Last push before buying F2690

[628pm]

Well I think I am finally going to buy a F2690. Been tossing it around for long enough, turning 65 next week and thought to myself, If I want this mower I should just buy it.

Final decision is rear or side discharge, I have looked up everything I could on this matter. I know JT loves rear discharge, but he also states he doesn't have a lawn but a yard (I believe that is what he said) . I mow every week, don't like clippings making a nice lawn look not manicured. My boss would complain also. Yes if you mow when it is wet or let it get too long with a side discharge it doesn't look nice. I have a sweeper but don't like using it. Currently mow around 10 acres a week (mine 3 acres, 99 yr old neighbor 3 acres, and inlaws 4 acres). Wife helps with the bx2680 but it takes her twice as long to mow anything I would mow. But she helps so I don't say anything. Just for knowledge the bx2680 mmm mows great.

Bottom line for those who have a rear discharge F, does you "lawn" look just as good a side discharge mower say for a bx or zd mower?

Thanks for the help in advance, I would hate to by a rear discharge and not like it because of how the grass clipping look after mowing.

Bill

 

[NC419N]

I'm curious to see where this goes:thumbsup: I have Zero Turn,BX and Front Mount and have used High Lift, Mulching and the Standard Blades. All I can say is Crab Grass is a pain and it doesn't seem to matter what you use it the out come is the same other than that I have not been able to tell a lot of difference except that a BX mower does a great job but it's the slowest of them all

 

[628pm]

Can't do much with crab grass, right now I don't have much, treated lawn twice this year for crab grass. I just want a good looking lawn with whatever I mow with. I like the rear discharge option if meets my needs.

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

I have hillside property but lots of it is level and I have actually mowed some when the grass was a normal high but that's not my normal. I believe the rear discharge would be far superior for a weekly "lawn" mower vs a side discharge. The rear discharge is always laying the cut grass down level in a area under the mowing deck. The side discharge is blowing the cut clippings out the side to be distributed over a wide area and if a yard consisted of only one mowing deck width for the entire area the side discharge deck would be oK but the adjoining yard getting the cut clippings might be suffering. Now if one has a yard more than one deck wide where will the cut grass go on the return trip? It's going to double up or even triple or quadriple up eventually as one does the entire yard. That's why I say the side discharge make bigger windrows. The rear discharge is always directly one lane of cut grass laid down under the machine deck with some blowing down and behind the machine as it goes forward.
I don't get commission on rear discharge decks but they work best for me and again I hate grass blowing on me when there is a slight wind and I usually have more than slight winds.

 

[Sigarms]

I bought JT's old F mower and got it from him with a rear discharge deck.

Still have a side discharge zero turn.

Like the rear discharge better.

 

[628pm]

I'm communicating with Brady at Barlow's about my options on either a new F or a trade in they received. I'm kind of picky about used stuff. So far rear discharge looks pretty good, if anyone else has an opinion please let me know.

Thanks to all.

 

[Sigarms]

So far rear discharge looks pretty good, if anyone else has an opinion please let me know.

Thanks to all.

See what JT has to sell:laughing:

I will say this, absolutely no qualms from buying from him.

 

[sixdogs]

Can't do much with crab grass, right now I don't have much, treated lawn twice this year for crab grass. I just want a good looking lawn with whatever I mow with. I like the rear discharge option if meets my needs.

There is a chemical called Q4 Plus Turf Herbicide that kills crabgrass and nutsedge and does not kill the lawn. An amazing product that I use in my yard.



On the rear or side discharge, I have mowed with both and right now have a 7 ft rear discharge Woods pull-type mower. It is the only way to go. Side discharge just windrows and clumps up.

Next up is to buy a used Kubota front mower with rear discharge, hopefully when JT upgrades.

