Rear Discharge Vs Side Discharge

[tkcomer]

Hey all. After spending a lot of time lurking on this board I have another question. With all the buildings I have to mow around, I’m leaning towards a rear discharge finish mower. Do these mowers do a good job? I have a 72” rear mount Landpride that can throw a rock a long way. If I get a compact tractor, I’ll probably want the MMM rear discharge deck to go with it. The John Deere site doesn’t specify if their mowers are rear discharge for the 3320. Kubota doesn’t list one for their B3030. The Case-International does list a rear discharge for the DX33. The Landpride does a heck of a job mowing, but if I get a compact, I’ll want the MMM. Any opinion on the rear discharge mowers vs the side discharge ones would be appreciated.

 

[beenthere]

A couple years back I talked to my dealer/salesman about a rear discharge and he showed me two used ones that he would give me a good deal on - both had been returned one after the other after he had sold them to two people who insisted that was what they wanted. Both complained of the windrowing, apparently (and I talked to one of them about it) they don't distribute the cut grass evenly. He finally got rid of them to one mowing a school yard/field and the other to a small town mowing road sides. Neither wanted to be pitching grass or anything to the side toward kids or traffic. You might find a used one somewhere that was returned. This dealer told me they sell very few of them, and don't push them for good mowing.
I had a wheel horse 32" deck that was a rear discharge. Just the two counter rotating blades, and it left a neat mowed swath that I really liked. But lawn mowers now are seldom rear discharge anymore. I've adapted to the side discharge over the years, and don't miss the rear discharge deck much anymore. I would have to mow more often if rear discharge.

 

[tkcomer]

Well, that’s depressing news. But I’ll never learn if I don’t ask. But that’s why I’m here. I’m trying to learn as much as I can from this board before I go look. Jeeze, all these numbers and variations has my head spinning.

 

[lcisled]

I have a JD 60" MMM-side discharge commercial for my 4400 and a 60" MMM rear discharge for my CK20. I got the Kioti after the JD. I do not even put the JD on any more. I love the rear discharge. I just mowed my lawn yesterday and I would say that if I left the chute down on the JD and mowed I would have had more piles of grass than with the rear discharge. I really do not understand the windrowing conversation with the rear discharge. The only time it could be bad is in really tall grass, which would have been bad or worse with a side discharge (not windrows, just grass piled on the lawn). My Dad has got rear discharge on his 11' and 15' finish mowers after only having rear for years. If you talked to any one of us in the family, we would say rear discharge is the way to go. I am going to add gator blades to mine. They put them on Dad's big mowers and got an even better cut.

 

[tkcomer]

Well this is sounding better. When the grass gets away form me, I notice that it has a tendency to ball up and plug the discharge chute. I just had it in my head that a rear discharge would do better in those situations. That and the fact you have to mow in one direction to trim, then turn around and mow the other direction. The grass that you just cut has a tendency to ball up under there also. When it gets too bad, I have to get the lawn sweep out. And I hate running over things twice. I’ve never seen a Kioti. Did a search and the closest dealer is 50 miles away. Went to their website and didn’t see any rear discharge mowers. Are you using their brand mowers or an aftermarket?

 

[lcisled]

I got it from Kioti and it says Kioti on it, but I think that First Choice(Midwest) or like make it for them. All of the bolts are SAE instead of metric so I think that it is made in the USA. I am not necessarily saying that you need to get a Kioti, as other rear discharge I assume would work as good. My Dads Befco, etc. seem to work fine. If you do a search, there are even Kioti faithful that do not like the mower. Something about mowing height and small spindles. The bottom line is the same, if you are trying to cut 2' tall grass to 2", there has to be some where for all of the clippings to go. With a side discharge, you will have to blow it to the middle, and with a rear discharge there is more bulk going out the back. If you go to the Kioti website under the products tab, go to implements, and you will find mowers. I see now that they have a side discharge available.

