3pt Finish Mower Durability?

DaveM · Apr 4, 2001

Hi All,

The snow is slowly but surely melting away and I'll probably need to mow grass by July /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif! So far, I've looked at the Bush Hog RDTH60 and the Land Pride FDR2560, both rear discharge, and have their respective brochures. I'm waiting on brochures from Rhino and Woods and will try to look at these in person, if possible this weekend. Both the BH and LP mowers look very good, though I really like the materials and design of the LP. The LP uses 3/16" deck steel while the BH uses 7 guage. Also, the front and rear casters on the LP are offset from one another, front to back, and they look to be inset a bit further than the BH, which I think could be good for trim work. I think 3/16" is heavier than 7 guage but have not found a conversion table or factor to know for sure. Anyone know of a conversion table? The LP weighs 610 lbs., the BH is 536 lbs. I'm not able to do a side-by-side comparison. Am I putting too much importance into these factors? Is weight a good indicator of durability? How thick is thick enough? The BH has a better warranty with 2 years on the gearbox and I guess a year on most of the rest. I suspect they're both (along with Woods, etc.) great mowers based on all the posts I've read... and I think I've read them all! Most of the past discussions have centered around performance and/or mid vs. rear mount issues. Hopefully a discussion about durability factors could be helpful and also applied to rotary cutters to some degree (also on my wish list!). I know I could dig it... or cut it /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif.

Thanks- Dave

RJohnson · Apr 4, 2001

7 gauge is 0.1793 and 3/16 is 0.1875, the crazy thing is that the tolerances on both plate and sheet steel allows them to over lap in thickness. 3/16" plat can be as low as 0.1775 in thickness while 7 gauge can be as high 0.1873, go figure. I bet each manufacturer will claim that the decks are comparable./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
I would just pick the one that looks the better design and has the best workmanship. Good luck.

Randy

Bird · Apr 4, 2001

DaveM, funny you should mention the Bush Hog RDTH60 which is what I just finished mowing the yard with. Day before yesterday was the first time I've ever had anything break on a Bush Hog product, but I had just started mowing the yard when it broke. The right pulley came off the spindle (I'm just guessing the nut worked loose some time earlier). At any rate, the pulley fell out the back, the nut and washer were still laying on the deck, the inside of the pulley was wallowed out and the woodruff key was missing. With my usual luck, my dealer had the pulley but didn't have the right woodruff key. I went 4 different places and bought 6 different woodruff keys (didn't want to have to make another hundred mile round trip if I had the wrong size), and I fixed it. There was also a bolt missing that is nothing more than a "guide" I guess to keep the belt from jumping off the pulley, but I had a bolt of that size on hand. I've had the mower a year and a half and had never pulled the covers off the pulleys or checked the nuts and bolts, and I've used it pretty hard on some rough ground, so I don't really have a complaint; cost me about $15 to fix it.

Bird

DDT · Apr 4, 2001

I have a LP 2572 airtunnel. I'm very satisfied with every thing about it. I always buy the heavest weight product I can find.

Anonymous Poster · Apr 4, 2001

KING KUTTER FREE FLOATING FINISHING MOWERS lead the way in performance and quality. It is constructed of heavy 3/16" deck material, heavy-duty wheels, and heat-treated 1/4"-thick blades. The versatile machine mows on level or unleveled ground. Standard equipment on all King Kutter free floating finishing mowers includes a 40hp gearbox, shielded PTO shaft, gauge wheels and a self-tightening belt that reduces slippage. King Kutter's specially designed hitch allows one side of the mower to raise to a height of up to 16" (15.5 degrees) while the other side remains on the ground. This lets the mower follow the contour of the ground.

Finishing Mowers
MODEL# CuttingWidth Blade Size Blade TipSpeed - FPM PneumaticTires Approx.Ship. Weight
FM-48 48" 1/4 X 2 X 16" 12,434 4 - 8 X 3.00 510 LB
FM-60 60" 1/4 X 2 X 20" 16,249 4 - 9 X 3.50 610 LB
FM-72 72" 1/4 X 2 X 24" 16,956 4 - 9 X 3.50 650 LB
SFM-72 72" 1/4 X 2 X 24" 16,956 4 - 9 X 3.50 660 LB
SFM-84 84" 1/4 X 2 X 28" 16,814 4 - 9 X 3.50 750 LB
SFM - Single belt with double v design
____________
Dave,
If you get a chance, stop by Tractor Supply Company or Quality Farm & Country/Farm Fleet/Central Tractor etc. and "kick" a few tires on this unit. This company has VALUE stamped all over it... average price for 72" - $999., 60" - $899.

Anonymous Poster · Apr 4, 2001

<font color=blue>I think 3/16" is heavier than 7 gauge</font color=blue>

Both are the same thickness, .1875 inch...

DaveM · Apr 5, 2001

John- Thanks for the King Kutter lead. There's a town nearby where I can look at both the Woods and KK mowers. The KK mowers sure sound "beefy" enough. Do you or anyone else have some first hand experience with these mowers? At aprx. $1000 less than the BH or LP mowers I'm interested!

Dave

DaveM · Apr 5, 2001

Bird- Thanks for your timely report! I guess it pays to pop a cover now and then even if everything seems good. Was that a lock washer you found on the deck? Would a lock washer and/or some loc-tite prevent that bolt from working loose again? Just a thought.

Dave

Bird · Apr 5, 2001

No, Dave, it wasn't a lock washer; just a big flat washer, but it's a self locking nut so it should stay tight. But since I'd never removed the shields or covers, I don't know whether it was left loose at the time of assembly or started tight and worked loose. The tops of the spindles have grease zerks, but the covers have holes in them so you can grease them without removing the covers.

