Everything You Need to Know About Mowing the Lawn with Your ATV. Finish mower for atv

What Is A Finish Mower, And Why Would I Want One?

A friend recently asked me to help clear out a portion of their newly acquired farm and spruce it up for a garden wedding. Everything was set. Tractors, brush mowers, and even shears. But something was missing.

I told them that if they are aiming for a perfectly manicured lawn, they will need a finish mower.

Also known as the finishing mower or grooming mower, a finish mower is a grass-cutting tool that is typically attached to a tractor or ATV to give the yard a smooth, close trim. It is ideal for sports fields, public parks, and even your own backyard, as it lets you save time and energy by covering large areas in one go.

For everyone else who also wants to know more about finish mowers, I’m going to answer some common questions and hopefully help you decide whether you should get one as well. But first, let’s clear up this confusion.

Rican ATV | Wessex AR Series ATV Rotary Mower

What is the Difference Between a Finish Mower and a Brush Mower?

While finish mowers and brush mowers are both used to cut lawns, they are different in function and appearance. Brush mowers are high-powered machines that work great in tearing through tall grass and heavy vegetation. Finish mowers, on the other hand, are best for light cutting to give your lawn a polished look.

To put it simply: think of brush mowers as barber scissors and finish mowers as electric razors. One chops off the locks, and the other gives you the buzz-head look.

Another way to tell them apart is by the appearance. A brush cutter can be a type of push mower or a tow-behind model pulled by a tractor. Here’s what a brush cutter looks like…

Pictured above: Remington 22″ Brush Mower

A finish mower is wider and usually flat, with rotating shafts and multiple free-swinging blades. It can be attached behind a tractor or a riding mower. Here’s what a finish mower looks like…

Pictured above: Farmer Helper 5′ Finish Mower

It’s understandable to confuse one for the other if you are new to lawn-mowing. Since we are highlighting the groomer’s best friend here, let’s FOCUS on the finish cutter’s best qualities.

What are the Features and Benefits of a Finish Mower?

The best advantage is great productivity in lesser time. You just sit on a tractor, maneuver it, and you have acres of fresh, even turf.

Imagine being in charge of the upkeep of a school’s soccer field. Surely you wouldn’t want to snip your way through 100 yards of overgrowth. That’s when a grooming mower comes handy. Finish mowers, particularly those for commercial use, are highly efficient because of these parts and capabilities:

• 60 to 260 inches cutting width
• Half an inch to 6 inches mowing height
• Fine and coarse cutting modes
• 3 to 5 blades for small units
• Around 100 blades per head for industry-grade models
• 15,000 to 18,000 feet per minute average blade speed

A typical model with the minimum specifications can shave an area as wide as 5 feet in one pass, with the grass trimmed to as short as an inch. And with a cutting speed that can go to 18,000 feet per minute, you can polish your lawn in a breeze.

Do I Need a Finish Mower?

It depends! Landscaping experts and lawn-mowing pros could definitely use a finish mower for grooming massive turf grounds. If you are a homeowner with lots of estate ground to maintain, then the finishing blades would also be ideal for you.

Here’s another hint. If you work in or own any of these, chances are, you would need one:

So, which of those vast greens do you work on? To really know if you should get the mower, try asking yourself these questions as well:

• How big is my lawn? – If it’s smaller than half an acre and you don’t mind a bit of cardio, consider getting a push mower instead.
• Is my lawn flat and obstacle-free? – If your yard has been cleared off tall growths and is ready for an even shave, then it’s time for some finishing touch.
• Do I want a perfectly manicured lawn? – Who doesn’t, right? You will need a finish mower to keep the grass short or at a consistent length throughout.
• Do I have a riding mower, ATV, or tractor? – Finish mowers can be hitched behind any of these three. Just make sure that it’s the right size for the machine. And that brings us to the next question…

What Kind of Finish Mower Should I Get?

So you have decided that you need a finish mower. But which one? There are several things you should consider…

Choose the correct cutting width for the land area

For homeowners, a model with 60 to 99 inches of cutting width will do. Professional trimming jobs for large commercial areas would require more heavy-duty equipment. Consider getting the 150- to 250-inch kind and pair it with a high-powered tractor.

Consider the number of blades

Aside from cutting width, you should also consider the number of blades. Do you want a coarse or fine finish? The more blade the mower has, the finer the cut.