 

[tkcomer]

Well, I stopped by three dealers today. None of them have anything in stock like I want. The John Deere guy didn’t even come out of his office. He just kept relaying messages through another guy. $19000 estimate for a 3320 and mower. Kubota guy did not have a B3030HSD in stock, nor could he give me a price other than he will be cheaper than the JD 3320. But did not know if he could get a rear discharge mower for it. Case-IH guy says he can get a DX 29 with MM rear discharge, but he could not give me a price either. He had retail prices, but did not have his cost, so he would not give me a quote. He was really pushing a 38 horse, shuttle shift, 4WD McCormick tractor for $13500, but is a little more than I need. Looked sharp though. What he really wanted was my tractor. He wants me to trade bad. So the saga continues. I would still like to hear other people’s opinion on the rear discharge.

 

[tkcomer]

Kubota guy just E-mailed me. He can’t find a rear discharge mower for it. But if I want a side discharge, it’s $15999 for a B3030HSD-F with a 60”.

 

[lcisled]

I do not know where Maysville KY is, but go to littletractor.com. They are in Metropolis IL. They have a toll free number at the top of the page. If you like, give James a call and visit with him about it. He deals in both NH and Kioti tractors and knows what he sells. I am not sure that Kioti has anything in your horsepower range with a MMM rear discharge mower. I think he could help you to find what you are looking for. Hardest working guy I have ever worked with on equipment.

 

[tkcomer]

Wow, that guy has a lot of stuff. But he is on the other end of the state. I prefer to buy from a local dealer, even if I have to pay a little bit more. They’ll be the ones I deal with if I have to have service. And I like to spend my dollars locally. I’m guessing the Case dealer will be in the same range as the Kubota dealer. And the Case dealer is only 10 miles away. I’d still like to hear more on the side vs rear discharge mowers.

 

[have_blue]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( But I’ll never learn if I don’t ask. But that’s why I’m here. )</font>

Hi tkcomer, and welcome aboard.

What all will you use the new tractor for? If you intend to leave the MMM attached at all times, you may as well get a big ZTR. You will save 10,000 bucks, and get a much faster and smoother cut.

Some say MMM's remove lickety split, others say they are a pain to detach. If you do decide to get one, find one that is easy to detach, because they really get in the way when doing chores on rough or soft ground.

From what I've seen, rear discharge decks leave a wider and lower row of grass than side discharge. I have a strong dislike for side discharge mowers, but I think they create higher vacuum for smoother cuts. This should not matter except on your best manicured lawn.

 

[tkcomer]

Its primary mission will be mowing. But I also will use it to spray fences and fields. Pulling wagons and using a carryall. Doubt I’ll use the boom pole on it. Generally when that comes out I’m lifting something real heavy. That’s what the big tractor is for. I’m new to compacts. They look like toys to me from what I’m used to. But after lurking here for a long while, the gang has convinced me that they can do some light duty work. I’m just trying to consolidate some machinery. Two mowers that can’t do anything but mow and a tractor that only gets about 20 hours use a year. I never gave the deck a thought about how high it would lift. How high do they lift? I use a boom pole to raise the riders up to clean under them.

 

[klink]

One issue that has been overlooked so far, is the mess that the MMM rear discharge deck makes on the under side of your tractor. I have owned two rear discharge units. I do however like pull behind rear discharge mowers. for the safety factor, of flying debris.

 

[tkcomer]

I won’t worry about grass clippings. I’m pressure washing one today to get all the cow manure and mud off of it. I’m beginning to wonder if I don’t have more cow manure on me than the tractor. Other than the grass clippings on the tractor, did you like how it mowed?

 

[lcisled]

Klink is right, there will be some grass clippings under the tractor. I have not found flying debris to be a problem, however. I pick up my sticks and mow relatively high. The mower lifts by utilizing the 3pt. of the tractor. I take mine off if doing anything other than mowing. Clearance is an issue. Tk, sounds like you want the tractor to do the same things that I do with my CK20. I use it to spray my fencelines (it straddles one 30" row), prep lawns for seeding, etc.