Mowing a Field With a Finish Mower

[Dreamin_Tractors]

I have read lots of questions about mowing fields with a finish mower, and since I did just that this weekend, I thought I would share my experience. Since my TC30 came with a Woods 72" Finish mower when I bought it used, it made my decision very easy [img]/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

You can see from a few attached pictures, most of the field was waist high and thick. The field is about 3 acres, and was formerly a cow pasture. It was fairly rough, so I set the mower as high as it would go. Put it in low and took my time. The mower didn't bog down much except for a few of the steeper hills where the grass was thick. I had so much fun I mowed the neighbors field at the same time. I will certainly keep it shorter and I am sure it will have a nicer cut.

I think my tractor was actually grinning in this picture.

[Dreamin_Tractors]

This shows a little of the terrain, and the view!

[Dreamin_Tractors]

This was the tallest part of the field.

[Dreamin_Tractors]

Here is the tractor and finish mower. I really like the Woods mower.

[thcri]

Finish mowers will mow in a taller field like what you have, however, you will dull your blades pretty fast. So going back to mow a really nice lawn you will not have as nice of cut.


murph

[PineRidge]

I would get yourself a good new or used rotary cutter as they are tough and last forever and save your finish mower for your yard mowing. Your RFM will thank you for it i'm sure.

[_RaT_]

I mow much the same stuff here with my finish mower as I have done now for 5 years. It is in excellent shape. As long as I don't go so low as to start finind rocks it works beautifully. The belt is the original, something a few folks here said would never last in tough enviroments, that was defintely wrong advice as it still looks like new. I've replaced the blades once after wearing the lift edge down considerably. I expected to see an even better cut from the new blades but frankly, it seems the blades spin so fast that they could be as dull as 2X4's under there and still cut quite nice. Your place looks nice

[djradz]

RaT, my deck is almost 30 years old and I just last year changed the belt for the FIRST time. Woods makes a pretty heavy duty machine and the belt is no exception. I think as long as the pulleys are not slipping and heating up the belt, it can last a really long time.

I do find the blade sharpness makes a difference though. I like to keep mine very sharp and find as they dull they do not cut as clean and also place some addtiional load on the tractor.

[_RaT_]

While I don't argue that the brush mowers are built tough as my old Woods DO 80" mower can attest to with its triple parallel belts that in all likelyhood would have lasted the life of the mower and it was built with chains to keep sticks and stones from killing someone, it was just plain awkward on my Kubota L3830. I now have a 84" finish mower that weighs slightly less but since it rides on four wheels is less of a factor. I decided to keep the finish mower because it is just easier to use and since the brush mower found all my hidden objects, my finish is safe from the multitude of things that could potentially destroy it. If the grass is so thick that you cannot use the finish mower on it, raise it up, I find the same applies to brush mowers.

PS, the picture is one I posted recently elsewhere. It shows what my finish mower ate that day. (the grass, not the boy)