Brush hog advice

[stevewatr]

Been looking at used hogs for my Ford 1920. It is 32hp, loaded front tires, and suitcase weights up front, no loader. Turf tires on back give me an 80" overall rear width, so most people have been saying I should get a 6' hog.

I'd rather get a good deal on a better made used one, than a new cheper model.

I know a dealer who has a JD 609 on consignment, says the owner is asking $1500, but its been sitting a while, so he says make an offer.

The good: It is a beefier unit, about 1200 lbs. Slip clutch.

The bad: no chains/ guards present.

I was going to shoot a lowball offer and see what happens, but I am worried about the weight of this unit on my tractor. The 3 point lift capacity is Cat I, 2185 lbs., but will stress my midsection too much???? I heard about tractors splitting in two from 3 point backhoes, or is that not the same issue.


Thanks,
Steve W.

 

[RoyJackson]

The bad: no chains/ guards present.

You can fabricate chains or other type of guard. Old truck mudflaps cut down would work

I was going to shoot a lowball offer and see what happens, but I am worried about the weight of this unit on my tractor. The 3 point lift capacity is Cat I, 2185 lbs., but will stress my midsection too much???? I heard about tractors splitting in two from 3 point backhoes, or is that not the same issue.

Thanks,
Steve W.

For the most part, the backhoe related stresses are unrelated to the stresses of weigh on the 3PH.

However, that's not to say weight (especially considering the length of a cutter) cannot be detrimental. There have been a few (not many at all) threads describing tractor breakage by weight on the 3PH.

There are a few things you can do to reduce the stresses:
1) Travel at a reasonable speed...especially if the cutter is raised in transport.
2) disconnect the top link (when you're transporting the cutter) and "tow" it using the tail wheel to bear some of the weight (this is what I do, BTW).
3) make any turns gradual (especially when the cutter is raised)

 

[2LateIWon]

I put a strip of conveyor belt on the back of mine. I welded a piece of angle iron on the deck then bolted the belt onto the angle iron. After using it awhile I just cut slits (because I was mowing more tall and wet stuff) but it worked great!! I got the conveyor belt for free from a manufacture that had shut down.

 

[stevewatr]

Some good ideas about guards. Some of these companies want crazy money for the guards! As for the size, met an old farmer today with a 6 foot woods, and he says I'm crazy to try a 6 footer on my tractor, and his buddy claims it will ruin my PTO clutch. But thays the guy trying to sell me his used 5 footer. It has a tear in the top deck up front, but I could get a plate welded on that. He wants $500, down from his ask of $650. I think I'll wait a bit and see what else pops up on Craig's list.......

 

[bucktaker]

I agree a 60" mower would be better suited for your tractor. See if you could test out the jd 609 try it in heavy grass to see how you handle it

 

[LD1]

Without a FEL, and with a HEAVY 6' cutter on the back, I think the wrong end is going to raise when you move the lever.

 

[greg_g]

Two things going against you here; horsepower and weight. Your engine may be rated at 32hp, but it's not likely you have more than 27.5 at the PTO. That's simply not enough for a 72" rotary cutter, except in the lightest of mowing conditions. Unless you're satisfied with mowing at the dead slow. But if you're in that light of stuff, you'd likely be better off with a HD finish mower. I can give a glowing recommendation to the seven foot First Choice GM35-84.

Second is that 1200# at the rear. You didn't specify if the 1920 was 2wd or 4wd. But - particularly if it's 2wd - the combined front ballast ain't gonna cut it, especially if you've got many slopes to crest.

//greg//

 

[LD1]

Tractor data shows him having 29HP @ the PTO.

Same as my kubota. And I have no issues at all with the power with my 6' cutter.

I think the issue is going to be the weight. I dont know how much that JD cutter weighs, but my BH 306 is 1100lbs. Leaving the FEL on is a MUST.

but keep in mind that Mowing time is a function of your HP, and not your cutter size. A smaller cutter allows you to go faster. A larger cutter you have to slow down for. But the end result will be the same.

The ONLY reason I have a 1100lb 6' cutter behind my little kubota is because I got it used on c-list for $200. A deal I couldnt pass up. If/When I come across a good heavy duty 5' cutter, I will buy it and sell my 306.

