Finish mower question

[Laminarman]

Don't know if this belongs in lawn/garden forum, but I'll post it here since what I have at this moment is a NH TC40DA. We are building a home, and I will have about 5-7 acres that I want to try to mow "nicely"...even though it is that coarse farm grass and not real manicured (it was an old field/farm). I am confused as to whether I should buy a finish mower and use my TC40 or get a ZTR mower. First, I realize the limitations of size and weight of my TC and possibility of rutting my lawn more in wet conditions. Second, cost is a consideration. Since the terrain is rolling and somewhat erratic I get scalloped and erratic cutting from my 6' rotary bush cutter. I would think a finish mower would cut more cleanly?

I hear ZTR mowers are quicker to cover ground, but this isn't just Kentucky Blue, it's heavier stuff. There are not however any trees or saplings to be cut, but there are some very heavily grown areas and some old sapling stumps that may be hit, so if I go the ZTR route it would have to be a powerful unit. Thanks.

 

[jcmseven]

I went with the RFM, Frontier brand. I am looking at a ZTR, but have been pleased with the RFM concept. There are several good brands out there. Befco, Woods, Land Pride are consistently at the top of the list (most Frontiers are made by Woods). My opinion is that a good quality finish mower will leave a cut that is as good, if not better than, most dedicated mowers. I know my previous Frontier RFM would cut smoother than my Dad's 335 JD GT. If your property is open, a compact tractor with RFM will cut at about 4-5 MPH which would not be THAT much slower than the actual speed of a ZTR in real world conditions. If you have frequent turns, the gap will widen in favour of the ZTR, but probably not enough to merit buying one, unless you just want to. My thought is to go with the RFM; I think you would be pleased.

John M

 

[Laminarman]

Yeah, I'm faced with 6-8K for a good ZTR and $2000 or so for RFM. There are some trees, so that's an issue with frequent turns. I'll start looking at RFM's I guess.

 

[jrdellaratta]

Time, time, time. I spent $7k on a Husqvarna ZTR, and have never regretted it since. It used to take me ~8 hours to do the few acres immediately around my house, with a combination of Gravely walk-behind, a Kubota w/ MMM, and push-power/string-trimmer operations for the close corners and steep slopes. The ZTR eliminated the first two pieces of equipment, and I can do all the mowing, and trim work, in about 3 and 1/2 hours. Such a difference.

 

[beenthere]

I'd gamble with the RFM and then if it doesn't work out, look at the ZTR. In the meantime, I'm bettin' you will like the mowing job the RFM does. A nearby neighbor has one now (his MMM gave up on him) and he even likes it better, and I can verify his lawn looks very good .

 

[steveinmo]

Laminarman,

If your "old field/farm" is anything like mine, the RFM is your best choice. Most pastures are not smooth enough for a ZTR mower IMHO. Talk to someone that used one on bumpy terrain and they'll tell you that it beats them to death. They have to go so slow that it defeats the purpose of the ZTR.

I have a Bush Hog 72" RFM that I used to cut about 4 acres with. Now I've got about 1 1/2 acre of dirt/mud around the new house. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif The cut of the RFM is great. I'm getting ready to plant grass in a week or two. 750# are supposed to be delivered today. Then I'll get a small lawn tractor (Happy Birthday honey! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif) to mow the "lawn" and continue to use the RFM to mow the rest plus the back 40 (read 6).

Steve

 

[Laminarman]

One thing I didn't mention is the ruts that are already there. It's not a smooth ride with my TC40, I can only imagine that a ZTR would be touch on my teeth and kidneys. I guess I'll have to test drive one. My local Husq. dealer offered to bring one out for me to try.

 

[have_blue]

Take the rotary cutter, set it real low, and clear all brush and heavy weeds off your land. Then, sell or trade it in on a RFM. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Sometimes you can hit bad ruts with a disk harrow, let the dirt settle a few months, the ruts stay gone.

 

[Nasty135]

Laminarman, I was where you are now and I can tell you from my experience its a compromise at best, I'll try to add and explain as other have already eluded to,

First question is tractor hydro or gear ? when mowing just rocking your foot forward or back is easier than clutch shuttles for all those times it would be quicker and easier to just back up a little rather than circling around to get another swipe at the space you missed...

Next do you enjoy looking at a beautiful lawn or do you just want to get the grass cut? Do you have to worry about soil compaction?
If your mowing ride on your tractor is rough it will be much much worse on a ZTR totally negating its design of fast cutting even if you get something like a ferris with suspension it will help somewhat but it is still going to be rough...
When I mowed with my tractor and RFM there was only a couple places in my yard where I felt jerked around a little and now with my ZTR it is all rough (the trick is to stay loose in the body).

Now I can cut it twice as fast in half the time and use different patterns so it does look very good,and I have been all shook-up, Gotten myself very dirty and I now have another piece of equipment to change oil in and maintain.... /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

On the other hand my tractor is a gear shuttle (wishing now I had got the hydro for my uses)and the ride is better albeit much slower which helps it be smoother , Another issue would be low branches on the tractor not as bothersome on the Z .

