Buying Advice Buying Finishing Mower

[Ken1234]

Am trying to find a GOOD finish mower brand. After looking around on the web this past week I keep coming up with the following brands as good mowers

1. BEFCO
2. Bush Hog
3. Frontier (BEFCO)
4. King Cutter
5. LandPride
6. Woods

Others that I have seen on various "To Sell" sites are

1. Big Bee
2. John Deer
3. Rhino

What recommendations would anybody have out there as to GOOD finish mowers. Be using a BobCat 30hp three point hitch to pull it. Have about 4-4.5 acres (pecan orchard), not completely smooth but pretty close to smooth. The grass is not thick.

THANKS for any advice - Ken

 

[Larro Darro]

I was shopping for a 6' RFM last year. I started a thread like this one, asking advise. Woods and LandPride were the most recommended, but I ended up buying the Countyline brand from TSC. I got such a good deal I couldn't walk away from it. Since then I have picked up a used 4' Woods RFM. The Countyline does get the job done, {I mow 6 1/2 acres} but the Woods is the better mower.

Here is my thread if you think it will help you: http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/buying-pricing-comparisons/285903-600-difference-between-land-pride.html

Larro

 

[coobie]

Am trying to find a GOOD finish mower brand. After looking around on the web this past week I keep coming up with the following brands as good mowers

1. BEFCO
2. Bush Hog
3. Frontier (BEFCO)
4. King Cutter
5. LandPride
6. Woods

Others that I have seen on various "To Sell" sites are

1. Big Bee
2. John Deer
3. Rhino

What recommendations would anybody have out there as to GOOD finish mowers. Be using a BobCat 30hp three point hitch to pull it. Have about 4-4.5 acres (pecan orchard), not completely smooth but pretty close to smooth. The grass is not thick.

THANKS for any advice - Ken

I bought a used (6ft.)woods model RD7200(rear discharge)Stout,very nice cutting mower.I found mine in excellent condition on craigs list for $1200 bucks about 3 years ago.I would go with the hard wheels or foamed filled tires.

 

[RoyJackson]

I've had BEFCO mowers...two of them ( 60" and 84" units). Both were great and long lasting. I traded the 60" RFM when I traded up to my 4400...which came with the 84" mower. The only reasons I sold the 84" mower was it was too wide for my garage door and larger mowers span uneven ground. If my lawn had been flat, I reckon I'd still have it. Both BEFCOs were trouble free and I do recommend BEFCO as a lower priced alternative to Woods and Land Pride. Do go with the hard tires...the inflatable types do lose air now and then.

I currently have a 72" Frontier RFM....Frontiers are manufactured by BEFCO and Woods, BTW..just painted green. Mine is Woods manufactured and it's great.
So, Woods or BEFCO....both trouble free units and well manufactured.

As far as width...I'd go as wide as you can if your tractor can handle the mower (power and weight) and you have a big enough place to store it (unless you plan on leaving it outside). 30 HP can easily handle up to 84", if that's PTO HP. Also, it's got to get between those trees, so consider that.

 

[mguitas]

We have a rearmount 90 inch woods at are gunclub, finishmower. You just can't beat them.

 

[Deere Dude]

I just got a LandPride 84" because many people rave about them and it works quite well. I need to paint it green yet.

My lawn is about 7-8 acres, mostly flattish but with small dips and hollows. If the wheels fall in a small gully the lawn will get a scalping. I don't have a lot of trees.

The 3 pt. in my opinion is suited for large treeless lawns, although getting used to the operation will allow me to get closer to trees without knocking them over. The first time out I scalped the crap out of the lawn until I adjusted the cutting depth up to 3-1/2 to 4 inches. It works nice now.

I don't regret the purchase yet. I considered a 90" but for me the price hike was to much to justify the 6" extra. Although they are more stout I believe.

 

[cletus99]

I'd check out Kioti finish mowers also. I don't know much about them, but they looked pretty heavy duty when I looked at them at the Kioti dealer near me.

 

[GManBart]

Sitrex is the OEM for the Rhino mowers, and I really like mine (90"). I picked it up lightly used at a spring equipment auction last year for $1k. Caroni is another good brand to consider.

I am going to change it to solid tires, but that's about it other than touching up a few paint chips.

 

[Utopia Texas]

Check out the Caroni Brand at Agri Supply.

 

[EddieWalker]

I bought a used 7 ft Land Pride finish mower that needed new tires, belt and blades for $600 a couple of years ago with side discharge and a slip clutch. I changed out the inflatable tires to solid ones after trying to patch and fix the original tires a few times. I would only get solid tires. The slip clutch is nice when you hit something. I have Gator blades on it now and they work good, but I just tried Fusion blades on my zero turn and now that's what I want to put on my finish mower.

I have a 35 hp 4x4 Century tractor that is a little light for it, but it gets the job done. When I lift it with the 3pt, you can feel the front tires coming off the ground and I have foamed tires with weights added to the front, but no loader.

For just mowing, it has plenty of power and can cut grass a foot long and longer, but I do have to slow down quite a bit.

Kubota sells Land Pride and they are very good at getting parts.

