Finish or Flail Mower advice

[DriveATractor]

I have 2-3 acres of pastures I need to mow. I don't know all of what's growing in here, but I want to keep it trimmed. When I moved to the property, the previous owner let it go and I couldn't get it cut before winter. I was able to tackle a swatch around the fence lines with the garden tractor, but that's all I could handle before I had too much hay building up. Over winter it laid down enough that I was able to run the GT over it yesterday to get a good cut started.

I am not sure if a finish mower is the right application for these fields. The tractor ran right over those longer bulbous things, and they popped right back up. I tried to get most of the branches picked up, but it's almost impossible to get them all. My youtube video research is pointing me to a flail mower with Y style blades. If I go this route, are there any budget friendly quality mowers available? The 60" LP model is $7,500. That's a little hard to justify for basically mowing. The MM 60" deck is $3500. I have a Deere X758 with 60" mower on order for the lawn. Should I just run that in the pastures and change/sharpen the blades more often? I feel like whatever I run in the pastures is going to wear the blades a lot quicker than just cutting the lawn.

We don't have horses to maintain the pastures if anyone is wondering.

 

[GeoHorn]

That’s a tough call… I think it should be given a once-over with a rotary-cutter/shredder….. THEN a Finish Mower will probably be right from then-on.

I HAVE used my Finish Mower on fields rougher than yours…. and it did cut it down… but I also had to replace a spindle on the mower….. (under warranty still tho’)….. IMO, a Finish Mower can do anything a riding lawn-mower can do….but better because it is run with more HP.

 

[mcmxi]

I have 2-3 acres of pastures I need to mow. I don't know all of what's growing in here, but I want to keep it trimmed. When I moved to the property, the previous owner let it go and I couldn't get it cut before winter. I was able to tackle a swatch around the fence lines with the garden tractor, but that's all I could handle before I had too much hay building up. Over winter it laid down enough that I was able to run the GT over it yesterday to get a good cut started.

I am not sure if a finish mower is the right application for these fields. The tractor ran right over those longer bulbous things, and they popped right back up. I tried to get most of the branches picked up, but it's almost impossible to get them all. My youtube video research is pointing me to a flail mower with Y style blades. If I go this route, are there any budget friendly quality mowers available? The 60" LP model is $7,500. That's a little hard to justify for basically mowing. The MM 60" deck is $3500. I have a Deere X758 with 60" mower on order for the lawn. Should I just run that in the pastures and change/sharpen the blades more often? I feel like whatever I run in the pastures is going to wear the blades a lot quicker than just cutting the lawn.

We don't have horses to maintain the pastures if anyone is wondering.

A flail with hammers can leave a very nice finish on a field, but also cut through thicker stuff.

Good Works Tractors sells the Del Morino line. I bought an hydraulic offset flail from Courtney and I highly recommend him as a vendor, both up front with the sale, and if you have any issues down the road.

You can buy a 5ft offset model for $3,900. Del Morino products are made in Italy and they're hard to beat in terms of quality.

Offset Flail Mower Del Morino Funny Top

The best selling flail mower in America! High quality, offset-capable, cuts your brush and mows your lawn. Flail mowers for tractors shipped Nationwide!

www.goodworkstractors.com

 

[hedgerow]

I have 2-3 acres of pastures I need to mow. I don't know all of what's growing in here, but I want to keep it trimmed. When I moved to the property, the previous owner let it go and I couldn't get it cut before winter. I was able to tackle a swatch around the fence lines with the garden tractor, but that's all I could handle before I had too much hay building up. Over winter it laid down enough that I was able to run the GT over it yesterday to get a good cut started.

I am not sure if a finish mower is the right application for these fields. The tractor ran right over those longer bulbous things, and they popped right back up. I tried to get most of the branches picked up, but it's almost impossible to get them all. My youtube video research is pointing me to a flail mower with Y style blades. If I go this route, are there any budget friendly quality mowers available? The 60" LP model is $7,500. That's a little hard to justify for basically mowing. The MM 60" deck is $3500. I have a Deere X758 with 60" mower on order for the lawn. Should I just run that in the pastures and change/sharpen the blades more often? I feel like whatever I run in the pastures is going to wear the blades a lot quicker than just cutting the lawn.

