3 point finish mower

[tdogg]

I'm thinking about getting a 3 point finish mower for my L4760. I currently have a Landpride RCF2072 rotary cutter that serves well for the fields, however I'm interested in expanding the existing manicured lawn out into the current fields. My dilemma is should I get a 3 point finish mower or a zero turn. The land has some sloop and the ground is not perfectly smooth like the lawn. There are swales that carry water down the hill through the fields, apple trees and rocks scattered throughout, etc...
What brand and size would you recommend?
I found a nice used Woods PRD7200, and have been looking at the used Landprides.
If I went zero turn, I like the Kubota Z421KW-3-54 and can get it new for $6,600 and finance with zero down, no payment for 3 months, 0%, etc...
Thanks for the feedback!

 

[Palmettokat]

Expect a nice long discussion on this.

A rfm can give a very good cut. As good as a ztr can. You don't mention what you mow your lawn now with, can you use that mower or do you need a mower for the current lawn?

I would not recommend using a rfm anywhere I would not want to use a ztr, except damp or wet sloped area. Rocks, gulleys are not friends to either but a tractor can handle such better due to the larger tires, but the rfm may not. Smaller tires on a ztr will of course be rougher ride than your tractor ones should be.

It would be my suggestion to get the land in shape before trying to convert it into "lawn".

The differences between a ztr and a rfm is the ztr is more maneuverable, can trim much tighter, it is lower and will clear limbs the tractor may not, it is lighter weight but is not as safe on steeper land especially if wet. ZTR normally is quicker than tractor and rfm. We have both, not sure we have use the rfm this year but around our pond and if two of use are mowing often use it for the real open areas and the ztr around trees, beds and such and under the trees.

We used a 73 inch rfm for a while with our two acre yard and bought a 52 inch ztr, same brands as the rfm. The shock was when I realized could cut the yard in 75% of the time the 20 inch wider rfm took. It turned tighter and faster and could trim close and quickly. One plus on the tractor, could cut at night with it's lights as ztr move too quick and tight to me to use lights.

 

[SDT]

I'm thinking about getting a 3 point finish mower for my L4760. I currently have a Landpride RCF2072 rotary cutter that serves well for the fields, however I'm interested in expanding the existing manicured lawn out into the current fields. My dilemma is should I get a 3 point finish mower or a zero turn. The land has some sloop and the ground is not perfectly smooth like the lawn. There are swales that carry water down the hill through the fields, apple trees and rocks scattered throughout, etc...
What brand and size would you recommend?
I found a nice used Woods PRD7200, and have been looking at the used Landprides.
If I went zero turn, I like the Kubota Z421KW-3-54 and can get it new for $6,600 and finance with zero down, no payment for 3 months, 0%, etc...
Thanks for the feedback!

I would not recommend any finish mower if you will be hitting rocks.

SDT

 

[tdogg]

Palmettokat - thanks for the response. Regarding the mower used for the current lawn... Unfortunately this is not a primary residence, so I am not able to mow weekly during the mowing season. I have a local mow the lawn. Three guys on three zero turns knock it out in 30+/- minutes. When I am at the property I'm either on my tractor mowing the fields with the RCF and doing clean-up with the grapple, etc... I like the idea of owning a zero turn, but maybe I leave the lawn up to the lawn guys, and purchase a RFM for when I can give the fields a more manicured look? Can you mow with the RFMs in reverse - for example backing around trees, etc...?

 

[UpNorthMI]

Yes you can mow in reverse with a RFM. I use one for some work but it is not a quality lawn that I cut. I have a Brush Hog RDTH-72 it's a nice unit and cuts real well.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Owning amd mowing almost 7 acres with a ZTR (actually 2, my wife has one as well), rough ground and ZTR's don't get along too well, They are a rough ride. Never had a rear mount but then my tractors are a bit big for one anyway.