Eddie

 

[Larro Darro]

If the wheels fall in a small gully the lawn will get a scalping.

When I worked at a golf course that had steep, rough roughs, I always stressed about scalps. But my boss told me, "don't worry about it, it will scalp less next time. You are just smoothing it out." After that it didn't bother me quite as much. {of course the fairways and greens were a different story. I wasn't happy unless they were perfect} So in the long run, the gullies will take care of themselves.

Larro

 

[terryknight]

we have two woods RFM an rm90 and an rm600. really like them. use the rm90 all summer cutting pastures. used it with a 32PTO MF and now a 45PTO JD. can't beat it. use the rm600 on the 20PTO D

 

[Will_C]

I have experience with Woods and Land Pride-both fine units. I have a First Choice 60" mower I picked 5 years ago used for $500-mow 9 acres with it, 4 of them quite rough and never have had a problem-no complaints for my investment with that.

Will

 

[donm1]

Lots of good finish mowers have already been mentioned. I've had a 6' Rhino for the past 8 years. I prefer the rear discharge.

 

[joe04785]

I have a Kioti 72" rear discharge finish mower that I've had for 2 years now and it works great. Paid $2000 new for it and it was worth every penny. Very heavy and thick plated steel. Never missed a beat.

 

[vulcancowboy]

I have a 72" King Kutter. I've had it for several years now and use it to mow about 10 acres of pasture. My biggest complaint is related to the tires, as others have said, go with the solid tires. The quality control was not what it should be, i.e. the wheel assemblies were made in such a way that a couple of the tires rubbed against the yoke. I have had to do some welding repairs in a couple of places. Not sure I would buy another one.

 

[kyles974]

Finally found a current thread. I've been searching awhile and only see old threads on this subject. (Like years old)

I have a woods rm550. It came with my jd 2320 my wife bought me. The tractor had 103 hrs on it. But I would have to say the woods mower had 2, 000 hrs???? I don't know...but have had problems with the leaking bottom seal even tried packing it with grease and the grease works it way out.

So I'm in market for a new FM. It's hard to judge Woods mowers because I don't know how many hrs on this one....but boy....it's hard to think woods for a new one with having one thats seems worn out. (Wheels worn too...along with whel bearings etc.)

So to the OP...I'm too looking.

Also...just mowed neighbors yard yesterday. ...sits on 5 acres....so I'd say mowed 3 ares of grass..lots of trees to go around....and it took me 1 1/2 hr. Probably could mow it in 1 hr the next time since I took my time making sure no hidden stumps...etc... anyhow. ...I burned about 3/4 tank(or 4 gallons)....boy....using the pto really burns up the fuel.
My yard is only about an acre....so takes me 20 minutes?

Maybe the woods being worn out causing to eat up fuel?

Anyhow. ..not trhing to hi jack thread...just thinking it would be good info for others to see??

 

[kyles974]

I'd check out Kioti finish mowers also. I don't know much about them, but they looked pretty heavy duty when I looked at them at the Kioti dealer near me.

I have experience with Woods and Land Pride-both fine units. I have a First Choice 60" mower I picked 5 years ago used for $500-mow 9 acres with it, 4 of them quite rough and never have had a problem-no complaints for my investment with that.

Will

Rear discharge.....wow...I've never seen this in a finish mower. Seems like it wouldn't do as good of job with longer grass??
Because having to recut clipping to help mulch it. ???? Sometimes I need to mow areas a couple times because letting grass get to tall. safter 2nd cut....it starts to distribute clipping s around.
Guess I have something to research.

Can anyone elaborate on this??

Also...just read the rino blades has a 1" overlap ....???? So each spindle is or rotation together? What keeps the baldes from hitting when one is ...oh let's say stopped from a stump?

 

[RoyJackson]

Rear discharge.....wow...I've never seen this in a finish mower. Seems like it wouldn't do as good of job with longer grass??
Because having to recut clipping to help mulch it. ???? Sometimes I need to mow areas a couple times because letting grass get to tall. safter 2nd cut....it starts to distribute clipping s around.
Guess I have something to research.

Can anyone elaborate on this??

Also...just read the rino blades has a 1" overlap ....???? So each spindle is or rotation together? What keeps the baldes from hitting when one is ...oh let's say stopped from a stump?

Most RFMs I've seen have been rear discharge and the cut quite well. You may be mistaking a rear finish mower for a mid-mount type mower. To the best of my knowledge, all mid-mount mowers are side discharge (which is great if you have a clipping collection system).
The advantage of a rear discharge RFM is evenly distributed clippings....not the windrows left by side discharge mowers.
As far as blade overlap, the spindles are timed so blade contact can't happen. I can't recall ever hitting a stump with an RFM, but I suspect you'd bend a blade before any collision between blades.

 

[Larro Darro]

My {25 year old} 4' Woods mower is a side discharge, and in tall grass it makes quite a windrow. When it was still at the Civic Center, I shattered a very high dollar glass door with a rock mowing up close to the building. I guess it is possible for a rear discharge to throw things, but the odds of hitting something important seems like they would be lower.

Larro