Rear Finish Mowers

[JimMorrissey]

To anybody with a rear finish mower:

-How difficult do you find it to mow with a rear mower?

-Can you think of any reason why I should absolutely stay away from the rear finish mower?

-How is the quality of the cut?

I currently have a MMM and love it, but want to move to a bigger tractor with BH and don't want to have to deal with putting a MMM on and off. They are too big and heavy to take on and off once a week.

Thanks,

Jim

 

[Bob_Skurka]

Jim, I don't know how big you want to go, but I switched from a RFM to a MMM about a month ago. The ONLY reason I switched was because I needed room in my garage so switching freed up a good deal of garage space.

Personally I have used a couple different rear mowers, the only rule that I think you need to remember is YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR. A quality RFM is about the same price as a quality MMM. But a quality RFM will last for the life of the tractor.

My 60" RFM is currently for sale on the dealers lot for $950. It is over 10 years old! The dealer will take $800 for it. You can buy brand new 60" RFMs for about $1100. Or you can buy one that is built like a tank with spiral gears, gearbox with cooling fins, heavy duty stampings (8 or 9 gauge), floating linkage, anti-scalp rollers, ball bearing swivels on the 4 outboard wheels, etc, etc, etc. But again, expect to pay a high price for a unit like that.

However, I loved mowing with it. I found it easy to get under trees, especially smaller ones. I had no problems lining up my cutting rows (but with the MMM I find I miss spots on the corners!?!). The thing that I think with a MMM versus a RFM is that either way you switch, there will be a learning curve. Once you get used to it you will be fine with it.

As for weight, my unit was heavy enough to lift the front of the tractor off the ground without a FEL to counter balance, so I put wheel weights on the front of my tractor to prevent wheelies. . . but I didn't have any trouble jockying the RFM around on my garage (cememnt) floor, or my driveway (asphalt). I suspect it would be a bear to move around on the lawn or the gravel??? I used to take my RFM off all the time, didn't have a problem with that. But I did use Pat's Easy Change on my TC24 and there are extending lower links on the B2910.

 

[jimg]

-How difficult do you find it to mow with a rear mower?
It isnt...you just have to remember that the mower now hangs off the back extending the length of the tractor. You have to account for this when you make turns close to stationary objects like fences and buildings.

-Can you think of any reason why I should absolutely stay away from the rear finish mower?
If you have many things to mow around using a MMM *might* be easier but then again it isnt difficult w/ a rear mounted mower either.

-How is the quality of the cut?
great...just like a MMM

I have an LP FDR1660 (5' rear discharge mower) that I use on my TC24. The area I mow most often is open and hilly. The only thing Id do differently is get an antiscalp roller w/ the mower as the it tends scalp in rough areas.

 

[Larry_Van_Horn]

Jim,
I am using an 84" RFM that I got from Corriher last year, made by First Choice. I think it is a great piece of equipment. I am mowing 6 acres with it, and I can really move and it never lugs down. One thing that is probably different about mowing with an RFM compared to a MMM is that when you turn there is a swing to the back end which you must account for, just a bit of experience figuring how much the link arms will let it move. Off and on in 2 minutes.
Larry

 

[Bird]

There are pros and cons to both, but personally I preferred the rear 3-point mower; cost less, easier to hook up and unhook, could back into corners and under bushes, and IF you ever trade tractors you don't have to change mower deck at the same time, and of course, vice versa, if you want a different mower deck, you don't have to change tractors. The "disadvantages" (which were not disadvantages to me) are having to look behind sometimes instead of just looking down beside the tractor (it didn't take long to be able to mow within 2" of fence posts and buildings without looking back), longer overall length of tractor and mower could be a problem in some tight places, and when you turn, it swings out in the opposite direction (something you soon get accustomed to).

 

[Zoomie]

Jim,

I pull a 72" King Kutter RFM behind my old Ford, and it mows just fine... the cut rivals my Craftsman riding mower... as long as you keep the blades sharp, of course.

I grew up pulling bush-hogs and other implements, so the rear mower doesn't bother me at all.

My King Kutter isn't the most expensive brand on the planet, but if kept serviced, I believe they will outlast most of us. They have grease zerks on the blade spindles, wheel axles and pivots, and it only takes 5 minute to hit them all before or after each use.

Good luck.

 

[DepthCharge]

I can think of a reason one might want a MMM over a RFM. Grass collection. If you would ever want to collect your clippings, you would want a MMM.

The collection system would either be a 3 point or drawbar connection. Difficult with a RFM.

Of course I wouldn't care since I don't collect my clippings but I just saw someone with a fair sized CUT and MMM with what looked like a 3 point collection system. I nkow they make them.

Also, and I am going out on a limb here, if I understand your set up you would always have to remove the RFM to install the BH but you wouldn't have to remove a MMM. Of course this would lead to two rather unusual configurations. First, who would run a BH with a MMM? Second, has anyone been seen using a MMM with a BH on the back? Hmm, well I think technically it's possible, but........

Good luck.

 

[Freds]

I loved my RFM on my old tractor for all the reasons already stated, but mowing with the same size deck belly mounted onto a lawn tractor has knocked 45 minutes off of my mowing time and while I can't get under my lilac bushes, I can get close enough that I really don't need to do any trimming. The cut is noticeably better, also.

 

[OrangeGuy]

Jim,

I have a Walco Douglas 90" RFM that I use on a fairly level lawn. It cuts just as well as my 60" front mower under certain conditions; 1) blades are kept very sharp ( I think this has more to do with the additional width than anything else), 2) get a rear discharge if the mower will be larger than 60" (prevents windrowing), 3) avoid mowing in a set pattern (four tractor wheels passing over the same ground over and over mats down the grass), 4) make sure the mower you purchase has stout guage wheels ( aggressive turning with the RFM down is really hard on them) and last, you will become just as skilled with the RFM with a little practice. In fact one benefit I've seen with my RFM is that it bounces less than my front mower on dry ground consequently providing a better finish cut.

I placed some pictures of my RFM in the Kubota users forum under...Perfect day to... (Sorry, I would create a link directly to the post but don't know how. Help would be appreciated) Some have said my lawn looks OK.

OrangeGuy

 

[EastTexFrank]

The only negative to a RFM that I can think of is that you run over the grass with 2 sets of tires before the mower gets to cut it as opposed to one set of tires with a MMM. Sometimes the grass doesn't spring back up fast enough to give you a perfect cut and it can leave slight ridges. The same thing can happen with a MMM ofcourse but all things being even, it shouldn't be as bad. Depends if you want to have a yard or a lawn. Personally, it doesn't bother me enough to trade in my RFM for a MMM given all the other benefits of a rear mounted machine. If I was to ever think of retiring it, it would be for a dedicated, front mounted, grass cutting machine, in addition to the tractor, which I think would probably give you the best cut of all.