Rear Finish Mower Upgraded my tractor now I need to upgrade my mower

cdretzka · Jan 12, 2015

Guys,

I'd like your input on my issue. I recently upsized from my Kubota BX2350 with a 60" belly mower to a New Holland TC33DA with only a FEL. I mostly mow 3-4 acres of turf grass weekly and once a month 1-2 acres of 8-10" high field grass. The loader capacity of the Kubota was simply becoming too much an issue. I opted for the 2006 TC33DA with super steer because of the tight turning radius for mowing. I initially thought I would source a 72" 914A Belly mower but due to tough availability and reports of less than stellar cut quality I have decided I will hone my skills of mowing and trimming with a 3 pt finish mower.

3 questions pop up:

1. All mfg's rate the recommended HP needed to run the mower differently Woods and Landpride state I can go with an 84"with my 26 pto tractor. Other brands say 72" is max. What are your thoughts on sizing for a 33hp/26.7pto hp tractor.
2. Presuming 84" is workable...will an 84" trim better mow better or will it become unwieldy and cause high spots and scalping in my lawn with some of the gradual undulations in my yard than would a 72"? The width of my rear tires is 60" to the outside. I am thinking more overhang (deck to tires) is better...especially for trimming.
3. Is a Rear mount tough to live with...should I hang on to find a belly? I use my loader weekly as well.

I appreciate any feedback!

Poopdeck Pappy · Jan 12, 2015

I think you would be much safer to stick with a 72" RFM because it should scalp less and handle the taller field grass better with the limited PTO HP you have. The extra width of the 84" one would be nice, especially for trimming, but your overall mowing time might be faster with the 72" one if you have to really slow down with the 84" one due to your tractor's HP.

pmsmechanic · Jan 13, 2015

My experience has been that the design of the mower is far more important than the width. I have a 72" rear mount Farm King that I have made numerous changes on to try to increase mowing speed. The side discharge was welded shut and the whole rear was opened up to change it to a rear discharge. The mower would always scalp so a 12" wide roller was added behind the middle blade. The spindles were modified to accept John Deere blades as they are the same price but last longer than Farm King blades. All these changes helped quite a bit as I can now mow the lawn faster and do a better job than before the changes were made. I pull this mower with a 35 horse John Deere 4410.

My other mower is a John Deere F935 with a 22 horse power engine. It also has a 72" deck only it is at a disadvantage because of the side discharge. All the grass from the far side of the mower has to travel the full width of the deck before being discharged. The Farm King only has to carry the grass clippings to the rear of the deck. Cutting side by side I can do a nicer and faster job with the F935 than I can with the Farm King despite the F935 having a 13 horsepower disadvantage.

I haven't totally figured out why there is such a difference but at some point I will change a mid mount 72" John Deere mower to a rear mount and sell my Farm King. I already have the mower. I just need to change the pto drive and add crazy wheels. Then we will see if my tractor can keep up to my front mount.

DHD · Jan 13, 2015

I have a 72" rm rear discharge for my 30HP Kubota.
Like you I cut tall 8-10 tall grass sometimes 20 inch.
I recommend the rm rear discharge 72" because you occasional mow taller grass.

cdretzka · Jan 13, 2015

pmsmechanic said:
My experience has been that the design of the mower is far more important than the width. I have a 72" rear mount Farm King that I have made numerous changes on to try to increase mowing speed. The side discharge was welded shut and the whole rear was opened up to change it to a rear discharge. The mower would always scalp so a 12" wide roller was added behind the middle blade. The spindles were modified to accept John Deere blades as they are the same price but last longer than Farm King blades. All these changes helped quite a bit as I can now mow the lawn faster and do a better job than before the changes were made. I pull this mower with a 35 horse John Deere 4410.

My other mower is a John Deere F935 with a 22 horse power engine. It also has a 72" deck only it is at a disadvantage because of the side discharge. All the grass from the far side of the mower has to travel the full width of the deck before being discharged. The Farm King only has to carry the grass clippings to the rear of the deck. Cutting side by side I can do a nicer and faster job with the F935 than I can with the Farm King despite the F935 having a 13 horsepower disadvantage.

I haven't totally figured out why there is such a difference but at some point I will change a mid mount 72" John Deere mower to a rear mount and sell my Farm King. I already have the mower. I just need to change the pto drive and add crazy wheels. Then we will see if my tractor can keep up to my front mount.

PMSMECHANIC - I like your initiative to improve the implement. Did you find the Farm King better than others on the market for the price? I have looked at that brand as well. It seems well built. and for a fair amount less than other brands.

pmsmechanic · Jan 13, 2015

cdretzka said:
PMSMECHANIC - I like your initiative to improve the implement. Did you find the Farm King better than others on the market for the price? I have looked at that brand as well. It seems well built. and for a fair amount less than other brands.

I bought the mower used in the late 90's. It's a 1991 model and they are still built very similar. Honestly I didn't really look at other mowers on the market. A friend of mine had this one for sale and I needed a mower so I bought it. I paid $1000 when I bought it and rebuilt it within the first year of owning it. New bearings and belts and changed the gearbox oil. They are a well built mower and very trouble free. The blade attachment and blade drive was a bit sketchy on the earlier models but if you buy new spindles ($135 each) you get the improved mounting. $135 sounds expensive but it's a complete new spindle with bearings and a hub.

I would buy another one only if you have a choice buy the rear discharge model. You can cut grass faster and with less horsepower because the mower doesn't have to carry all the cut grass to one side.