RFM mowing pattern

[Beaglenut]

I just got done trying out a neighbor's 72in rfm he wants to sell me. Mowed for half a day yesterday and liked it, but looked at the yard today and its like stripes everywhere about 2 ft wide. Mowed some more and noticed the center was mowing much shorter (at least an inch) than the sides. Looked at the blades and they all seem sharp and not damaged. Am I being too picky since this is a "tractor mower" or am I right to exoect better? The mower does seem solid otherwise and I think he'd sell it for a reasonable price.

 

[leonz]

I just got done trying out a neighbor's 72in rfm he wants to sell me. Mowed for half a day yesterday and liked it, but looked at the yard today and its like stripes everywhere about 2 ft wide. Mowed some more and noticed the center was mowing much shorter (at least an inch) than the sides. Looked at the blades and they all seem sharp and not damaged. Am I being too picky since this is a "tractor mower" or am I right to exoect better? The mower does seem solid otherwise and I think he'd sell it for a reasonable price.

the symptoms make me think the mowers deck is warped. take a bubble level and a straight edge and check to see if it is true from side to side(level) and check to see if the cente rblade is upside down-it happens. wide rotary finish mowers will flex a lot if the deck is not thick and welded steel.

 

[whistlepig]

The newer RFM's are pretty good mowers as far as the quality of the cut. My neighbors have zero turns. Their yards don't look any better than my RFM mowed yard.

 

[GTEdge]

I have a 5ft King Kutter RFM and it cuts as well as my zero turn. Agree as mentioned above that something is amiss with the deck.

 

[kevinwak]

My 62D belly mower deck on my john Deere does that. It is either a blade slightly bent or the angle of the sharpening. I had the middle blade cutting about an inch lower, so I took the blades off to sharpen. After I reinstalled them in no particular order the left side is now cutting an inch low. Visually I are no difference between the blades, but I know there must be.

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[whistlepig]

It does sound like a bent blade. Easiest way to check is to park the mower on a concrete floor and measure from the floor to the blade tips. Rotate the blades and recheck them again.

 

[radioman]

It does sound like a bent blade. Easiest way to check is to park the mower on a concrete floor and measure from the floor to the blade tips. Rotate the blades and recheck them again.

he said it the best ... I agree whole heartedly. usually its just the blade rather then the deck/spindle issue.

 

[unbidden]

Just a thought on the uneven cut: recheck and be sure all the blades are exactly the same. If one is a different "lift" this could be causing the issue.

 

[LD1]

A few thoughts, but all is not lost.

1st, it would be a good idea to attach to your tractor and then lower to mow height on a level concrete floor. Look under the deck, take measurements.

Aside from a bent blade, a few things come to mind as to why the center would be cutting lower...

1. mis-matched blade. (some blades arent level, rather they are offset a little)

2. Not installed right. Are washers or spacers the same on all 3 blades however they are mounted??

3. setting of gauge wheels, check chains, toplink, etc. Now I dont know the model of the mower, but a pic of it attached to your tractor could help here, but on a 3 spindle mower, the center blade is mounted closer to the tractor. So if wheels or something isnt set up right, and the mower isnt level front to rear, the front/center blade could be lower. Like if the rear gauge wheels are set too high and the fronts too low.

 

[clemsonfor]

No, you have something amiss. I use a bushhog brand fth720 and it looks even across it. only stripes are where the wheels rolled and then its still cut the same. Oh and the huge windrow of grass thant the side discharge will throw out, the rear discharges are better.

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