Although many mowers will now go up to 4" and even a little higher, I think they have pushed the envelope too far. What happens is the deck is so far above the ground that what little vacuum a mower blade/deck produces is lost, and the plant material is not pulled up into the blade path. So, contemplating putting big wheels on a mower and cutting at 8" probably is not going to work. Even a DR Field and Brush mower cuts at 4". Sounds to me like you need some kind of tractor-drawn equipment.

That's what I've been thinking. Perhaps a sickle bar mower modified to cut at 8" might do the trick. We've tried a heavy duty wheeled string trimmer but it cuts too ragged and the way it was rigged up to cut higher than normal was a bit wonky and unstable. Thanks.

I would think it would be very dangerous. That is the reason.

When I read the subject line I though we were in for a lecture on Principles of Rotary Mower Design. A Lawnmower 101 course.

Indeed it would be very dangerous. All sorts of stuff could be flung out and it would be so easy to mow your foot off. You need one of those brush cutters.

Pushing a mower over 8" of brush would be tough, might be easier to take a long walk with a trimmer and blade.

Conventional rotary blade mower design doesn't cut well at all at higher and higher cutting heights. The turbulence created by the blade and the flexibility of the plants being cut all affect the outcome. More flexible plants just bend over and avoid the cutting blade and spring back up later. This problem is evidenced even in lawns that are mowed at 3 or 4 inches. A sickle bar design would serve you better. Perhaps a lower cost mower(for limited duty)could be constructed using gas hedge clippers which are essentially sickle bar cutters.

This seems to be a good idea, but todays manufacturers need large sales numbers to prosper. There would be quite the limited market for this "effective at an eight inch cutting height" deck, IMO.

Thanks for all the comments. Regarding the possible market for such a mower, I predict that the market will grow. More people are wanting to mow less and to live in a more natural habitat. They, as we, choose to create meadows which require a different pattern of cutting than lawns. As more people create meadows, the market for speciality mowers should grow. Of course, unless a person has a huge property, buying such a specialty mower for use only 2 or 3 times a year would not be practical, so I envision that rental agencies and lawn services will be the market, not the property owner.

While I understand that a wildflower garden or a meadow can certainly be appealing I don't see how they are more green or back to nature than a garden or more traditional garden. The meadow you are describing will take maintenance, cutting, seeding, feeding, etc., which is hardly as nature does things. If you want a real meadow then just let nature go through it's normal cycles in your field. Otherwise don't kid yourself that a managed "meais any more green than a managed garden or lawn. It ain't.