BX 25 Bush Hog Recommendation

[Delphicoder]

Hi There.

I am dizzy after looking at so many choices of rotary cutters for my BX25. From what I gather, I want to get a 48 inch rather than the 42 inch. KB or LandPride, or even kodiak or kk or woods. My main question with all these, is exactly what can I cut with my tractor and the bush hog? Just grass? I have overgrowth from where we had land cleared a few years back. Nothing really thick, but like briars and random weed trees. Probably all well under an inch in diameter. Is that too much for the bx25? I have never used a rotary cutter, so I am just trying to set my expectations accordingly.

Thanks!

 

[zoltanthegypsy]

When I bought my BX24 I wanted the biggest hog possible. The salesman insisted that 42" was the biggest appropriate for my tractor. I didn't want to hear that, but went w/a 42" Rankin.
Seems he was right. Even @ _only_ 42", when mowing 3' high heavy grass, the cutter would bog enough to kill the engine. That can't be good for any part of the running gear.
It's all about available/appropriate horsepower.
I don't have any problem mowing blackberries and plumb saplings an inch or so in diameter - other than the racket
Z.

 

[Delphicoder]

Shoot, I really did not like the 42 I saw. It looks like the 48 would work just fine, but what I hear you saying is that it does not have enough horsepower to do a good job, even with just grass.

Might be easier to just pay someone to do it and be done with it.

 

[leonz]

Hi There.

I am dizzy after looking at so many choices of rotary cutters for my BX25. From what I gather, I want to get a 48 inch rather than the 42 inch. KB or LandPride, or even kodiak or kk or woods. My main question with all these, is exactly what can I cut with my tractor and the bush hog? Just grass? I have overgrowth from where we had land cleared a few years back. Nothing really thick, but like briars and random weed trees. Probably all well under an inch in diameter. Is that too much for the bx25? I have never used a rotary cutter, so I am just trying to set my expectations accordingly.

Thanks!

You would be much better of with Caroni Flailmower with either the B rotor or F rotor.

Agrisupply has an internet sale special which saves you a considerable amount of money with shipping to your door included in the price.

the models you should consider are:

TL1200FSC fine cut
TL1200PSC
TL1200ASC

This model is 48 inches wide in actual cutting width being 1200 Millemeters

A brush mower has a limited amount of cutting surface where a flail mowers grass slicer knives have more total slicing edge surface and there are no gaps in mowing where a rooster tail is left


A brush mower only has so much cutting edge to cut brush on each revolution where only one mower blade is cutting at any time.


The flail mower in use allows each and every knive edge to slice and reslice
the grass or brush in front of it to fine clippings if you mow slowly forward enough and brings everything down to carpet hieght.

The flailmower will not throw things if it impacts them as everything remains under the mower hood, whereas a brush mower can and does turn objects into projectiles.

The individual flail mower knife folds back if it impacts an object and goes right back to mowing.

Please read our running thread on flail mowers which is over a hundred pages long before you make any decisions as a flail mower can be used safely around 2 and 4 legged rug rats and pedestrians.

The fine cut rotor allows you mow brush and your lawn with no modifications
and it mows everything down to carpet and keeps weeds and regrowth of weed trees to near zero.

 

[zoltanthegypsy]

Shoot, I really did not like the 42 I saw. It looks like the 48 would work just fine, but what I hear you saying is that it does not have enough horsepower to do a good job, even with just grass.

Might be easier to just pay someone to do it and be done with it.

Hey, I'm just one opinion, and a n00b at that. Let's see what the pros say. Keep in mind, the grass I was cutting was like a hay field, and very tall.

Z.

 

[Delphicoder]

Hey thanks. I had never even heard of a flail mower. It works on underbrush? I have an agrisupply store about 45 minutes away. I will check them out.

 

[sld]

Go with the 48 incher. If you can lift it safely, you can use it. Sometimes you might have to go slower or take less than a full pass but that is easy to regulate. You won't be cutting 3 foot thick grass every time if you keep up on it.

I run a 48 inch KK on my 16 hp Ford 1210 with zero problems. I used to use a 5 footer but it was so heavy it made the front end too light. Still, I never had a problem as long as I slowed down when needed.

 

[TripleR]

I run a 48" Land Pride on my BX2660 and cut briers, saplings and just about anything up to and a little past the 1 1/2" recommended. As mentioned, if the grass is too thick or too high only take a partial swipe or mow high then come back and mow low.

I would also consider a flail mower. I do not own one for a variety of reasons including that I need the extra reach backing up to and over drop offs or down to the pond edges. I can see where one would be very useful, so far just not for me though who knows what the future may hold.

 

[CompactTractorFan]

I run a 48" Land Pride on my BX2660 and cut briers, saplings and just about anything up to and a little past the 1 1/2" recommended. As mentioned, if the grass is too thick or too high only take a partial swipe or mow high then come back and mow low.

I would also consider a flail mower. I do not own one for a variety of reasons including that I need the extra reach backing up to and over drop offs or down to the pond edges. I can see where one would be very useful, so far just not for me though who knows what the future may hold.

Also the BX2660 has some more horsepower than the BX25 (and an "Extra Power" decal ).

 

[TripleR]

Also the BX2660 has some more horsepower than the BX25 (and an "Extra Power" decal ).

