Do I really need a finish mower?

[cphilip]

Ive been cutting about 5 acres with my Toro zero turn. But I also do a lot of finish type mowing on trails and have about another 3 acres I would finish type cut if I could. Im tending about 19 acres of pastures and a little woods and creek edges. Hilly stuff. Some open slopes but not much of it is really that flat.

The Toro does its job and I do have a lot of fence and trees. Also a good number of areas with old terrace thats grown over with fescue pasture. This all converts nicely to Bermuda in the summer and with closer mowing than the Bush hog does. I'd consider cutting it that way but not with a ZT.

I dunno but there are several nice used Finish mowers for sale around me right now. Several 5 footers. I just don't know how much use Id get out of it. I guess you never know until you get one and see do you? Is that how it is? You get one then you apply it and see if it was worth it? I know there is no such thing as good for parts of my area than the Bush hog and Zero turn combo. But would a finish mower have a place in between that?

I guess Im thinking out loud here but anyone thats pondered this application and acted on it feel free to tell me your results.

 

[teg]

I love to bush hog the field and come back and re-cut it a few days later with the finishing mower. Gives a really nice look to it. If you can get one at a great price, touch it up a bit... use it and if you don't like it, you might get your money back out of it.

 

[Stimw]

I bought a 5' KK finsh mower new about 10 years ago and sold it shortly there after.
I had too many trees to cut around and was always backing up!
Also the mower had the discharge on the left side and after having EVERY mower that I have used for many years discharge to the right it was a total PIA.
I now have a Grasshopper 52" Z T that does a fantastic job!
I have cut 2' Bahia with it in my pasture and the only problem was the floor filled up with seeds!

 

[teg]

... mower had the discharge on the left side...

Make sure if you get one that it's a rear discharge!!!

 

[kebo]

If you can find anice 5ft mower for sale at a good price, I would suggest buying it and trying it. That way you have a back up plan for most of the cutting you do. If you decide later on that you don't like it or really don't need it, then you should be able to resell it and break even, or at least not lose very much. It depends on how good a of deal you can get buying it.

My parents have a 1 acre lot and for years we cut it with a 42" riding lawn mower, so I never felt the need to buy a finish cut mower to use behind my JD 790. Well, about 4 years ago it rained A LOT in late spring and early summer causing the grass to grow at an incredibly fast rate. I can only get up there on Saturdays (I live 60 miles from there, and I keep my tractor there too), so by the time I got up there on Saturday, the grass was so tall and thick that the riding mower struggled to cut it. The grass had so much moisture content it was clogging up the deck and clumping up in big wads of cut grass, it looked horrible when I got though. Not only that, the motor was really lugging most of the time I was mowing, which isn't good for it. That made me start thinking that I should try a finish cut mower behind the 30hp diesel tractor. So I found a decent 5ft Sitrex and tried it the following summer.

Once I learned that I could maneuver the tractor pretty well with the FEL removed, I could cut the 1 acre as quick or quicker with the tractor. (No trees in the yard so that helps) Plus, now I have a back up plan if something happens to one of the other. That's my strategy anyway!

 

[cphilip]

Two of the ones I see are rear and of course the cheapest ones are side discharge.

The one I had my eye most on is a Land Pride FDR1660 a 5 footer that is exactly my tractor width and is a rear discharge. Its basically brand new but being sold as used. It was on a package deal and traded in so it was likely never used. Is $1300 a good price for something like that one? This one I am pretty sure has been used only like once or twice if at all. Its pristine and mint. Im leaning towards that one.

 

[teg]

New they are $2400, so if it's as new as you say, yes that's good deal. I bought my Bush Hog RDTH72 for $750 but I had to unbend the arms, weld a little bit, replace the belt and the wheel axles were worn out.

Those repairs add up extra $$

 

[Gunny]

The second or third time I used my finish mower I wondered why I'd waited so darned long to get one.

I do have a few trees and several buildings to mow around, but it's just a bit more work taking care of them. Along buildings, I drive slow, getting as close as I can, Barrier ground treatment takes care of what little is left right up against the building. I'll back up to one side of my trees then reverse my mowing direction and get the other side when I come back.
Prior to getting the finish mower, I was using a Gravely Professional walk behind, the finish mower cut my mowing time by 50-70%.
Definitely get a rear discharge

 

[Msamt]

I reclaimed my 4 acre field from horse pasture to a beautifully groomed field of grass, all with my 72" finish mower. I love the look of it in the summer.

 

[cphilip]

Your outside the fence areas are fairly flat. Mine are not in most cases.

Well I'm not getting rid of the Toro so that I can still trim where need be but its cutting a 54" swath already so I'm not convinced yet that I am going to use a finish mower in at least half the previously finish mowed areas. The Toro is a commercial level machine with suspension seat. Its likely as easy to use that when it comes to working around trees and bushes.

But I am inclined to think I might be expanding the areas that are finished mowed if I had one. Im considering if thats the case going bigger than my wheel track might have an advantage since the areas I would add are mostly open pasture. There is an 84" FDR2584 thats about the same condition as this one for just $1500. That might be a better option? I need to see what PTO HP is rated to handle a 84". I have just a shade over 20 pto horse power.

(Added on edit, land pride says rated for 15-50 hp so I think I could handle this one and it fits all my trails and gates if I wanted to do those with it)

But I still have to deal with my old terraces and hilly ground. Ill throw a few pictures up that might show what kind of land I am talking about... Although these pictures may not show it well... if not Ill take some.

