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DaveKamp 
Orange Level Access
Joined: 12 Apr 2010
Location: LeClaire, Ia
Points: 5971
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 Topic: Finish mowing with a WD
Posted: 10 May 2019 at 6:52pm |
Hey fellers-
So my ZTR is down for a week or two awaiting a new engine.
Not that it has any massive impact on it, but in the past I've had a desire to take something with taller wheels, more power, and heft, into places that a ZTR does NOT really need to go (like... down the wash areas of the cornfield, and the ditches along the gravel road when they're kinda wet). I used a well-worn bushhog the other day, and it DID cut... but it plowed as well as it cut at times, and it's clumsy back there.... A 60-72" belly mower would be nice. Anybody done this, and if so, what type of deck setup, PTO drive, etc., did you use?
I have an option to acquire some CA parts and a deck, but the distance between me and it negates the opportunity cost substantially... but my WD runs nice, if there was a deck that was fairly easy to hang and drive from a WD, that'd be my first choice...
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Ten Amendments, Ten Commandments, and one Golden Rule solve most every problem. Citrus hand-cleaner with Pumice does the rest.
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festus51
Orange Level Access
Joined: 26 Mar 2017
Location: Osage City, KS
Points: 1644
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Posted: 10 May 2019 at 7:36pm |
Hi Dave, I bought a 5' finish mower years ago and pulled it with a WD45. Now I use a IH 485 (50 hp) to pull it now. Works good
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We the unwilling Led by the unqualified Doing the impossible for the Ungrateful
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DaveSB
Silver Level
Joined: 04 Aug 2012
Location: mocksville, nc
Points: 243
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Posted: 10 May 2019 at 8:52pm |
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I’ve mowed with a WD and woods 3 point mower many times, and loved it, just keep the grass mowed regularly, when I didn’ t mow it regularly, the belt on the woods would slip and the WD never missed a beat, or have any sign of it being under a load. Way more power than needed. But did a good job for me.
A belly mower would mow closer to obstacles and be easier to use, but the rear 3 point is so much easier to free up the tractor for other uses.
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1948 C, 1953 CA, 1948 WD, 1961 D-17 Series 2 Diesel, 1939 WC, 1957 D14
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DrAllis
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Joined: 12 Sep 2009
Points: 21402
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Posted: 10 May 2019 at 9:08pm |
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I've done several of those 6 foot Woods belly mowers and this I can tell you.....be sure to get the optional center roller so when there's a high spot the center arbor doesn't cut soil along with the grass !!! A WD45 will eat the belt when this happens. Myself, I'd rather have a 3-blade rear mower running on four casters (one in each corner) and let it roll along on the ground. Make it fit the snap coupler hitch and lift with chains so it can float easily to follow the terrain. PTO drive shaft to power it. Easy-on and easy-off to use the tractor for other things when needed.
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Don(MO)
Orange Level
Joined: 12 Sep 2009
Location: Bates City MO.
Points: 6862
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Posted: 11 May 2019 at 8:14am |
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I have used a rear mounted finish mower to mow both the yard and around the ends of the corn fields foe over 10 years and love it. I have had two rear mounts, started with a 6 footer with a side discharge, it ate belts (two per year) and did a fine job or windrowing the grass, had to run the WD45's in low or 2th gear, I got mad at the three year pice of *c&^p traded it for a new WOODS 7 footer with rear discharge used the same tractors on it , mowed most of the time in 3th gear and have replaced two belts after over 7 or 8 years.
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3 WD45's with power steering,G,D15 fork lift,D19, W-Speed Patrol, "A" Gleaner with a 330 corn head,"66" combine,roto-baler, and lots of Snap Coupler implements to make them work for their keep.
