Bob77064
Elite Member
Will a bush hog work as a finish mower? Some people have told me they have a rough cut mower that does a good job as a finish mower.
Finish mowing with Bush Hog
- Thread starter Bob77064
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They must have a very bad finish mower with dull blades AND a Bush Hog with very sharp blades... 
If you sharpen the blades and go slow, a bush hog can do a pretty good job but no where near a finish mower, IMO.
Are you trying this on good grass that's not too tall?
If you sharpen the blades and go slow, a bush hog can do a pretty good job but no where near a finish mower, IMO.
Are you trying this on good grass that's not too tall?
Soundguy
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as was said by the previous poster.. maybee/ depending...
depending on the style of hog you have, and the distance from blades to ground with respect to the side guards ( IE, minimum cut height.. some light and medium duty units let you have a cut height as low as 2", whereas some HD mowers minimum cut height is mor e like 4", meaning you can't cut real close ).. , plus sharpening the blades, you can get 'close.
normally hog blades are only sharpened to about a 1/16 or a 1/32 blunt edge to 'shatter' brush, which kills it and leavs no sharp spears sticking up.. vs a finish mower made to clean cut and not shred grass.
if your hog is sharpened like a lawnmower blade, and can cut low, and you take your time to not gouge on the edges when turning, you can get a cut about as good as the cut form an ecomomy rider with 2 days of growth on it.
IE.. slightly shaggy 'finish' cut lawn.
soundguy
nikdfish
Platinum Member
... also a finish mower typically will float & track to follow ground contours much better than the average rotary cutter, producing fewer gouges from edges or tailwheel, etc. with changes in slope, hillocks and dips.
Nick
Nick
cmhyland
Platinum Member
If someone says they have a rough cut mower that cuts as good as a finish mower I'd have to think they were talking about a flail mower not a brush hog style mower....
Regards,
Chris
Regards,
Chris
Soundguy
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there are finish and rough flails as well.
soundguy
soundguy
brin
Super Member
Nahhhh ! I'm not buying it...a bush hog, rotary cutter, shredder - whatever you want to call it is not a finish mower...and will not ever give as fine and low a cut as a finish mower unless you have a finish mower with awful blades...Now, I may be wrong so if anyone wants to bring their bush hog to my place and cut all my pastures ...I will take a look when they are all cut and see if I agree...Maybe I am wrong...so come on and we will see...:thumbsup::laughing:
DAY
Platinum Member
Like many questions, it depends.
Question number one is your definition of "lawn"- a putting green ain't the same as my lawn that used to be pasture, and contains several grass varieties, plus some lambs quarters, dandelion,vetch, mullion, clover, and plenty of crabgrass. But is all green, and stays that way, flood or drought, for most of the year. Near the house I use a 'lawn mower', and the meadow gets cut a few times a year with an old bush hog. From a few hundred feet away, you can't tell the difference.
If I wanted that golf green look, I would use an old push reel mower; there's nothing like the quiet "snick snick" that doesn't compete with the bird and the frogs.
Question number one is your definition of "lawn"- a putting green ain't the same as my lawn that used to be pasture, and contains several grass varieties, plus some lambs quarters, dandelion,vetch, mullion, clover, and plenty of crabgrass. But is all green, and stays that way, flood or drought, for most of the year. Near the house I use a 'lawn mower', and the meadow gets cut a few times a year with an old bush hog. From a few hundred feet away, you can't tell the difference.
If I wanted that golf green look, I would use an old push reel mower; there's nothing like the quiet "snick snick" that doesn't compete with the bird and the frogs.
Soundguy
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It realy DOES depend on alot of variables.
I have a older 'red' LD 5' kk that will cut down to 2" I have many times sharpened her up and put a set of depth limit and stabilizer chains on her and mowed my front yard.. again.. it gives you a lil rougher cut than a cheap rider.. Does NOT cut as good as a clean push mower. Again.. at 30' way.. it looks close enough to not know what mowed it.
my buddy has a hd 6' KK that is a year old or so. the side boards on it are 6" he can't cut any closer than 4" off the ground.. thus his WILL NOT make any sort of close cut no matter what.
lots of variables...
soundguy
OP
Bob77064
Elite Member
Thanks for all the help.
