How good does a sharpened rotary cutter cut?

[ArtVandelay]

I am thinking about getting a rotary cutter instead of a flail mower or finish mower, because I would like to be able to mow my acreage even if the grass grows really tall. I was thinking that maybe the best solution is a sharpened rotary cutter. How sharp should it be? and how short can it cut grass?

Thanks.

 

[quicksandfarmer]

Under the right conditions, my rotary mower cuts grass just fine with my dull blades. But there are two advantages that a finish mower has.

The first is "lift." A finish mower is designed so that the blades create an updraft, which lifts the blades of grass straight up so they are cut evenly. Rougy mowers aren't designed for lift.

The second is following uneven ground. A spinning blade is going to cut absolutely flat across its diameter. The bigger the blade, the less it will be able to follow uneven ground. Finish mowers have multiple small blades, which allow them to have a smaller size for the same size cutting swath. Finish mowers also have more contact points with the ground, closer together, which allow them to follow the ground more closely.

 

[Alan L.]

I'm not sure how sharp a rotary cutter can get, nor if it should be super sharp. I'm happy with the cut I get with the cutter. If you mow often enough it looks almost as good as a finish mower and if its tall it mows better than a finish mower would.

Not to win any contests, but acceptable.

 

[6sunset6]

I just sold my finish mower and got a rotary cutter. Mixed feelings but I do't have a golf course or even a lawn. Septic field far ,away sides of the driveway and the rest is woods road and rough. The rotary seems to be ok once I figuired out how not to scalp. Good for brush for sure. Toomany wild thorny roses are gone.

 

[RoyJackson]

If you're looking for a finish lawn look...you'll probably not get it with a cutter.
As Alan wrote, these blades aren't sharpened like a finish mower. They actually have a 1/16th inch (give or take) bevel rather then a sharp edge. The blades are also considerably thicker then a mower blade (3/8th's to 1/2").
The cutters pulverize as much as cut.
Also, with just a tail wheel and no anti-scaping roller, it's a reasonably good chance you'll tear your lawn up if there are any humps, rises or depressions.

My cutter, a 60" Land Pride unit, will cut as low as 3".

A finish mower will cut fairly tall (8-10") if you take your time and you set it high. Your lawn would look like crap with those grass clipping, but it could be done.

If you do end up with a cutter, and mower close to your house, I suggest you spring for the chain guards.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

Some different brands and models of mowers do better than others. Some species of grass cut better than others. Terrain has some bearing on results. Even weather conditions have some influence on the quality of cut you can get from a mower.

Finish mowers have been around for a while. They haven't always been as common as they are now days. Once upon a time, it wasn't uncommon for people to be satisfied with the quality of cut you can get from a bush hog with sharpened blades. If all you're doing with the mower is cutting grass, it doesn't hurt a thing to sharpen bush hog blades to a better "edge" than normally used when cutting weeds and brush. The worst trait you'll see with bush hogs and attemting to "finish cut" is they tend to windrow the clippings rather than scattering or mulching.

I cut approx. 8 acres next to my house with a Bush Hog 286 cutter. It's relatively flat, and generally dry. I cut at 2-1/2" to 3". From 50' away, you can't tell it wasn't cut with a lawn mower. The more frequent it's mowed, the better it looks. Let it get long before cutting and it looks a mess (by "lawn" standards)

You can get "acceptable results", just not "great results".

 

[N80]

But, if you sharpen the blades on a rotary cutter and use it to mow grass and brush, you'll probably get more nicks and dings in your blade than if you left it as is.

 

[RollTideRam]

I am thinking about getting a rotary cutter instead of a flail mower or finish mower, because I would like to be able to mow my acreage even if the grass grows really tall. I was thinking that maybe the best solution is a sharpened rotary cutter. How sharp should it be? and how short can it cut grass?

Thanks.

How are you liking your new Kubota? Which one did you end up with? JC

 

[have_blue]

I am thinking about getting a rotary cutter instead of a flail mower or finish mower, because I would like to be able to mow my acreage even if the grass grows really tall. I was thinking that maybe the best solution is a sharpened rotary cutter. How sharp should it be? and how short can it cut grass?
Thanks.

I bought a brush hog because my land had brush on it when I bought it. Funny thing though, after I brush hogged it, the brush was gone and all I had was grass to cut.

I make the best of it by sharpening my blades very sharp, and mowing at the right RPM and forward speed to prevent re-grinding the grass. That usually turns out to be about 400-450 RPM. The forward speed is chosen by ear. When I hear the grass stop whanging and banging under the deck, I know I have a good speed. The idea is for the clippings to be full length, not pulverized. If I mow pretty regular, my field looks as good as a finish mower would look.

I sharpen my blades on the machine. It takes ~15 minutes, and I sharpen every time I cut my 10a field. I guess I really mow 7 acres, because 3 acres are in pond and woods. The blade edges last a lot longer if you set the RPM as los as possible, and set the forward speed to avoid re-grinding the grass as much as possible.

 

[unreconstructed]

Also look at my post "LX5" on 10 September. I received a good response about sharpening the blades which I think bears consideration. I am too pondering the same issue. I am in rock country so don't know that I will go the sharpened blade route on a rotary cutter.