Rick Walters, Southwest Ag, Bayfield, Colo., is a dealer who recently started promoting the front- and rear-mowing concept. He found a good price on a used John Deere 7810 tractor and attached an aftermarket front hitch PTO in time to exhibit it with two 10-foot mowers attached at the Four States Ag Expo a year ago (see above photo). Walters admits it was designed to get attention at the show.

As a Kubota dealer, he wanted a show-stopper to promote his dealership, and to show prospects “what else” they can do with their tractor. He chose the John Deere tractor for its instant credibility, also noting that the 7810 model is a very popular size in his area.

The dealership created a poster that highlighted how the front-rear combination would create a wider cut-ting width, and how multiple windrows means faster and more uniform drying. It also demonstrated the impact of cutting 32% more per hour than a 16-foot self-propelled windrower and a more versatile use of the power unit.

While just getting his feet wet last year, Walters admits success will require retraining the customers in how they think. Nevertheless, he intends to push it even harder this year. He also shared that attaching a front-snowblower to the unit also opens eyes to ways to increase the versatility of the tractor.