I am thinking of getting a pull behind mower. I am just wondering what you like or dislike, and also what brand. Also do I need the biggest motor or is the standard motor fine, since most I have seen offer differerent size motors.

Thanks
Tim

 

do a search on here, there was a lot of talk in the farm and hunting section last summer

 

Contact me at fireres833@aol.com. I have a pull behind 60in Finish mower from Swisher you mite be intrested in.

 

yeah id sell ya mine too LOL its been a great mower but if i was to buy one today it would be a gang reel mower so i wouldnt be using twice the gas to mow my acreage.

 

I've looked at them and unless you have some very specific needs there are better ways to get the job done faster, cheaper and better.

The only pull behind mower I would get is a rough cut or trail cutter. Something to get in areas you can't take a riding mower or a tractor mounted brush hog.

The pull behind mowers are quite expensive. For the price of one you can buy a riding mower that will do the job better and faster. Not to mention the fuel costs. The engines on those machines use a surprising amount of fuel. You'll not only be feeding the mower but the ATV you're using to pull it. The ATV of course will tear up your lawn and when dragging a mower they're not the most maneuverable set-up in the world.

A good riding mower will use less fuel, be more maneuverable and most likely give you a better cut. It also will be kinder to your lawn.

The gang reel mowers are fine if you have a golf course type yard but in my experience if they encounter twigs or the stray rock they become a real hassle. They also don't like long grass and tend to choke on anything over a certain height.

I think the lawn mowers are mainly there as a tool to justify the purchase of an ATV to a wife. You know, "see honey I can use it to cut the grass too" but not a real practical machine. The exception being the rough cut or trail cutter models. They can go where you can't take a lawn tractor and cut what you can't cut with one. They're also good for areas it just isn't safe or practical to take a brush hog.

 

I use a Swisher 44" - which is pretty much the smallest one you can get. Mind you it is a 1996 model so it has has some repairs done over the years but it is still going. And I'm not nice to it since I use it to maintain my trails as well as my lawn......

A tractor is a fine idea, but if you have a yard like mine the ATV is a better option and in some cases cheaper...... my issue is that my yard has a steep incline that only a very big lawn tractor can handle. The ATV is more stable then the narrow standard tractor. And the incline is narrow and long so you cannot go up/down it you have to go across. Which is fine on the Rancher it does not tip as long as I lean to the inside.

 

I was looking into these myself, I already have a rideing lawnmower for my actual lawn. But I am surrounded by 80 achers of hay feilds. I have 2 ponds on that land that I would like to maintain around them for easier fishing / swimming but the rider just wont do that job. But they are just to pricey for me to justify using them for what little I would need. So i just pay a neighbor down the road a few bucks and he brings his tractor up and brushhogs it for me. He cant get as close as I would like nor as short but better then nothing.

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: 650Mobrute

I was looking into these myself, I already have a rideing lawnmower for my actual lawn. But I am surrounded by 80 achers of hay feilds. I have 2 ponds on that land that I would like to maintain around them for easier fishing / swimming but the rider just wont do that job. But they are just to pricey for me to justify using them for what little I would need. So i just pay a neighbor down the road a few bucks and he brings his tractor up and brushhogs it for me. He cant get as close as I would like nor as short but better then nothing.</end quote></div>

I've seen used ones around for around $400 still in really nice shape. A new 44" Swisher with pull start is around $800-900 - not crazy but a lot for some people.

 

I tried using a Swisher 44" for a while. It was... okay, I guess.

What I found is that an atv with pull behind mower isn't a good mowing solution. Your thumb gets tired holding the throttle, they don't turn very sharp, you spend a lot of time backing up, and it gets just plain uncomfortable after a while. And the combo uses a lot of gas. Not saying you can't mow with a quad and trailer mower, just saying that it isn't a very good solution.

Thought I could use that combo to mow some areas on the back of my farm, but found out that while the quad has great ground clearance, the mower does not. Couldn't get the mower over the rough trails to where I wanted to be.

 

I used a pull-behind 44inch Swisher mower with my lawn mower for one big reason... I could cut 80 inches in a straight line. I'd hook it up to my riding lawn mower and I could adjust the arm to stick out 40 inches and cut a longside my 36inch mower on my lawnmower. It saved me a lot of time and money b/c I didn't have to buy a huge tractor for the 6 acres i have to cut... I finally got a ZTR though. but that mower held up very well, it was 10.5hp to the blades which made it cut through thick grass with ease. I don't think it would have been very practical to use with my ATV though.