Rotary mower windrow solution

[BKWOOD]

My Kubota B7410 handles the 4 ft. rotary mower fine but I do not like the windrows I am getting. My first mower was a 5 ft. woods finish mower that would have worked ok for my meadow trimming if I could have mowed all my 15 acres before the middle of June and again later in the summer. With a very big vegetable garden requiring a lot of work at the time for the first mowing I realized I was not going to have the time to trim meadows twice a year. So I got the brush hog.
Does anyone have tips or techniques or modifications to prevent the windrows I am getting?
The only thing I have considered was to cut the metal at the rear to open up the discharge area. The design of this mower takes the 4 ft. cut and forces it through an opening about 20" wide.

 

[Bulldog]

It's more or less the nature of the beast, that's just how they work. I don't think opening the rear up will do anything for you. About the only thing that I've seen is the side being open. Some of the older cutters had bolt on side panels that when removed it allowed the grass to blow out the side more like a lawn mower.

It does help with windrows but it would also allow anything you hit to be shot out the side like a rocket. As far as safety goes, I would suggest living with windrows. You're not alone, every single spindle rotary cutter out there leaves the same windrows that you have.

 

[houser52]

I have a 5' Hardee and the discharge is completely open in the back. It still throws a windrow that looks like it's ready to be baled.

 

[Diydave]

Older model Bush Hog mowers had a removable right side, that let you throw all of the cut material out that side. Great for hay, but would get you pretty dirty using it in small areas. I think the model I have as plan C hay cutter is a 205...

 

[Retired Iron Peddler]

I have found that running the rotary mower less than the required 540-rpm PTO speed and traveling too fast across the ground for the conditions results in more windrowing of the cut material. A slower ground speed with the mower running at 540 PTO speed gives the mower blades more time to pulverize and more evenly disperse the cut material.

Bill

 

[Tooljunkie]

I cut part of my side panel as grass was doing this, but i only took a small section off. It was balling up under deck.
Two cuts per year will leave lots behind to deal with. I couldnt imagine trying to cut it and have it look like something.

I could see using a sickle mower, would look neater. Somewhat.

 

[BKWOOD]

Thanks for the responses. I was afraid there would not be a solution to the windrow problem.
What about flail mowers? I am not familiar with this type of mower. Do they just hang from the 3 point hitch or are there any wheels that ride the ground?
What size would be right for my B7410?

 

[coachgeo]

IMHO..... just use your bush hot like you are. then take another 20-40 min. of your time and run over each Windrow to mulch it a bit more and see how it comes out. You might find that will do you well enough.

 

[Tooljunkie]

15 acres is a lot to run over twice.my 9 acre chunk takes a fair amount of time, less now since i got my kubota.

 

[Bulldog]

Just a thought, do you have any local farmers close by that could cut it for hay. If it's good ground it would be worth their time for 15 acres. It might only get cut 2 or 3 times a year but baling it would keep it much cleaner and healthier.

 

[coachgeo]

15 acres is a lot to run over twice.....

Not suggesting do the "lot" twice..... only to mulch/cut the windrows which I believe would take about 1/4 to 1/3 amount of time of first cut if one overlapped them by about 1-1.5ish foot of each run during first cut. That would put the windrows close enough to one another to hit two at a time on the follow up of Windrow Cut/mulching passes.

Just a thought. You guys know more than I do.

 

[ShaunRH]

This is odd. My LP1260 doesn't windrow at all. It pulverizes the material and it just drops to the ground in a rather even dispersion.

Maybe your blades are too sharp? The instructions on my unit are to leave 1/16" purely vertical to the cutting path.

The first pass of the blades don't seem to cut everything, it actually seems to use the entire rotary path to cut which may be why mine doesn't windrow.

 

[bcp]

Try changing the rear deck height. A little higher or lower in back may solve the problem.

Bruce