Need Advice on Finish Mower

[N80]

I've got several acres of grass around my cabin that I mow with my 6' rotary cutter. Over the years these acres have become closer to a lawn than a pasture. I keep it cut short. And of course the rotary cutter is not ideal for this and in fact I've worn down the shoes on the front from cutting so low.

So I'm considering a finish mower. I have no experience with finish mowers.

I have found a used Land Pride FDR1672 at a local Land Pride dealer. It is their base model. 6 foot cut. It is hard to tell the unit has ever been used. I'm guessing once maybe. It retails for $2500 and he will sell it to me for $2000.

But I have some concerns. It is rated for 15-40 engine HP. My tractor is 45 HP. Manual says not to exceed rated HP. (PTO HP is 38). So I'm not over by too much but the areas I will be mowing are not a perfect lawn. There are occasional ruts and bumps.

So my question is: Is the $500 savings on the mower worth using it on a tractor with higher HP than it is rated for and on probably rougher surface than it is made for?

Their next higher end mower is the FDR25 series. They do not have a used one on the lot. If I went that route I would get the 7' model which is $3600 new.

Cash is tight but the need is there. Any sage advice appreciated.

 

[bikerdib]

Are you sure the mower is rated for tractor engine HP and not PTO HP? Even so, if you are mowing often and no limbs, small trees or brush are being mowed you should be fine but take that for what it is, MHO.

On the other hand, my biggest concern if it were me is the smoothness of the land. From personal experience, using a finish mower on less than smooth land is asking for frequent repairs. I did the same, I have a camphouse in the woods and used a rotary cutter but desired a smoother cut so I found a used Bush Hog brand finish mower. Sure the cut was better but I soon realized that it was a recipe for spending money and time on repairs. I sold it and went back to my rotary cutter at that property.

Some say a flail mower is in between the rotary cutter and a finish mower but I have no experience with one.

 

[EddieWalker]

I have a 7 foot Landpride finish mower that I bought used from a client. I Found that it gave me a much nicer cut then my 6foot rotary cutter and that it was more fun to cut with it. I also found that it required more attention then the rotary cutter, and that it was more delicate. Since I had it cutting closer to the ground then my rotary cutter, I also learned what happens when you find a buried 4 inch stump. Fortunately, Landpride has great parts diagrams and Messicks if fast at sending those parts. The biggest drawback is maneuverability. It's not for using around the house, or even mowing around trees. It's great for trails and around the pond.

Then I bought a zero turn and parked the finish mower, and haven't used it since. As much as the finish mower gave me a better cut then the rotary cutter, the zero turn was a huge improvement over the finish mower. I should sell the finish mower and probably will, but I'm not overly motivated to do that just yet.

As to your question about having too much power for the mower, I think that if you keep the grass short, that shouldn't be an issue.

 

[TractorGuy]

Do you have an Agri Supply within driving distance? They have brand new Agmate or Caroni finish mowers for less than the used mower you are considering.

I have the 6 foot Agmate and it's done pretty well so far. I have abused it and mow some areas it wasn't intended for. I'm on my third season with it. I just had to replace the wheels. I should have probably greased them every time I mow instead of a couple of times per season. I also just noticed some rust on the deck beside the wheel support so I'm going to have to clean that and paint it. I leave it outside. It is a super quiet and smooth running mower for less than $1500. Agri Supply keeps the common parts in stock for it.

I'm opposite from Eddie. I got rid of my zero turn and started using the finish mower. I like the rear discharge and having the dust cloud behind me in dry weather.

I also have a jd725 front mount mower for close up work but I could get by with just the finish mower and a weed eater.

 

[N80]

Thanks for the advice guys. I would really like to have a better looking cut in this area but at the same time 2 grand is a lot to drop on a mower that may or may not be right for the job. $3600 is even more to drop on a mower that might or might not be better for the job.

The two biggest problems with the rotary cutter are that in order to get a nice low cut the shoes are almost on the ground and up front they often dig in and cut into the ground. In addition to messing up the grass that has also worn the shoes out in the front. They wore so thin that they eventually peeled off and there is a good 8 inches missing on both sides. I really don't want to spend the money having the old shoes cut off and new ones welded on since if I use the rotary cutter at heights appropriate for it the wear wouldn't be an issue. In the meantime I'm probably just going to bolt some angle iron into the gaps where it peeled off.

Hard decision here.