Bird

GrantMO · Apr 5, 2001

Dave,
I have the 72" KK finish mower and it works just fine. I think it's hard to beat for the price. The discharge chute nearly came off after I ran it into something but that was just pilot error. The paint job isn't the best but you can always touch up or repaint it as needed. You can download the owners manual from the KK website in Adobe.

CamshaftLF · Apr 5, 2001

I have a wood's 660,the steel on it is 8ga. When I'm done mowing my lawn it look's like golf coures./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif I also do some brushwork with it, but nothing real heavy./w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif
It's 5yr's old, haven't replaced anything yet. Just regular maint
blade sharping, and greasing. Gear oil in gear box still look's new.
My 2-cent's

Camshaft in Pa.

bsauter · Apr 5, 2001

I have a 72" King Kutter finish deck, a 60" King Kutter finish deck (which is for sale) and a 60" King Kutter rotory. I have never had a problem with them. Why do I have King Kutters? Price and quality. They are very well built, easy to service and the price is great. Factory support is excellent. I looked at the others at my Kubota dealer and other dealers around the area and felt the money was too much for the others. The other brands are very well built but I can say that for the $499 I paid for the rotory 7 years ago I got a unit that has never broken down with all the acerage I've hired out to cut. I don't usually rave over products but King Kutter has a fan in me. I also have a 6 ft box blade from them.

Brad, Kubota L3010HST, loader, R4 tires
Pictures at http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=179207&a=9183978

Anonymous Poster · Apr 5, 2001

I agree, KingKutter has Outstanding Value.

I've used my friends 6' finish mower, that now I'm considering buying one for my Dad.{along with the KingKutter II Tiller}

I have the KK 6' Rotary cutter, potatoe plow, and boom pole.

I have physically "tortured" my rotary cutter doing 3 & 4" nasty stuff... the Kutter thinks this is "normal"!/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

I have yet to have any KingKutter break, bend, twist or do anything but work beyond the call of duty.

I may have a John Deere and highly respect their quality... but you can't deny the Value in KingKutter...

JohnMiller3 · Apr 6, 2001

...just gots to show ya...

JohnMiller3 · Apr 6, 2001

...now my 6' KK brush hog...

DaveM · Apr 6, 2001

Thanks Everyone! As has been the norm , you guys really come through with some great input. It's also reassuring to get some user feedback about KK products. I admit I wasn't giving them alot of consideration due to their low prices. Figured there had to be something very wrong with their stuff to be sold at such low prices. Sounds now like someone out there in the implement market makes products with great value. Gotta love that! I also like that KK and Bush Hog make their manuals available online. Some of the brochures and online product descriptions are pretty lacking in detailed info and the manuals often provide the missing pieces.

Bird- I guess NOW that you know that lock nut is tight you can come back in another 1.5 years and tell us whether it's still tight /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif!

Thanks Again- Dave

hoghead · Apr 6, 2001

dave
I ,like Bird have a Bush Hog finish mower.I have the ath 720.Have had it about 5 years and have not had any trouble with it. One of the things I think you should look at are blade tip speed. The faster the blades turn the better the cut and the mower will discharge the cut grass better. My neighbor originally purchased a King Kutter but I let him use mine and,after mowing with the Bush Hog , he sold his and went and bought one

Hoghead

DaveM · Apr 9, 2001

Re: Finish Mower Durability/Roto Tiller ?\'s

Hi All Again,

Thought I should post a little follow-up. Just got off the phone with an area dealer and took a plunge. I ordered a Land Pride FDR2560 Rear Discharge Finish Mower AND a Bush Hog SQ600 Rotary Cutter. As with the tractor, prices around here seem to be higher than other folks have posted. But by buying these two implements at the same time I'm getting a slightly better deal. It also gives me another relationship with an area dealer, that's different from the place I got the tractor. Hopefully it sends a gentle message to both dealers (both are Kubota dealers) that I'll take my $ to the place that gives me the best value. We'll see!

I did look at King Kutter too but the local merchant, QT Farm & Country (?) seems so poorly run... sloppy store, lots of missing inventory. I'm scared to purchase anything with moving parts from them! They had a few mowers, still in crates, sitting outside with lots of rust gathering on them and I just get a bad feeling /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif. I'd buy a box blade from them I guess but I found a low cost Leinbach box blade from a place very close to our home that I'd like to support.

Until next winter when I'll be looking at rear blades I just have one more major implement I'd like to get soon. That's a roto tiller and of course that leads to another question. How wide and/or heavy of a tiller would you consider for use with a Kubota B2710, 20hp PTO? I'd primarily be using it for garden work but expect to find other uses as I learn more. Oh yeah, soil here is VERY rocky with some clay. Recommend shear pin or slip clutch? Favorite brands?

Thanks Alot- Dave

Bird · Apr 9, 2001

Re: Finish Mower Durability/Roto Tiller ?\'s

Dave, I keep repeating myself on this topic, but I have a Bush Hog RTS40 (40") that I bought for the B7100 and am now using it on the B2710 (offset to cover my tracks on one side). The Bush Hog (mine has shear pin instead of slip clutch) has been one tough piece of equipment, but I'd recommend you get one wide enough to cover your rear tracks with it centered (54" to 62") which is what I wish I had.

Bird

RichZ · Apr 10, 2001

Re: Finish Mower Durability/Roto Tiller ?\'s

Dave, I'm also looking for a 60" rear discharge mower, and have been considering King Kutter. You mention QT Farm and Country. Could that actually be CT Farm and Country? They have a place in Amsterdam NY and one in Mass. I was going to check out the mower there, but I'm having second thoughts if this is the same place you mention. If it is, which one did you go to? Thanks!