Finish Mower vs Belly Mower

[CPTKILLER]

I sold my small ranch a few years ago and now an in the market for a subcompact utility tractor. My question is finish mower vs belly mower for 1 acre or so.

I am very familiar with rotary cutters or shredders. Since this will be for some lawn mowing, what are users experience with both.

I like the idea of being able to drop the finish mower when I am hauling stuff with tractor or doing other projects. My concern is dragging the belly mower when working on a backyard slope cleaning my wife’s chicken coops (she has over 150 egg laying hens). I would be hauling feed weekly from the front of our property up a slope to the barn.

I expect to till a garden and maybe dig some post holes.

The utility is why a finish mower appeals to me.

The brand of subcompact tractor is still open.

 

[CH4Ohio]

I have a 72" belly mower on a Kubota tractor. It beats a 3-point finish mower in every way. I can drop it and connect it in 5 minutes easily. It doesn't swing around behind the tractor with every turn. It's built like a tank and can handle anything you need to mow. Most maneuvarable mowing option for a tractor accessory. Also, very easy to work on and access due to ability to remove it and just lift it up with the loader.

I wouldn't even consider using a 3-point mower behind that same tractor. I can't think of a single advantage to a rear mower.

Having said all that, I'd recommend getting a zero turn mower to mow your lawn. It's ready to go whenever you need it and does a better, faster job. A small tractor with a beefy mower can be really handy, especially for large wide open areas. But for weekly mowing of an acre around your house, get a zero turn.

 

[John0829]

I like a belly mower for small acreage and a finish for larger areas since I can get a finish mower in a much wider width than any belly mower.

 

[oldnslo]

Some models of belly or mid mount mowers are easier to install than others. I had an older Kubota Bx1850 and now have Branson 2400H. Both of these required lifting the front of the tractor to remove and install the deck. Both decks were heavy in excess of 200 lbs. On both ground clearance was a few inches with deck installed so unless on concrete doubtful will clean chicken coops without dragging. Have never ran a 3 point finish mower so can’t comment on them but believe biggest problem is turning and trimming around obstacles vs belly mower.

Nice feature of 3 point mower is they fit on any brand of tractor.

 

[CH4Ohio]

I sold my small ranch a few years ago and now an in the market for a subcompact utility tractor. My question is finish mower vs belly mower for 1 acre or so.

I am very familiar with rotary cutters or shredders. Since this will be for some lawn mowing, what are users experience with both.

I like the idea of being able to drop the finish mower when I am hauling stuff with tractor or doing other projects. My concern is dragging the belly mower when working on a backyard slope cleaning my wife’s chicken coops (she has over 150 egg laying hens). I would be hauling feed weekly from the front of our property up a slope to the barn.

I expect to till a garden and maybe dig some post holes.

The utility is why a finish mower appeals to me.

The brand of subcompact tractor is still open.

Just to be sure we're all talking the same language . . .

A "belly mower" is also a "finish mower". Your question should be asking who recommends a mid-mount "belly" finish mower vs a rear 3-point-hitch finish mower. (This rules out bush-hogs, flail mowers, sickle mowers, etc.)

You can't beat a mid-mount belly mower for maneuverability. It's right there under you, you can look straight down on either side to watch as you trim up against stuff. No need to watch behind you and it doesn't swing out and hit things every time you make a turn.

 

[CH4Ohio]

Some models of belly or mid mount mowers are easier to install than others. I had an older Kubota Bx1850 and now have Branson 2400H. Both of these required lifting the front of the tractor to remove and install the deck. Both decks were heavy in excess of 200 lbs. On both ground clearance was a few inches with deck installed so unless on concrete doubtful will clean chicken coops without dragging. Have never ran a 3 point finish mower so can’t comment on them but believe biggest problem is turning and trimming around obstacles vs belly mower.

Nice feature of 3 point mower is they fit on any brand of tractor.

Good point! Be sure to check carefully how easily your mower deck can be attached and removed. Mine is on 4 large beefy caster wheels. Pull one spring loaded pin on both sides, pull one pin in the front, reach under and slide the mid-PTO off, raise the front wheels with the loader and it rolls right out the side. On pavement it's super easy and really takes 5 minutes or less. About the same to attach, but I have to lay on my back to get the mid-PTO hooked back up.

On the other hand, I have a Cub Cadet Pro Zero Turn and the deck on that thing is terrible to remove. It's super heavy, not on wheels, everything about it is terrible.

A friend of mine has a JD tractor with a drive-over mower that he really likes.

A belly mower would be my choice, but if you plan to drop it frequently, you need to be sure it's a convenient design.

 

[bigtiller]

I like my rear finish mower (RFM) mostly for the smooth tractor ride but also, I can put it on/off while standing up. There is no crawling, kneeling or laying on the ground like with a belly mower.

But it has to be paired with a zero turn riding (ZTR) mower for trimming.

 

[RjCorazza]

I was somewhat forced into 3 point finish mowers when I bought my first used tractor. It came with a severely damaged belly mower, so it was significantly cheaper to trash it and buy a RFM.
You won't win any speed races with a RFM, but imho, you can't beat the convenience of them. Additionally as another poster mentioned you are not limited by the OEM belly mower size offering.
I currently have a wide variety of mowers, including zero turns, a flail, walk behind, and 7' RFM. I generally just use the RFM on a large 11 acre property that I mow for an elderly neighbor.

