Ideal JD for these chores

[aesanders]

I've hesitated to stay in this particular discussion because I have only a few months experience, but in that limited time my reasons to hesitate on using the brushhog for just grass are:

1) Cut quality - I am finding erratic cut quality on grass with my LX6, which is nearly new (20 hours or less of use since brand new) and not beat up. Sometimes it does a very good job, sometimes it seems to miss a lot. Often the job looks good immediately afterward but in a day or two I find a lot of the grass/weeds was just bent over and not actually cut off. Now on woody stuff the LX6 is great, slicing right through. It also seems to work better on lush, tall grass than it does on thin mixed weeds and grass, but the latter needs mowing more than lush grass does.

2) Ground damage - I believe I have everything adjusted optimally (tailwheel height with front lower than rear of cutter, links in float position, etc.) but I still find I am often damaging the underlying ground with the brush mower, either from the tailwheel or side skids. Maybe further adjustment would stop this, maybe not. It seems to be a worse problem when grass is thin and scraggly with some weeds, but that is the type of area that, if in pasture, needs cutting and may need repeated cutting. Ground damage to a pasture just sets back your pasture renovation/maintenance, which is presumably why you were mowing the pasture in the first place.

I definitely wouldn't sell my LX6 nor would I use a finish mower on trees and woody, thick weeds, but on thin weeds mixed with grass I find that our riding mower (cheapo MTD) seems to do a better job than the LX6 on my tractor.

I've used a bunch of different Brush cutters and they all work similar to how you described yours. Their cut quality just isn't that great. The work great on heavier brush that you are just trying to get rid of or extremely overgrown pastures, but for the average pasture that isn't too rough I prefer the finish mower.

 

[VA Rebel]

I like to knock really tall grass down with the bush hog, then come back a few days later and hit it with the finish mower. Usually those ruts that the bush hog cuts into the grass can be avoided by lifting the 3 pt hitch up just a tick, especially on turns.

 

[Nuru]

I could always just keep my GT235 for cutting near the house and use the 2520 for the other rougher stuff, snow removal & york raking. My GT235 will cut an acre of grass in an hour.

I had the smaller GT orginally, and I am so surprised that on my current property that the 4310 is more nimble and a lot more stable than my 4100 was.

 

[Nuru]

If your lawn has few trees and other obstructions, an RFM is a good way to go. They're cheaper then a MMM and can be used on any tractor you buy (that is reasonably close to the RFM manufacturer's recommendations).
Even with trees, you can back under them if they have low hanging branches. There may be more back and forth work with an RFM though.

Since R-4's were brought up, I may as well throw in my 2 cents...
I've been cutting with R-4's for a couple years now. I'll see some tracking, but that goes away in a day or so.
I never cut when the grass is wet, however. And always in 2WD (except for one steep area).

just watch you turns, especially after you have had a beer or two.