Mowing Commercial side and rear discharge deck questions

[Hay Dude]

I started a commercial HOA mowing business about 10 years ago, but never did lawns, just fields and right of ways.

On one of the HOAs, I mow about 30 acres fields with a 15' batwing and hay another 25 acres, they asked me if I'd like to take over their lawn mowing for them. There's about 15 acres of lawn ranging from yard type lawn to trails and open ball field areas. I decided to accept.

Already purchased a used Kubota diesel 72" side discharge zero turn. I have an option to buy a used John Deere 1565 diesel with cab and 72" rear discharge mower. I like the idea of 2 used units in good condition over 1 new unit.

Anyhow, wanted to get pro & con on side discharge versus rear discharge decks. It's obvious where the clippings are discharged. Never owned a rear discharge deck, but wondering which will be better for overall appearance? Cant help but think rear discharge will fan the clippings out and they will just lay there (customer complaints?).
Side discharge may "distribute" the clippings further/wider and can continue to chop them up with each pass? Side discharge better around mulch beds. Where is rear discharge better?

 

[RjCorazza]

I prefer side discharge decks. Opinions vary, but I like the way they spread the clippings out.
I did add discharge chute covers a few years ago to both of my zd mowers (326, 331) for the occasions I want to control the clippings being discharged.
I mow about 13 large country residential lots for a total of about 25 acres. I also prefer 2 older machines over 1 new one.

 

[Industrial Toys]

You could not give me a commercial (expensive) side discharge mower. Unless you need a collection system. ALWAYS worrying and having to pay attention to what and where you are blasting your clippings.

ALL my equipment is rear discharge except a 72" Steiner deck that I got on trade and is for sale. They don't make a 72" rear discharge, otherwise I would have kept it.

And the very first thing I ever did with a side discharge deck is remove the chute, for better clearance. You get into bigger decks and the last thing you need is all that chute sticking out the side.

 

[4570Man]

Those chutes are terrible. They make clumping really bad and pushed my mower to nearly 100 inches.

 

[paulfun9]

Rear discharge for me.

 

[Redlands Okie]

Unless your bagging the clippings why would a person want the clipping discharged in a nice neat row by the side discharge ?
Side discharge not scatter the cuttings much on anything I have owned. Unless the grass is pretty short and dry.

 

[Ortimber]

After having a rear discharge mower, I’d never go back to a side discharge. I hate windrows, (except when doing hay).

 

[Creamer]

You could not give me a commercial (expensive) side discharge mower. Unless you need a collection system. ALWAYS worrying and having to pay attention to what and where you are blasting your clippings.

ALL my equipment is rear discharge except a 72" Steiner deck that I got on trade and is for sale. They don't make a 72" rear discharge, otherwise I would have kept it.

And the very first thing I ever did with a side discharge deck is remove the chute, for better clearance. You get into bigger decks and the last thing you need is all that chute sticking out the side.

On my Deines the chute makes it distribute much more evenly and in a wider pattern. I wouldn't think a rear discharge would be able to handle heavy cutting well but I have never had one. Otherwise i think they would be great because you are evenly distributing the clippings.

 

[Summerlin]

Side discharge with a Grass Flap. All day.

 

[Creamer]

Side discharge with a Grass Flap. All day.

What is a grass flap?

 

[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.