mowers.

[Have tractor did travel]

I haven't tried the following, but it's the cheapest solution put forth. Properly sharpened (for those that sharpen a bush hog blade) a bush hog blade has a 1/8" cutting edge. Have it sharpened to 1/16" - like a finish mower blade. And give it a shot.

And one more thing - be sure the rear of the bush hog is higher than the front. You only want to cut the grass one time - when the blade first hits the grass - not when the mower is departing

 

[IndyJay]

I am considering to buy a Land Pride RCD 1884 you might want to check it out.
RCD18 Series. Rotary Cutters. The RCD1884 is a smooth-top, offset cutter that performs best in grass-only applications. Being dual spindle, the cutter is shorter in length than single spindle 84" cutters; the reduced length allows for better maneuverability in tight spaces. The 10" offset makes the RCD1884 a good solution for applications

Wheelbarrow, I just bought a RCD1884 when I got my DK4510. Have been real happy with it. I did have to cut ~6 inches off of the PTO shaft, no big deal. It is considered a light duty brush mower but I basically use it like a heavy duty finish mower. I bought it specifically for the reasons you stated, especially the shorter length.

 

[Hotpot]

I would want to ask about the PTO speed. I use a 5 ft brush hog to cut field grass and when i first started. i ran the tractor rpm to slow. I liked that my motor wasn't singing and the gas savings but it did not cut well. Now i get that PTO up to 540 and i get a clean look. i run sharp blades and the ground speed is tricky. To fast and well not everything gets cut. but to slow and the brush hog belches out clumps of cut grass sometimes and at that moment does not cut everything either. Get the sweet spot as far as speed goes and it lays it out nicely. still don't like that my motor rpm up that high( Rpm wears a motor out remember) but what can i do.

The thing that's got me thinking i want a finish mower is: The brush hog tears the grass more then cuts and leases the top inch of grass whitish cuz its ripped to sherds and dead. I clean accurate cut would be nice for my fields I think......?

 

[Buxus]

Flail, flail, flail.

I use a 10 foot Vrisimo behind my Kubota 7060.

If the grass is fairly short to start with then the cut is about 85% as good as a finish mower, and it cuts a 10 foot swath faster than my zero turn can.

If it's long, it's three times as good as a brush hog, mainly because it distributes the cuttings evenly so they disappear much more quickly.

As a previous poster said, it's not so much the cut with long grass that matters, it's how the cuttings are distributed and how chopped they are. No way to have a finish look cutting infrequently unless you pick up (e.g. hay) all the cuttings. The closest you can get, in my opinion, is with a flail.

I suspect I may have one of very few Vrisimo flails on the east coast, but I've been super pleased. Figure about $1k per foot of width on the Super Series if purchasing new.

I love my flail. Look up any postings by flail master Leonz for info.

 

[wirlybird]

Brush hog is definitely a rough cut implement. Travel speed, cut height and how you have the hog adjusted will all factor in.
Depending on the height you let the grass get to before cutting a flail may be a good option. Blade choice, if available, will matter also.
A finish mower is really just that. Think of it like trying to mow the field with your rider. If the grass is taller then you'll likely get frustrated with it.
If you have the tractor for it then a sickle or disk mower or other options may be the way to go.
I might try to find a farm equipment/implement place to go and talk to them.

 

[JWR]

Wheelbarrow, I just bought a RCD1884 when I got my DK4510. Have been real happy with it. I did have to cut ~6 inches off of the PTO shaft, no big deal. It is considered a light duty brush mower but I basically use it like a heavy duty finish mower. I bought it specifically for the reasons you stated, especially the shorter length.

"Like a heavy duty finish mower" is a great description and might be the perfect tool for these situations. How smooth/clean is the cut?

 

[IndyJay]

"Like a heavy duty finish mower" is a great description and might be the perfect tool for these situations. How smooth/clean is the cut?

Considering it is still fairly new (~20 hours) it cut very well. The dual tail wheels helps to keep the deck level on uneven or rolling terrain, something that my SQ60 didn't do so well, especially backing up. The first time I cut the grass was pretty high considering that I had to wait for my tractor, and so I got a late start. The grass was mostly waist high, higher in some places, so there was some winrow effect and clumps as can be expected, but the cut was clean. The second and third mowing cleaned everything up nicely. Probably not as nice as a finish mower might but looks very good now. IMHO the winrow issue is less from the cutter and more from the tires knocking the tall, thick grass down and it not coming back up fast enough to get cut. I still have my Sqealer to use on my trails and for cutting brush. I figure these blades will stay sharp awhile just cutting grass. They recommend 35-60 PTO HP so it seems too big for OP requirements. The 900 LB weight and short length make a nice counterweight for my grapple. You do have to remember the offset though, took a chuck off of my barn door second time out. Instinct is to center up through gates and openings, but you learn very quickly after something like that.

Also, cleans up nicely with a leaf blower with the smooth top.

 

[blackvette]

Hi folks...what do you recommend for a mower that is rugged enough to cut a field, high grass. I have a brush hog but it never cuts clean and neat as it is not designed for that. ive seen sickle bars enough and flail mowers. Are the 3 blade finish type mowers capable of mowing thick grass etc.?? thanks

You can sharpen your bush hog blade and it will cut real well and fairly smooth…..but you have to keep it sharp.

 

[mo1]

If you want to cut tall grass to be a finished cut, probably the easiest way to do that is to take hay off it and then mow with the finish mower. Hay cutters do a much better job at cutting cleanly than does a Bush Hog and removing the hay keeps the finish mower from having to mow through the downed grass in the field and plugging up.

 

[dieselscout80]

Alamo 96” flail mower results with a 37 PTO HP tractor.