Mowing Finish mower cut quality - what size

   / Finish mower cut quality - what size #1  

Buxus

Silver Member
Joined
Nov 20, 2012
Messages
182
Location
Maryland
Tractor
Kubota M7060
I have 13 acres to mow. I like to keep it nice - 4 inches. No hills, but used to be pasture, so fairly bumpy. Can't go too fast on a zero turn due to the bumps, and I am thinking of pulling a finish mower with Kubota 7040.

It's wide open, so plenty of room for a Land Pride 14 ft All Flex, but I've heard a finish mower that big won't give as high a quality cut as smaller ones, and that I'd be better off with the 11ft All Flex.

Thoughts on 14ft vs 11ft finishing mowers in terms of quality of cut?
 
   / Finish mower cut quality - what size #2  
I don't see why a 14ft wouldn't give as nice a cut as an 11ft as long as you have the power to spin the blades. I'd go with the biggest mower my tractor would support to reduce the amount time to get the job done.
 
   / Finish mower cut quality - what size #3  
EVEN WITH A ZERO TURN THE WIDER THE CUT MORE CHANCE OF SCALPPING JUST THE NATURE OF THE BEAST I WOULD CONSIDER THE COST DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE MOWERS TO SEE IF IT WOULD OFFSET IN TIME SAVINGS
 
   / Finish mower cut quality - what size #4  
I am thinking the 11' mower would have 3 4' decks, and the 14' mower would have 3 5' decks. Your potential scalping would be the difference between a 4 and a 5' deck-I am guessing not much.

Will
 
   / Finish mower cut quality - what size #5  
I do not believe you will ever get a nice finished look with any type of mower until you get the land smoother from the start. If I was you I would beg, borrow or rent a decent sized disc plow to break up the soil and then some type of drag tooth harrow to smooth things out. Once you do this mowing will be a breeze and the place will look much better after mowing. Starting with the basics and getting the property smoother will pay you back many times over the years. I use a 8 foot finish mower on my place at a speed of 7 mph and it looks like a professional golf course because I smoothed out the property first.
 
   / Finish mower cut quality - what size
  • Thread Starter
#6  
Thanks for the responses. I think if i could get it flatter, then the 14ft would be the way to go because scalping would be less likely. I wasn't sure how to go about getting it flatter. I had been thinking i would need tons of soil to spread over it and grade. As my son says, getting dirt delivered isn't dirt cheap, however. Plowing and grading and reseeding seems like a better way to go. I agree this would be the best option long term.
 
   / Finish mower cut quality - what size #7  
I thing think the 14' would have a better cut quality than the 11' because the blade tip speed is 18,400 on the 14' vs. 16,000 on the 11'.
 
   / Finish mower cut quality - what size #8  
Would the rollers on a bug flail help flatten the old pasture?
Jim
 
   / Finish mower cut quality - what size #9  
It would depend on the type of grasses and moisture content. Some stiff stemmed grasses will be initially flattened and would later try to stand back up. Different variables....
 

Tractor & Equipment Auctions

2019 Generac MLTS-1 2.4kW Towable LED Light Tower (A49461)
2019 Generac...
MAXUM M-1000 TRIPLEX PUMP POWERED BY 3412 CATERPILLAR ENGINE (A50854)
MAXUM M-1000...
2017 FREIGHTLINER M2 BOX TRUCK (A51222)
2017 FREIGHTLINER...
STIHL TS420 CUTQUICK SAW (A50854)
STIHL TS420...
2003 MACK RD6885S T/A DUMP TRUCK (A51406)
2003 MACK RD6885S...
2013 GMC Sierra 2500HD Ext. Cab Pickup Truck (A49461)
2013 GMC Sierra...
 
Top