Belly Mower or Finish Mower?

[rixtory]

Hi,
I have 4.5 acres in Eastern PA - 1/2 hill and 1/2 level ridge - All old farm hay field. We have a new lawn on about about 1.5 acres with lots of stones coming up now that spring is hear.

I have a lightly used BX2300 with a 60 inch Kubota Belly mower. I plan on leaving the old (sharpened) blades on it for this year due to any small rocks that I don't see on my weekly rock scouting trips.

Anyways, I keep hearing about finish mowers and I am wondering if I need to get one of these for my lawn to look great, or will the belly mower do the trick.

For my comparison, I used to have a JD L120 which cut beautifully. Should I have kept the JD to do the lawn and leave teh belly mower for the field? Would I need a finish mower and what does a finish mower do exactly?

Thanks
Rick

 

[gsganzer]

The belly mower on the BX is a finish mower. Mowers with fixed blades are generally referred to as finish mowers.

Mowers with blades that swing are generally referred to as "brush mowers, brush hogs, rotary mowers etc." and provide a rougher cut.

 

[daTeacha]

A belly mount mower or Mid Mount Mower is the better choice of the two for lawn work. You can be more accurate with placing the mower when it's in the middle of the tractor. That's why lawn mowers are built that way. The rear finish mower allows using a rear PTO for lawn work in case your tractor doesn't have a mid PTO. It will swing wide of the tires when you turn, tending to bang into or mow things you may not necessarily want to cut. For field work, get a bush hog or equivalent rotary rough cut mower. The blades are mounted on a disc and are free to swing back when you strike a solid object, lessening the tendency to throw things somewhat and also increasing blade life. A rear finish mower will cost more than a bush hog of the same size, too. The other alternative is a flail mower, which has a blade system somewhat like a tiller, but they rotate faster and are free to swing on impact with stationary objects. It will make a shorter rig on the tractor than the bush hog.

 

[Buck]

I think you meant rear finish mower (RFM).

I have both.

Mid mount mowers (MMM) are easier to maneuver around trees. I mow about 4 acres every week in the summer. I do have trees but on my lawn less than an acres worth.

Last year, I never used my MMM. I love my RFM because they are so easy to get on the tractor. If you little more than use your tractor for mowing --- use the MMM. If you are like me and do a lot of dirt work or hogging or rough terrain traveling get or use a RFM.

As far as the difference in cut quality, not much difference. My RFM throws grass backward and MMM to the right. My MMM makes stripes and my RFM doesn't.

 

[daTeacha]

With either type, you will get a better cut at higher blade speeds. Make sure you are running the engine at the PTO speed and that your blades are sharp. If they're too worn you may not be getting enough lifting action to cut all the grass evenly. Make sure any RFM you get is matched to the PTO speed of your tractor. There are some out there designed for 1000 rpm PTOs, but most rear PTOs run at 540 rpm. The mower gearboxes are different.

 

[rixtory]

Thansk for the responses. I now understand the term finish mower - Which is what I have with my 60" MMM.
I will skip the bushhog or RFM and just mow with the MMM.

I did grind the edges of the blades a few weeks ago. We are getting a lot of rocks popping up in the new lawn, so I don't want to get new blades and ding them up just yet (the whole outfit BX2300, MMM and FEL had about 300 hours on it when I bought it.)
Thanks again
Rick

 

[Wesdor]

With all the rocks that are popping up in your yard, be sure to think of safety. Those rocks become lethal if picked up and thrown out. Dinging the blades is a concern, but that is not the biggest concern (IMHO). Be sure everyone is out of the way before you begin mowing.

I prefer the RFM, but since you already own the MMM, why even think of spending more money?