Mowing Commercial side and rear discharge deck questions

[Industrial Toys]

The only person in my opinion that thinks a side discharge is better is someone that can't come to grips that something they have is second rate. No big deal, it's second rate. Like a single top grapple ( I have one), it's second rate.

 

[4570Man]

I don’t have a rear discharge mower at least a self powered one but I’ve heard they clump worse and they clog the radiator worse and you can’t have a bagger with them. The advantage would be less risk of throw debris and and less problems with grass thrown on stuff you didn’t want it on. Rather then slam side decks can we have an actual discussion?

 

[Hay Dude]

The areas I need to cut vary greatly. There are a few buildings with small patches and then there are vast stretches of lawn in 4-5 acre patches. Part of me thinks I should have bought a small walk behind and the zero turn, but I think I can do all of it with 72". Kubota makes a 72" rear discharge deck, which I will watch for on CL if the side discharge becomes a problem. Maybe I can do a swap if I learn to prefer the rear discharge.
On the JD 1565 rear discharge unit, I don't have all the info yet. Dealer is bringing it in to service it and put through their "checklist". I've bought hundreds of pieces of machinery and most of it is common sense, but large lawn mowers are not exactly my specialty. I dont know much about the Deere 1565's reputation. The Kubota diesel zero turns have a very good reputation and my local dealer is second to none.
My thought was to use the 1565 on the bigger more open areas since it has a cab and the Kubota 331 on the tighter areas since there's more low branches, trees, beds, buildings.
I'm sure the plan will change somewhat once we do this complex a few times.
Once my 19yr old gets some seat time on the zero turn in open spaces where he cant take out any landscape beds or break anything (hopefully), we can then both run mowers and he can do the 1-2 hours of weed wacking.
I also aquired a 3 acre lawn cutting job where I already do 10 acres of hay. My hope is to do both places in one day and leave the other 6 days available for hay work.

 

[sea2summit]

Rear discharge distributes better, easier on the blades because the clippings don’t all have to go through more than one blade, and seem to cut more evenly for the same reason IMHO.

 

[Xfaxman]

I have both types, but I like this third type, a 6' Recycler deck the best for most of the mowing that I do:

 

[Hay Dude]

How limited is the recycler deck in tall/thick grass?
I've always liked the idea, but thought it would struggle to cut in thicker stuff.

 

[CADplans]

I have only owned one side discharge deck that did not clump,,
it is the 72" deck on my Gravely 24G,,
That mower has such a large side discharge,, it is almost as big as a rear discharge,, literally,,,

I have owned side discharge, and rear discharge Woods decks,,
The decks are basically identical, except for discharge,, the rear discharge cuts 3X nicer,, even with identical blades.

 

[prof fate]

i'd prefer rear over side, but it depends on the mower I've found.

Or the conditions of the grass - tall and wet will not spread nicely where shorter and drier will.

My toro zero turn with 'standard' blades will throw and distrubute grass nicely 90% of the time (side)

Mulching mowers (blades and often more baffles) can leave things nicer than what I have now, BUT they are hi-lift blades and will suck stuff up off the lawn - twigs and such and other things.

So there is no right answer...

 

[Industrial Toys]

Let me guess. Soon it will become against the law to slam side discharge decks. Hate Speech and all that! A person should use both and make their own choice. As for the clumping, I have only seen big ugly clumps coming out of a side chute. Usually in a very sporatic manner.

Even my little Murry push mower has no side chute and I love it, for not throwing grass on the driveway , against the house or other unwanted placed. Not to mention the SAFETY factor. You don't find that you have smashed a window, later after mowing, and that has happened to me.

Also, this thread did specify "commercial".

 

[4570Man]

My SD Grasshopper does a better job than my RD Howse finish mower. The finish mower leaves a field full of golf ball sized clumps. The Grasshopper does a clean job until you’re into grass that really needs a bush hog.