony in SD]

In a word YES !

Stump jumpers aren't meant to necessarily save the blades on a mower. Below you see the stump jumper I put on my Woods M5 mower. That jumper installs on the bottom of the blade bar and the blades are below that. Since the blades are hinged they will fold back if they contact a rock as you say.

The blade bar is what the stump jumper is made to protect. If you hit a rock that is a direct hit on the blade bar, you can do a lot of damage to your gearbox. The turned up lip on the SJ is what makes the thing jump up over that rock. That stump jumper is made out of very heavy material. If you hit a rock the size of what you are thinking about, your blade bar and gear box is going to be heavily damaged.

I recommend a stump jumper on all rotary mowers.

Mine has a stump jumper and the rock won anyway.

In a word YES !

Stump jumpers aren't meant to necessarily save the blades on a mower. Below you see the stump jumper I put on my Woods M5 mower. That jumper installs on the bottom of the blade bar and the blades are below that. Since the blades are hinged they will fold back if they contact a rock as you say.

The blade bar is what the stump jumper is made to protect. If you hit a rock that is a direct hit on the blade bar, you can do a lot of damage to your gearbox. The turned up lip on the SJ is what makes the thing jump up over that rock. That stump jumper is made out of very heavy material. If you hit a rock the size of what you are thinking about, your blade bar and gear box is going to be heavily damaged.

I recommend a stump jumper on all rotary mowers.

Mine has a stump jumper. But the rich won anyway.

 

[Caryc]

Mine has a stump jumper and the rock won anyway.

Mine has a stump jumper. But the rich won anyway.

So, what damage did the rock do? Gear box, blade bar, or blades?

 

[Tony in SD]

So, what damage did the rock do? Gear box, blade bar, or blades?my first post in this chain.

if you read & retained my first post in this chain, you would not have had to ask this question.

 

[Butch(OH)]

Go with a 6 foot because it will cover the tires. You will get more done in light cutting and you can always move over and take less than a full swath in heavier cutting.

 

[bc]

I tried a 6 foot landpride mower behind my 20 hp ford 1500. The 3 point would pick it up and it would mow but it was a struggle and slow. 20 hp was much more suited to the 5 foot finish mower. 32 hp should handle 6 foot ok.

 

[Caryc]

if you read & retained my first post in this chain, you would not have had to ask this question.

Well pardon me ! So you broke a blade. You just proved my point that a stump jumper is mainly to protect your blade bar and gear box rather than your blades. Have a nice day.

 

[bc]

I'm no expert on this but might add a little more. Tractor data shows your tractor with 28 pto hp and rear tire width of 58" but you should measure yours. A 5' mower doesn't give you much overlap say 1". A 6' mower gives you about 7" to help avoid skips as you overlap a little if you run your rear tires right up close to the edge of uncut grass. I'd probably opt for the 6'.

A lot of it depends upon what you are mowing either 6" to 12" tall grass with usual weeds or if you need to go out in the pasture and knock down those 6' tall sunflowers, ragweeds, etc. Think low gear and plenty of overlap.

Finally you have to look at speed and how much time you want to spend mowing which also depends upon the size of acreage. I don't know if you have a live pto or what I call a dead pto where you have to have the tractor in gear to run the pto. Either way you are pretty much going wide open at the rated horsepower and then the speed depends upon what gear you can run in which also depends upon the height of grass you are cutting. The question no one can answer is whether mowing with a 6' mower puts you in a lower gear so it takes longer to mow. I would guess probably not if you keep the blades sharp. Good luck. I wouldn't be afraid of the tractor supply mowers if you are on a budget and can avoid the rocks, stumps, holes, laid down T posts, and all the crud that ends up in roadside ditches.

You would be good to go with a 6' king kutter in a 3 to 5 acre yard out in the country. But then a 54" to 60" ZTR mower would be my choice for mowing a 3 to 5 acre yard as it will cut mowing time in half. The wider the mower deck the easier it is to go around obstacles such as trees because more deck is sticking out of the side of the mower body making it easier to mow against and around the obstacle.

 

[Gabe L]

I'm no expert on this but might add a little more. Tractor data shows your tractor with 28 pto hp and rear tire width of 58" but you should measure yours. A 5' mower doesn't give you much overlap say 1". A 6' mower gives you about 7" to help avoid skips as you overlap a little if you run your rear tires right up close to the edge of uncut grass. I'd probably opt for the 6'.

A lot of it depends upon what you are mowing either 6" to 12" tall grass with usual weeds or if you need to go out in the pasture and knock down those 6' tall sunflowers, ragweeds, etc. Think low gear and plenty of overlap.

Finally you have to look at speed and how much time you want to spend mowing which also depends upon the size of acreage. I don't know if you have a live pto or what I call a dead pto where you have to have the tractor in gear to run the pto. Either way you are pretty much going wide open at the rated horsepower and then the speed depends upon what gear you can run in which also depends upon the height of grass you are cutting. The question no one can answer is whether mowing with a 6' mower puts you in a lower gear so it takes longer to mow. I would guess probably not if you keep the blades sharp. Good luck. I wouldn't be afraid of the tractor supply mowers if you are on a budget and can avoid the rocks, stumps, holes, laid down T posts, and all the crud that ends up in roadside ditches.

You would be good to go with a 6' king kutter in a 3 to 5 acre yard out in the country. But then a 54" to 60" ZTR mower would be my choice for mowing a 3 to 5 acre yard as it will cut mowing time in half. The wider the mower deck the easier it is to go around obstacles such as trees because more deck is sticking out of the side of the mower body making it easier to mow against and around the obstacle.

wow thanks for all of your input, and some very good points!

 

[Tony in SD]

Well pardon me ! So you broke a blade. You just proved my point that a stump jumper is mainly to protect your blade bar and gear box rather than your blades. Have a nice day.

You are pardoned

 

[Mad Farmer]

I've had a 5' Howse for >30 years now. Gearbox (40 HP rated) and universals are still original. Have had to weld it a few times for cracks, but it's because of all the stuff I've hit with it, and it's been stored outside.

 

[zuhnc]

A 1951 8N (24 PTO HP) with a 5 foot Bush Hog (tm) works well for me. I have cut 3-4" saplings with it, as well as the pastures at about 3' tall grasses and other plants (only mow a couple of times a year!) Generally first gear with the tall grass, and second gear with 8-10" grasses. zuhnc

 

[Gabe L]

A 1951 8N (24 PTO HP) with a 5 foot Bush Hog (tm) works well for me. I have cut 3-4" saplings with it, as well as the pastures at about 3' tall grasses and other plants (only mow a couple of times a year!) Generally first gear with the tall grass, and second gear with 8-10" grasses. zuhnc

cool, thats also the same setup my dad had as a kid!

 

[docmirror]

I have an old 6' bush hog on a TO-30 with 28HP PTO. I cut in 2nd gear, sometimes 3rd and it does fine. Keep the blades sharp makes a lot of difference. If you look behind, and see the brush just bent over - time to grind the blades again.

 

[Mike Groom]

As stated 5 H.P. per foot has been the rule of thumb for years, and you usually are only mowing about 5 foot with a 6 foot mower after the first pass of opening a field if you use the front tire on the mowed part as a guide like a lot of us do.