# John deere 275 vs 285 disc mower



## Cedar creek (Aug 5, 2014)

I'm new to the hay business and learning the old fashioned way by doing, screwing up, then doing again. Finally have enough ground to cut to justify (I think) upgrading from my sickle mower to a disc mower. I've come across two that appear to be in good shape, both john deere -one 275 & one 285. Both are three point. Want to see if one will fit my tractor better then another, have a 5083e john deere currently. Land is pretty flat, will be native grass mostly with a few acres of Bermuda, possibly some hay grazer on occasion. Any thoughts or advice would be greatly appreciated.


----------



## Thorim (Jan 19, 2015)

Not an expert by any stretch only differences I see between the two is the 275 has 7 cutting disc and cuts a 9'2'' swath while the 285 has 8 cutting discs and cuts a 10'2'' swath. I believe they both should fit the same in my humble opinion.

http://www.deere.com/en_US/products/equipment/hay_and_forage_equipment/5_series_disk_mowers/275/275.page?

http://www.deere.com/en_US/products/equipment/hay_and_forage_equipment/5_series_disk_mowers/285/285.page?

http://www.deere.com/en_US/products/equipment/hay_and_forage_equipment/5_series_disk_mowers/5_series_disk_mowers.page?


----------



## Cedar creek (Aug 5, 2014)

Would my tractor have an issue w either 1? Is it to light for the 285? If all is equal I think I leaning toward the 285 if my john deere will handle it well. Thanks again for the help


----------



## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

Cedar creek said:


> Would my tractor have an issue w either 1? Is it to light for the 285? If all is equal I think I leaning toward the 285 if my john deere will handle it well. Thanks again for the help


It will probably handle the 285 but it'll be a load......you will want to get a caddy with these machines or run the risk of inventing "new" words.......Kelly Manufacturing makes a good one, KMC....I would probably opt for the 275 with a caddy


----------



## Tx Jim (Jun 30, 2014)

I think your tractor will handle either one fine but I too vote for using a caddy. My caddy is called a "Cutter Caddy". One needs to be very careful transporting the 285(10'2'' cut) as it sticks up in the air a "fer piece". Also unless you have an old style pull type conditioner I wouldn't recommend cutting hay grazer(Sudan) with a disc mower. JD 275/285 utilize a Kuhn cutterbar because Kuhn builds the unit for JD.


----------



## rajela (Feb 15, 2014)

The 285 will be to much for your 5083e when you raise the mower in the head land position. I run a Kuhn 700 on a 5093 and if I am not careful when i make a sharp turn in the head land position the tractor will get on 3 wheels and let the bar hit the ground. The 275 and the Kuhn 700 is the same mower and the 285 has a foot longer cutter bar which would put more weight on the tractor in the head land position. I am getting a Stoney Point caddy this spring which would then enable me to run a 10ft mower with no issues. If your not getting the a caddy then I would stay with the 9ft 285 mower and just becarefurl if you make any sharp turns in the head land position. The tractor tilting over and letting the bar hit the ground really doesn't bother anything except your pucker factor will go sky high for a few seconds. It really only happens when you are turning and hit a gopher mound or maybe an armadillo hole and then you look like one of them Garfield Cats tha has been thrown against a window.

I see you are showing your location as norman. If this is Norman Okla the you might want to call B&B Small Engines in Okmulgee. He has a 2 Year 10ft cut Krone mounted on a Stoney Point Caddy for $10,000 OBO.


----------



## Tx Jim (Jun 30, 2014)

rajela said:


> The 285 will be to much for your 5083e when you raise the mower in the head land position.
> 
> .


Why do you raise cutterbar when turning on head land? I hardly ever raise the cutterbar on my Vermeer 7030 until I get through cutting the field..


----------



## rajela (Feb 15, 2014)

I prefer to only cut my hay but once. I don't raise it a bunch but there are time that you will need to raise the bar to the head land position.


----------



## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

I looked at a 10 foot disc mower when I bought my 9 footer. I have enough tractor for the bigger one but the sales person said I would have trouble hauling it on the goose neck. Said I would be tearing down tree limbs and red lights with a 10 foot hooked to the tractor and loaded on the goose.


----------



## rajela (Feb 15, 2014)

I have heard that the Krone you can pull the cutter bar release and swing the cutter bar to the rear of the tractor for hauling. I have not tried that with my Kuhn but as soon as I hook up to it again I am.


----------



## Tx Jim (Jun 30, 2014)

rajela said:


> I prefer to only cut my hay but once. I don't raise it a bunch but there are time that you will need to raise the bar to the head land position.


I doubt seriously that hay lying flat on the ground will be cut twice by running a disc cutter over it the second time although I've never got down off my tractor to inspect the stalks for "double cuts".

BUT I'd rather have double cut stalks(if it happens which I seriously doubt) than have ""brown skid marks in my undies"" from a rear wheel of my tractor coming significantly off the ground while turning with a 10 ft cutterbar raised off the ground.. I guess it boils down to everybody has their own priorities.


----------



## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

rajela said:


> I have heard that the Krone you can pull the cutter bar release and swing the cutter bar to the rear of the tractor for hauling. I have not tried that with my Kuhn but as soon as I hook up to it again I am.