IMO, $1500 is a bit much. Shop on c-list. Good cutters come up freuently at good prices. I could run a we could run 7 or 8 foot cutters if we wanted to behind out 29HP tractors. We would just have to slow down accordingly.

 

[snowjoker]

Like mentioned already you really dont have no where near enough HP to run a 6 Foot mower... I ran a Ford 5000 with a 6 foot woods and at times it was bogging down pretty good and that is a 65 hp tractor ! If you plan on mowing half the height of your knee weeds then you should be OK.... otherwise get a 5 foot mower, then you wont regret it. I have a 4 foot king cutter on for my 30 hp TO 30 ferguson and mowing 5 foot weeds eats up all my hp... and my tractor has about 300 hours since a complete engine overhaul.. good luck !

 

[RickB]

Lots of 1920's around here with rotary cutters attached. Probably split darn near 50/50 between 5 foot machines and 6 foot. Unless you are going after 2" diameter brush or VERY tall, thick grass, I'd opt for a 6 foot cutter similar to a Bush Hog Squealer series. You can cut 5 feet with a 6 foot cutter, but you can't cut 6 feet wide with a 5 foot machine.
Downside: a 1200 lb R/C will make your front end light. I think the 609 is too heavy for your tractor configuration.

 

[stevewatr]

Lots of great advice as always. Thanks for the input. I think I will let the $$ decide, but I do want to be able to tackle some heavier stuff, like these darn sumac trees, I spend a day cutting them down, I cut one, and they come back with in threes! All with my Stihl brushcutter with that little round blade! I want to drive over them, and go chomp chomp chomp!

The 2 reasons I want a 6 footer:

With my turf tires my overall rear width is 80", and I thought that the higher blade tip speed might improve performance.

The reasons I do not want a 6 footer:
Worried about the weight on the rear, and worried about wear and tear on the PTO/driveline.

So I'm leaning back towards a five footer, but somthing in the medium to heavy duty range. That brings the weight back up, but the thicker steel takes more of a beating.

But id I get a steal on a 1200 6 footer like that deere, I'll probably buy it, and drive real slow :laughing:

I called on a King Kutter 6' today, but alas, it was sold. That would have been nice because it had the dual real wheels, that migh help with the weight.

Here is another prospect:

Woods BB600 Brush bull, low hours. Guy ran this on a Deere 4320 48hp (40 hp PTO). He is selling it as a package, but I asked him if he;d sell the hog, he says make an offer.........I hate that, but the BB600 is a hefty machine.

 

[greg_g]

it had the dual real wheels, that migh help with the weight.

I'm guessing this will be your first rotary cutter. There is no meaningful weight on the tractor while you're actually mowing, regardless of one tail wheel or two. Nearly all the weight of the mower is on the ground. It's when you pick up the mower with the hydraulics that the weight becomes a reality. Or when you crest a slope like I mentioned above; when the nose of the tractor dips down the other side, and the rear of the mower comes off the ground. That's when you'll likely see daylight under the front tires.

BB600 is a hefty machine.

That's a five footer, but you're right - it weighs in at a hefty 1039 pounds. Minimum 30 (PTO) horsepower is recommended by Woods.

 

[stevewatr]

I'm guessing this will be your first rotary cutter.

Guilty as charged! Yup, I am a newbie to brush hogs, but I have done brand research, and know all manufasturers have 2 or more lines, like light duty, medium duty, and heavy duty. I? like the BB600 because its the beefier version of the BB60 wich itself is no slouch, I like the tubular frame design to stiffen it up for backing into brush, and the domed top to shed water.
But the guy selling it is in no big hurry, and is an hour drive for me, so I fear he may want too much. New they are about $2200 around here. I have a guy with an older, what he believes to be a 70's vintage brush bull. He says it is heavy duty, and he wants $400. I'm waiting for pictures on that one.

I looked at an older 5' McCormick last week. Guy wants $500, but it has a few dents, and a tear about 8 inches long in the top up front...........He was asking $650! Seems like crazy mony for a beat up older unit like that, but hey, what do I know.