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Dakota Dave
Orange Level
Joined: 12 Sep 2009
Location: ND
Points: 3965
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Posted: 11 May 2019 at 8:25am |
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Go with a 3pt finish mower. finish mowers will have 3 mowing blades instead of the one bashing blade a brush mower has. and most importantly a guage wheel on each corner and flexy attachments so it'll follow the ground. I use a Woods L306 on my CA most of the time but do have a 3pt buhler 6' finishing mower that I use behind the WD45. it mows real well and has as good of a cut as my JD 216. I don't particularly care for a 3pt mower but as hard as the belly mower is to put on and setup on the CA I wouldn't want to do that on the WD45. I had WD mounts for my woods but gave them away. I have used the same 6' finish mower behind my 190 while a little to big to fit under the trees it cut very well.
Edited by Dakota Dave - 11 May 2019 at 8:37am
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ac fleet
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Joined: 12 Jan 2014
Location: Arrowsmith, ILL
Points: 2330
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Posted: 11 May 2019 at 10:20am |
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I have used a couple of woods C-80's,--(1 pull, 1 --3-pt,) NOT the least bit impressed with that type mowers, They do how ever make great dirt plows. -- No way to control the things. I found a sunstar 20 with a 60" deck, and now that is a real mower, roadside banks , no problem, in the orchard, no problem, get right under the trees, Try that with big tractor!---Guess it depends on what kind of mower blows your skirt up! -- It comes down to what you think is cool. Go for it!
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http://machinebuildersnetwork.com/
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DaveKamp
Orange Level Access
Joined: 12 Apr 2010
Location: LeClaire, Ia
Points: 5971
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Posted: 11 May 2019 at 10:35am |
Hmmm... thanks for the insight, guys!
So under NORMAL circumstances, I mow everything here with my 60" commercial ZTR, and it does it all well, in a HUGE hurry. The current challenge to that, is that it was being used a week-and-a-half ago (while I was out-of-town), but some basic fluid levels were neglected, which resulted in dissimilar metals welding inside the engine  but that being said, that engine had soldiered well through over 3200hrs of operation with very little issue, so in my dad's words... It didn't owe me anything. It was using a little oil, I've just been very judicious about checking and adding oil... but that didn't get done while I was away.
Which wouldn't be a big deal, but I mentioned the circumstance last summer, with intention of doing the replacement (and a general machine overhaul) during the winter, but a replacement engine wasn't 'in the budget', because it was winter, so we didn't 'need' it, right? Uh... yeah... now it's spring, and we've got gazelles bounding through the yard...
I've got a Howse... I think 300C... brush-cutting mower behind the D17 at the moment. I got it from a friend in 'needs TLC' condition... and it does... what it really needs is something more substantial than paper for a deck... but I sledgehammer'd the sides out so the blades wouldn't strike it (much) and gave it a try. It DOES do a great job behind the D17 of cutting down tall grass in the ditches, along the field edges, etc, but lacking gauge wheels, it does an equally formidable job of plowing soil, if not by dragging edges, by beating it with the big blades.
All you who've done it, know that it's an arduous cycle of clutch/shift/brake/clutch/brake/shift to maneuver a large machine in a small space... if they had a proper PTO, and a hydrostatic ground drive, and fully live hydraulics it'd be a whole lot easier... and yes, I dented the grille a smidgen because I didn't have an overrunning clutch on the PTO  I don't have any intention of making my D17 into a mowing machine, but if I were to dedicate one of my tractors, it'd be the WD. If I were REALLY hard-core, I'd Hydrostat a machine, fit life hydraulics, shaft PTO, with 60" belly mount finishing deck, and two hydraulic lift-pivot batwings behind each rear wheel, but I REALLY don't have that much need.
Having the darned thing hanging off the back WOULD be easier to get on-and-off, but I'd probably just leave it on all summer, and leave the WD's 3-point available for other tasks like forklifting totes of firewood, pallets of engine parts, or whatever.
but I need another project like I need another hole in my head... new engine should arrive UPS mebbie Thursdayish or so. Until then, I'll fend off the wildebeest and elephants with my Airsoft pistol. 
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Ten Amendments, Ten Commandments, and one Golden Rule solve most every problem. Citrus hand-cleaner with Pumice does the rest.
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