Land Pride makes a heavy duty finish mower with swinging blades which would probably be ideal......it is $5500 for the 7'. That aint going to happen ;-)

 

[TractorGuy]

Take a look at the 6' Agmate. They are showing 9 in stock at the Florence SC store.

 

[duffer]

N80...I have 7' Phoenix mower (made by Sicma, which is an Italian import brand, and popular here) on my 38hp, 33 hp PTO and have no problems with it. I can adjust the height from 1.5 inches to about 4 inches of cut. Have 4 floating wheels and an anti-scalp roller to work well on uneven ground, which I have over 10 acres. It also came with sealed bearings for the 3 rotors. Cost me $2100 new.

With your added horsepower, I'd strongly recommend getting the 8' version if the budget allows for it. Of course it also depends on how dense any trees are on the property. I wish I had gotten the 8' model. Tractor would handle it no problem. I would think 8' would be easy for your 44 hp beast.

 

[chim]

The 5' Caroni we bought new around 1991 is just about to be retired. That deck resides on the Ford and is a backup (and has been abused badly). I've had a 5' LandPride AT on a B7500 and a 6' LandPride 1672 on the L3200. LandPride makes nice equipment and they worked fine.

Last Summer I bought a Caroni 91" RFM that needed some love, knowing we were going to replace the L3200 with something that would have a cab and a few more horses. It took a couple bearings and misc things. For convenience I added the extensions for the spindle greas zerks. The 6' LandPride was used on the L4240 several times until the 91" Caroni was ready. It worked OK on that tractor.

The 91" Caroni is right at home on the L4240 and it works great. I did leave the deflector off the back because it distributes the clippings better without it. This is the best mowing combo I've used since building here in 1989. The Caroni decks are lighter and not as beefy as the LandPride decks. Still love them. A week ago there was a used 5' Caroni on Craigslist and I snapped it up. It will replace the original one on the Ford and since most of the Caroni parts swap I'll have spare parts on hand. Here's a shot of the re-done 91" Caroni.

 

[leonz]

If you don't mind using a flail mower that is used a JD25A or the JD290 finish flail mower would work well for you. It is shorter in total length and you will be able recut the clippings a second time if the grass gets ahead of your mowing schedule.

As far as needed power for the JD25A or JD290 finish flail mower; my father used his Ford Jubilee to power his 25A with no issues and you will be able to maintain a 2 inch cutting height at the rear roller is used to regulate the mowing height and also give you a striper at the same time.

 

[RjCorazza]

I'm surprised Land Pride specs engine hp for their various mowers. I doubt being over the recommended hp is that big of a deal in anything close to a lawn environment.
I would personally would not consider a 6' mower if my machine were capable of a 7 or 8 foot mower though. I will add that on rougher terrain air tires will give a smoother cut without beating up the mower as much.

 

[rangerfredbob]

I've been having decent luck with my King Kutter FM60 mower. It's not the new rear discharge model though, it's the older left discharge model... but for $200 I am not complaining . Not the heaviest duty deal with the 1/2"-20 left hand thread bolts being the only thing holding the blades on but I haven't had an issue with my 26hp tractor, it will bog the tractor down and or slip the belt if it gets jammed up. I don't use it anywhere where it would hit anything other than small branches, I have a 5' brush hog for the abuse...

This mower leaves as good of a cut as a riding mower but I can go 6mph and cover a 5' swath if conditions work out, but as stated above maneuverability of a tractor isn't quite the same as a riding mower...

 

[daugen]

I've owned a LP FDR2584 for about 7 years. I mostly mow roadsides with it (yes I get out and pick up the trash first) and part of my fields in the hot summer
when I want seat time in the a/c cab. The mow quality is exceptional. RD leaves very little clumps but if you mow in the right direction you will remow any clumping and my fields look great. I don't think the LP is any better built than the Italian competitors, but they sure have figured out the cut quality. One issue is LP uses one single long belt that in my case is almost laughably small for the size of the mower. I guess they use that as a slip clutch of sorts. I got 5 years out of my first belt so no complaints.
I have also mowed crop tops (collards) where I should have used a bush hog and it worked just fine if I went slowly. The oem mower blades on my LP are about twice the thickness of regular mower blades, very heavy duty and I am still on the first pair, sharpening them about twice a year. And yes, I like the fact the mower is built in Kansas.

If you have trees and obstacles, you really need to keep your thinking cap on when maneuvering with a finish mower.
Finish mowers just aren't made to run into things...not like a bush hog.

I would not worry about gearbox ratings unless you are far off, and you aren't.

