Go BottomAlternatives for rotary cutter
 | Kimball
Join Date: Posts: 1 
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1999-12-15 11073
My understanding is that whacking the tops off of grass blades is not the healthies thing for grass. It also tends to fill the air with grass dust which sets off allergies. A reel mower seems like a good solution, except that most reel mowers are designed to cut the lawn extremely short, which isn't healthy for the lawn either. Is there any other alternative? I thought that a sickle-bar mower would work, but was told that it doesn't really give a finished cut. Am I stuck with a rotary mower? Should I not be bothered with this compromise?
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| Richard
Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 0 ky
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1999-12-15 11096
Kimball... Not an answer to your real question, but I remember from my years of growing up on a farm that sickle mowers are (1) *very* labor intensive (lots of vibrating parts wanting to come loose, plus sharpening takes lots of time and patience), and (2) subject to immediate, dramatic failure if the sickle hits a rock, stump, etc. Now that I have my own few acres of grass to keep down, I use a bush-hog-type rotary in the rough stuff and a riding mower around the house. ....
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| Bird Senter
Join Date: Jun 1999 Posts: 962 
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1999-12-16 11119
Kimball, when you talk about being stuck with a "rotary" mower, I guess you are talking about all rotary types. It seems most of the guys on the discussion boards (and the manufacturers) call a "rotary cutter" what I was accustomed to hearing called a brush hog. I have a 5' one for the pasture and light brush. Then my 5' "finish mower" is also rotary action, but with 3 smaller, sharper blades for mowing the yard. It seems to me that about the only place you see the "reel" type mowers anymore is on golf courses, and while they do a beautiful job, I understand they both very expensive to buy and to maintain. ....
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| JK in WI
Join Date: Posts: 1
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1999-12-16 11121
What about flail mowers, guys? I don't have any experience with them but my understanding is that they do not launch projectiles like a rotary and if you do hit a rock usually the worst thing that will happen is the blades (or knifes I guess they are called) will get dull. But, can they cut small (1/2" dia.) brush? How do they compare price wise to the other styles of mowers? ....
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| bo
Join Date: Posts: 1
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1999-12-16 11123
JK- Flails give a pretty good cut, drop the cuttings directly behind them, they aren't cheap, they will cut small brush and they are a pain in the butt to sharpen. The blades are reversable, but ultimately you'll have to sharpen 60-70 blades. The DOT in N.Y. just throws them away and buys new ones. Personally, I like the belly mower, only three blades to sharpen.bo ....
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| Von
Join Date: Posts: 1
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1999-12-16 11136
About reel cutters, I had a three gang setup made by toro that was from a golf corse to cut my 5 ac. While they do cut nice they are a pain to sharpen and you have to cut the grass all the time (like 2 to 3 times a week). Plus if it gets over 2" from your last cut it just folds it over and misses. The ploblem with flail mowers is the long roller will dig up the yard on tight turns and is not for finish mowing. The best is what Bird has stated and I have the same 5 ft. Howse rotory cutter and a Ford (made by Woods) 6 ft. 3 pt. finish mower. I use a Kubota B8200 HST but am looking at a B2710 with 100hrs. on it. If I can get for $13k all I will need to add is a loader. Hope this helps. Von ....
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