Kuhn GMD 400 disc mower

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KNERSIE

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Anyone with experience with them?

I just bought a very good second hand mower from a elderly neighbour. The mower hasn't been used for years and still has all original parts including the cover. There is no noisy bearings and the discs are still in very good shape, only the skids show some signs of wear. I paid very little for the mower.

I am currently in the process of cleaning the mower and will replace the oil before using it next week to cut alfalfa. Anything to be on the lookout for?
 
It's funny that you mention that, my father and I were at a sale today and he picked up a GMD 600. Small world.
 
Kuhn is a good mower I had a kuhn mower/conditioner and liked it really well ,would probably still have it but someone else liked it better than me and thought it was worth more than I did :lol: so now they are the proud owner of it

I have never heard anything negative on the Kuhn cutters
 
cfpinz":3s3ktll1 said:
It's funny that you mention that, my father and I were at a sale today and he picked up a GMD 600. Small world.

Is the GMD 600 also a 4 disc mower? The only real negative I could come up with talking to quite a few neighbours who also has Kuhns is that the parts are very expensive compared to other makes.

Richard do you perhaps know which oil is supposed to be used in the bed? I've been told its regular gearbox oil, 80-90 viscosity. Does that sound right?
 
KNERSIE":3k2re5uj said:
Is the GMD 600 also a 4 disc mower? The only real negative I could come up with talking to quite a few neighbours who also has Kuhns is that the parts are very expensive compared to other makes.

Richard do you perhaps know which oil is supposed to be used in the bed? I've been told its regular gearbox oil, 80-90 viscosity. Does that sound right?

Off the top of my head, I think this one has 6 pods, about 8' wide. I'm not crazy about oil bath gearboxes but the Old Man bought it pretty cheap, we'll see. We don't have any literature on it yet, but I'm going to have to track some down in the near future. 80/90 sounds reasonable enough to me.

Mower is still laying on the back of my flatbed, has brand new blades on it. As I was looking at it yesterday, I noticed every blade was on it backwards. Wonder if the last owner was dislexic?
 
As I was looking at it yesterday, I noticed every blade was on it backwards. Wonder if the last owner was dislexic?

The world is smaller than you think, the one I bought had half the blades backwards. The owner probably didn't know the blades were rotation specific so half of the blades needed to have the twist to the other side.

Started mine up just to test today and its running beautifully, just the hydraulic hose was leaking.
 
cfpinz":9z9lve6h said:
I noticed every blade was on it backwards. Wonder if the last owner was dislexic?

Several people here run 'em that way intentionally. Curves the blades up instead of down. Makes them glance up off the rocks and doesn't usually do as much damage to the discs. We've had to press the discs several times because the tips were bent down after "encounters" with obstacles. The 400 has 4 discs, 500 has 5, etc. At least these come apart in pods if something happens and you don't have to disassemble the entire cutter bar. Parts are expensive, but saves mucho time.
 
dyates":25wuvyy4 said:
Several people here run 'em that way intentionally. Curves the blades up instead of down. Makes them glance up off the rocks and doesn't usually do as much damage to the discs. We've had to press the discs several times because the tips were bent down after "encounters" with obstacles.

That's an interesting idea. In theory the angled surface would come in contact with the rocks that would have normally just caught the leading edge of the blade. I think I'll leave them like that and give it a try before flipping them over, now if I can just find something to cut this time of year. The neighbor's broomsage might be in trouble...
 
In heavy foliage you would have to slaow down a good bit. The theory behind the blades angling the way the do is so that the lift the create will stand the plants up to cut them cleaner.
 
The only thing wrong with the Kuhn's (John Deeres) is the sorry designed parking stand. If you have the quick hitch, 99% of the time it will not be sitting level and you can't get it hitched up. I try to put just enough wood planks under the far end to get it to set level but it's a guessing game.
Most of the time I just get out the other tractor and use the front end loader to push down on the mower to get it to latch or lift up on the cutter bar with a chain. nothing quick about it. If I had to take it on and off too much I would break down and buy one of those pull type disc mower caddies for it.

I did add the taller skid shoes to mine as I don't like to scalp the ground while cutting. By leaving it 2 to 3" tall it greens back up quicker and the foliage helps protect the ground from drying out in the summer and from freezing in the winter
 
KNERSIE":2odf4vy9 said:
Anyone with experience with them?

I just bought a very good second hand mower from a elderly neighbour. The mower hasn't been used for years and still has all original parts including the cover. There is no noisy bearings and the discs are still in very good shape, only the skids show some signs of wear. I paid very little for the mower.

I am currently in the process of cleaning the mower and will replace the oil before using it next week to cut alfalfa. Anything to be on the lookout for?

I have the owners manual for the GD 600-700 and it calls fro SAE 80 GL4 oil in the gearbox and the cutterbar oil is the same. The 600 is a 6 disc cutter. Bought mine used and have been happy with it.
 
BeefmasterB":tb8yk1mo said:
I have the owners manual for the GD 600-700 and it calls fro SAE 80 GL4 oil in the gearbox and the cutterbar oil is the same. The 600 is a 6 disc cutter. Bought mine used and have been happy with it.

Just wondering if it happens to say in the user manual how much oil you are meant to put in the cutter bar and how often should you need to top up??

Cheers
 
If you stand the cutterbar up in the vertical position (folded up for transport), there is a plug on the bottom of the cutterbar. Take the plug out and the oil level should be even with the hole.
 

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