Rotary Cutter 60" or 72" Bush Hog for brush clearing with 40hp

[IslandTractor]

I am upgrading to a 41hp tractor and will have both routine pasture mowing and occasional brush clearing duties. I've decided to get a 75" flail (Caroni TM1900) for the routine mowing and light brush clearing but am now considering adding a Bush Hog for some heavier brush clearing. Need to decide what size and light/med type of rotary mower.

Basically the task that I am not sure the flail will be best for is real brush clearing of the sort that you are backing into 8-10ft bushes (multiflora rose, small trees, vine and bramble covered who knows what) and other things that have grown up on a former pasture that was not mowed for roughly 10 years. There is nothing that appears to need a chain saw but some of the bushes I can get access to look to be 2-3 inches at the trunk. I'd estimate there are 200-300 of these various bushes to be taken out in 13-15 acres. It is too dense with briar to walk through and I don't think I'll be driving forward through this with the tractor/cutter.

My plan is to clear the area by backing (mostly) with a bush hog (??flail) and ripping out anything that is too big with a grapple. Once the land is cleared of the bushes I will maintain it with the 75" flail so I am not concerned with time spent mowing as a consideration in choosing the bush hog size. My concerns are to choose a rotary cutter: 1) adequate to take out most of these bushes, 2) future use will be limited to similar "first clearing" operations so no routine mowing, 3) cost/value.

I'll buy this from a Bush Hog dealer who is delivering my other equipment. I currently own a SQ480 so am comfortable sticking with the Bush Hog brand but am waffling on size. In an ideal world I'd use the flail first to see how it handles this scenario but as I live on an island it is not worth the risk of needing the hassle/cost/delay to get a second cutter delivered later so I am going to just get both the flail and hog. The price I have on the SQ720 with slip clutch is about $300 more than the SQ600 w/clutch. Both have the same 1/2 inch blades. My tractor tread is 60 inches wide.

Is there any advantage to having the 60" rotary cutter vs 72" with regard to this specific bush hogging task? Also, am I being too shy about just using the Caroni TM1900 flail for this task...it has hammers, not knives so is certainly rated for brush.

 

[dtd24]

I have a 60" and I like it. It falls within the rear tires, so if the tractor goes through so does the mower deck. Nice and easy to move around!

 

[IllMarty1]

Island,

Why not use the 4' to take out the heavier stuff? Any real big stuff you can chain saw.

I think you'll be surprised on what the Caroni can do. I mowed 6-8' tall, thick wetland grasses with ease in 4th gear on my 32 HP tractor. I hit some smaller thickets of rasberry briar and tag alder and it did not even hestate to mulch that stuff up.

Marty

 

[IslandTractor]

Island,

Why not use the 4' to take out the heavier stuff?

Well, that is a thought. Somehow I convinced myself that a 4ft hog would not work well with a wider tractor but I'll think about that option too. Price would be right!

I guess the other approach I could use is to use the grapple to knock over/pull out the bigger bushes and just flail mow the rest. Since I posted my question I've been looking at grubbing websites and seeing all the implements other than rotary cutters designed for the job. I wasn't thinking of using the FEL mostly because I couldn't do that easily with the CK20 and its 1000lb lift capacity but I'll have more than double that with the new tractor so maybe that is a viable option too.

 

[PBinWA]

I'd go with a 60" as a minimum. With a 40HP tractor you could run a 72" no problem. IMO, bigger is better.

 

[scott_vt]

Afternoon Ed,
If you do upgrade to a 40 hp tractor the 6ft mower is the way to go, slightly less manuverable than a 5ft but the larger tractor will run that no problem !

 

[Z-Michigan]

I agree on 6' - I have a 6' rotary cutter and a 47 PTO hp tractor and I have nearly double the hp I really need to run it. Never slows down more than 50 rpm in the thickest grass, and that's at less than half throttle.

 

[IslandTractor]

I agree on 6' - I have a 6' rotary cutter and a 47 PTO hp tractor and I have nearly double the hp I really need to run it. Never slows down more than 50 rpm in the thickest grass, and that's at less than half throttle.

I appreciate that the 6footer is appropriate for mowing and I will have a 75 inch flail for that task. What if you were only going to use it for backing into thick brush? Would a 5ft version make more sense then or would you still go with the 6?

