Mowing Finish mower use?

[gilbertmsg]

I won't go into a long rant, but will take some pictures on the 4th and let you see for yourself. I just mowed today with finish mower and is fine if grass is not real thick. If thick and high, I will mow high and lower on the second pass. I have a 19 hp Iseki with a cheapo Chinese finish mower (5 ft) that is 5years old and cuts fine. Cannot fine blades to fit so, I purchase Croni blades and grind down a little. It will work fine.

Eddie

 

[whistlepig]

I have mowed seven acres every week for four years with a Woods PRD7200 RFM. I will be mowing it again tomorrow. The mower has to be maintained. A lot of greasing, deck cleaning, blade sharpening. The premium brand mowers are made for this kind of stuff.

 

[Short Game]

Every week starting in spring through high summer I drag my Bush Hog brand ATH-720 around for about 40 miles. This year I got way behind and have had to deal with some long wet grass. It's handled it pretty well, but have to take it slow in the really thick places. Belts like it if you don't work them too hard. It doesn't do a pretty cut like a rider mower, but very satisfactory for the disc golfers who walk our course. You've never seen grass grow like it can in the Washington and Oregon Coastal hills.

 

[ppdiaper]

I cut about 4 acres of grass on a 20 acre site where I plan to build a house. I recently got a King Kutter 72" finish mower behind my JD 3038E, which is advertised as about 30 PTO HP. It cuts real nice and real fast. If you want a lawn that your going to cut at least a couple times a month during fast-growing season, then I can't see why you wouldn't want a good finish mower. That seemed the most economical way for me anyway. If you want hay then no. If you have hidden rocks and debris that will also be a problem.

 

[trailbuilder]

We use a 5 foot finish mower behind a 3320. We have been mowing 40 miles of trails 10-15 foot wide. That is about 65 acres if you do the math. Most of the trails get mowed at 4 inches 4-5 times a summer. We have been mowing starting in early June but this year I waited until yesterday to start mowing. Not as many nesting birds in July to disturb. The grass was 2-3 feet tall in places; the finish mower did fine, not pretty but the next cut should make it nice.

 

[evan price]

My neighbor is a widow and her crackhead ex-grandson-in-law stole their rider mower to sell for scrap last year. So their property had not been mowed in over a year.
It was overgrown with grass, weeds, and bushy shrubby stuff to alomst 5' high. The grass was well over the hood of my Satoh. I've got a Woods RM48 finish mower. The Buck makes 18.5 HP which was plenty to run the mower. I wound up taking off both side plates and running it a couple links higher on the levelling chains to get about a 6" cut height. Took two passes to get it all taken care of. Ran full throttle and 840 PTO speed on low range drive. On the second pass I could run at high range first gear. Lots of roots, rocks, stumps, holes, etc.

Since the grass was so high there were lots of stuff hidden in there- bottles, pop cans, kids toys, hoses, dog tie-out, garden tools, and a long stretch of welded wire fence that the crackhead had stolen the fence posts for scrap money and left the wire fence on the ground. I managed to avoid everything except a few bottles & cans, Hotwheels cars and the wire fence. Heavy sticks and grapevine would bog me down but just lift the 3-point and drive away and all would be fine.

I wound up greasing daily, sharpening the blades twice and it cost me a belt on the mower but the belt wasn't in that great shape when I got the mower to begin with so I am not put out about that. The first pass took quite a while and looked shaggy. The second pass took less time and came out pretty good. This was about three acres total. Took me a couple weeks mowing a little at a time.

I had to stop every hour or so because the TEMP light would turn on. Since it was open land, sunny, 90 degrees and heavy work, it wasn't surprising. In the really heavy stretches you could tell the governor had it wide open and it would black smoke. I figure the EGT was high from that. I'd just let it cool off at fast idle for about 3-4 minutes and the light would go out.

 

[whistlepig]

My neighbor is a widow and her crackhead ex-grandson-in-law stole their rider mower to sell for scrap last year. So their property had not been mowed in over a year.
It was overgrown with grass, weeds, and bushy shrubby stuff to alomst 5' high. The grass was well over the hood of my Satoh. I've got a Woods RM48 finish mower. The Buck makes 18.5 HP which was plenty to run the mower. I wound up taking off both side plates and running it a couple links higher on the levelling chains to get about a 6" cut height. Took two passes to get it all taken care of. Ran full throttle and 840 PTO speed on low range drive. On the second pass I could run at high range first gear. Lots of roots, rocks, stumps, holes, etc.

Since the grass was so high there were lots of stuff hidden in there- bottles, pop cans, kids toys, hoses, dog tie-out, garden tools, and a long stretch of welded wire fence that the crackhead had stolen the fence posts for scrap money and left the wire fence on the ground. I managed to avoid everything except a few bottles & cans, Hotwheels cars and the wire fence. Heavy sticks and grapevine would bog me down but just lift the 3-point and drive away and all would be fine.

I wound up greasing daily, sharpening the blades twice and it cost me a belt on the mower but the belt wasn't in that great shape when I got the mower to begin with so I am not put out about that. The first pass took quite a while and looked shaggy. The second pass took less time and came out pretty good. This was about three acres total. Took me a couple weeks mowing a little at a time.

I had to stop every hour or so because the TEMP light would turn on. Since it was open land, sunny, 90 degrees and heavy work, it wasn't surprising. In the really heavy stretches you could tell the governor had it wide open and it would black smoke. I figure the EGT was high from that. I'd just let it cool off at fast idle for about 3-4 minutes and the light would go out.

Sounds like a good hard working tractor that you know very well. It reminds me of the days I used to mow vacant lots for realtors. All the neighbors around the vacant lots would use the vacant lots for a dump. Heaven forbid that you sling some of their own garbage through their back patio doors. Bed springs, matresses, dead dogs in garbage bags, steel wheels, concrete blocks, pay phones, ATM machines, and etc. You name it and I have probably mowed it.

 

[hawkeye08]

I try to get started mowing before it is more than 2 feet tall or so, but one area several acres is too wet to get in early so it gets mowed late June. This year, the grass was taller than the fenders on the Kubota L3130. I just go slow and enjoy the outdoors.. I really like the cruise control on the tractor, just go the speed I need, keeping the rpms up so the mower runs at 540rpm.

Like the others have said, slow and safe on the first pass, then the second pass a few weeks later is the cleanup.

 

[Yander]

I'm reserecting this old thread. Sounds like several guys have cut some pretty tall grass with a rear finish mower.

What is the rule of thumb on RFM pto HP? Is it 5 PTO HP per foot like a bushhog or more like 4HP per foot?

 

[big bubba]

to get an idea of the difference in finish & heavier duty rotary mowers, look at the deck construction. notice how much less a finish mower deck depth is than regular decks. that's what will limit you in the height of cut.
in addition, in general finish mowers are lighter duty & have a less robust overall construction.