 

[Iamblessed]

I have watched several posts over the last few years about this same subject and while I am perfectly satisfied with the cut and discharge on my F2680E-60Z which is a side discharge I have stayed out of the discussions until now. One thing I have never seen discussed is the fact that the underside of the main driveshaft area including the frame, driveshafts and bottom of transmission is an area that is hard to get to to clean and even grease the 3 fittings on the driveshaft. I have learned how to back the mowers front wheels up on a low plastic ramp or either put a floor jack under the rear axle but still difficult to clean. Now My question is how much worse is the grass build up with a rear discharge? If it is any worse than mine I don't want it. I don't use water on my machine any more than necessary but blow it off with a power blower after each use. I do usually wash underneath as best possible after each season's use and sometimes once in between if really dirty.

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

I bought JT's old F mower and got it from him with a rear discharge deck.

Still have a side discharge zero turn.

Like the rear discharge better.

In fact you chose the used rear finish mowing deck off the F2680e that Steve Barlow agreed to trade with you instead of the new 72" side discharge mowing deck. I was selling the F3080 to get rid of the side discharge mowing deck since I hated it so bad so I could buy another F3080 with rear discharge mowing deck which is what I did.

See what JT has to sell:laughing:

I will say this, absolutely no qualms from buying from him.

I think I'm staying pat for this round. Nothing to sell other than a new Kubota OEM thumb for a BX25 for $250.

I have watched several posts over the last few years about this same subject and while I am perfectly satisfied with the cut and discharge on my F2680E-60Z which is a side discharge I have stayed out of the discussions until now. One thing I have never seen discussed is the fact that the underside of the main driveshaft area including the frame, driveshafts and bottom of transmission is an area that is hard to get to to clean and even grease the 3 fittings on the driveshaft. I have learned how to back the mowers front wheels up on a low plastic ramp or either put a floor jack under the rear axle but still difficult to clean. Now My question is how much worse is the grass build up with a rear discharge? If it is any worse than mine I don't want it. I don't use water on my machine any more than necessary but blow it off with a power blower after each use. I do usually wash underneath as best possible after each season's use and sometimes once in between if really dirty.

So your saying you've never owned an F with a rear discharge mowing deck and therefore have no actual hands on experience with using one? I have owned several and currently own an F3080 with a 72" rear discharge mowing deck that I chose to keep the used one over the new 72" side discharge deck that I used for one mowing season and hated enough to sell the F3080 to get another rear discharge mowing deck. Now that's just my personal opinion/experience after 50 some years of side discharge decks experience on mowers and over 10 years actual hands on experience with rear discharge decks that I've paid my money to own on F mowers and behind tractor Rear finish mowers in rear discharge. Mowers blow grass, they all do. The issue for some is where does the grass go and your experience is with a side discharge SOME of it goes under your machine. With a rear discharge deck MORE of it will go under your machine so little or lot your going to get some of it under your machine. You say you spend time and effort cleaning under your machine with side discharge deck. You can also do that or not if you get a rear discharge deck. I've done it both ways and no adverse effect not cleaning it real often vs cleaning it after each use. I currently use my leaf blower almost every time after mowing and feel good about the utilization of my time and energy keeping grass clippings off the under side of my mowing machine. I also like blowing the screens off and usually pull the mesh filter up and blow it off to. I think keeping the metal mesh screen clean and the holes in the engine cover clean is more important than keeping grass off the under side but my leafblower blows it all off in a couple of minutes. I keep a leaf blower on my front porch at hand to use since I don't want grass in my garage and actually rec'd another leaf blower yesterday from Amazon that was such a bargain that I had to get it. Hope I've helped clear up some of your concerns about grass clippings getting on your machines underside if you were to pay the money to buy a rear discharge deck. Since you already have a side discharge and are happy with just getting close on one side and having to follow a mowing pattern to keep windrows to a minimum instead of mowing even in a random pattern with no difference in the distribution of the cut grass (less windrows) and maybe not mowing if the wind is blowing to keep mowed grass from blowing on you or it doesn't bother you to have that wind blown grass getting on you and the top part of your machine then side discharge is OK. :2cents: from actual experience.