Mowing Let's talk fiinsh mower.

[Bartley]

Let\'s talk fiinsh mower.

After 50 hrs on my 3830, and 200 hrs mowing my lawn with my riding mower, I want a finishing mower. I known nothing about them, other than they are bigger than my 38 inch cut on my mower.

Tell me what makes a good finish mower. Brands, 2 wheel with chains, 4 wheels, whatever. After looking a some used ones, really used ones, I think I will be buying a new one. There is not that much money difference.

How big should I get? The book states my tractor is 62 inches wide, but its hard for me to get my 6ft woods brush hog very close to anything.

Like I said it will only be used for light yard mowing. I do have rolling hills in my back yard, nothing that would overturn me, but its not smooth flat ground. Its about 2.5 acres total.


Thanks

Bartley

 

[Ronster]

Re: Let\'s talk fiinsh mower.

I bought a Cub 7234 about 9 years ago. I soon added a 72" Woods RM660 rear mount finish mower. The quality of the cut is very good. It's easy on and easy off. Easy to lube and sharpen the blades. Rear mount mowers are nice in that you can back up under overhanging trees and shrubs to trim closer . The mid mount mower is more expensive, harder to access for routine maint. and harder to take on and off. They are nicer for trimming close to obsticles, and I think they have a little better finish cut because the grass is mashed down only by the front tires before the mower deck cuts the grass whereas the rear mount mower has to cut grass that's been ran over by both the front and rear tires. Most modern decks have a pretty good suction that will pull the grass up straight as the blades cut it.
One thing to remember about width; the wider the mower deck, the more prone it is to scalping on uneven terrain. You can raise the cutting height a little to help, and also by running the anti scalping wheels over the higher spots ,you'll soon figure out the best way to tackle your yard.


"That's all I've got to say about that" /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif.

 

[teddydo]

Re: Let\'s talk fiinsh mower.

Bartly, that's a smart idea you have there I think. I have a six foot king kutter that I pull behind my 4330. I like to get done and do something else so I got away from lawn mowers. Luck be yours.......teddy

 

[CaptainU]

Re: Let\'s talk fiinsh mower.

Howdy,
I have a 72 inch Land Pride that I pull behind a 3430 and it gives me a very nice cut. I also got tired of cutting lawn. Now my wife cuts with the 54 inch John Deere around the house and I cut the field. Wish I could get her to use the weedeater.

 

[ku4ns]

Re: Let\'s talk fiinsh mower.

I got tired of the disposable mowers and used my 6ft Bushhog brand finishing mower on my front yard and it looked like a golf course. I couldn't be happier unless the mower was remote control and I could stay out of the sun. I have two Kubota's, a M5700 and L2800. I just bought the L2800 this past weekend and use the 6 ft mower and don't have to worry about field lines or my septic tank (weight) like I did before with the M5700. John

 

[ku4ns]

Re: Let\'s talk fiinsh mower.

I should have told you in my earlier post that my Bushhog finishing mower has four wheels, which I think makes for a better cut because the mower maintains a fixed distance from the ground. Hope this helps. John

 

[equipman]

Re: Let\'s talk fiinsh mower.

Bartley
Not to hijack your thread, but we just sold a couple of 23 &1/2 feet wide finish mowers and man are they impressive to look at. They are going to a sod farm and will be pulled by Kubota M6800 tractors. On your tractor, generally you can take a finish mower that is a foot wider than your field mower. You could probably go with a 72' deck to get outside your tires.
Lewis

 

[Bartley]

Re: Let\'s talk fiinsh mower.

Thanks for the info guys, are there any brands, or types, I want to stay away from? Or for that fact, something I need to make sure they have, or can do?



Bartley

 

[EastTexFrank]

Re: Let\'s talk fiinsh mower.

I must admit that I am partial to Befco equipment but there are other good manufacturers out there. I pull a 5' behind my B2400. You will have no problem with either a 5' or 6', depending on what you have to mow between ... not a problem, get the 72". I also prefer a rear discharge because you can trim close to stuff from either side. I added a mulching kit because I hate to see windrows and hate to pick up or bag grass. It does slow down the rate at which you mow but to me it's worth it. I think you can get a mid-mount mower for the 3830 but my preference is for the rear mount just because it is easier to put on and take off as I also use my tractor on some pretty rough pastures that would possibly beat up a mid mount.

If you decide on a rear mount mower, take a look at the grease point for the middle blade spindle. Sometimes it is placed where it is really awkward to get at for routine service. All rear finishing mowers that I have seen come with 4 gauge wheels and the better ones have chains at the back.

These are just some of my thoughts on finishing mowers; remember they are worth what you paid for them.

 

[OhioGuy]

Re: Let\'s talk fiinsh mower.

I have a Cub 5252 with a MMM (60") and a Ford 1220 with a Woods RM59. I mow the two acres around the house with the Cub and MMM. I can get within an inch of trees, walks, whatever with the MMM.

The Woods RFM does a better job on taller grass and I think cuts as well overall as the MMM. I mow some paths though the woods and a couple acres toward the rear of the property with it. I think if I were willing to do a little manual trimming around the house with a push mower, the RFM would work fine there also.

There might be some logic? to using a garden tractor for the lawn mowing duties, that would keep a lot of hours off a much more expensive piece of equipment. I find myself using both tractors for a lot of jobs I'm doing.

I found my RM59 on Ebay for $350, it's an old one but does a great job cutting and is really well built. I've seen a number of 6 footers on Ebay going for $400 to $600, but they are always out of driving distance. If you find one fairly local, you can always go to inspect or at a minimum take a good look before you hand over the money.

One last important detail, the ride on the bigger tractors are sooo much better than a garden tractor, especially when you hit a real dry spell and the ground gets rock hard!

Good Luck!