Mowing

[LarryD]

I just purchased a Scorpion fro J-Bar Manf. and it is a cross between a field mower and finish mower. $1150 before tax.

I have only used it once but it gave a pretty nice cut, despite the wheel assemblys. They are some of the worst welding I have ever seen. But I got what I paid for and already have plans to remanufacture them to better tolerences.

The four blades are heavy duty type blades and I did scalp a couple areas due to the terrain. The guy I bought it from says he mows his fields with one and the scalping goes away after the ground is modified..

ScorpionRotaryCutter

 

[Highbeam]

Your side skirts are tall. The gearboxes have a standard drop shaft so basicly the blades are spinning way up high under the cutter. That's good for HD hogging since you are less likely to chop up the dirt but not so good for trying to mow grass short.

When I adjust my cutter so that the deck slides along the earth evenly front to back, I get about a one inch cut. Nearly scalps it. My sideskirts are much shorter than yours which effectively lowers my blade.

Grass cut tall with a tractor will never look like lawn.

 

[JerryG]

It looks like you may have too fast of a ground speed. Try slowing the speed down and upping the RPM.

 

[mlauk]

Have you read the owners manual on how to adjust the top link position for correct float, cutting height and adjustment for work? Most shredders can cut from 2-12 inches. The cutting height is set with the tail wheel height and the 3 point position. The adjustment for work is usually 1-2 inches lower in front for heavy mowing and level to slightly lower in the rear for a lighter finer cut.

 

[Turbys_1700]

I am currently mowing some reclaimed pasture with a nice heavy duty Woods finish mower. This was after I cut it with a light duty squeeler bush hog. About the best you can do is adjust the hog properly, mow as high as possilbe, and slow down on your turns. It's still gonna have a tendency to scalp in a sharp turn..

 

[jshbryan]

Im not concerned about the turns and gouging. I know what causes that. It's more about the heighth of the cut that bothers me.

 

[Soundguy]

I've not used one of those mowers.. but wonder if it's manual says what it will cut down to.

My jd 1517 batwing will cut down to about 4.5"

My 10' howse mower will cut down to about 3.5" and my 5' KK mower will cut down to 2"

If that one is real HD and for heavy brush.. the side runners may be extra long, and thus keep the blades way up off the ground ??

Soundguy

I have a 6' HD rotary cutter that does wonders in the real heavy brushy stuff. And while I do not expect a finishing mower look to its cut, I am a little dissapointed at how it does in my open pasture areas. The closest cut I can get is about 6". Any lower than that and the mower turns into a plow... the front shoes will dig in real bad making the pasture look terrible.

Are there any modifications I can make that will allow me to mow the real heavy stuff and get a closer cut in the more tame areas?

 

[zzvyb6]

Try lowering the blades closer to the ground using spacers on the blade arms. I added 1" slugs between the blades and mounting arms to get that dressed look. They are usually kept high to prevent fracture from rocks, etc. But the spacers will let you run the frame at a reasonable height and level. Sharp blades make the best looking pasture. Wet grass is very hard on mower blades. Keep the rpms up. Next best thing is an old hay mower...

 

[jshbryan]

OK guys. I have lost complete interst with this cutting deck. I am to the point of trading it although I know I will loose my *** on it. I adjusted every possible way the manual says to.

The attached pics show how terrible my mowing/cutting looks. It's absolutely embarassing. The dealer I bought all of this from says he is coming out today to see if he can help me out. I am just disappointed at this point.

Jason

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b17/OrangeMach/047.jpg
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b17/OrangeMach/045.jpg
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b17/OrangeMach/044.jpg

 

[have_blue]

I get a pretty good cut with my Woods 6 footer. Here's my formula for mowing medium-thick grass and light weeds:

*Set the front of the deck about 1" lower than the rear.

*Set height just above gouging height. I guess that will vary with make. Mine will cut slightly under 4" height without gouging.

*Keep the blades very sharp. It only takes me 15 minutes to touch them up with a disk grinder every time I mow, and makes a world of difference.

*To keep the blades sharp, run the PTO RPM as low as you can yet still get a clean cut.

*Watch the cuttings. If they are shredded into a fluff, the RPM is probably higher than necessary. Ideally, they will be cut once and fall over whole, like a sickle bar cut. Realistically, that won't quite happen.

*Don't let the grass and weeds get away from you. Average height under 12" will get you a better job.

*If your tires sink, try to wait for drier weather. Not only are the ruts ugly, but it makes a very uneven cut.