# Tow behind deck



## jhngardner367 (Apr 5, 2011)

I have a few questions about rotary mowers(bush-hogs).
How do the deck designs differ,between them,and lawn tractors ?
How are the blades different ?
I'm using a 20hp Kohler engine,run through the electric PTO,to power the blade(s),and I want to use it for the high( 3ft) weeds/grass,so I need advice on blades,discharge,and whether I should use a flat deck,or "turbo" type.


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## MBTRAC (May 28, 2012)

A tractor type PTO 3PL bush hog is designed for maximum material throughput/clearance- basically underneath as smooth as possible square plate with side mounted skids to minimise ground to blade contact & depth normally discharging through the rear (fore & aft chains are added for safety/protection from debris) which creates windrowing of tall material - there is little consideration/requirement that lawn tractors decks have to lift, flow, minimise material cut length & evenly disperse cut material or provide suitably domestic finished lawn 
As for blades a Bush Hog normally has flat blades bolted to a single bar mounted to the drive spindle, whereas as per the reasons above a lawn mower has a blade with a rear kick angle (or fluted gator blade) to create air/aid material flow bolted to disc arrangement mounted to the drive spindle.
The difference between a Bush Hog & Lawn Deck is a bit like the differences between a machete & a filleting knife - both will cut, but each is a poor substitute for the other. 
Having said that the biggest killer of any gear is pushing your equipment to fast/hard for conditions, I've knocked down on the rare occassion an acre of 3ft high weeds with a JD LT155 but starting with the deck at the highest setting/slowest pace it took 3 progressively lower passes to tame the jungle...............though not something I'd want to be repeating on a regular basis with a lawn tractor.


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## jhngardner367 (Apr 5, 2011)

Thanks MBTRAC ! that's what I needed to know !
I hate the thought of over-stressing this LX266,and I mow 1.5 acres,which,at this time a full acre is real gnarly weeds(up to 1m high ! ).
Best to all in OZ,Mate.


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## jhngardner367 (Apr 5, 2011)

This is why I need a tow-behind ! I don't want to tax the JD,by continuing to hack at this.


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## MBTRAC (May 28, 2012)

Wow - I see your concern, I don't think I'd be pushing my luck with a lawn tractor on that too often.
Only stuff I've cut that high is less dense & largely dry, just moving the weight of green cuttings that tall & dense through the lawn deck is placing stress on the lawn tractor/deck/blades it really wasn't designed to handle.
Whilst I've never run a tow behind deck, I think I'd go down the path of buying a Kubota, Iseki, Kioti type c.18hp 4WD mini tractor with turf tyres, mid mounted lawn deck & from the rear 3PL/PTO running a bush hog when I need it - guess it comes down to cost & how much other use you can justify for a mini tractor (I can't justify the price of a mini tractor new either, I just buy ours S/H with low hours which means for less than the cost of 2xnew units we have are own little fleet - mostly the same rules apply to our farm gear)


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## jhngardner367 (Apr 5, 2011)

Yeah,MBTRAC, I started to like the little JD,and it does a great job for normal mowing,but I think if I can get the slasher done,the Bolens/slasher combo will be better,on this.
With all the wet weather we've had, the weeds grew like a wildfire,and the snakes and critters,and insects are trying to move in.


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