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Kubota B7200 with belly mower - can I use a bush hog w/out removing mid mount deck?

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May 27, 2024, 08:59 PM
doublesharp
Kubota B7200 with belly mower - can I use a bush hog w/out removing mid mount deck?
I've found a 35 year old Kubota B7200HST 2wd 3cyl 17hp diesel w/317 hours for $3500 ask. Appears to be in decent shape and mower cuts good in video. I need a small rotary cutter 4' or 5' but could also use the mid-mount finish mower.

I don't know much about tractors but my usage will be ez mowing work of 2 acre lot about 3 times a year. Without doing research I'm just assuming that the rear pto has nothing to do with mid mount mower and I could attach a bush hog to the 3 point hitch and truck along.

I used to get this mowed for $100, then $150, then $200 and now the only response I've had is $400 and it's not that hard, I used to do it with my 61" zero turn back when I did a few yards for wam but I gave that up about 10 years ago. Is this a rabbit hole I should ignore?


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May 27, 2024, 09:02 PM
arfmel
I’d jump on that like a chicken on a June Bug.
May 27, 2024, 09:25 PM
BRL
Yes. The tractor should have a PTO selector lever with three positions 1) Rear PTO only 2) mid PTO only and 3) both rear and mid simultaneously. You would select rear only.



I am not BIPOLAR. I don't even like bears.


May 27, 2024, 09:29 PM
a1abdj
17 HP is pretty small for a brush hog, even a small one.

If what you are cutting is rough terrain, you may also have clearance issues with the mid mount attached.


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May 28, 2024, 05:06 AM
PHPaul
quote:
Originally posted by a1abdj:
17 HP is pretty small for a brush hog, even a small one.

If what you are cutting is rough terrain, you may also have clearance issues with the mid mount attached.


Two observations:

1. I ran a 5 foot Woods rotary cutter (bushhog) with a John Deere 750 compact rated at 17 PTO HP (some sources rate it at 20) for nearly 30 years. As long as I matched my ground speed to conditions, it handled it just fine, and I mowed some seriously overgrown fields, including poplar saplings up to 2 inches in diameter. If you step down to a 4 footer you should be fine.

2. If the growth is tall/heavy enough to require a rotary cutter, I'd expect you'll want to remove the mid-mount, if for no other reason than to avoid damaging it.




Be careful when following the masses. Sometimes the M is silent.
May 28, 2024, 06:27 AM
Bassamatic
If you used to mow that field with a zero turn then you should be OK with bush hogging with that tractor. Buy a small cutter and plan on going pretty slow.

My Toro zero turn has a 24 hp Kawasaki and I have used it to mow some pretty tall, dense stuff but it took some time.

Oh, that's a really good deal on that tractor in this day and age, especially if it has a front loader.



.....never marry a woman who is mean to your waitress.
May 28, 2024, 07:01 AM
ridewv
I owned a B7500 hst (21hp, 17hp at the pto) with a 54" mid deck and used it raised all the way to mow a small pasture twice a year just to keep it cut down somewhat. At that point the weeds were almost up level with the hood so obviously I was going very slow.

I had considered buying a 4' cutter for that tractor but never got around to it. The B7200 hst puts no more than 13-14 hp to the pto, and just weighs 1200-1300# so I wouldn't even consider hanging a 5' cutter off the back.

The rear 3-point raise/drop control simultaneously raises/lowers the deck if it happens to be on. But the deck arms can be held up in the raised position, while using a 3-point attachment, by pinning the decks lift arms. So you could pull a 4' cutter with the deck still on but pinned up. However the deck isn't difficult to remove if you have a hard, flat place like a garage floor or driveway.


No car is as much fun to drive, as any motorcycle is to ride.
May 28, 2024, 08:27 AM
p113565
quote:
Originally posted by doublesharp:
I've found a 35 year old Kubota B7200HST 2wd 3cyl 17hp diesel w/317 hours for $3500 ask.

I sold a B7300 w 800 hours for $7K 3 years ago. I would buy it back for same in 2 minutes.
I never used the mid mount mower, always used a 4’ brush hog or finish mower.
Billy