Rear Finish Mower Limits of a Rear Finish Mower

[Riddler]

I have several acres of pure grassland (i.e., former hay/oat field) that I need to maintain. I hired someone last year to brush hog it, but I was not that thrilled with the closeness or consistency of the cut. Now that I am poised to do my own mowing (I bought a new tractor recently), I was wondering whether a RFM of some type would be better for me than a standard rotary cutter (i.e., brush hog). As it turns out, I am never going to need to mow "brush" or saplings When I have brush or saplings to remove, I prefer to dig them out and either burn or haul the green waste away. Is there some reason why I should not consider a RFM to maintain the areas of "native" grass? No one will ever confuse naturally reseeding hay, oats, weeds, etc. for lawn, but if I don't let it grow too high, won't I get better results with a RFM? The costs of a RFM is much higher than a brush hog, but I happy to invest the extra dollars to obtain a better result.

 

[DocHeb]

I use a Landpride FDR2584 (rear discharge grooming mower) behind my New Holland TC40D similiar mowing use. If the weeds get really high (>3 ft) I have to go slower, but otherwise I don't have any problems. Keeping the blades sharp will help for a cleaner cut, and it is amazing that the shorter you keep it cut, the more it looks like a lawn.

 

[Wayne_Freeman]

I have done this with a RFM for several years and like the finished look a lot more. Once you get the growth down to a cutable height and the ground is reasonably smooth it is no problem. Just keep your blades sharp(at least twice a season) and lubricate the mower regularly.

 

[Bird]

I don't know how big "several acres" is, or how smooth or rough the terrain is, nor do I know just how close you want it to look to a neatly groomed lawn, so . . .

I agree with the other guys that you can certainly use a RFM. However, as you said, it costs considerably more than a brush hog, so you'll be putting the wear on an expensive machine. Having seen what many farmers do to pastures with brush hogs in my area, I can understand your concern about the closeness and consistency of the cut. But for my pasture (fairly level, but also pretty rough riding because of the tracks of cattle and such), I used a brush hog, but I also had it set as low as it would go, the blades slightly sharper than original, and I overlapped the passes about 6". The first time I did it, the rancher neighbor who ran his cattle on it said he thought I cut it too short and might kill the grass or at least make it unfit for cattle grazing. However, he soon found that his cattle liked it even better. They like the short, fresh growth better than tall grass, and the pasture survived quite well.

So that would be my preference. Just something else for you to consider.

 

[Riddler]

Thanks for the helpful comments. One other thing, is $2,400 too much to pay for a new 72" RFM like a Land Pride FDR25 or a Rhino FM?

 

[Bird]

I know lots of other guys are more up to date on prices than I am. I bought a new Bush Hog 60" finish mower for $1,695 in 1999. So 6 years later, and mowers that are 12" wider . . . just a guess, but I'd say you're in the ballpark.

 

[garbageman]

I paided 1900 for a 60" Befco two years ago.
Ray

 

[RoyJackson]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I paid 1900 for a 60" Befco two years ago.
)</font>

I got my 60" Befco when I bought my tractor. The replacement price I got (in southern York County) was about $1800.

These are very robust mowers. I wholeheartedly recommend Befco. I would love to replace my 60" unit with a 72" unit (got a more powerful tractor now), but cannot justify it to the CFO.

 

[caylor]

How often would you mow it? How many is several acres? I know that setting my rotary cutter to its lowest level (I think 3") and keeping the blades sharp really makes a difference in the look of the cut. In my opinion, I would use a rotary cutter instead of a RFM, and just keep my rotary cutter's blade sharp. But it all depends on your situation, if you want to give some more info., we can help you out a little better. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Riddler]

Caylor, the former areas of hay/oats occupy around eight acres. They are relatively smooth (I can the run the Kawasaki Mule through them at a nice clip without getting tossed out). No other vegetation (e.g., brush or saplings) are an issue in these areas. There are few if any exposed rocks of any meaningful size.

I admit that I won't know until I start how a RFM will fare in these open areas. My plan is to start with one small area at a time, keep the height as high as possible at first, and rake and inspect the area thoroughly before I start decreasing the cutting height. I know that this won't guaranty that the RFM does not land in the shop, but I am hoping that I minimize the stress and strain enough so that it survives the initial cutting phase in good shape. Once the areas are in more reliable condition for closer cutting, I am rather confident that they will stay that way. This may seem like a lot of effort upfront, but these areas are very much a part of the inhabited part of the property. Their appearance adds a lot to the use and enjoyment of the place. I hope I have this figured correctly.