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Mowing In Reverse

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hugheswill
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 17 South Texas
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2006-06-05          130471


I have a 3120 with a rear finishing mower and was wondering what advice everyone might have on mowing in reverse. I know the manual says don't do it and I wouldn't suggest it for regular mowing of big open areas, etc. But I was wondering if there's any problem with backing the rear finishing mower under trees and in fence corners to get at hard to get spots? In addition to being the mower, I'm the weedeater too.



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Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999
Posts: 7249 Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada
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2006-06-05          130472


It really doesn't work well cutting backwards, however having said that, when you put the machine into forwards and drive away it will cut fine.

I think the big reason they tell you not to do it, and it's a good one, is it's so easy to bump something and bend the deck. In a worst case scenario the blade will then hit the deck, but even a slight twist will do very bad things, the least of which is a poor cut.

When it comes to a pushing match between a CUT and a RFM, the tractor wins everytime.

Best of luck. ....


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Billy
Join Date: Oct 1999
Posts: 975 Southeast Oklahoma
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2006-06-05          130474


Do it. It ain't gonna hurt a thing. I've done it for years and never had a problem. ....


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DenisS
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 367 NJ
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2006-06-05          130480


How else are you going to mow those spots? That's why you got the rear mower, to get it into tight spots. Just be careful with what you're backing into; if you jam into something, in addition to bending the deck on the mower, you can easily damage the PTO shaft. ....


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hugheswill
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 17 South Texas
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2006-06-06          130513


Thanks for the great advice. I thought about it last time I was mowing and figured the back end of the RFM looked a lot like the front of those nifty zero turn mowing gizmos. But the point is well taken about being careful so as to not have the tractor crunch the RFM mower deck and bend the PTO shaft. ....


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kthompson
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 5275 South Carolina
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2006-06-06          130515


hughes,

I use a RFM and a rough cut on my CUT with hydro. Esp. with the rough cut have found it very useful to cut some places in reverse. Now I am able to turn sideways enough to see very well and still be seated fully. Also as has been pointed out, SLOWLY. Enough when you do bump something there is no damage.

On some cutters the debris will discharge different than traveling forward.

Gd, GB
....


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Art White
Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 6898 Waterville New York
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2006-06-07          130586


I haven't seen a deck yet that would mow as well in reverse as in forward do to design. It doesn't mean that it can't be used that way. ....


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brokenarrow
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 1288 Wisconsin
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2006-06-08          130664


If your going to have to weed eat anyways, why risk it?
Getting close to fence posts while backing up may be a addrenilan rush while doing it, and a warm feeling after you get away with it but one little "miss" and you may be
cutting the rest of your lawn with the "weed eating" machine. Me thinks you should not make this a every day practice. Then again what do I know, I am the one that cut down my wifes "Pretty yard Oak tree" only after! I done 3K in damage to my trucks door, rocker and jam. ....


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earthwrks
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 3853 Home Office in Flat Rock, Michigan
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2006-06-08          130665


I do it all the time with my brushhog. But the problem I ran into was that it really takes a toll on the caster(s) pivot(s) (I ended up torching off the old [2yr old] caster and replacing it with a John Deere seeder caster that has ball bearings in the pivot and the wheel hub). Every time you change direction, the caster wheels have to spin around 180 degrees (typically) to accomodate---and that means rapid wear if they're not greased. Normally, going one direction---short of making the obvious turns---the casters don't rotate all that much. So going back and forth may increase wear 4 or 5 times as much, in my opinion. ....


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DenisS
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 367 NJ
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2006-06-09          130677


If you go slow, the rear wheel won't even turn around, no stress on it at all. The key is: when mowing in reverse, go sloooooooooooooooow. ....


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kthompson
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 5275 South Carolina
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2006-06-09          130678


brokenarrow,

Thanks for the truck and tree experience. Some trees are planted by body shops. Backing up with door open is not a good habit but is so easy to do. Not saying that is what happened to you. ....


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earthwrks
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 3853 Home Office in Flat Rock, Michigan
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2006-06-09          130684


DenisS: Please edumacate me on how a caster doesn't turn around when it changes direction regardless if you go sloooooow (unless that is, it was not greased and is bound up so it won't turn) ....


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DenisS
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 367 NJ
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2006-06-09          130685


LOL

OK, a bound-up caster wheel whould be one instance where it wouldn't turn.

In my ever so limited experience, when I would back up just for a few feet after going forward, the wheel whould stay in the same position it was while going forward. That's just what happened, I don't know the physics behind it, but the unit was brand new, so plenty of grease there. If you turn just a bit, while backing up, then that wheel would turn. ....


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Iowafun
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 955 Central Iowa
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2006-06-09          130693


The castors on my MMM don't always turn when I back up. It's basic physics and how the castor is loaded. If the wheel is perfectly aligned with the direction of reverse travel, then there is no force to cause it to rotate is it's in alignment with the vertical axle. When the wheel is slightly out of alignment, a moment arm is created causing the castor to rotate. As long as the moment arm force exceeds the friction of it's bushings, it will rotate.

Clear as mud? I tried not to be overly technical but it's easier to explain when I have a napkin or envelope to draw diagrams on. ....


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