Mowing Will a Frontier 72" finish mower handle briers OK?

widmn · Apr 13, 2005

Will a Frontier 72\" finish mower handle briers OK?

I have a lot of briers in a pasture that has been unmowered for years. They are about 1/2" at the base at most and the grass is about 1 1/2' high. Will the finish mower handle it without busting it up or do I really need a bush hog?? Thanks, Rich

DavidJ · Apr 13, 2005

Re: Will a Frontier 72\" finish mower handle briers OK?

In my opinion if you take it slow and it's just briars it will cut them ok. I use mine to clean briars from time to time with no problems.

A rotary cutter would be the tool of choice but we all must use what we have.

Once you get it cut the first time it'll get better with each cut if you do it regularly.

Soundguy · Apr 13, 2005

Re: Will a Frontier 72\" finish mower handle briers OK?

You gotta do what you gotta do.. but 1.5' tall grass is hard in and of itself on a finish mower... briars are that much harder as well.

I personally wouldn't subject my mower to it.. but if it's all ya got.. then go at it slow.. let the mower cut and clear.. might use 1st gear, and half passes maybee. ( half width or half height )

good luck

Soundguy

jeffinsgf · Apr 13, 2005

Re: Will a Frontier 72\" finish mower handle briers OK?

Rent a brush cutter for a day and save the abuse to your mower.

green4710 · Apr 13, 2005

Re: Will a Frontier 72\" finish mower handle briers OK?

Anything that isnt "lawn grass" the finish mowers wont handle well. I had a frontier 84 inch finish mower, in mowing our fields for 3 hours, the blades were shot, bent, etc. If you need to mow heavy duty stuff, rent a rotary cutter. Save your finish mower for grass.

RoyJackson · Apr 14, 2005

Re: Will a Frontier 72\" finish mower handle briers OK?

I ruined a Wheel Horse lawn tractor trying to do that. That was a pretty tough little tractor too!

I wouldn't do it. I'd either rent a rotary cutter, buy one if you're going to have to cut this again or contract the job out for the first time. If there aren't too many briars, you might even knock them down with a weed whacker if you have one of those heads that looks like a circular saw. That does a pretty good job...just be careful!

Once the briars are down...if the rest is all grass and nothing else, set your mower as high as possible and make partial passes if necessary.

If you've never cut this area before, you probably don't know what's under that grass (rocks, stumps, etc.). Anything heavier then grass could damage your mower.
As long as you know the risks...well, make your decision. But I doubt if I'd do this job with a finishing mower. I would not do it if that finishing mower was a belly mount. Too much money to replace one of them.

tawilson · Apr 14, 2005

Re: Will a Frontier 72\" finish mower handle briers OK?

I've got a Bush Hog finish mower that I used pretty hard the first year or two I had it till I got the field in back of my house mowed down. The only thing I did to it was break a belt. The blades on it seemed pretty thick so I figured I'd try it. Take a look at the blades on yours, and make a call. You might want to try lowering the mower down onto the briars if you can.

coveredbridge · Apr 14, 2005

Re: Will a Frontier 72\" finish mower handle briers OK?

My 2 cents...

I can't speak to the Frontier finish mower in particular, but I have a Woods RM660 72" rfm that I used to use to mow the fields, until I got new blades on the old no-name bush-hog. I've mowed grass that high with the Woods, and I don't think you need to fear damaging the gearbox or driveshaft, etc, even on those briars, if the Frontier is similar. However, I would take it very easy, make several passes, starting as high as I could, and take half passes. Most important, know what's on the ground before you lower the mower. The one thing that would likely damage the driveline or deck is a rock sticking up somewhere that you don't expect it. And since you're in PA like me, I'll bet there's at least one in that pasture. Even if there's not a rock, there's probably at least one groundhog hole with the dirt and stones piled up around it. That's the kind of thing you don't want to hit with your rfm!

I do think you should expect to prematurely wear, if not damage your blades, because they just are not designed for that purpose. But, blades are surely cheaper than a bush-hog. Also, if you want a decent cut with the rfm, you're going to need to keep the pasture mowed often and relatively short, no more than six inches mowed and about eight inches before mowing. That can get to be a drag if you're pasture is big, like my fields (5-6 acres). With the brush hog, you can let the field get away from you a little more and still get a decent cut.

budman72 · Apr 14, 2005

Re: Will a Frontier 72\" finish mower handle briers OK?

I have a frontier 60" and have mowed a few briars.

FIrst, Frontier is made by Woods, and is the same machine. Check the Frontier manual, the part numbers are Woods part numbers. My JD dealer doesn't stock any parts, I go to a Woods dealer and he usually has them on the shelf.

I don't recommend cutting briars with a finish mower. It causes the belt to slip and will break it, $50. The blades also take a hit, 3 X $20.

Don't take a chance on breaking something in the gearbox (I don't know, probably $200)

When I was clearing my lot a neighbor saw I was having a bit of a time and came over with a 6' bush hog, the briars were gone in 30 minutes. Borrow or rent a bush hog and save yourself some $$.

Just my $0.02.

Bud

Jrrcorp · Apr 14, 2005

Re: Will a Frontier 72\" finish mower handle briers OK?