 

[jcotta]

I am upgrading to a 41hp tractor and will have both routine pasture mowing and occasional brush clearing duties. I've decided to get a 75" flail (Caroni TM1900) for the routine mowing and light brush clearing but am now considering adding a Bush Hog for some heavier brush clearing. Need to decide what size and light/med type of rotary mower.


Hi Ed,

Welcome to the dark side. HP junkies finally got to you?

from one of your former posts

"I don't agree. The other downsides to consider with bigger tractors are extra weight (not good for an application that is primarily mowing), extra fuel use, extra maintenance costs (more oil/hydro etc), bigger storage space needed and of course somewhat higher initial costs of the tractor and the upsized implements necessary to take advantage of that tractor.

Spend some time balancing your maximum need with your routine need for hp and be williing to compromise. Buy a machine and implements that do 80-90% of what you need done easily but are capable of getting the other 10-20% done if a little more slowly than ideal and I think you'll be happier overall."


You were my hero of the power of small tractors. I am sure your reasons are well researched for the upgrade. I seriously looked at smaller tractors before stumbling on a used 43hp John Deere. It has turned out to be the right size for most of my uses. I use a JD 613 and cut 1-2" brush with no problem. I cut about 4 acres of open field for a neighbor and am happy to have 6 feet. When the grass is tall I just use a bigger overlap for a cleaner cut. This effectively reduces cut width to five feet. I have worked hard in the last year and a half to dig ditches and clear land. It seems I do not the have time to put more than 100 hours a year on the tractor. The bigger machine makes better use of my time.

I have a number of great implements for a 40 hp tractor. If you need help let me know. All kidding aside, I await pictures of your new addition.

John

 

[IslandTractor]

I was afraid that someone here had a long memory. Turns out it is another Rhodie no less.

Well, the dark side is lookin' pretty good at the moment especially after considering trying to accomplish what I needed to with the addition of 13-15 acres of conservation land to the 4-5 acres I was already working on. I'd like to think the upgrade was justified pound for pound, horsepower for horsepower by the added land but I will freely acknowledge that the thought of a larger tractor was enticing all by itself. There. My name is Ed and I'm a tractor junkie.

 

[Travis_R]

Definitely go with the 6' cutter. I know your tractor can handle it with ease. Why would you want to buy a 5' cutter and UNDER USE your tractor? That is my opinion of it.

My tractor can handle a 6 1/2' disk harrow. I am fixing to buy one when I figure out the one I want. I wouldn't go any bigger than that, because it would be too much for it. If I have the horse power and the weight to pull it, then why in the world would I want to go smaller than what it could handle?

You have the tractor. Use it!

Travis R

 

[kossetx]

Ed, Everyone seems to be missing the point of the flail mower. Since you will have the flail mower this is what I would do. Beat the crap out of the 4'er and you may be supprised at how long it lasts. My 14 year old 5' house should not be running anymore from what I put it through, but it still is.

If it does wear out. get a HD 5'er to replace it. If your chopping trash, duty not size should matter.

MY .02, mp

 

[Farmwithjunk]

I appreciate that the 6footer is appropriate for mowing and I will have a 75 inch flail for that task. What if you were only going to use it for backing into thick brush? Would a 5ft version make more sense then or would you still go with the 6?

I don't know exactly how you plan on going about "backing into thick brush", but the first thing that came to my mind from that description was, lift the mower a few inches, back in, and then let the mower down on the brush. That sort of changes things a bit. When I had my farm, I had to mow about 1100 feet of creek bank. It required raising the mower, easing back to "the edge", lowering the mower, then pulling forward. I bought a Woods BB840 to use on my Deere 2440 just for that occasion. 7' mowers are disproportionatly heavy compared to a 6'er. The 2440 is a stout tractor. 60 pto hp, It's ballasted to over 7500#. It handles the 7' Woods mower just fine in ordinary conditions while "going forward" mowing. After a couple cuttings, I went back to my old MD172 Woods mower or a newer Bush Hog 286 I own to cut that creek. (Both 6'ers) That's drastically UNDERKILL on that tractor. If you're going to be doing a lot of manuevering and backing with a raised mower, a smaller than normal mower ISN'T a bad situation.

