I was a lawn care expert for a long time. If I'd had large properties to mow, that would have been a great idea. Many golf courses used reel-tow behind type gang mowers on fairways and roughs. Then big machines with 5-7 unit over 15' wide. You still see multi unit reel mowers for fairways but, they use rotaries for the roughs. Someone recently asked what I'd recommend because they have acreage but, they can't afford 7k for a mower. I told them to look into doing this. I think it's great you're saving your church some money. Thank you for the video!.
I did the same thing with 2 - 44's several years ago. Only used both in the largest open area of my property. The 2 44's pulled by my 42" riding mower resulted in 120" of cut grass measured with a tape. About 10" of overlap between the 3. The second belonged to my neighbor. He liked mine so much that he bought one. A few years later he changed to a 54" Cub Cadet zero turn because of pain in his hands. Then I noticed how fast he was able to cut grass. I found an older commercial 72" zero turn for 2,000 and never used the pull behind again. Maint. time went way down, so did my gas usage ( and toting and filling gas jugs). I like the fuel tank on the first trail mower!Thumb up, thanks for sharing!
The Swisher 60" weigh 500 pounds each. The 1st one is a bit older with all three spindles inline. They changed the deck to a shallow "V" pattern for the spindles 10-15 years ago. The 2nd one is 2013 or 2012 model with the frame tubes bending down going to the rear wheels. They weigh about 25 pounds less than the previous design. That's cutting a LOT of grass in a short 4 minutes and 14 seconds. I pulled two 60" Swishers up onto a berm with a grade of about 15 degrees with a 1988 Wheel Horse 252-H. It had a 12.5hp Kawasaki and hydrostatic. It was definitely working the tractor doing it. Use a leaf blower to blow grass off of the tractors transaxle after mowing. Even if your hydrostatic doesn't last as long, you can replace it and over the long term what you are getting in the amount of grass cut per dollar invested will be a lot less than if you bought a big commercial mower with wing decks on it.
Back 6 years ago I gave my son my zero Wright Sentar as a first home gift, and I needed another mower so I bought a used up YT4500 Sears 54" (wife wasn't happy at all with that decision) and then I found an older 66" 20hp Swisher for our 3 acres. Swisher worked good for couple years but now having carb issues. Sears mower still works after some parts here and there, blades, all three deck idlers, front mount ripped out and needed welding, new rear tires, rebuild the starter, oh, and did the coil update on the kohler 26hp engine. Now runs perfectly without dropping a cylinder. Swisher mower needs gas tank flush with new rubber lines and filter, plus carb cleaning, did buy new carb, but waiting to clean old unit. Your right about high grass not meant to act like a bush hog. I have mowed high grass, but extremely slow going, but grass needs to be as dry as possible. I'm flabbergasted that Swisher uses a 14hp to replace the 20hp, when the 20 goes out I will buy a Harbor Freight 22hp replacement. My son is buying a new Wright zero 61" from up in Manchester, NH on this coming Thursday, said he's dropping off my old 2006 Sentar so I can have it back. That 23 kawasaki seems to have a hard time restarting after being hot, so will be investigating that issue. Also have a 72" 3pt hitch mower from TSC mows ok with nomal height grass but high grass no way, bogs down and smokes belt. Have to keep blades razor sharp. I think I will be selling that unit this summer. I would love to convert v-belt over to chain drive for blade belt but doubt it would hold up. Another drawback is using a 3500lb tractor to mow with R-4s really zings up the grass on corners. Love the video, and contributing to the Church.
After mowing looks really good other than alot of grass clippings. Looking for a Cyclone Rake XL to do grass pick up, then it would truly look like a golf course.
The guy who used to own my 1996 Craftsman did the same thing. He bought a newer 26hp when I bought his. He said the newer one isn't working so well because its too light and spins the wheels even with wheel weights and agg tires. Mine has is a 50" hydro and it runs like a champ. No transmission problems here.
I've been using a 60" Swisher tow mower behind a commercial zero turn for 11 yrs and it works great. I use it on my personal 8 acres and it's a labor saver...especially since I re-powered the 13.5 hp to a 21hp!
@@MedicXDm Mine hasn't given me any problem, but as I said it's a "full" commercial build. Some mowers say "commercial" but they are built lighter. Guess the argument could be made that there are varying levels of "commercial"....?
Thanks, not transmission problems after about 6 years. Lawn relatively level and few obstructions. After you run it for a while you can get it through some tight spaces by turning to left and right as last unit will follow in behind. I suspect with hills that mower transmission and hydrostatic would be stressed to the limit. Tremendous time saver.
Don't count on it and clearly depends on your hydro. I've been pulling (2) 42" craftsman decks behind my craftsman 50" hydro (HydroGear transaxle) for 20+ years. Made about 1300 hrs before the trans broke the part that they all do. $200 later its back and running up the hills and over the uneven ground. Only really drags down when the grass is wet and I'm pulling the sweeper too.
I bought two used 60” Swisher finish mowers in 2016. One ran and the other needed repair. The decks are shallow and they don’t have enough flow to mow any grass that’s not kept fairly short. I mow two large lawns that used to be farms and the grass grows quite well on both. To justify one of them you need a big wide open lawn with little to no obstacles and if you use a Swisher, you cannot let the grass get tall. I sold my running Swisher in the fall of 2016 and the project Swisher in the spring of 2017. I’m going to build one with a Snapper commercial SPA520 walk behind deck. It’s much deeper than the Swisher deck.
I have a 2001 Craftsman GT5000, 50" deck with a 25 hp Kohler. I pull a 66" swisher with a 20.5 hp B.S. and have been mowing my 4.5 acres for the last 5 years with no issues. I am in Florida so it is hot but I have no grades steeper than 2% so my Tractor does not have to work too hard. I mow once a week and in Fl. grass grows fast and the lower area's of my yard get 6" tall and the swisher does not like that, I have to go very slow but when its 3" or less I am as fast as she will go and it does fine and my mowing time was cut too less than half since adding the additional 66". I am considering a 60" - 72" Zero turn to replace this entire rig or keep the swisher and pull it behind the Zero turn. Anyway, I like your duel setup and your ingenuity to revive the old workhorse's and keep them working, Good job.
Used to do the same exact setup with a Wheelhorse 20 horse 520H. Hardest part was refueling. (15 gallons at every fillup) Mowing a 15 acre field that grew entirely too fast = lotsa fill ups...
I know the land looks flat but how has that little lawn tractor held up to pulling both of those pull behind mowers? I’d be worried about the transmission and axle on the tractor myself.
Oops Oops ?? A church that has more than what's needed is the definition of hypocrisy. Sell the land or rent to someone who can make use of it and use the proceeds to donate, feed the needy, give back. You know. All that jazz a church is supposed to do. A church that strives to look baller is fucking stupid. What a scam.
Oops Oops I am one those guys? What you think I'm religious?? Quite the opposite. I am one of those that thinks a persons time is better spent staring at a wall then worshipping a figment of some rich guys imagination. I just find it entertaining to see Churches contradict what their values so blatantly. even more entertaining to see the blind folks walk by it all and drop money into the donation plate. Good times
i dont recall telling anyone what to do...i offered A SUGGESTION and it was my opinion...telling people to kill themselves cause you dont like opinions is just plain nuts
im in my HOA right now...a HOA has rules as to what can and can't be built....so even if i could build them.i still can't, p.s. what are you doing to help them?
ok thats understandable, i mean if that is how you feel, so it would be nice if you could respect our opinions and how we feel the situation can be handled regarding churches- im not religious myself, but i feel jesus was a man who wanted people to help everyone and to come together, good day as well