72" PTO mower & how tractor PTO stuff works, photos

Wed Apr 25, 2012 7:56 pm

They delivered it today; I had to chain it up and use the tractor to unload it. It is raining so I will not be mowing until it dries up, the lower lawns will be kind of tall by then.

Some of you may be thinking of some thing a bit bigger to take care of your place, the right size tractor may be just the thing you need.
They come in Lawn tractors like the green one, garden tractors (bigger lawn tractors with a power take off; ie PTO, sub compact tractors, compact tractors and standard tractors as shown; then there are the big boys, farm tractors. 4 wheel drive is nice as is an HST transmission.
Having a front end loader is a real help for about a ton of jobs one needs to do around the place.

Wed Apr 25, 2012 7:57 pm

Close up of this bad boy mower.

Wed Apr 25, 2012 8:29 pm

How this stuff works; the attached devices called implements go on a 3 point hitch on the rear of the tractor. Two of the hitch arms are low and if you look you will see some pins that the hook on to; the lower arms can lift the implements, the arms are driven by hydraulics. The upper arm hooks to the top pin at the bars that are above the unit; together the control the hight of the attachment. The shaft you see coming from the implements, this hooks to a PTO (power take off) shaft on the back of the tractor. The PTO powers the implements.
Shown in this photo is, the red mower behind is a brush mower for heavy mowing and grinding brush, the orange unit is a rototiller and the gray one is the new finish mower. The finish mower has 3 blade sections and is basically like the mowers you may use on most yards; just a bit bigger.
This company also makes a 20 foot wide mower, you may see some working beside the highway.

Wed Apr 25, 2012 10:56 pm

This is the hook up to the tractor. You see the big shaft running straight, that is the PTO.

Wed Apr 25, 2012 10:57 pm

Another view.

Wed Apr 25, 2012 10:59 pm

This lever controls the hight of the lower arms. This is chapter one of tractor 101.

:wink:

Sun Apr 29, 2012 1:57 pm

It is still a bit wet but I had to try the mower out. :oops:

So as a test I mowed the lawn that you can see the tip of behind the tractor. With a bigger mower and more power so that I can drive faster that lawn was done in a hart beat; wow my life just got easier! Depending upon how one counts them I have around 12 lawns to mow so obviously I am excited.

As Tool Time Tim say's "more power".

Tue May 15, 2012 8:06 am

I have mowed a few times now and what took 2 days takes hours. I edge and mow the tight spots with the ridding mower now instead of the main lawns. I may have more time to do the tings in the yard I like doing now. Happy camper.

Fri Jun 15, 2012 7:03 am

Oh yes I mowed 5 of my lawns in about an hour or so today.

I still have a little trim work to do with a ridding mower. Where the rear discharge mower can mow forwards and backwards it makes it easy to back in to spots or back down the hills. I recommend that if you get a PTO finish mower get a rear discharge one. There are a few tight spots where I some times use a push mower.

When I lived in town I had 3/4 acre and used a ridding mower and it made fast work of the lawn, if you can justify one mowing sitting down is the way unless you need the exercise of walking.

Fri Jun 15, 2012 5:48 pm

Boys and their toys! No doubt you're having fun!

Sat Jun 30, 2012 1:53 pm

You know what us boys always say; "they are not toys but tools we need". :wink:

I took the chains off of the finish mower as they make the tall grass clumps some now it lays the grass down more even. I am not worried about tossing any thing out the back; no one stand behind it when I mow. With the bush mower I would never think of doing this as it can toss stuff a long ways and big stuff, too.