Also consider you're planning on using the flail mower once conditions permit. That makes a smaller rotary mower less of a long term "liability". If you were clear cutting 100 acres, I'd HAVE to have as big of a mower as money and HP would allow. With 12 acres, we're only talking an extra hour or so per cut to make a once or twice cutting. For rough conditions like clear cutting brush, you might just learn to APPRECIATE that smaller mower.

 

[jcotta]

My name is Ed and I'm a tractor junkie.[/QUOTE]

I thought I was the only mowing and taking land that did not belong to me !
I look at my neighbors lot from my front window and hate it when its is not mowed, so I do myself. The result is more seat time , happy neighbors and a great view. You are going to have great fun with your new tractor. No real cures for a tractor junkie, although more hp does ease the pain.

Good luck,

John

 

[IslandTractor]

..... If you're going to be doing a lot of manuevering and backing with a raised mower, a smaller than normal mower ISN'T a bad situation.

Also consider you're planning on using the flail mower once conditions permit. That makes a smaller rotary mower less of a long term "liability".

You have summed up my thinking and why I have been considering the 5ft bush hog despite knowing the tractor will easily "pull" a 6 footer. I really need the bush hog just for the initial brush clobbering. What I intended to do was to use a combination of grapple pushing, ripping, lifting and as necessary a bush hog backing into the mess to open it up. Once the land is sufficiently clear that I can drive forwards, I can use the flail (again the flail has hammers so should do fine once I can get the land to resemble a rough pasture). It just seemed logical to me that putting the power into a smaller cutter would be more effective when trying to cut heavy brush. But that thought is not necessarily based on experience.

It appears I have my work cut out for me. Toe to toe combat with Mother Nature. And she is well entrenched. I got some aerial photos today taken in 1939, 1972 and 1992 of the land that I'll be clearing/mowing. In 1939 it was a pristine farm. In 1972 there were junk cars lining the fields and some areas had returned to brush. In 1992, the cars were gone (thank heavens) but the brush was worse. The brush today fully covers one 5 acre field so thickly that you cannot walk at all and cannot even see beyond the first bushes. My original estimate was that the land had not been mowed in 8-10 years but now it appears we are talking 15 years minimum. The only good news is that it is all softwood/brush/vines/briar and it is flat.

Ideally I'd probably use a medium duty cutter like the 285 but the economics don't work for me and this is after all a one time 10+ acre task. I'd hope a light duty Bush Hog would survive that and based on my experience with the SQ480 I think it will. Kossetx's suggestion that I use the 480 I already own is interesting. If I didn't need to jump through hoops to get things delivered to the island I'd surely try that first but I may need to take advantage of the truck/trailer bringing my new equipment over to get everything delivered at once.

Thanks for the advice. I'd be particularly interested in hearing from those who have tackled this type of clearing before.

 

[EddieWalker]

I have a 35hp, 4wheel drive tractor and a 6 foot Landpride Rotary Cutter. If i can run it over, I can cut it up. I've mowed through thousands of small trees with trunks 2 to 3 inches thick and on occasion, a few a little bigger. I just have a shear pin and while backing in and lowering it on some massive blackberries, I broke my first sheer pin. Those berry bushes are much worse then small pines or other saplings.

My biggest problems come from finding stumps. Those will destroy a shredder in an instant!!!

My reason for a 6 foot shredder was to have it cut wider then my tires. I was told this was important, but don't know why. I do know that it's very nice to make a pass through some nightmare of overgrowth and know that the path I just made is wider then my tractor. Most of the time, it's a winding path that I make as I pick and chose my battles. Sometimes you just come to somehting you can't get through, but allot of the time if you go slow, you can work your way through an area. Once you have that first pass through, it's real easy to widen it and open up areas.

Buy the bigger mower. You will have plenty of power with the new tractor and you are just killing time by using a smaller one. There is no advantage to cutting as small an area as possible when you have the power and ability to cut a larger area.

Before you attack the jungle, be sure to spray yourself down with some good bug spray!!! It's not a question of if, but when will you hit a nest of hive of some sort. I cover myself and keep the bottle handy to fight and run away at the same time. So far, I've just been stung a few times, but my dad was just hit real hard by a wasp ground nest and his arms are swollen pretty bad. He didn't spray himself down before he went out.