 

[KennyG]

Without seeing the property, with only an acre, I would think a mid mount mower would work better. As noted above, look at the mounting process carefully. I have a drive over deck and it only takes a few minutes to install or remove. The only part that requires getting on the ground is the PTO connection. The trick there is to disengage the front PTO while connecting so it spins free.

Of course, John Deere now has the autoconnect on some models which eliminates all the effort.

 

[dodge man]

John Deere has the auto connect setup like already mentioned. Once setup correctly it’s pretty quick. I put my 60 mid mount on about a week ago. I had trouble getting line up on it, you drive over it to hook up. I was to far to the right driving up on it, I still got it hooked up in 5 minutes.

 

[repete]

When my neighbor mows my lane with his three point finish mower it leaves grass clumps all over. With a side discharge mid mount it moves it to the side with every pass.
If you go with a three point, get one that ejects to the side. Or a rake as when he mows it I have to sneak down and use my side discharge. (It is awkward when you have a super good neighbor who comes over to do you a favor.)

 

[Halftrack]

My prejudice is seeping out. I suggest you consider a New Holland TZ 18 thru TZ 25 series with loader and mid-mount mower. They feature a left hand lever that controls the mower height and locks it in the raised position, which is high enough for most dirt work. Mower removal is simple with turning gage wheels 90 degrees, pulling 4 spring loaded pins, detaching the drive shaft and rolling out the side. Turning radius is shorter than most others of similar size.
A loader along with a rear 3 pt mower becomes double precarious in that you are either swinging the loader or the mower into things.

 

[CPTKILLER]

I used a rotary mower/shredder in pastures and around trees with a loader. Clearly I had to be careful with the overhang on both but I got accustomed to it. To get in “closer” I learned to back into some spots . I don’t ever expect a golf course green finish properly with the rocks & clay here in Central Texas. Additionally, I expect another drought type year again.

Nevertheless I appreciate the replies and a final decision will happen soon on a particular subcompact tractor and mower style.

 

[chim]

Rear finish mower for me. Had a belly mower on the first tractor, and rear finish mowers on the next four. Been mowing anywhere between 2-1/4 to 5 acres over the years. For the last several years it's just been our 3-1/2 acres. The smallest yard I've mowed is under 1/2 acre, and the last couple years I did that one was with the current L4240 with a 90" RFM. Always drop the loader and frame, and never use 4WD.

 

[DieselMonk]

All depends on what your landscape is. You got trees or a lot of things to go around, zero turn makes your life so much easier.
If you got big grass fields, a 3 point rear discharge mower mowes that down fast, but will leave lumps of grass if you drive too fast.

 

[FullMetalBucket]

I have a Caroni rear discharge finish mower. The property I bought was really over grown. The first time I mowed the field last year it was almost 2 feet high. The disadvantages of a rear discharge is the clippings shoot right out and don’t mulch at all leaving windrows if the grass was high to begin with. It did a great job though and I didn’t have a lot of obstacles. It’s easy to work on because you can just lift it up in the air to get under it.

I did buy a JD mower end of season as the grass grows like crazy and a dedicated mower seemed justified. Also as I build and plant stuff,there will more to mow around.

I didn’t go with a zero turn I figured a lawn tractor would be easier to drive for the wife and twin girls. I figure they would be more apt to use a smaller tractor for other stuff as well.

 

[chim]

Here's a Google Earth pic of our place. 3-1/2 acres with trees, creek, sheds and a few other obstacles to mow around. Can do it comfortably in around 1-1/4 hours with a 90" rear discharge Caroni. The rear deflector has been removed and I never mow with the loader attached. I've had both side and rear discharge RFMs by LandPride and Caroni. This Caroni is a Facebook or Craigslist find that was bought cheap as a refurb project in early 2019.

The mowing pics were taken a year ago today and it rained a little while I was mowing, as you can see by the water droplets on the door glass of the one photo and wet tires in another. No clumps or windrows. The rear view of the RFM was taken about 6 months prior to the others.

 

[RayIN]

Unless grass is over 12' high, with sharp blades I can mow 1A per hour with my ZTR mower. The ZTR doesn't leave much trimming, but what I have is trimmed with my 40V Roybi string trimmer on the same battery charge.
I would think a small tractor would leave depressions in a wet lawn.

 

[jyoutz]

I used a rotary mower/shredder in pastures and around trees with a loader. Clearly I had to be careful with the overhang on both but I got accustomed to it. To get in “closer” I learned to back into some spots . I don’t ever expect a golf course green finish properly with the rocks & clay here in Central Texas. Additionally, I expect another drought type year again.

Nevertheless I appreciate the replies and a final decision will happen soon on a particular subcompact tractor and mower style.

One thing to consider. A mid mount mower works well for green grass, not so much for dry grass. Mid mount mowers tend to allow dry grass chaff to be sucked directly into the radiator, causing overheating.

 

[dodge man]

Most smaller tractors have a end loader that comes off easily.