No more three-point mowing deck for me!

[miltrade]

Yesterday I purchased a Husqvarna garden tractor with a 54 inch cutting deck to mow my 2-3 acre cleared lawn.

Last summer, with my John Deere 4200 tractor and LawnPride 6 foot mowing deck, I shot a rock out near the house that travelled through the driver's side window of my pickup, completely shattering it, then passing directly on through the passenger side as well, completely shattered.

The hole created on both windows was very similar to a bullet. That's all I need is to fire off a rock with the velocity of a bullet in through the playroom window where my girls are playing.

Has anyone else ever experienced this using a large mowing deck attached to a mid-sized tractor?

 

[oliver28472]

Several years ago my Woods RFM picked up a rock and slung it at a Mercury passing by. It hit a piece of trim between the front and rear door windows. The driver turned around and came back. It missed his wife's head by less than a foot. Scared us all and luckily it turned out to be someone I knew. I mow at 4" height now and have not picked up a rock in years.

 

[RonMar]

Last year I took out the passenger window on my Toyota PU from about 50 yards with the 48" mower deck on my Sears GT5000 riding mower. The plastic outlet chute left enough clearance to cleanly pass the rock. I have since replaced that chute with a steel one I made that has more downward deflection to it. It tends to clog more when the grass is thick and damp but I can live with that easier than the potential to hurt someone or damage mine or neighbors property.

Mowing can be hazardous. Best defence: keep ahead of the gophers and drag/rake/de-thatch occasionally to knock down their mounds(they seem to push up the perfect projectile size rocks) and the high spots. Know your ground and mow high as suggested(blades and spindles will last longer also).

 

[GabeTX]

If you were using a rough-cutter (one big spindle instead of several smaller ones), did you have chain guards attached?

I mow 4 rocky acres with a 6' rotary cutter with chain guards. Some of the chain links have been struck by rocks hard enough to break them, and others are getting worn down. I'd hate to think how far the rocks I hit'd fly if I didn't have the chain guards. When I see my neighbhor using cutter without the guards, I stay far away...

 

[Highbeam]

This is the reason for flail mowers. The rotary action of the hammers won't fling rocks and as a side benefit they don't hang out back as far as the rotary cutter. They cost a bit, similar to a tiller but the safety aspect is much better and the clippings don't get windrowed.

I drove a rock through my sliding glass door at home with the standard push mower that has a full shroud and a rear bag that I use. That is why I don't worry about chain guards on my brush hog, the rocks can still fly.

You'll always be throwing rocks with rotary mowers.

 

[DDT]

A few years ago I found out a golf ball goes a looooong way before they stop. Thank God it did not hit any thing. After that I made sure the chute pointed down.

 

[jbrumberg]

JP & All: My only advise based on 20+ year of rotary cutting is to mow slow, high, and keep your front bucket/plow low- I have taken out slider doors as well as rotary mowers when I have not followed this protocol. Jay

 

[RobJ]

I'm not sure if you are saying a 54" garden tractor is not going to throw stuff like a 6' FM on a tractor?? They both use the same blades (more or less), turning about the same speed. You have to be careful with both IMO.

Rob

 

[EastTexFrank]

OK, here's my horror story. I was trimming around a big, old pine tree in the yard. The mower hit a stick buried in the grass and threw it against the tree. It bounced back off the tree and hit me. It came in behind my safety glasses (no side shields), scraped across my eye and darn near smashed the bridge of my nose. I was so lucky that I didn't lose my eye. I don't think it matters if you use a 3-pt, MMM or walk behind mower. They can all throw stuff that can hurt you.

 

[Highbeam]

"I don't think it matters if you use a 3-pt, MMM or walk behind mower. They can all throw stuff that can hurt you."

Not a flail mower. If you really give a rip about flinging debris, then that is the solution. You just can't cut 2" brush.