Find out how much power is needed

And then the horsepower requirement. Your machine should be able to meet the minimum force for pulling the type of mower you have. Check out these common sizes and their corresponding HP:

In summary, the right finish mower for you also depends on the type of mowing job you want and the size of your property.

• 10.5 HP (344cc) Briggs Stratton recoil start engine
• Single-point cutting height adjustment of 1.5″-4.5″
• Universal articulating hitch with left to right adjustable offset
• Two G6 commercial mulching blades
• Operating blade engage / disengage controls
• 14. 5 HP (603cc) Kawasaki electric start engine
• 3 G6 Gator commercial mulching blades
• Commercial Grade cast iron blade spindles
• 1-In to 5. 5-In variable cutting Height adjustment
• Standard lawn and garden Battery not included

What Accessories Would Work Best with My Finish Mower?

Most modern finish mowers already come with safety shields. The hood keeps foreign objects out while the blades are at work, giving you peace of mind when there are pets or people around (though everyone should still steer clear when you’re mowing, of course!).

Others have built-in baffles or mulching kit. This is optional, so you can get a separate discharge bag where grass clippings will go. Attaching the kit would re-cut the grass into tinier pieces, making them decompose faster when distributed evenly. Mulching also helps make your soil healthier.

Big models with super wide heads often have retractable “wings.” This feature lifts the side mowing heads for easy storage or transport through narrow paths.

In Conclusion

If you want your lawn to have a smooth, contoured look, then the finish mower is right for you. This grass-cutting machine works best for vast areas, making them ideal for contractors, lawn care professionals, and property developers.

Homeowners with a big backyard could use this too!

But of course, you should first consider things like the size of your lawn and the grooming output you’re aiming for in order to select the best finish mower to do the job.

My friend was able to achieve the perfect green carpet for the garden wedding I talked about earlier. It was a clean backdrop to the intricate colors and patterns they used to decorate the place. Picture-perfect for a beautiful occasion!

It was even more stunning if you see the before and after photos placed side-by-side. Once a pebbly patch of farmland riddled with weeds transformed into a beautiful, patted lawn. Looked like something out of a royal palace if you ask me.

What we used was a 72-inch finish mower that’s compatible with my buddy’s ATV. The model has a tapered side and rounded front, plus a rear discharge deck. Mowing with good maneuverability reduced the trim time, especially with the alloy steel blades that cut the grass with utmost precision. I would also recommend this design (a combination of pre-installed baffles, deep deck, and rear discharge) to anyone because it lives up to the promise of giving you premium results.

Clearing the area didn’t take half a day with that setup.

I’m pretty sure they will maintain that patch for future recreational activities like barbecues or a ball game. And I bet they will look forward to using that powerful equipment and get a high-quality cut with a snap of a finger.

Everything You Need to Know About Mowing the Lawn with Your ATV

Mowing side attachment on ATV. Image from Compett.org

ATVs are versatile pieces of equipment with a whole lot of utility beyond what you might immediately expect. For example, with the right attachment, you can use your ATV to double as a lawn mower! Of course, it’s not always advisable to do so. While ATVs can be used for cutting grass, they were not specifically designed to do so. This means you need to make sure the circumstances are right before you start warming up your ATV for your grass cutting duties. The benefits are that cutting grass with your ATV will save you money (you won’t need to purchase a riding mower), will drive faster than a standard mower and will be more capable of cutting thick, tall vegetation. However, it will cause more damage to the grass, can be harder to maneuver in some circumstances and will give you a real workout to your hands and wrists. Ultimately, if you need a well-manicured, pristine lawn, you’re going to want to use a conventional or riding lawn mower versus an ATV. But if you’re out in the country and are looking for quick, economical options and aesthetics aren’t important, using the ATV can be highly beneficial.

Your options for ATV lawn mowing

Before you pick the specific type of mower attachment you’re going to use, you’ll need to figure out how you want to mount the mower.

• Frontal mount attachments have a mowing deck that goes on the front of the ATV. The benefit is that they offer greater visibility for mowing, but the drawback is that they are not as versatile as some other options.
• Pull behind lawn mower attachments are perhaps the most popular. You tow these mowers along as you drive. Just make sure they fit within your ATV’s towing capacity.
• Center mount mower attachments are the least common, as they attach to the underside of the ATV and cut at the side or front. They’re best for ATVs that need lighter attachments.

Once you’ve decided where you want to mount your mower, you can move on to choosing the category of mower you’ll work with.

Rough cutting mowers

These mowers are simply designed to get the job done without a whole lot of care for the aesthetics. They’ll cut through grass quickly, especially on rough terrain, but won’t win you many landscaping awards.