I agree with the majority. I have a 6' finish mower and a 5' rotary cutter. I have cut down a lot of briers and they can even knock the heck out of a rotary cutter. If they are dense and thick, don't ruin a good finish mower. It's not worth it.

frank_f15 · Apr 15, 2005

Re: Will a Frontier 72\" finish mower handle briers OK?

you don't really say how LARGE that pasture is, if it is any size at all i think you will just suject you mower to undo stress.. a RFM is designed to do just FINISH MOW. but the call is yours. if you do decide to do it just be very careful and walk the pasture first.

widmn · Apr 18, 2005

Re: Will a Frontier 72\" finish mower handle briers OK?

You guys sure know how to spend my money. Based on your advice, I think I will be buying one of the King Kutter 5' rotaries. I have about 50 acres in weeds/pasture. Thanks, rich

beenthere · Apr 18, 2005

Re: Will a Frontier 72\" finish mower handle briers OK?

With a Deere 4410, and that many acres of pasture to mow, I wouldn't go less than a 6'. The 4410 has the power, and a 5' is going to feel pretty slow making those 50 acres disappear. But it will be lots of seat time, which may be what you are after. Do you have a feel for how many hours this will take? That was calculated some on a recent forum, which you may have been party to.

Henro · Apr 18, 2005

Re: Will a Frontier 72\" finish mower handle briers OK?


You guys sure know how to spend my money.... I think I will be buying one of the King Kutter 5' rotaries. I have about 50 acres in weeds/pasture. 

Fifty acres or weeds/briars/high grass? /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

Somehow I get the feeling that the advice leading to the purchase of the brush cutter just might be saving you money, Widmn! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

coveredbridge · Apr 18, 2005

Re: Will a Frontier 72\" finish mower handle briers OK?

50 acres! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

My 5-6 acres takes about 5-6 hrs. 50 acres would be roughly 1500' x 1500'. With a 6 ft mower, that's 250 6' x 1500 ft passes. 1500' is a little more than a 1/4 mi. At 4 mph, one pass would take about 15 min or 1/4 hr. 250 x 1/4 hr = 62.5 hours!

widmn, have you thought about a couple goats? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

jeffinsgf · Apr 19, 2005

Re: Will a Frontier 72\" finish mower handle briers OK?

( With a Deere 4410, and that many acres of pasture to mow, I wouldn't go less than a 6'. The 4410 has the power, and a 5' is going to feel pretty slow making those 50 acres disappear. But it will be lots of seat time, which may be what you are after. Do you have a feel for how many hours this will take? That was calculated some on a recent forum, which you may have been party to. )

While I agree that a 5' mower is going to feel small on 50 acres of briars. I have been using my new MX-5 behind my 4410 for a couple of days in the woods. I am sure glad that I am not sticking out wider than the tractor, or I would have snagged several trees with the brush cutter. Wide open fields would be another story, but if you are manuevering around objects, I would keep the cutter about the same track as the tractor.

widmn · Apr 19, 2005

Re: Will a Frontier 72\" finish mower handle briers OK?

I haven't thought about goats but am willing to consider it.

How many would I need and will they eat briars?? Is this really a good solution? Do I have to take care of them or are they pretty much self sufficient??? Do they harm the woods or wildlife?? Are they good for anything else?

coveredbridge · Apr 19, 2005

Re: Will a Frontier 72\" finish mower handle briers OK?

I am by no means an authority on goats, but I have seen them used to clean up an area such as you have described. As for how many, that would likely depend on a number of factors, your county ag extension agent might be a good place to start for information.

As for care requirements, I would consider them pretty self sufficient, but any domesticated animal is going to require some attention. Whether they harm the woods or wildlife is another matter that depends on what one considers "harm". These animals utilize the resources in their environment for their survival, so they are going to have an impact on those resources, just like any other animal. Properly managed, I wouldn't consider their impact to be any different than any other domesticated animal.

Are they good for anything else? They can be raised for milk, meat, fur and/or breeding, but I would expect that to utilize the animals for these purposes would require substantial input of effort and resources, which is probably not consistent with the purpose you are contemplating using them for.

Here is a link for more info, in particular their diet. Note the specific reference to briars.
goat info

beenthere · Apr 19, 2005

Re: Will a Frontier 72\" finish mower handle briers OK?

The goats (IMHO) would be a bad idea and bad investment, if compared to 65 hours on a tractor for quality tractor seat time. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
I'll bet one would put more than that amount of time building fences and caring for the many goats that it would take to keep that many acres trimmed.

Soundguy · Apr 20, 2005

Re: Will a Frontier 72\" finish mower handle briers OK?

( My 5-6 acres takes about 5-6 hrs. 50 acres would be roughly 1500' x 1500'. With a 6 ft mower, that's 250 6' x 1500 ft passes. 1500' is a little more than a 1/4 mi. At 4 mph, one pass would take about 15 min or 1/4 hr. 250 x 1/4 hr = 62.5 hours )

Ditto.. 50 acers to mow and a 5' mower.

I used to mow 10ac with my 5' mower and it took me 5-6 hours on my ex-NH 1920.. and I was driving fast.. too fast really..

I now mow it with a 10' mower and burn it out in a cool 2hrs and 45 minutes.. that includes tractor warm up and cooldown and a cold drink..

Soundguy