We don't have horses to maintain the pastures if anyone is wondering.

Its your money and spent it how you like but it were me I would just use the X758 you have coming to mow the pasture and lawn. Once you get it mowed down and keep it mowed the mower will handle that with no issues. Have a buddy that bought an acreage with a 5 acre pasture that hadn't been mowed in five years. I hauled a tractor and shedder up there and cut it once and raked it in windrows and burned the windrows, sprayed the weeds and he has been mowing it every since with a JD garden tractor and 60 inch deck. He doesn't even own a tractor for his acreage. He knows were he can borrow one. LOL.

 

[DriveATractor]

A flail with hammers can leave a very nice finish on a field, but also cut through thicker stuff.

Good Works Tractors sells the Del Morino line. I bought an hydraulic offset flail from Courtney and I highly recommend him as a vendor, both up front with the sale, and if you have any issues down the road.

You can buy a 5ft offset model for $3,900. Del Morino products are made in Italy and they're hard to beat in terms of quality.

Offset Flail Mower Del Morino Funny Top

The best selling flail mower in America! High quality, offset-capable, cuts your brush and mows your lawn. Flail mowers for tractors shipped Nationwide!

www.goodworkstractors.com

That seems pretty reasonable. Thanks for the link

Its your money and spent it how you like but it were me I would just use the X758 you have coming to mow the pasture and lawn. Once you get it mowed down and keep it mowed the mower will handle that with no issues. Have a buddy that bought an acreage with a 5 acre pasture that hadn't been mowed in five years. I hauled a tractor and shedder up there and cut it once and raked it in windrows and burned the windrows, sprayed the weeds and he has been mowing it every since with a JD garden tractor and 60 inch deck. He doesn't even own a tractor for his acreage. He knows were he can borrow one. LOL.

I am still waiting for the LXs to hit the dealers so I can pick one up. I used the GT235 Deere to cut what I did. It kicked my ass. Aside from only being a 48", the field is not that smooth. I am hoping an LX or the X758 rides a lot smoother. I think the bouncing made me a couple inches shorter.

 

[Elliott in GA]

I have an LX with an LP rotary cutter and LP finish mower (it cost 1/2 what you are being quoted). I use both of them for their intended purposes (rotary - reclaiming fields from brush and mowing a field 2-3 times per year / finish - maintaining a field that is mowed at least monthly) with very little overlap, and they have been great.

However based on your stated needs, I think you would be better off with a Flail mower. Those little limbs and sticks will not be welcomed by a finish mower, and I doubt you want to spend lots of time collecting them prior to mowing. I rotary cut the perimeter (2 passes) of a field prior to using my finish mower to avoid that problem.

 

[S-G-R]

What size LX are you looking at? I'd look at getting someone to run a brush cutter through it a couple of times to look after the branches and bush and look at a finish mower. I purchased another 3 acres last summer that had 24" clover. Three passes with the LX3310 and FDR2584 left it looking like a lawn.

First pass

A few weeks later

 

[Chad D.]

I mow similar looking land with my B2650 and WoodMaxx FM-62 flail mower. I have Y-Blades on mine and it works well. A finish mower would leave it a bit cleaner, but we live in western Oregon. AKA the blackberry Capitol of the universe. The flail obliterates blackberries and all other brushy brush up to a couple inches in diameter.

 

[DriveATractor]

What size LX are you looking at? I'd look at getting someone to run a brush cutter through it a couple of times to look after the branches and bush and look at a finish mower. I purchased another 3 acres last summer that had 24" clover. Three passes with the LX3310 and FDR2584 left it looking like a lawn.

First pass

A few weeks later

Looking for a 2620 or 3520. At this point, whichever hits the lots first. Sounds like the 2620 might be a while talking to a couple dealers.