Problem also is that if I buy this thing it kills my budget for a grapple and third function for a little while. And I have to decide what I need most right now. I do still have a lot of stubble in these fields as they were allowed to overgrow for about two - three years and a lot of small saplings of Pine, Cedar and Maple etc where up to about 3" in there. They stand up to about 4" tall in some places. Those have yet to rot out since I just got them all cut this late winter. It might be premature to try a finish mower. I might should tend this another season with the bush hog before I could apply a finish mower? Let those rot out? Hate to let a deal go by but I do also need a grapple for these saplings and limbs and stuff. That would clear even more for the bush hog to get too and to then later apply a finish mower too.

 

[teg]

... if I buy this thing it kills my budget for a grapple and third function...

Well, that's a horse of a different color!!! You don't *have* to have a finishing mower... Get the grapple first, hands down!!!!

I like my finishing mower but I love my grapple...

 

[cphilip]

Im tending to agree with you on that point. If I spend $1500 here it kills my $2000 budget I need for the Grapple since I also need the third function along with it.

Im tending to think I need that worse right now and can just keep working the fields with the bush hog and the trails with the ZT for another year. And, in fact, with all the stubble I have it might be the best idea. I could end up damaging a finish mower in there right now. Thing that got me somewhat motivated was the cleanliness of this unit, its size and its price point and I am one of those guys hates to let a deal go by. Ive dealt with this guy before and he's given me some fine deals. Now that I know I could handle the 84" one and get more out of it... it also makes it even more attractive of a choice.

I'm torn... I want both I guess... of course.

 

[teg]

...Now that I know I could handle the 84" one...

...but is your land flat enough for 84" or will it be scalping the high spots? I have a little problem with that in some places....

If you can turn a wrench or two, you can install the 3rd function for less... Just have to read up and know what you are doing before you start.

 

[cphilip]

...but is your land flat enough for 84" or will it be scalping the high spots? I have a little problem with that in some places....

If you can turn a wrench or two, you can install the 3rd function for less... Just have to read up and know what you are doing before you start.

Im thinking it would scalp. No doubt. There are some places it would.

I could. I tried to get info on installing one but the cost of even buying the Long unit is like $800 iirc. However they will not share the install info until you buy one. You cannot study the situation, even though they have install instructions for my specific tractor and model because they refuse to share the install info with you until you buy. There is a thread here somewhere where I tried to get the info from our vendor, EA, and from W R Long themselves. I called them and was refused the install info. All I really asked for was the portion of the install that included where the line was tapped into the hydraulics on my tractor. They claim some sort of proprietary secret would be revealed even though Im sure others already have this information. I'd save almost $200 doing that. But yet I still would be nearly $2000 after purchasing the Grapple itself.

 

[rgr33]

Locking at the photos of your property, I would think a grapple would be your first priority. You already have a Bush hog and a zero torn to do the mowing, but could use another weapon for clearing out brush and debris from the unimproved areas.

I have a Bush hog, 2 flail mowers, and a Land Pride 60 inch rear discharge finish mower for turf maintenance on my property, and I use them all in different parts of the farm. The one I use the most is the finish mower . After initial cutting in the spring, the finish mower gives a cut almost as good as the lawnmower, without the clumping of the BH.

Lastly, the tractor seat is a lot better ride than the zero turn in the fields.

 

[cphilip]

I think y'all are right. I think I need them both but right now the grapple is priority. Ill just probably have to hope another cherry one like this one comes up for sale next winter or early spring. Concentrate on the bush hogging and getting the brush out of the way. Get that stubble rotted down and mowed down closer so a Finish mower can come into the mix next year.

One final question... with all we know now about me and my situation... the 84 inch or the 60 inch? That 84" is the heavier duty of the two models. That alone might be worth the extra $200 if all things were equal

 

[Stimw]

I added rear hydraulics to my 3510 Branson for less than $100.
I added a pressure release fitting to the circuit for safety and when not used on my backhoe I store the hoses/fittings plugged into each other.

 

[majorwager]

I was told that there is a glut of new and used 3 point finish mowers on the market due to the cost reductions and subsequent proliferation of zero turn mowers. Remember you heard it here LAST. Chiropractic practices have seen a business decline due to forward looking mowing.
Consequently, and seriously, I am spending about four thousand to mount my rear mower on my FEL. Tired of looking rearward and tired of driving over the grass before mowing it. The drawback is building the 3 point hydraulic powerpack to make it work, tractor lacks sufficient GPM required by the mower.

Edit: 72" ford 914 going on the kubota FEL-- convert to hydraulic drive
90" walco douglas is not too wide and is mounted on IH 484-- no scalping.
110" befco is wide and very heavy and does scalp on sloped terrain.

With rear mount mower I have found hydraulic top link absolutely essential component.

 

[cphilip]

Yep... I hear ya. Turning the neck is a pain as you get older too.

Ok but... lets settle this so I can keep an eye out...

One final question... with all we know now about me and my situation... the 84 inch or the 60 inch? That 84" is the heavier duty of the two models. That alone might be worth the extra $200 if all things were equal. But would my land be better using a 60?. Either one my tractor could handle.

 

[Wolfy]

20 pto horsepower is going to struggle with a 84" mower. I run my 60", John Deere 261 mower with 23 pto hp.