JD M PTO HP?

[fpappal]

What is the hp at the PTO on my 1951 M? According to my book it is 18.15 on the drawbar and 20.45 on the belt. Would the PTO be close to the belt pulley in hp? I am wondering if the M has enough hp to run a 5ft finish mower?

 

[jdjerry]

I run a 59" woods mower with my M. It has plenty of power.

 

[Mike Groom]

I have a 48 M,I would think a 5 foot finish mower would be to much for your M,I was always told a minimum of 5 HP per foot was a good rule of thumb.A Ford N series tractor has from 23 to 27 Hp at the PTO and runs a 5 foot Brush mower O.K. but a finish mower makes it struggle a little,I think it would be hard on the PTO system to use a 5 foot finish or brush mower on your M.Just my 2 cents worth.

 

[MikeinKy]

I run a 6 ft finish mower with a 40, which is not much more than an M. It does a good job.

 

[Russ from MN]

It depends what your cutting, and how dry it is. We put our 5 foot KK brush cutter on our M, it had enough power for grass and weeds but it was too heavy to connect the top link. We run a L59 Woods on a Farmall C and that's not much more HP.

 

[Brendon-KS]

If you use the finish mower as it's intended - trimming a few inches off of lawn grass - I'd think you'll have plenty of power. Many older garden tractors such as a Deere 212 run 4-ft lawn mowers with only 12 hp and 5-ft mowers were common with the larger 20 hp machines. My dad's early model Farmall Cub handles a 3.5-ft mower with half the power of a healthy Deere M and it works well.

To answer your other question, yes, belt and PTO power would be comparable. Both are engine power minus a little bit for losses in the gearing and parasitics such as the hydraulic pump. Testing at the PTO shaft instead of the belt drive began in 1959 at Nebraska since by then a PTO was available, if not standard, on most all tractors while the belt drive was essentially obsolete.

 

[James Howell]

"<font color="#6699ff">[b:654c4848f0][i:654c4848f0]What is the hp at the PTO on my 1951 M?[/i:654c4848f0][/b:654c4848f0]</font>"

Take a look at the [b:654c4848f0]John Deere M Power:[/b:654c4848f0] information on <a href="http://www.tractordata.com/farm-tractors/000/0/3/31-john-deere-m.html">TractorData.com</a>.

"<font color="#6699ff">[b:654c4848f0][i:654c4848f0]I am wondering if the M has enough hp to run a 5ft finish mower?[/i:654c4848f0][/b:654c4848f0]</font>"

Take a look at <a href="https://youtu.be/iTZ_XaSVtfI">"Sparky" our 51M and BushHog ATH600 (5ft) finishing mower</a>.

Be sure to check the HP requirements in the operator's manual for the finishing mower you plan to use.

Hope this helps.

 

[James Howell]

We use a BushHog FTH600 (5ft) finishing mower on "Audie" our 54 Model 40S.

 

[James Howell]

At one time we used a BushHog ATH720 (6ft) finishing mower on "Sparky" our 51M.

 

[fpappal]

Thanks for all the information. I am trying to find an excuse to use my M. With the exception of maybe a half hour of plowing in the spring it just sits in the barn. I found a used 3-pt hitch bolt on conversion so I thought maybe some mowing would be fun. The mower is actually made by Bombadier and I cannot find any information on it anywhere. It is small compared to many mowers I see so I was thinking it might be a nice match for the M.

 

[Mike M]

Well if your engine is not worn out it will do fine. I ran a 5 foot older landpride side discharge and could even handle the tough heavy spots. I used the same mower on a JD4100 compact and it did not run it as good and almost seemed to use more fuel too.
One of the main reasons I quit using it is here in Ohio we have had a lot of wet springs and even summers. I was starting to see the tire ruts in the ground because that M is pretty heavy.