Truth in Recommended HP Required

[N80]

I was surprised, as a newbie, that lush, dense grass puts more draw on the engine than just about anything else I've mowed. I've got 2 years of experience with a light duty six footer, a few months experince with the 7 foot pull type and a few (long) days with a 14 foot dual spindle (not with the L4400!). The thing that slows the tractor down the most is dense grass (fescue in this case) regardless of height, which tractor or which mower.

Of course it makes perfect sense when you think about it, but no one has accused me of having perfect sense or even 'thinking about it' much.

 

[SDT]

Bingo!

I've been operating bush hog type cutters for 40 years or so. Heavy grass, particularly if it is laying down will suck more HP than anything else other than blade interference with the ground or standing water.

Many inexpensive cutters do not clear well because the deck is not deep enough and there is insufficient space above the blades beneath the deck. Others have poorly designed decks and/or discharge areas causing the cutter to carry large amounts of already cut grass in front of the blades.

If the deck will not clear in the conditions you are in no tractor will make enough HP to operate the cutter and you must slow down, raise the cutter or both.

When I shop for a cutter, I always measure the deck height.

SDT