rear vs side discharge mower

[Mrwurm]

Seems like this thread has a mixture of 'trains of thought.' I'd like to offer a bit of clarification. A rear mount mower (also known as three pt finish mower) can be side discharge or rear discharge. A mid mount mower (also known as belly mower) can also be side discharge or rear discharge. So, when you describe these mowers you must indicate the position of the attachment and the direction of discharge. For example, a rear mounted rear discharge mower attaches to the back at the three pt and drops the clippings out through a long opening in the back. A rear mounted side discharge mower attaches at the three pt and shoots grass out the side.

That being said, I have a belly mower with a side discharge and my neighbor has a rear mounted mower with rear discharge. His machine drops the clippings evenly behind his machine. I kinda like that and wish my mower was a rear discharge. My side discharge unit is always shooting grass in the gardens or on the driveway. The point is... the side discharge has always got to be pointing somewhere.

 

[DAP]

Thanks Jerry ... generally, MMM are side and RFM are rear discharge ... and though I agree, I have yet to see examples of the other kind ... they would be rarer, no?

 

[jwstewar]

NH has a MMM rear-discharge mower. I know they have it in 60" & 72" widths, but I believe they also have it in 54" & 84". I know that doesn't help with a door. Just saying they are available.

 

[Bird]

Doug, when I bought my Bush Hog RFM in 1999, I could have gotten the side discharge or rear discharge for the same price. My dealer said a couple of years earlier, they couldn't sell the rear discharge models because then everyone wanted the side discharge, but by 1999 he said everyone wanted the rear discharge instead. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[Mrwurm]

Yep, I agree with Bird. Both versions are readily available and rear discharge models are becoming very popular. Mid mount mowers with rear discharge are even available on garden tractors these days.