Rear Finish Mower Rear v. Side discharge finish mower

[dwhite]

I'm still new here but my search of the archives didn't turn up an answer to rear versus side discharge mowers. I think I would prefer a side discharge because the grass clippings have to pass through more blades to get out and thus end up smaller. What do the experts say? Based on that, please also recommend a brand with the features you prefer.
Thanks alot,
Duane White
Woodstock, VA

 

[MDSteve]

I have a rear discharge, for two reasons:
1) I can get closer to the fence and trees so I don't have to trim as much.
2) I don't have rows of clippings. The clippings are spread over a larger area. My neighbor asked how I bag my clippings. I said I don't bag but he didn't belive me until he saw me mowing one evening.

Steve

 

[Bird]

Duane, I used the Bush Hog RDTH60, rear discharge. Less windrowing and while I agree with your theory of chopping the clippings more with a side discharge, I don't think the reality is the same (of course I didn't measure any of my clippings to be sure /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif).

 

[jimg]

I just went thru this decision only a little while ago. My dealer was a good source in the decision making process. He's seen it all and was a wealth of info. His take was that side discharge tends to windrow and doesnt distribute clippings as well as rear discharge. So, I opted for a Landpride 60" RD mower. I can say for sure that my RD REALLY distributes the clippings and there are no clumps and such even when the grass is thick and tallish. When I was searching around for a mower I thought I might want the mulching blades (optional). However, I dont really see a need now. I think SD might not do as well. Also, as someone else mentioned, you can run right up close to edges on either side too. Ive found this feature really handy as in some places its much easier to approach an area from a certain direction. With a side mount Id have to back in which isnt as convenient.

The other part of this equation which you didnt mention is whether youre looking for midmount or pull behind. I have the pull behind type (attached to the 3pt hitch). I can say that at first it was somewhat challenging to get everything mowed. However, by the 3rd mowing I was getting in places that were pretty confined and up close to obsticles. I also have a pretty fair hill on my property that I can only mow a small portion side to side. The rest has to be backed into. This, I think wouldnt be as easy w/ a midmount. Thats just my impression and I have never used a midmount. I think though midmount vs read mount is discussed somewhere else.

Having this mower cut my lawn mowing time from 8hrs over 2 days to about 1.5hrs. Its a huge time saver and gives a great cut! jimg

 

[bobobro]

I use a Landpride 60” RFM on my B7500. I agree with both of MDSteve’s reasons. I think the rear discharge spreads the clippings much more evenly than a side discharge. I also have a Scotts 20hp 48” cut “lawn tractor” that I have used on my 4 acres before buying the 7500 this year that is side discharge. It cuts nice but the clippings “pile up” when being shot out the side instead of lying flat and spread out like the RFM, especially if the grass is wet or high. I end up going over and over them to get them spread out with the side discharge Scotts. One minor thing I like about the rear discharge RFM compared to a MMM side discharge is all the dirt and grass is far behind you blowing out the back and not back onto you.

 

[bobobro]

Oh 1 more thing the 60" fits nice on the 7500 with it sticking out just a little past both rear wheels if you go RFM.

 

[chim]

I like the side discharge so I can "rake" leaves in the Fall. This is my third SD deck. The first was a factory belly mount on a Cub LoBoy, the last two are RFM's. The older is a Caroni, and it works better than my newer Landpride in tall wet grass. If I mow when I should, the Landpride does better.

I was scared away from RD decks after seeing the pitiful job my Mom-in-law's John Deere machine does. It's a 60" mowing machine - can't recall the model number - with the deck in front and the engine in the rear. The deck is RD, and leaves windrows between the blades whether they are sharp, dull, new or old. Several members here have much better luck with RD's, and I have been tempted to give one a try..........chim

 

[Gary_in_Indiana]

Rear discharge is the newer, more "in vogue" style and with good reason. You can mow along your buildings from either side without throwing the clippings against your structure and you can get closer to your buildings, too. Generally, they leave you a nicer cut when all is said and done. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Trev]

It's funny.. I was just saying in another post that I wished I had gotten a rear-discharge rather than my current side-discharge. But then I got to thinking about it more, and realized that something I often do is mow in reverse. I'll make a forward pass, then just back up to make the next pass. If the discharged grass clippings are shooting out the back, I'd be constantly running over them as I backed up. Not sure if this would be a problem or not.

The drawback I find to side-discharge is that I have to make sure I mow next to my wife's flowers, etc., with the discharge facing away from the flowers so I don't just cover them up completely with cut grass. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif Also, the side with the discharge chute sticks out further, and I have to always keep that in mind as I'm mowing.

I think I would probably go with a rear-discharge if I had it to do over again....

Best,
Bob

 

[EdKing]

One of the advantages of a rear discharge was touched upon but not explained, you can mow in any direction without the clippings pileing up or blowing over the unmown grass. With a side discharge you tend to have to mow with the discharge chute away from the unmown grass, you end up mowing in a clockwise direction around the field. With the rear discharge you can mow around in either clockwise or counter clockwise, or just make a pass, turn around and make another pass on the same side, without having to mow in circles.