I think the decal is the real secret:thumbsup:

 

[newdeal]

I borrowed my father in laws to tow behind my BX2360 and its a 48" worked just fine. I mowed down a 3 acre field of weeds, some of which were over 6 feet tall and had only the occasional bog out...if anything it had more trouble with the lower weeds because they tended to be more dense. I also used it to back into my pond in order to cut down some bull rushes and ***** willows...bull rushes are easy but it had no problem hacking up the ***** willow either. No idea what model it is...its yellow and old and rusty but gets the job done

 

[leonz]

Shoot, I really did not like the 42 I saw. It looks like the 48 would work just fine, but what I hear you saying is that it does not have enough horsepower to do a good job, even with just grass.

Might be easier to just pay someone to do it and be done with it.

If you mow too fast with any mower on brush or turf it will not mow or slash
the brush well at all.

 

[Delphicoder]

Good point. I generally go really slow with anything I am doing on my little tractor. The brush is not "dense" like high grass, so it may be fine with the 48 after all.

 

[CompactTractorFan]

I think the decal is the real secret:thumbsup:

Maybe...

 

[LostInTheWoods]

I run a 48" Land Pride on my BX2660 and cut briers, saplings and just about anything up to and a little past the 1 1/2" recommended. As mentioned, if the grass is too thick or too high only take a partial swipe or mow high then come back and mow low.

I would also consider a flail mower. I do not own one for a variety of reasons including that I need the extra reach backing up to and over drop offs or down to the pond edges. I can see where one would be very useful, so far just not for me though who knows what the future may hold.

I can second what TripleR says. I also have a Land Pride 48" rotary cutter, and have pushed it over the recommended 1 1/2" limit more than once. I chose the rotary cutter for many of the same reasons, and my perception that flail's are more expensive and require more maintenance.

True, the 2660 makes a bit more PTO HP (1.8HP more), but as was said before...after the first mowing, you can keep the brush under better control.

 

[LBrown59]

1*Go with the 48 incher. If you can lift it safely, you can use it. Sometimes you might have to go slower or take less than a full pass but that is easy to regulate.
You won't be cutting 3 foot thick grass every time if you keep up on it.

1* Rite on he should go for a 48 incher.

 

[Delphicoder]

Thanks as always for all the great comments. I think I will get the landpride 48. Those flail mowers look really sweet though, and maybe that will be another purchase after I get this mess knocked down and cleaned up a bit.

 

[LostInTheWoods]

Thanks as always for all the great comments. I think I will get the landpride 48. Those flail mowers look really sweet though, and maybe that will be another purchase after I get this mess knocked down and cleaned up a bit.

Not a bad decision, but unless you're in a great hurry I'd recommend doing a search on TBN for flail mowers. I think a poster named Ironhorse put up a pretty good discussion on them, but I may be getting him confused with someone else. Weigh out all your options. Unless your disposable income is significant, make sure you're making the right choice. Like I said, I'm very happy with my Land Pride 48" cutter and I still feel it was a good choice for me. And if you're wanting a flail, but are not sure... the flails can handle heavy brush if you choose the right set-up.

 

[leonz]

No your not confused about who Iron Horse is.

I forgot to mention his expereince with a rotary cutter and how he got rid of it a few minutes after he bought it and replaced it with a flail mower.

The rotary cutter he bought hit a bolt and it sailed for several hundred feet and blew through the exterior wall of a home and impaled itself in an interior wall.

The purchase of a flail mower eliminates the need for a bruh mower AND a finish mower.

 

[LostInTheWoods]

I forgot to mention his expereince with a rotary cutter and how he got rid of it a few minutes after he bought it and replaced it with a flail mower.

The rotary cutter he bought hit a bolt and it sailed for several hundred feet and blew through the exterior wall of a home and impaled itself in an interior wall.

For someone who does this kind of work for a living, a flail mower certainly makes sense on several levels. First, the extra cost can be depreciated over several years. Second, his risk of liability is certainly going to be lower, especially if he must often work near buildings or in areas that it is difficult to control pedestrians and other traffic. Also, if he's in that business, it is probably easier to find the time for maintenance of those blades (sharpening, replacing, etc.). For me, as a "casual" user, I have to make time for maintenance in between the rest of life's duties. Of course, I always make the time, so I suppose I would if I had a flail.

And truthfully, the math just doesn't impress me about the risk of hurling some projectile into an unfortunate target. It certainly can happen, but what are the odds? People die every day in automobile accidents, but we still drive every day. And even all those who can afford it don't always purchase the biggest/heaviest/safest vehicles.

Here in KY, road crews mow the medians and ROWs next to every interstate, parkway, highway, and county road several times each year. And I have never seen one use a flail mower. Always pulling rotary cutters. With each road being mowed at least twice each year, that would suggest tens of thousands of miles mowed year after year with dozens and dozens of rotary cutters without incident. Or with few enough incidents that there's no public outcry.

Now, I never use the rotary cutter when pedestrians are around. And its very rare that I even use it close enough to buildings that there'd be any real risk of hitting one. Again, I am not trying to talk anyone into or out of any purchase, but do take the time to think through each option. Hopefully, you'll make the right choice for you.