The quality of cut between the Z and RFM is hardly worth debating both cut well depending on the blades condition ,One of the issues with quality of cut might be the difference between rear discharge and side discharge of the RFM ,Z's are side discharge...

Then there is the gas vs. diesel issue when I mowed strictly with the diesel tractor 8 gallons would let me mow 4 times although slower useing 6'RFM, and now with the 25hp 60" Z I can barely do 3 cuts for 10 gallons of gas ....

If I could do things over I would probably get a little smaller tractor with hydro and use the RFM over the Z because with hydro when your path is clear you just push the pedal and go as fast as you can cut and when you need to slow you don't have to stop for a different gear....

Added note: I have never had to fill my gas cans sooo often in one cutting season $$$$ /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif diesel goes further in my experience.... Something to think about /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[jacksdad]

So the ZTR doesn't really cut any better? Just faster?

I thought a rear discharge rfm would give a better result (in terms of clippings) than a side discharge. is this correct? if so why wouldn't ztr's be rear discharge?

erik

 

[Nasty135]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( So the ZTR doesn't really cut any better? Just faster? )</font> <font color="blue"> </font>

If your RFM has the baffles or tunnels it will cut just as good as the Z's, the clipping issue is basically answered by how high do you let your grass get before cutting?

Some of the idea of a Z mowing better is in its speed,but another advantage they have is the fact that they don't smash the grass flat with those large rear tires and weight of the tractor before the RFM has to suck the grass up straight enough to cut it off evenly with the rest of the grass that was untouched ,Thats one of the things I really hated when using the tractor and RFM... If the grass was lush(full of water or damp) it wouldn't stand back-up very good...problem with

Blade tip speed is another important factor in mowing ,If you notice most Z's tip speed is in the 18,000 feet per minute range and also RFM's are close to the same if not the same @540 rpm on the PTO... I haven't had the pleasure of mowing with a rear discharge RFM ,but I would think if all condition were equal it would spread the clippings out more evenly....

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( if so why wouldn't ztr's be rear discharge?
)</font> <font color="blue"> </font>

Well I think that is probably due to design and the need to keep pumps free of anything that would tend to block any of its cooling capacity since heat is the enemy of any oil based drive system, Mine has fans over the pumps for cooling

 

[jacksdad]

Aha!

Very interesting point on the 'lush grass' being smashed down by tires BEFORE being cut!

 

[hunterridgefarm]

I use a JD LX277 mower around my home because of landscaping and a 6' Krone RFM on the remaining 4 acres of yard since there no trees to contend with. You cannot tell where the lawn mower stops and the RFM begins. In the past I had used a bush hog set low to cut the 4 acres but got a deal on the 10 year old RFM for $40.00. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif Bought a new set of blades and have been very happy with its performance. My brother-in-law has a big ZTR and I can tell no difference in the quality of the cut.
I usually can run 4-5mph with the tractor and could go faster but ground is terraced due to my land once being an old apple orchard.
One thing I do to get the RFM to float better over the terraced part is not to attach the top link of my 3 pt hitch. This allows the RFM to roll or float over uneven places. Otherwise the top link would raise the RFM as I went over the uneven spots and terraceed areas and leave the grass uneven. On other areas of my property that I finish mow I keep the top link attached due to having to raise the mower over some stumps.

 

[Laminarman]

Decisions, decisions. Thanks for all your help. Sounds like a RFM might be a wise short term solution.

 

[Sunnyview_Farms]

i had some serious doubts about cut quality when getting my tractor and mower. i don't have near as much land as i would like, so my tractor is a bit much for what i have. i knew my mower would really have to do a good job or my wife wouldn't be happy with the $$ i spent on a tractor and mower, and that i'd probably have to trade in my tractor for a ZTR or a garden tractor.

that said, i have a 28hp branson pulling a first choice 72" rear discharge RFM. i have been amazed how nice a cut it gives....looks great. and as well in a couple areas with a dip where i raise the hydraulics a couple inches with the mower on, you can see the vacuum generated by the blades pulling the grass up into the mower deck. i haven't seen the weight of the tractor 3500# influencing cut quality. and the mower itself looks like a Woods mower, is built in italy, and i'm totally happy with it. was $1000 new.

if my grass wasn't so brown and water deprived /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif at the moment i'd send you a picture of how nice it cuts.

good luck!!!

 

[sweettractors]

<font color="blue"> Decisions, decisions. Thanks for all your help. Sounds like a RFM might be a wise short term solution. </font>

We sell the RFM by First Choice and the Dixon ZTR. Give my son a call at 270-524-0385 or email him at glsweet@scrtc.com Tell him I said to make you a SWEET deal--Ken Sweet

Sweet Farm Equipment LLC *Quality Products Since 1977*