Why not use a finish mower

[eds01]

Adjusting the top link also will help eliminate windrows.

What adjustment do you recommend? I set the mower with the rear an inch or two higher than front. Once cut height is set on 3pt I put tail wheel on ground then loosen the top link for float. If I tighten top link I lose the float.

 

[LD1]

What adjustment do you recommend? I set the mower with the rear an inch or two higher than front. Once cut height is set on 3pt I put tail wheel on ground then loosen the top link for float. If I tighten top link I lose the float.

If you set it up level instead of the tailwheel high, it will give less windrows, but require more power and/or going slower to give a clean cut.

And I dont recommend it that often because they are high maintenance and slower and require way more power, but you should look into a flail mower vs the RFM.

Flails are slower than a rotary cutter, probabally about as slow as a finish mower in similar conditions.

 

[onceacop]

I starting using a finish mower for my hayfield and it turned out better and better every year so I made it a runway.

 

[k0ua]

Not the best photo, but a shot of our old place taken of the turkey at about 100 yards away. from the house. But you get the idea of what it looked like after a few years of finish mowing of just a rough field.

James K0UA

 

[Zork]

I've got a KK rear discharge too and I love it so much better than a side discharge.

 

[Jamming]

Just mowed about 4 acres with a John Deere 261 side discharge mower and worked really well and the field was damp and about 3 feet tall in spots. My tractor is a 3005 JD and it has plenty of power for the 5 foot mower i just bought. Newbie by the way, first mower and tractor. Besides you cant mow in reverse on a rear discharge, made my decision on a side discharge because of that fact.

 

[DK35vince]

Besides you cant mow in reverse on a rear discharge, made my decision on a side discharge because of that fact.

I do it all the time with my rear discharge. No problem.
I have a 6' side discharge rear finish mower and a 7' rear discharge rear finish mower.
Personally I prefer the rear discharge.

 

[LD1]

Just mowed about 4 acres with a John Deere 261 side discharge mower and worked really well and the field was damp and about 3 feet tall in spots. My tractor is a 3005 JD and it has plenty of power for the 5 foot mower i just bought. Newbie by the way, first mower and tractor. Besides you cant mow in reverse on a rear discharge, made my decision on a side discharge because of that fact.

I had a 261 mower. Sold it to my brother because I have a ZTR now. It was a good mower and would handle thick stuff on occasion, but I wouldnt make a habbit of it. Being belt driven, small blades, and small gearbox, they are not meant for that kind of abuse for long. It you plan on mowing 3 feet tall stuff often, you better consider a rotary cutter IMO.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Being lazy?

Most of my mowing could be handled with a finish mower just fine and with marking some of the hill side and unlevel places.

I keep about 3 miles or road shoulders clipped that a finish mower would be great for but with the 7' rotor cutter I do not have to get off and move dead limbs and other stuff that can be found on the side of the road.

Light blades and belts is not something I have to think about with the rotor cutter. When do run up on a 3" tree I just keep going if I do not want it.

A wheel on each corner would be nice but they really need to be kept out of the dirt where as the bush hog actually will level old ruts, etc. :laughing:

 

[Jamming]

I had a 261 mower. Sold it to my brother because I have a ZTR now. It was a good mower and would handle thick stuff on occasion, but I wouldnt make a habbit of it. Being belt driven, small blades, and small gearbox, they are not meant for that kind of abuse for long. It you plan on mowing 3 feet tall stuff often, you better consider a rotary cutter IMO.

Just bought it so the grass was tall as He@$ but its not considered a small gear box for its size, really small ones i saw where on new ones in the same price range, The gears look Huge compared to the landpride 5 footer i looked at. But your right i am sure its not meant to cut tall grass, but now its knocked down i can maintain it. Its difficult to find info on the 261 JD but older folks have told me there pretty tough, so well see.