 

[sellercreek]

If you have rear hydraulics, you might want to look at a pull type cutter. It attaches to the drawbar instead of 3ph. They follow the ground contour better than the lift types, too.

 

[greg_g]

I have done brand research.

Have you checked out the Kodiak line yet? My most recent rotary cutter is their 5' medium duty that I bought for pasture and woodlot maintenance. Wider is nicer - on paper. But power is what counts. Anything bigger, and my JD3720 (35 PTO hp) couldn't handle it. Sumac? no problem. But wet/matted pasture grass requires a lot more horsepower than just chewing up saplings.

By the way, backing over an upright sapling is the hard way. Depending upon the trunk diameter, it can force the mower deck even higher than your hydraulic setting - which can be dangerous, and maybe even cause equipment damage (like an over-extended lift cylinder or bent toplink). Granted, you have no loader to push them over with first. But you can still drive right over the top of the upright sumac with your tractor. That way it's already bent closer to horizontal as the base of the sumac enters the front of the rotary cutter. If it's not chewed to shreds on the first pass, then lift the mower with your hydraulics. Back up the tractor so that the RC is positioned over the remainder of the tree. Lower mower. Move on to next sumac.

//greg//

 

[Hollow]

Have you checked out the Kodiak line yet?

//greg//

I'll second this suggestion. Kodiak doesn't have the typical stump pan under their cutters, they use ether 3/4" or 5/8" flywheels that work just like the Brown ROW cutters that chew up 8" trees all day long, just on a smaller scale. The Flywheel holds a lot of kinetic energy so when the blades start chewing up brush the flywheel absorbs most of the shock so all you get is a dull torque pulling down the PTO system instead of shock and vibration trying to shake everything apart.

Dual tail wheels are only going to make the cutter heaver while transporting. I wouldn't go over a 5' cutter ether, if you go with a truly HD mower. You can always sell it and buy a 6' after you get rid of the heaver brush.

http://www.kodiakmfg.com/products/Kodiak_Rotary_Cutters.pdf

 

[Soundguy]

Some good ideas about guards. Some of these companies want crazy money for the guards! As for the size, met an old farmer today with a 6 foot woods, and he says I'm crazy to try a 6 footer on my tractor, and his buddy claims it will ruin my PTO clutch. But thays the guy trying to sell me his used 5 footer. It has a tear in the top deck up front, but I could get a plate welded on that. He wants $500, down from his ask of $650. I think I'll wait a bit and see what else pops up on Craig's list.......

a 6' mower is what is spec'd for a nh 1920.

I used to have one.. that's what the dealer said fit it.

I have plenty of 33hp antique fords.. they run a 6' mower fine too.

5' will give you a hair mor emaneuverability.. but not much.

whoever told you a 6'er will ruin the tractor.. well.. you may not want to rely upon them as a source of ANY info anymore..

soundguy

 

[BB_TX]

I run a 6' rotary cutter on my old (1984) JD 950. About the same hp as you mention. No problem at all for me. Yeah, I have to slow down some if the grass is really deep, green, and heavy. But I can run thru weeds as high as the hood with little problem. And in shorter grass, I can run about as fast as I would ever want to go.

 

[stevewatr]

Thanks again for the good info everybody. I did look at Kodiak, but do not remeber what they had in stock. I know I was told due to freight costs, they were not reordering untill spring, so if it was sitting on the lot was the only way I could buy one now. I'll call to refresh my memory.

I'm going to throw a lowball offer of $750 at that JD609, he might tell me to pound sand, but if he accepts it, I'll just be extra carefull with that 1200 pounds on the rear end, heck, maybe I could make up some sorta dolly for when I am transporting it, and not mowing.

The guy with the rusted out 5 footer told me he knew of a like new 6 foot woods for $1000, so we drove over to see it, but the old timer who had it had just traded it to another guy. He said the guy "allowed him $1200 for it". Guy #1 told he he'd track it down for me to see if guy #3 would sell it. I'll call him today to see what model it is, and if it is up for sale.

I'll keep you posted.

Thanks,
Steve.

 

[Soundguy]

ditto that.. tall stemmy weeds are usually WAY easier to cut than thick lush grass..