RE: (ET) /Mower deck poll

["Elie, Larry (L.D.)" <lelie ford com>]

>  On another topic,I would like to take a poll.Is side discharge better or
is rear discharge better for the front-mount mowers? Pros and cons?
> Thank You,
> Harold Z.
>
> Wheel Horse C-185, Wheel Horse 522xi

The two main classes of front decks are of course side and rear discharge. 
 The first 3 tractors I had were side.  I use rear now.  Both have pros.  
Both have cons.  I'm assuming you have the normal and not the high draw 
blades.

Side discharge pros:

Seems to cut better in high grass.  I can't explain why, it seems that it 
would have less distance to go out the back, but it doesn't seem to work 
that way.  I think the clippings are shorter too (more re-clipping and 
mulching effects?) and it works fine.

cons: 

You have to plan how to cut; it always throws to the right.  If you bag (I 
don't) you have to make the pile all go in one place.  You are more likely 
to throw any hit object as a missile with a side discharge.  I hit a 
'home-run' over 200' through a window with about 2/3 of a baseball on a 
side discharge, the other 1/3 of the ball stayed under the mower, and I 
doubt that would have happened with a rear discharge.  The mower is about 
8" wider for the chute, so you can't go in anything narrow, and that is 
almost painful if you have any gates.  Biggest negative; you can only get 
close to objects on the left.



Rear discharge pros:

Can mow close to trees, etc. on both sides.  Narrower, can get into tight 
places, easier to park.  Safer.  Easier to bag if you have a rear 
broom/collector.  Can cut in any pattern, even back and forth without 
worrying about re-cutting.

cons:

Clippings don't seem as uniform when freshly cut, especially if the grass 
was wet or long.  I don't bag, so this is quite noticeable.  Seems to draw 
more current for the same length grass, but that is very hard to prove, 
and the difference may have more to do with the likelihood that I can 
almost always mow the full deck width without worrying about trying to 
overlap.



In my experience, a rear discharge has a very slightly higher resale value.

Larry Elie