 

[kthompson]

I have a 6 foot Bush Hog brand finish mower that is 18 or so years old. Used it totally for our 2 to 3 acres yard and it did great job. Did replace it with a 53 inch Bush Hog ztr mower and cut my lawn moving time by 25% due to making turns and working around trees. Bigger is not always better. If you land is not level wider may scalp and of course look at items you must drive around such as trees. I am still using that cutter but seldom mowing our yard unless having ztr issue. It now mows around family pond and the lawn there but for now second summer it is mowing about 13 acres of sprigged bermuda hay ground. This is NOT a lawn but is rolled smooth after sprigging and mower had the hard tires with no give on bumps and it runs fine. I mow just over 5 mph and has some kind of grass to be killed when bermuda is older not cutting very well and also some woody stalk weeds. Other words cutting rough vegation that is not typical lawn. It handles it fine. I am mowing about 3 inches high but cutting about 10 to 12 inches off of those weeds mentioned. The blades made for it heavy compared to a true lawn mower and hold up well but I need to sharpen more often than some have reported.

As to horsepower. think that may be given to protect the gear box. However on finish mower you are running a belt drive system that is the weak link. I am currently running my 6 foot on a M6800 kubota and have never had issue with it. I also use same mower with a B2710 and it does fine in reason lawn grass but in heavy grass not enough hp.

Mine is right side discharge, never used rear discharge on lawn quality mower but think it would be nice. Mine spread out the clippings very well. Not any issue with dust on my nor tractor even with my B2710 tractor which has me near and low to the ground.

My thoughts...rear finish mower are tougher than a Wal Mart mower...mind has hit the tree... leave stabilizers when it can mover.. lift when making fast tight turns like turning around. Grease, grease and oh be sure to grease it often and check gear box oil. I only grease mine with manual grease gun to be sure grease is being pumped into the bearings. You must judge the levelness of your land as to size and also you must know if you had stumps, rocks or roots the lower height with hit. Mow often and it will help make it more lawn quality. If you consider flair mower you will not be happy with the "V" type blades. You will want blades that cut the grass level. Flail mower can be harder in turns such as turning around and you really need to lift them and they to me are costly but they will handle ground and vegetation a rotary mower has hard time with. You will mow slower or again I do with them.

 

[EddieWalker]

I've got several acres of grass around my cabin that I mow with my 6' rotary cutter. Over the years these acres have become closer to a lawn than a pasture. I keep it cut short.

2 grand is a lot to drop on a mower that may or may not be right for the job. $3600 is even more to drop on a mower that might or might not be better for the job.

What about buying a used riding mower? My wife wants one to mow the back yard. It's about an acre of grass and I currently mow it with the zero turn, but she wants to help out and have her own mower. To save money, I'm considering buying a used riding mower, and see some that look to be in very good condition from $600 to $800 on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace. In all honestly, I probably wont buy her a mower because I doubt that it will get used more then twice a year, but for a cabin that you don't live at, and you are just keeping the grass in good shape, this is what I would do.

 

[madhouse]

I have an older 6' LandPride FD2572. I bought it to mow the pasture after the horses have picked their way through the "best" greenery so I'm taking down 12" seeded-out grasses, weeds, etc. I have since started using it on the lawn and ditch. The biggest drawback is the single belt. I burnt through 2 belts in the first season alone. This last belt is holding up much better - but last night when I caught the hidden stump I scorched a spot in it. I replaced the pneumatic guide wheels with solid and am much happier. It is a solid unit - but i'm ogling a zero turn to do the same jobs.

No worries on the over-sized tractor with the finish mower. The belt is your week link and will slip long before you damage the gearbox.

 

[TractorGuy]

What about buying a used riding mower? My wife wants one to mow the back yard. It's about an acre of grass and I currently mow it with the zero turn, but she wants to help out and have her own mower. To save money, I'm considering buying a used riding mower, and see some that look to be in very good condition from $600 to $800 on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace. In all honestly, I probably wont buy her a mower because I doubt that it will get used more then twice a year, but for a cabin that you don't live at, and you are just keeping the grass in good shape, this is what I would do.

HA HA HA! Mine wanted to help out too so I got my old lawn tractor back that I had given to my daughter. She ran it till it wouldn't go an parked it. I got that all serviced up and running good and the wife mowed the back yard one time and said she needed a mower with a larger deck. I bought a John Deere F725 because she wanted a steering wheel. What more could she want? A larger deck and power steering. It turned into a big project but I got it all sorted out. She hasn't mowed the yard with it one time but I like using it for close trimming.