Good luck,
Eddie

 

[IslandTractor]

Before you attack the jungle, be sure to spray yourself down with some good bug spray!!! It's not a question of if, but when will you hit a nest of hive of some sort. I cover myself and keep the bottle handy to fight and run away at the same time. So far, I've just been stung a few times, but my dad was just hit real hard by a wasp ground nest and his arms are swollen pretty bad. He didn't spray himself down before he went out.

Good luck,
Eddie

Thanks for the implement advice. It looks like the 6ft crowd is out numbering the 5ft votes by 2 or 3 to 1. Your description of how you clear brush is pretty much exactly what I have been doing with my smaller tractor in a smaller area. Sounds like the same techniques will be useful again.

I could have used your bug spray advice last weekend when I ran over a wasp nest. Man they were angry. After a couple of stings, I hopped off the tractor and did a 100yd dash in no time. About 15 seconds later I was shocked to see my neighbor running towards me with a spray can. I asked how he knew what had happened and he simply replied "why else would someone jump off a tractor and run like ****!" I'll have the bug bomb with me next time.

 

[MarkV]

Ed, Everyone seems to be missing the point of the flail mower. Since you will have the flail mower this is what I would do. Beat the crap out of the 4'er and you may be supprised at how long it lasts. My 14 year old 5' house should not be running anymore from what I put it through, but it still is.

If it does wear out. get a HD 5'er to replace it. If your chopping trash, duty not size should matter.

MY .02, mp

That sure is what I would do. Your talking about a one time project before the flail will take over the cutting duties. Why spend over a $1000 for a mower that will sit after the clearing. Besides that you are going to “nibble” away at the field by backing in so what difference does it make if the cutter is as wide as the tractor? If durability is the issue invest a $100 bucks for a slip clutch.

I don’t think the time to clear the land is going to be significantly better with a larger mower and who gets a new tractor that is worried about how long they spend on it at first?

What are you buying?

MarkV

 

[IslandTractor]

OK guys, I've made a decision. Thanks for the advice, all of which seems quite reasonable if somewhat contradictory.

I'm going to hold off buying a new Bush Hog and will first try to do my clearing work with the new flail mower and grapple. If that is not effective I'll use my SQ480 to see if that speeds things up and will judge then if I should get a new bigger rotary cutter. It will be a hassle if I do need at a later date to get a new cutter on the island but if I don't really need a cutter it will avoid the cost of the new implement.

My strategy will be to mount the flail and use it in combination with a grapple/FEL to rip through the bushes. I was shy of doing that based on my experience with the CK20/grapple which worked well but was too slow for the amount I need to do. The Kioti KL401 loader has 2700lbs of lift capacity at PP and 3700lbs of breakout force so I can probably just lift the bushes out of the ground with a single yank rather than working them loose like I did before. That will be the plan anyway. Once I get the bushes sideways on the ground I don't think the flail will have any trouble. So, I may end up going through this brush forwards rather than backwards after all.

I'll report and post some photos on my experience after the weekend.

 

[IslandTractor]

That sure is what I would do. Your talking about a one time project before the flail will take over the cutting duties. ....

What are you buying?

MarkV

Thanks especially to you and Kossetx and FWJ for reemphasizing the role of the flail mower as I thought through this issue. That was the original plan but I kinda got worried last weekend when I went to inspect the property again and saw that the brush was about 10 feet high and some quite woody.

In answer to your question about what tractor I am buying, I am trading in my trusty CK20 TLB for a Kioti DK40se HST with Woods BH90x. Simple switch really, just called up Barry Bonds who sent me a few syringes of TGH (tractor growth hormone) and after that plus a modest cash injection I expect the transformation to be complete by Thursday evening. Double the horsepower, weight and lift capacity. I'm keeping my Millonzi grapple (the DK has a universal quick attach) and also adding an almost new WR Long 4n1 that I stole off ebay ($511 delivered including diverter valve kit complete). The Caroni TM1900 75" flail will do the mowing duty. I'll hang on to the SQ480 for a while then sell it or upgrade if necessary to the SQ720.