Finish Mower or Bush Hog?

[foggy1111]

I recently had my KK bush hog rebuilt (spent $300) after abusing it for several years while opening up some woodland trails and food plots. Seems I hit lots of stumps and rocks and such.....and bent it all up a few time. Still the welding shop did a nice job of restoring it....and it does a fair job of mowing now. It's a 60" wide King Kutter model....and IIRC I only paid $550 for it brand new. Got my money's worth out of it for all the abuse I've given it. Now with it rebuilt I figure it will provide another 5 years + of life in the brushing department. Not so many rocks and stumps to deal with anymore.

But....I'd like to buy a mower in order to maintain some grass around my pole shed and to mow clover plots. No rough duty for the mower. I guess I have an acre of grass and about 5 acres of established trails and clover plots. I don't want to spend allot of money on a mower....yet I like a nice, even, reliable, cut. I have seen some rear discharge 3 point finishing mowers that sell for about $1200.

What say you? Deal or no deal? (for my purposes) Also considering flail....but concerned about high maintenance costs.

Any 3320 owners (25 PTO HP) that run a six foot wide mower on your tractor? Happy with it?

(Kinda like trying to snag a deal on a mower in the Fall )

 

[WM75Guy]

I bought a 6' finish mower. It's so wide on an uneven surface or slope it leaves the middle either higher or lower so the lawn looks funny. I didn't like the cut and bought a zero turn for around the house. I tried it in my paddocks but if the grass was over 12" tall it doesn't do well. I had to mow so often the horses ate the short grass down to dirt and at the highest setting, 4 1/2" high, it was still too short for my taste. I still have it and will keep it for when I get the area under my trees looking like a park. Until then I use the 6' Bush Hog.

There is a great deal more maintenance required. If the grass clumps up and stops the blade the PTO torque will burn the belt in two. The belt had to be manually adjusted ever so often. I had to grease it before every use or the bearings will burn up, the manufacturer recommended every 10 hours use. The blades wear out quickly using it for anything more than yard grass. Too much work when other equipment did a better and faster job with less headaches.

 

[nikdfish]

I run a 59" Caroni rear discharge finish mower behind a 3038e. Got it new from AgriSupply for about $1300. No problems in the two years I've been using it. Mows well and doesn't bog down when the grass gets thick but definately not as robust as a rotary cutter. It came with a nice remote lube feature that uses lines to bring zerks for the spindles out away from the pully covers so they are very easy to reach with your grease gun. AgriSupply also has a good stock of replacement parts if needed.

Pics on this thread:
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/219114-caroni-finish-mower-agri-supply.html

Nick

 

[LazyHRanch]

I run a 6 foot land pride behind my 3038e and it handles it very well. The mower leaves a nice even cut. The tractor does not bog down unless I try and cut knee high Johnson grass with it. That is something the bush hog takes care of once a month.

 

[mikehaugen]

I have a woods rm90 which is now a sold as an rm990 and a little different. They also had an rm59 and is replaced by a rm660. These numbers refer to the cut width, I am not sure if they had a 6 foot version. They are expensive new, but used can be found cheap. They are very heavy duty, mine is kind of a cross between a finish and brush mower and I have used it for both. It has swinging blades like a brush mower, but the deck is designed like a finish mower.

Like any do-all machine, it is a compromise and doesn't do as well as either dedicated piece of equipment.

 

[Soundguy]

i'd steer away from a flail. lots of labor and $ to maintain.

I'd also steer away from a finish mower on anything but LAWN..

 

[Deerherd]

I run a rotary cutter for clover, it's hard to find anything else that will cut high enough. Here's a couple photos taken today.