60 inch swisher finish mower

Kevin M · Jul 27, 2011

Any body here own one of these ? How do they cut ? I'm looking to add cutting width.

vanb · Jul 27, 2011

My neighbor had one they mowed their 4 acres with, seemed to work fine for them, it had electric start. They towed it behind their atv. I had the 44" swisher finish mower for 3 years until I got a Kubota bx tractor.
Mine never ran right (briggs & stratton motor) It never wanted to start and if it died you would have a **** of a time trying to start it. After 2 years and numerous trips to have it worked on, I was trying to start it and gas/oil came shooting out the carb. I took it in and they had to replace the entire carb/intake ($100+) I got it back and it was like a different machine, it started right up even after winter storage. I ended up selling it to a friend to use at his cabin.(still works) also, the hitch where it attached to the mower(metal) cracked after 2 years and I had to order a new one, I guess all the rattling around while mowing was too much.

Kevin M · Jul 27, 2011

I found one for $500 , going to look at tomorrow, its got a 12.5 briggs on it , seems a little short on power but the price is right.

gilbertmsg · Jul 27, 2011

If it's 12.5 hp, that's not a lot of horse power for a 44" cut mower. Check oil, spindles, belts. Could be a decent buy if you don't have too much to mow.

Eddie

Kevin M · Jul 27, 2011

Its not a 44 its a 60?

Stubee · Jul 28, 2011

They are OK in my book. Bought an ancient 44" 'trail mower', the one designed for trail grooming, in rusty but running shape for $250. Put $100 into it then proceeded to use it like a brushhog for two years e.g, 3'-5' tall weeds + 1.5" saplings. Had to replace belt, blades & rewire ignition in that two years but I beat it hard. Sold it for $450 in about three days.

Next was a used 50" (?) 'trail cutter' for $700. It is manual start but zero problems in two more years of even heavier bushhog use. Only real issue is turning radius behind my ATV in the woods. I unhook the 500-odd # thing on tight trails in the woods & turn by by hand & finally bought a Kubota B2320 to save what's left of my body.

They are not a tractor but sure cut better than hand-held tools. A modicum of small engine know-how is god to have but mine no more trouble than any decent garden tractor etc. considering my use.

Kevin M · Jul 28, 2011

Again this is a 60 inch finish mower with 12 1/2 horse Briggs , I'm a little worried how this thing is going to handle heavy grass. I'm looking to offset it behind another mower with plenty of power to pull it. I guess I could always throw a bigger motor on it later.

Kevin M · Jul 28, 2011

I basically have 2 options , 1 buy this already built swisher or buy a used 60 inch John Deere deck and build one with some serious power , but it will cost about 1500 when I'm done ??

Stubee · Jul 28, 2011

The Swisher with four wheels?

Mine both had two wheels but in any case think my light duty 44" mower had only a 10.5 HP Briggs on it. I cut heavy brush + and weedy & thick pasture with it. I am serious: I cut stuff that was very thick & 2' tall+, and somewhat less thick grass/weeds like 4' tall & it cut well. For lawns it should cut like crazy. Cannot comment on lawn cut quality as never did lawns, I was doing very high/tall stuff + hit big ant mounds & buried boulders. I bent a blade off the D-hole on the light duty swisher on a rock & it still ran.

HP doesn't sound like much but remember it's only driving the blades. It is not a PTO-driven implement but it cuts. Got a JD LX176 lawn tractor that would not cut stuff 1/4 the height the Swishers did, if that.

With anything like this I go very slow, but the same with a much bigger PTO bushhog. Fast doesn't work.

For $500 I'd try it if it runs OK & in decent shape at all.