• Flail mowers: Flail mowers are designed for particularly rough terrain and thick grass. They feature blades on a horizontal roller that turn on their own pivot individually. The design allows you to trim fairly low to the ground. You can purchase front-mounted flail mowers if you wish.
• Rotary motor: This is a more traditional style of motor, featuring blades on the deck or horizontally to the ground rotating parallel to each other. They’re able to cut thick, tough grass.
• Shredders: Shredders are similar to flail mowers, but have another cutting bar to help mulch up larger areas.
• Trimmers: Trimmers are standard lawn trimmers but designed for harsher environments. They feature a large cutting line and swinging motion, ideal for cutting around shrubberies.

Finish mowers

If you’re a little more concerned with the appearance of your grass, finish mowers will help you get a cleaner cut. They’re no substitute for a riding or pushing lawn mower in terms of finesse, but they are popular options for ATV enthusiasts who want an okay-looking result for their grass that doesn’t need as much maintenance.

• Reel mowers: These mowers have curved glades attached to the wheels that cut while they turn. It’s ideal for grass that is easy to mow or is finer in texture, and for people who want a bit more of a finished appearance.
• Rotary blade: These mowers allow you to go deeper in customizing the depth and precision with which you cut your grass.

Other things to know

Keep in mind that you’ll need to install your mower attachment, so it’s important to review the manuals both for the attachment and for your ATV so you can get it done safely and correctly.

In general, the cost of the attachment will run you anywhere from several hundred to several thousand dollars, depending on the type of attachment you choose and where you purchase it from. This will still be cheaper than purchasing a riding mower in most cases, but it is an extra expense that’s worth considering, and the mower attachment will need at least some level of ongoing maintenance to ensure continued reliable performance.

Summer Job. ATV Mowing Buying Tips

Summer means time for fun, but it also leads to one of the most despised jobs for all home and property owners: cutting grass. Just as with so many other tasks, luckily our year round four-wheeled buddies can help out and there are several mower options to cut your job down to size.

Unless you’re running a country club where reel mowers are the choice for a perfect cut, there are two main types of mowers you can pull behind your ATV. We’ll explain the benefits and uses of both.

Mower Basics

FINISH MOWERS, as their name implies, are used for fine cutting jobs like you would want for the lawn around your house. Multiple blades, slightly lower blade speed, and more adjustments are used on finish mowers, and the decks can discharge clippings to the side or rear. As with all fine tools, however, they are best at precision work rather than carving a hole through the underbrush for your food plot.

If you’ve got serious grass to cut or brush to clear, a ROUGH CUT mower will likely be the best tool for the job. Most rough cut mowers work like a Brush Hog with two large blades rotating around a single axis. The kinetic energy from the two large blades either cuts everything in its path or beats it into submission. This is a scaled-down version of the type of mower road crews use to mow ditches or farmers use to clear brush. Rough cut mowers are suitable for tall grass and underbrush. They’ll cut everything down to size, but it might not be the neatest looking job afterwards.

Since no ATV or UTV has a live power-take-off shaft like a tractor, all ATV or UTV mowers are powered by a small engine mounted above the steel deck. A pulley on the engine output shaft usually drives a gearbox or a belt with another set of pulleys that gets the blades spinning. Most smaller mower engines are started with a recoil system while the larger engines feature electric start and often a recoil backup. Typical size is from 40 to 66 inches.

Wessex ATV Flail Mowers. (Next Generation ATV Flail Mowers.)

Mowers aren’t much different than any other accessory in that a well thought out design, excellent manufacturing, and a good company standing behind the product makes all the difference in the world. We always want you to be well informed before you buy, (just like we want to be) and with more models, better design, and more features, Kunz Engineering is the leader in pull behind mower technology and manufacturing.

Kunz Enineering

Kunz Engineering is by far the leading manufacturer of mowers, and with 10 unique models, they offer more mowers than everybody else combined. We’ve compared the specs to every other mower and there is nothing else that even comes close. Their products are well designed, fully tested under real world conditions, and built to last through years of hard use. You will never find another mower deck built as well as a KUNZ deck. (We wish our Deere mower came with one!) Even their finish mower decks are built with thicker steel and super heavy duty reinforcement plates than competitors rough cut mowers. We were also extremely happy to find KUNZ uses large diameter spindles to resist any deflection or bending on heavy material or saplings, and they perform extended testing to insure the longest possible life from the best bearings available. They design their mowers to be in the field, not your shop.