 

[Palmettokat]

tdogg, why don't you see if you can get blades made for cutting grass for your current mower with sharp edge and use it till you get the field ready for lawn mower.

 

[chim]

My favorite lawn mower. 90" Caroni on L4240. Oh, and what Palmettokat said

 

[SDT]

tdogg, why don't you see if you can get blades made for cutting grass for your current mower with sharp edge and use it till you get the field ready for lawn mower.

I have multiple rough cut mowers all of which I use as HD finish mowers.

I keep the blades sharp and do not cut saplings or hit rocks, etc., but do mow close so occasionally get the blades into the dirt a bit.

Sharp blades improve cut quality and reduce fuel usage and required HP a bit but I do go through blades more quickly because I dress them after nearly every use.

SDT

 

[dalola]

You don't mention acreage....how much for the manicured lawn, and how much for the expansion area?

Ideally, both would be perfect. ZTR for the manicured lawn, RFM for the expansion area.

But based only on what you've given, I would say RFM if you could only have one machine, simply because the RFM will work reasonably everywhere, though it may be a bit harsh on the manicured lawn due to tractor size, but a ZTR & rough ground negates the speed advantage of the ZTR.

If it were me, I'd figure out a way to have both.

 

[mikester]

I've had Woods and Landpride and LP wins hands down in my books for durability and build quality. My Woods mower self destructed.

If you are doing rough ground the tractor will be a smoother ride. The ZTR will be faster but you are going to be in for a rough ride.

I have both and keep the ZTR for the weekly lawn mows and do a rough cut once a month on the tractor for the less smooth areas in the back forty. The ZTR will do it but I don't enjoy the shake and bake. Plus my tractor has a cab so bugs are less of an issue cutting the long grass.

 

[dirtj00]

I was in a similar situation and looked at it from a cost/benefit perspective.

I decided to "try" a 3pt finish mower first, since those can be found for less than $1k. Much more cost-effective when compared to a larger ZTR. I figured if I didn't like it, I could get my money back out of the finish mower easier and quicker than a ZTR.

I found a good used Bush Hog RDTH-72 locally, and it has worked great! The 19.5 hp rated PTO on my B26 turn it well.

I'd suggest going 72" minimum but 84" might serve you better. Will have more scalping on ridges.

 

[ccoon520]

I have used both. Currently I use a land pride FDR 2584 behind my tractor. When I get the chance I am going to "upgrade" to a zero turn. I do like the rear finish mower and it works really well but a zero turn is more maneuverable and is able to cut faster.

I also have a little experience with a zero turn on a recently extended portion of lawn. It is not comfortable, but there is also no reason that you need to go full tilt over the rougher areas. You can go whatever speed you are comfortable with. I would advise going through the expansion and moving/removing any rocks that you can in there.

Any mower can handle some small rocks and stuff but you'll then end up flinging them out of the chute and if your luck is anything like mine it'll go through a window of your house. So you might be best off lowering your brush cutter to cut at like 2" and then combing the area for rocks to throw into your loader (maybe a landscape rake will help but I do not have any experience there). Once the rocks are cleared out I bet you could rent a tiller for your tractor and then go a few passes across the new area which will smooth it out, allow you to plant new lawn grass, and find any rocks that decided to grow after you pulled the old ones out (bonus is that since it is a rental clunking it with a few rocks won't hurt your soul as much).

Something else to consider is if you want your tractor going across the lawn every week. I use a RFM on an L2501 with filled R4 tires and for the most part the lawn is ok but there are patches where the tires tore it up because I turned too tight or hit a soft spot. I am not concerned about this because my lawn isn't nice (yay for buying a fixer upper) and I am not concerned patches until I can actually get the time and equipment to make it and keep it nice.

