3pt Finish Mower Durability?

[DaveM]

Hi All,

The snow is slowly but surely melting away and I'll probably need to mow grass by July /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif! So far, I've looked at the Bush Hog RDTH60 and the Land Pride FDR2560, both rear discharge, and have their respective brochures. I'm waiting on brochures from Rhino and Woods and will try to look at these in person, if possible this weekend. Both the BH and LP mowers look very good, though I really like the materials and design of the LP. The LP uses 3/16" deck steel while the BH uses 7 guage. Also, the front and rear casters on the LP are offset from one another, front to back, and they look to be inset a bit further than the BH, which I think could be good for trim work. I think 3/16" is heavier than 7 guage but have not found a conversion table or factor to know for sure. Anyone know of a conversion table? The LP weighs 610 lbs., the BH is 536 lbs. I'm not able to do a side-by-side comparison. Am I putting too much importance into these factors? Is weight a good indicator of durability? How thick is thick enough? The BH has a better warranty with 2 years on the gearbox and I guess a year on most of the rest. I suspect they're both (along with Woods, etc.) great mowers based on all the posts I've read... and I think I've read them all! Most of the past discussions have centered around performance and/or mid vs. rear mount issues. Hopefully a discussion about durability factors could be helpful and also applied to rotary cutters to some degree (also on my wish list!). I know I could dig it... or cut it /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif.

Thanks- Dave

 

[RJohnson]

7 gauge is 0.1793 and 3/16 is 0.1875, the crazy thing is that the tolerances on both plate and sheet steel allows them to over lap in thickness. 3/16" plat can be as low as 0.1775 in thickness while 7 gauge can be as high 0.1873, go figure. I bet each manufacturer will claim that the decks are comparable./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
I would just pick the one that looks the better design and has the best workmanship. Good luck.

Randy

 

[Bird]

DaveM, funny you should mention the Bush Hog RDTH60 which is what I just finished mowing the yard with. Day before yesterday was the first time I've ever had anything break on a Bush Hog product, but I had just started mowing the yard when it broke. The right pulley came off the spindle (I'm just guessing the nut worked loose some time earlier). At any rate, the pulley fell out the back, the nut and washer were still laying on the deck, the inside of the pulley was wallowed out and the woodruff key was missing. With my usual luck, my dealer had the pulley but didn't have the right woodruff key. I went 4 different places and bought 6 different woodruff keys (didn't want to have to make another hundred mile round trip if I had the wrong size), and I fixed it. There was also a bolt missing that is nothing more than a "guide" I guess to keep the belt from jumping off the pulley, but I had a bolt of that size on hand. I've had the mower a year and a half and had never pulled the covers off the pulleys or checked the nuts and bolts, and I've used it pretty hard on some rough ground, so I don't really have a complaint; cost me about $15 to fix it.

Bird

 

[DDT]

I have a LP 2572 airtunnel. I'm very satisfied with every thing about it. I always buy the heavest weight product I can find.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

KING KUTTER FREE FLOATING FINISHING MOWERS lead the way in performance and quality. It is constructed of heavy 3/16" deck material, heavy-duty wheels, and heat-treated 1/4"-thick blades. The versatile machine mows on level or unleveled ground. Standard equipment on all King Kutter free floating finishing mowers includes a 40hp gearbox, shielded PTO shaft, gauge wheels and a self-tightening belt that reduces slippage. King Kutter's specially designed hitch allows one side of the mower to raise to a height of up to 16" (15.5 degrees) while the other side remains on the ground. This lets the mower follow the contour of the ground.

Finishing Mowers
MODEL# CuttingWidth Blade Size Blade TipSpeed - FPM PneumaticTires Approx.Ship. Weight
FM-48 48" 1/4 X 2 X 16" 12,434 4 - 8 X 3.00 510 LB
FM-60 60" 1/4 X 2 X 20" 16,249 4 - 9 X 3.50 610 LB
FM-72 72" 1/4 X 2 X 24" 16,956 4 - 9 X 3.50 650 LB
SFM-72 72" 1/4 X 2 X 24" 16,956 4 - 9 X 3.50 660 LB
SFM-84 84" 1/4 X 2 X 28" 16,814 4 - 9 X 3.50 750 LB
SFM - Single belt with double v design
____________
Dave,
If you get a chance, stop by Tractor Supply Company or Quality Farm & Country/Farm Fleet/Central Tractor etc. and "kick" a few tires on this unit. This company has VALUE stamped all over it... average price for 72" - $999., 60" - $899.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

<font color=blue>I think 3/16" is heavier than 7 gauge</font color=blue>

Both are the same thickness, .1875 inch...

 

[DaveM]

John- Thanks for the King Kutter lead. There's a town nearby where I can look at both the Woods and KK mowers. The KK mowers sure sound "beefy" enough. Do you or anyone else have some first hand experience with these mowers? At aprx. $1000 less than the BH or LP mowers I'm interested!

Dave

 

[DaveM]

Bird- Thanks for your timely report! I guess it pays to pop a cover now and then even if everything seems good. Was that a lock washer you found on the deck? Would a lock washer and/or some loc-tite prevent that bolt from working loose again? Just a thought.

Dave

 

[Bird]

No, Dave, it wasn't a lock washer; just a big flat washer, but it's a self locking nut so it should stay tight. But since I'd never removed the shields or covers, I don't know whether it was left loose at the time of assembly or started tight and worked loose. The tops of the spindles have grease zerks, but the covers have holes in them so you can grease them without removing the covers.

Bird

 

[GrantMO]

Dave,
I have the 72" KK finish mower and it works just fine. I think it's hard to beat for the price. The discharge chute nearly came off after I ran it into something but that was just pilot error. The paint job isn't the best but you can always touch up or repaint it as needed. You can download the owners manual from the KK website in Adobe.