Desk Sizes and Engine Choices

Both the AcrEase rough cut and finish cut mowers come with a variety of engine sizes based on deck and blade size, and customer options. Regardless of which size you choose, however, even the smallest mower deck – 40 inches – comes with an engine that is nearly as large as the competition’s largest engine. On the largest decks, engines up to 23 HP get the job done, and both commercial and residential engines are available. Kunz also gives all models, except the finish cut H40B, a 3 gallon fuel tank.

To get the blades spinning, Kunz uses a centrifugal clutch, an electric clutch, or a manual lever system. The manual clutch is the choice for most while the centrifugal clutch system engages as the engine rpm increases. Commercial users may prefer the electric clutch option, though.

Deck size plays an important role in engine size as does the number of blades and Kunz uses a triple blade system on all finish cut mowers other than the model H40B. On the rough cut mowers, Kunz uses a dual blade system with a blade tip speed of 19,000 rpm.

Kunz on the Deck

It’s the deck that is the platform for everything else and the Kunz AcrEase decks are the most solid built we have ever seen. The main deck is framed from 10 gauge steel, with 7 gauge side plates, ¼ inch stiffening ribs, and even a third layer of ¼ steel welded under the spindle mounts for added rigidity on the rough cut mowers. Since they are finishing tools, the finish cut decks don’t require a third layer of steel under the spindles, but they do get six anti-scalp wheels and a large end discharge opening.

Cutting height adjustment is super easy thanks to a crank system, and 4 wheels support all models for supreme stability regardless of the terrain. Kunz even makes a high flotation tire kit for cutting extremely wet or swampy areas, although any time we’ve had mower blades dip into water, it’s about killed the motor.

We were especially happy to see Kunz uses large diameter tubing for their frame and tongue system. The other really great idea they had was to use a clevis style hitch for rough cut models which prevents hitch bind when the ATV and mower are on different slope angles.

Kunz Eningeering Finish Cut Quick Specs

Model: H60B 60” cut, 19.5hp Briggs Stratton OHV, electric start, centrifugal clutch, residential grade C60K 60” cut, 18hp Kohler OHV, electric start, centrifugal clutch, commercial grade Pro60K 60” cut, 18hp Kohler OHV, electric start, electric clutch, professional grade Pro60V 60” cut, 23hp Briggs Stratton OHV, twin cylinder, elect. start, elect. clutch, professional grade H40B 40” cut, 12.5hp Briggs Stratton, recoil start, manual clutch, residential grade

Kunz Engineering Rough Cut Mower Quick Specs

Model: MR55B 57” cut, 23hp Briggs Stratton, Twin cylinder, electric start, manual clutch MR55K 57” cut, 20hp Kohler Command Twin Cylinder, electric start, manual clutch MR55KE 57” cut, 20hp Kohler Command Twin Cylinder, electric start, electric clutch MR44B 44” cut, 19.5hp Briggs Stratton Intek, electric start, manual clutch MR44K 44” cut, 18hp Kohler Command, electric start, manual clutch

Take the Field

A pull behind mower is a tool you can use to get more out of your ATV, and it is significantly less expensive than a complete tractor or zero turn mower. Unless you own a landscape company nobody purchases a mower often, but when you do, there are a few basic things you need to look for.

1: Is it well built with a solid deck that has reinforcements in critical areas? 2: Are the wheels and support gear built for years of hard work? You don’t want to be welding it back together mid-season. 3: Does it have heavy duty, large diameter spindles designed for tough material? 4: Is the hitch sturdy and does it articulate to accommodate cutting on slopes? 5: Does it feature a reliable, name brand engine big enough for the job?

The KUNZ ArcEase mowers are well designed and well built, meet a high reliability standard, and with a little care could be the last mower you’ll ever buy. After all, we want to get the same thing out of mowing as you do: done.

Mower Safety Tips

BE SAFE. Wear protective gear eyewear. Stay out of the rocks, logs, or anything that shouldn’t go under mower, and be aware of people and property that could be injured or damaged by flying debris.

DRIVE AT A MODERATE SPEED. This is about mowing, not riding, and nobody is going to give you a trophy for finishing first.

USE the MOWER AS DIRECTED. Don’t go overboard on what you are cutting. This is an ATV mower and not a tractor mounted brush hog.

STAY BACK FROM MOVING BLADES. This is obvious, but don’t stick anything under the deck you don’t want to lose. Keep others back as well.