Mowing Air Tunnel Finishing Mower

[DrDan]

I am still connnnsssidering a rear mount finish mower. I encountered the air tunnel feature and wondered what it does and is it effective? Also does rear discharge tend to stop the clumping when you let the grass get a little too high. (You know how those rains are)

Wow I like the new server --- FAST!

Dr Dan

 

[Bird]

<font color=blue>does rear discharge tend to stop the clumping when you let the grass get a little too high.</font color=blue>

Dr.Dan, in my experience, NO, but it does reduce it considerably compared to the side discharge.

Bird

 

[MReeter]

Doc,I agree with Bird 100%. If you're going with a 3-point mower,go with the rear discharge.

 

[jhl385]

After having a 5' Kubota mid-mount mower for 10 years, last year I bought a Landpride 5' 3 pt side discharge finish mower.
It was the best built of the few I checked out, and I have not been dissapointed in it. It cuts about the same as my belly mower, and it a piece of cake to hook up. This way I can leave my dozer blade on all year round. BTW, I paid around $1300 for it brand new.

 

[RickNC]

Just a point on the Landpride.

I have a Landpride 5 foot side discharge finish mower and really like it. However, a couple of years ago, I bought some replacement blades from the same dealer that sold me the mower. They fit OK, but the mower never mowed as well. I noticed after inspecting the blades, that they did not have nearly as much lift to the blade as did the originals. I think that the dealer sold me a set of generic blades.

This time I went to another dealer and specified Landpride blades. These will suck the grass right out of the ground. The cut is much better - just like the originals.

Be sure to ask for name brand blades, or at least compare the lift of the new blades to the old.

Now I know better.

 

[FarmerBob]

Hi Doc...

I've got a Landpride 2560 that I bought used (very little). It's a side-discharge model, and was missing the discharge shield. It's amazing how much less the grass clumps without the shield attached, even when mowing in heavy grass. Of course I can hear some of the guys now... "that's not safe"!!! Luckily, my land is flat and no rocks to worry about sending into orbit. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

FarmerBob

 

[RichZ]

Dr Dan,I recently bought a Land Pride 1560 60' rear discharge 3 ph finishing mower. Land Pride makes 2 60' mowers the 1560 and the 2560. The 1560 does not have the air tunnel feature. I am very happy with the 1560 so far. It cuts great, and I can't imagine a better cut. The 2560 costs another $500, and I don't know if it would be worth it.
Rich

 

[DaveM]

Rick- Thanks for the heads up on replacement blades for Land Pride mowers. I recently mowed our yard for the second time with a 2560 rear discharge and am REALLY impressed with how good it cuts. I suspect a lot of this is due to the high lift blades which I haven't abused too much... yet /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif. Our area is in a bit of a mini drought right now, no signifcant rain for 3+ weeks, and the amount of dirt this mower sucks-up creates some dust clouds that are quite incredible. It also will suck-up rocks off of the driveway in a couple of spots! I'll be sure to specify Land Pride replacement blades when the time comes around.

Dave

 

[Bird]

Rick, when I had my little Cub Cadet riding mower and needed new blades, I let a fast talking dealer talk me into buying "Gator" blades; supposed to cut faster, neater, etc. for only twice the price of OEM blades. It didn't take long for me to figure out that I'd been had./w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif They were at least half as good as OEM blades.

Bird

 

[heehaw]

maybe i'm doin somethin wrong, but i've got a wheel horse rear discharge mower, and it does not scatter the grass at all, you have a nice pile of grass behind you even when the grass is cut when needed, instead of when i usually mow. one of the guys i work with had a rear discharge riding mower too, an he says it did the same thing. he sold it last week and got a new side discharge; of course we're running 12-16 hp on the mowers compared to whatever the hp of your tractor is?? maybe that's the difference?? it is nice to be able to mow against things on either side, but i'd swap that for a side discharge and no grass trail
heehaw