Rear Finish Mower Limits of a Rear Finish Mower

_RaT_ · Feb 17, 2005

I also have a 84" Landpride mower. I never sharpen the blades and quite frankly notice little difference with new ones over the ones that wore out and get replaced. It's amazing what a dull blunt edge can still do to a blade of grass. I much prefer my 84" finnish mower over my 80" Woods brush mower.

BB_TX · Feb 18, 2005

Don't know how yours looked after the guy cut it, but here is an attachment to show how mine looks after cutting with an inexpensive (~$550) rotary cutter. Not quite like a front lawn but not bad. Like Bird, I just lower it about as low as it will go.

Bird · Feb 18, 2005

Here's an old picture of my pasture. I had the front of the mower barely off the ground and the rear one notch higher.

have_blue · Feb 18, 2005

You can do a pretty good job with a rotary cutter if it's set up correctly and the blades are kept sharp. Whether using a RC or a RFM, the key is to not let the grass grow too long between cuttings. Don't misread me, a RC will never do as pretty of a job as a RFM... at least not up close. However, if you stand back a bit, it's nearly impossible to tell the difference. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

As others have said, RC's are a lot cheaper, require less maintenance, and are a lot more durable. Unless you figure you would never be happy with the job a good sharp RC will do, I would go that route.

caylor · Feb 18, 2005

After reading your profile, it looks like you already have a 6' Rhino RC. Why not try it out on the pasture and see what the results are then decide if quality of cut is insufficent enough to justify the cost of the RFM.

Your logic on using the RFM sounds good. I think all the posts so far have given you a lot of info to think about. Thanks to Bird and BB_TX for the pictures to give Riddler another perspective on RC cutting quality!

Riddler · Feb 18, 2005

If I had hired Bill or Bird last time, I might not be looking at doing the job myself now!!

At one point a few months back, I was poised to take delivery of a 6' Rhino RC, but I paused to think about this RC v. RFM issue. I am reminded that I need to edit my profile.

I don't plan to let the grass grow too long (famous last words). In addition to that, the other factor weighing in favor of the pricer RFM (or even a flail) is that the Mrs. is convinced that they will produce better results than a less expensive RC. Like the good politician who makes sure that he always spends his budget (and then some), I am reluctant to persuade her that we should limit ourselves to a RC (even if there is a decent chance I could sell her on the results). If the boss really wants a RFM or flail, whom am I to stand in the way??!!

Henro · Feb 18, 2005

the Mrs. is convinced that they will produce better results than a less expensive RC.

And few here would dispute that I would bet.

My RFM when I had one on the back of my B2910 Kubota cut my yard (no lawn here) nearly as well as my BX2200 with MMM does.

The biggest issue is whether you are going to beat the RFM to death trying to make it do what a rotary cutter is designed to do: Cut brush and tough stuff.

If your desire is to cut GRASS as nice as possible, and especially if you are going to cut regularly, well...if it were me...I would go with a RFM. It really is the best tool for the job if the job is crass cutting of the "lawn type" so to speak.

Mine was a rear discharge and I liked it a lot, except for some minor issues related to cutting around and close to things on the small area of grass that I was cutting.

One issue that does come to mind though is surface roughness. If the surface is so rough that the mower is going to be scalping all the time, then a RFM is probably not the way to go. Too hard on it and the blades. If that is the case it would seem to me that the rotary cutter would be the right option. Perhaps at least until after all the high spots were trimmed off... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

caylor · Feb 18, 2005

If you don't have a mower at all and the CFO is willing to let you spend your budget on the RFM, I say GO FOR IT. Good luck and happy cutting. Keep us posted on your progress mowing the pasture and your input on the RFM vs RC debate.

Bird · Feb 18, 2005

( don't plan to let the grass grow too long (famous last words )

The nice thing about the rotary cutter is that I cut Johnson Grass, that was talller than my head when I was sitting on the tractor, for a neighbor and used the same setting on the rotary cutter to cut it just as short as my pasture. You won't do much of that with a finish mower. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif And when I ran over some 2 x 4s in tall grass, it just made kindling out of them without hurting the rotary cutter. You probably won't do much of that with a finish mower either. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

BB_TX · Feb 18, 2005

ran over some 2 x 4s in tall grass, it just made kindling out of them 
Don't I know what you mean. Just last weekend I was cleaning out an overgrown fence row. I cut all the low hanging limbs so I could drive under the tree canopy. Any limbs larger than 4" or so, I cut into firewood size length. Then I dragged all the rest plus all the deadfall from the last ice storm to a burn pile. Hooked up the rotary cutter to mow down all the brush and vines that had also grown there. Guess what I forgot to pickup first. Those 4" plus size logs certainly made a racket when the cutter went over them. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif No damage to the cutter and the logs were splintered into several pieces.