You can't ..... That krone is a well designed unit for 3 point hook up as is the Claas, seems they thought through the problem others just came up with a way around it (caddy) idk....


----------



## Cedar creek (Aug 5, 2014)

Thanks to all. After all the responses I'm leaning toward the 275. I don't cut enough to create an issue with the shorter bar. Thanks again, your comments were greatly appreciated!


----------



## rajela (Feb 15, 2014)

Tx Jim said:


> I doubt seriously that hay lying flat on the ground will be cut twice by running a disc cutter over it the second time although I've never got down off my tractor to inspect the stalks for "double cuts".
> 
> BUT I'd rather have double cut stalks(if it happens which I seriously doubt) than have ""brown skid marks in my undies"" from a rear wheel of my tractor coming significantly off the ground while turning with a 10 ft cutterbar raised off the ground.. I guess it boils down to everybody has their own priorities.


 Watch behind you disc mower the next time you cross a windrow of freshly cut hay and observe the hay that is discharged out the back. It can and will cut the grass again.


----------



## urednecku (Oct 18, 2010)

rajela said:


> Watch behind you disc mower the next time you cross a windrow of freshly cut hay and observe the hay that is discharged out the back. It can and will cut the grass again.


Yes it will.


----------



## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

urednecku said:


> Yes it will.


I have seen mine throw back more in Bermuda grass. No so much in Bahia or Fescue. Fescue and Bahia tend to lie flat on the ground.

Some may also depend on how much tilt is set on the mower. I cut fairly level with little downward angle to promote regrowth.


----------



## Tx Jim (Jun 30, 2014)

rajela said:


> Watch behind you disc mower the next time you cross a windrow of freshly cut hay and observe the hay that is discharged out the back. It can and will cut the grass again.


Are you sure the hay gets cut again or are the spinning blade holders just moving the hay? As I stated in your other thread maybe your hay is a lot thicker than where I live.


----------



## rajela (Feb 15, 2014)

Do you really think the blades are not going to cut the hay again!!!!!! It really doesn't matter if you want to run the cutter bar down all the time then do so.


----------



## Tx Jim (Jun 30, 2014)

You're absolutely correct does it really matter if hay stalks were cut more than once because on an occasion or two I've rd baled hay that was cut with a rotary mower(brush hog type) that baled up just fine with zero problems and not one cow complained while eating the hay. If cutting stalks more than once which BTW there's no concrete proof that happens why have a rd baler with re-cutting knives in it?

Oh well that's the reason this site is called a "discussion forum"!!!


----------



## rajela (Feb 15, 2014)

Tx Jim said:


> You're absolutely correct does it really matter if hay stalks were cut more than once because on an occasion or two I've rd baled hay that was cut with a rotary mower(brush hog type) that baled up just fine with zero problems and not one cow complained while eating the hay. If cutting stalks more than once which BTW there's no concrete proof that happens why have a rd baler with re-cutting knives in it?
> 
> Oh well that's the reason this site is called a "discussion forum"!!!


Hay cut by a rotatry cutter or double cut by a disc mower/MOCO/Sickle Mower has more lose due to the pickup being unable to get the hay feed in to the bale chamber. The recutting knives are positioned just a few inches from the bale forming chamber and after the pick up. Short cut grass or hay crops will have more lose than longer cut hay if you can even get it raked up to begin with..


----------



## NDVA HAYMAN (Nov 24, 2009)

I've got a Krone rotary rake for sale that will definately rake the hay if anyone wants to buy it? ( stirring the pot hehe)


----------



## rajela (Feb 15, 2014)

Will it rake short hay????????


----------



## Tx Jim (Jun 30, 2014)

rajela said:


> Short cut grass or hay crops will have more lose than longer cut hay if you can even get it raked up to begin with..


My H&S Hi-cap rake handles short stem grasses very well. It's had to the last few years because of the drought. You must think turning a disc cutter with cutterbar down while turning on headlands makes hay into something resembling "lawn clippings".


----------



## rajela (Feb 15, 2014)

What ever TEX......


----------



## urednecku (Oct 18, 2010)

I just thought about it...IF the grass you are cutting is thin enough, and your blades are high enough, then yea, the blades might go over the cut grass lying down flat. *BUT*, any of the grass* I *have cut is thick enough that if I didn't pick up the mower --and lots of the times when I do pick it up---the blades would run thru the already cut grass cutting again. I don't see how it could miss---sometimes it's so thick it does not have room to fall over, can't hardly tell where the mower went for a while, till the grass wilts enough to fall over.

I can't find the pictures I wanted, but please tell me how the mower blades, spinning fast enough to cut this grass the first time, will pass over or thru even this younger shorter and much thinner growth with *OUT* cutting it again?


----------



## Tx Jim (Jun 30, 2014)

rajela said:


> What ever TEX......


"What ever" reminds me of what my teenage granddaughter says when she hears something she doesn't choose to hear.

Each to their own IE different strokes for different folks!!!!!!!!

I'll guarantee you I'm not going to inspect some grass stems to see if the stems are cut more than ONCE!!!!! As long as grass is not bunched in turns while leaving cutterbar down I'm a HAPPY CAMPER.


----------



## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

Time to move on fellas....

Regards, Mike


----------