 

[tdogg]

Palmettokat & SDT - good idea on the different blades for the brush hog. I reached out to my local dealer and based on the model Land Pride RCF2072 and S/N, there no alternative Land Pride blades that would provide a finer cut. The blade Part No. is 820-199C Cutter Blade 1/2 x3x31 CCW. S/N 1055650- 72" Unit. I noticed in the manual there is another cutter blade for the 72" unit, and it is 1/2 x3x29 CCW. If anyone is familiar with an aftermarket blade that provides a more fine cut, let me know. Otherwise, my RCF is as fine tuned as it can be - which is NOT bad...
Based on the feedback, I might forgo the zero-turn and try a used finish mower. If the results between it and the RCF are insignificant, I can always sell it.

 

[GeoHorn]

I’ve got so many small engines on so many different pieces of equipment that I’ve come to the point where I’ll do almost anything to avoid another engine to maintain and another oil-change to have to do.

Zero-turns are attractive, but that’s another engine and may even require another fuel system to have to keep fresh (depends on engine.)

Since I already have a tractor and a lawn-tractor/mower... and since I was already tired of mowing my 27 acres of runways and ending up with rough-finish due to using a rotary-cutter/shredder ... and wanted a better finish... I was in the same boat as the OP ... having to choose which type.

Finish Mowers are becoming more affordable because of the zt-craze. I bought a cheaper, chinese FH-FM-180 and I’ve been happy with it. (It did suffer an early failure of a spindle but the seller-support and 2-yr warranty was good and 2-day free-shipping They paid for, I had the parts and it was an easy repair.) I can cut those 27 acres in half the time it was taking with a shredder and the finish is very nice.

No additional engine to maintain either. (Or tires if you have thorns, etc to worry about.)

 

[chim]

The soil type is one thing that affects the choice of equipment size. Mowing at our place works just fine with the L4240 pulling a 90" RFM. It's the 5th tractor we had since building here in '89/'90 and is the favorite. It is the heaviest tractor so far but it also has the largest tires to spread the weight. The little creek comes out of its banks at times and I can still mow there a day or two later without making tracks.

Here's a story of the rebuild on the old deck I started using last Summer:

https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/parts-repairs/412763-rfm-restoration.html

 

[jimr63]

I'm running a Landpride FDR3690 behind my L4701 and it does really well. The Landpride deck seems well made and has stood up to my abuse for a few years now. I mow about 20 acres a week with it.

 

[Gadget]

I***8217;m mowing about 10 acres weekly of mixed lawn and fescue pasture. The past few years I was mowing it all using a ZTR (diesel powered 61 inch 725D Grasshopper). This year, I began mowing the open pastures using an RFM (Land Pride FDR1672). I now only use the ZTR for mowing around the house and around areas in the field that have trees. As others have stated, the ZTR Is faster but will abuse you if the ground is even slightly rough. I***8217;m running air filled turf tires on my B2650 and prefer the softer ride in the fields. One other consideration......the front mounted deck on my Grasshopper ZTR puts a lot of debris into the air that you breath and can get into your eyes. Pulling a rear discharge RFM the debris is all behind you and you are breathing clean air while mowing. May not be a big deal to others but just another reason I prefer the RFM.

 

[D2Cat]

Have you guys ever tried a flail mower? I have 3 of them, 5',6' and 7'. Use them on 3 different tractors cutting various materials over various soil conditions.

I have 5', 6' and 8' 3pt brush mowers. I prefer the flails every time. I've cut weed 6' tall with the 7' flail, then I can use the same mower to mow down close, and it looks like someone mower with a push mower.

 

[jimr63]

Have you guys ever tried a flail mower? I have 3 of them, 5',6' and 7'. Use them on 3 different tractors cutting various materials over various soil conditions.

I have 5', 6' and 8' 3pt brush mowers. I prefer the flails every time. I've cut weed 6' tall with the 7' flail, then I can use the same mower to mow down close, and it looks like someone mower with a push mower.

I've started looking at them. I'm running a 7' Landpride bush hog behind the M5-091 now to even out the wear and tear on the RFM but would like find a flail mower instead. Any brand/type recommendations?