Rear Finish Mower Woods RM990 Questions from Brand New Tractor User

[Anglerdad]

Hi all. I'm hoping to find some answers here. I am building a new house on 10 acres and bought a Branson 4720 tractor to help with building and site work. I also want to do some farming on the property in the future.

I'm a new to the tractor arena, but I really like my Branson. I've already logged about 30 hours on it and it runs and does anything I want it to.

Someone recently gave me a Woods RM990 mower for free. It is beat up pretty bad. But it had a new motor on it. I lubed up everything and flipped the whole mower deck over and sharpened the blades and cleaned it up on the bottom. Everything is rusted tight. So I have no idea if i'll be able to get the blades off. They were beat up really bad. A little work with a grinder and they came out OK.

I hooked it up the other day and took it out to cut some of my 10 acres, which is pretty much high grass. I set it up high and it cut really pretty well I thought. Then I found some lower grass and it did well too. Still alot of grass baggage left behind for my taste.

However, I have no idea if I'm using it correctly. I tried a few different settings on the leg adjustments and it did help a little.

Here are my questions and I'm open to any and all advice and help anyone can give me.

1. What is the best way to sharpen the blades? This deck weighs a ton, and even when I lift it with my 3 pt lift, I would still have to crawl under it to sharpen the blades. Is that how its done?

2. Same question on taking off the blades. Is there an easier way to do it other than crawling under it?

3. What RPM's is best to run the mower at?

4. The blades spin similar to a Brush Hog type blade system. Does that mean I can use it to mow down some light brush?

Any help?

 

[Leejohn]

Can't find a better one. It's not a rough cut mower. It's also a good match for your tractor. After you get your grass cut where it should be and the next mowing you well see how nice of a job it does, don't judge it with knee high grass.
I take my blades off to sharpen and weigh each pair so each blade is the same. You don't have to make all 3 pair the same. There is no way I would be under it working. Use jack stands or hold it up with your loader.
With it not being used for awhile you well have a hard time with the bolts that hold the pins in for blades. The pins might also be hard to get out. A air hammer is what I use, pops them right out.

 

[RickB]

Best finish mower ever built. I brought one back from dead 10 years ago. Ugly but very, very serviceable. Never touched a spindle yet except for grease.

 

[4570Man]

I shorten the top link as short as possible then lift up the mower. I block it up with wood blocks and use my air impact to remove the blades.

 

[lt190b]

I shorten the top link as short as possible then lift up the mower. I block it up with wood blocks and use my air impact to remove the blades.

4570Man, what is your trick to get an impact on the bolts that hold the pins in? lt190b

 

[ns_in_tex]

We used to pull our top link and the pto shaft, then hook a chain hoist to the rear and pick it up vertical. We could then stand up and remove the blades.
Now we built a pair of wooden ramps, maybe 12" tall, that we can back the tractor up on and with the mower lifted, we sit in a chair and remove the blades to sharpen.