Rotary cutter suggestions?

[docsfarm]

Hi Everyone. I'm searching for a rotary cutter. My tractor is a Mahindra 5035. It came with a Phoenix 7' finish mower. I have about 30 acres of CREP grasses that need mowed periodically. I have farm roads that go around the fields that need maintained (I think if I stay ahead of them, these could be done with the finish mower). There are 140 acres of woods that I'd like to cut and clear trails on. And there is brush along the edges of a lot of the woods that is creeping into the fields that I need to deal with.
Part of me thinks I should go as big as possible with a 9-10' rotary mower to make my field mowing go quickly.
Part of me thinks I should really be looking for a very heavy duty 6 or 7' model that I can bash through the woods and deal with the fields with the finish mower.
3pt versus Towable? I borrowed a friend's very old towable rotary cutter. The large wheels on each side were somewhat annoying. Had to crank it up and down to change height and backing up to tackle the brush encroaching the fields was annoying... Thus I think I'm leaning towards 3pt mount. If towable, definitely hydraulic height adjustment.
Any other info you need?
What are your thoughts on what I should be looking at?
Thanks!

 

[docsfarm]

FWIW, locally, craigslist has the following for sale: (not that I'm limiting myself to used mowers on craigslist- I'm more than happy to consider new units)
Howse 6' 601S for 600$
JD 307 pull type for 775$
JD MX10 for 6500$!!!!

 

[mddorange]

If you are planning on using the cutter to cut brush and maintain the trails, etc., then you must go with the more robust and smaller cutter. If ALL you are going to use it for is cutting grass, then sure, go with the larger, lighter cutter.

I would only consider a 3pt cutter for the smaller more robust cutter.

 

[MF283]

I'd go with a 10' pull type on the fields & a 6' pick up on the trails & encroaching areas. You'd be surprised how much you can cover going in at an angle with the PU mower on edges.
If you've never been on a tractor with a 10' PU that has hit some uneven terrain, i'd wear a seatbelt, feels like it's going to take the rear end out of the tractor

 

[CADplans]

Have you considered a flail mower?
I have a JD 390 offset flail mower,,, it sticks out several feet to the right,,,
perfect for controlling field encroachment,, without doing a lot of "ducking"!! :laughing:

I switched from a rotary mower to the flail because I hated the rotary's wind-rowing of the cut material.

 

[sweettractors]

Hi Everyone. I'm searching for a rotary cutter. My tractor is a Mahindra 5035. It came with a Phoenix 7' finish mower. I have about 30 acres of CREP grasses that need mowed periodically. I have farm roads that go around the fields that need maintained (I think if I stay ahead of them, these could be done with the finish mower). There are 140 acres of woods that I'd like to cut and clear trails on. And there is brush along the edges of a lot of the woods that is creeping into the fields that I need to deal with.
Part of me thinks I should go as big as possible with a 9-10' rotary mower to make my field mowing go quickly.
Part of me thinks I should really be looking for a very heavy duty 6 or 7' model that I can bash through the woods and deal with the fields with the finish mower.
3pt versus Towable? I borrowed a friend's very old towable rotary cutter. The large wheels on each side were somewhat annoying. Had to crank it up and down to change height and backing up to tackle the brush encroaching the fields was annoying... Thus I think I'm leaning towards 3pt mount. If towable, definitely hydraulic height adjustment.
Any other info you need?
What are your thoughts on what I should be looking at?
Thanks!

We can deliver this cutter to the Williamsport truck terminal for $2095. Ken Sweet

 

[sweettractors]

Your link shows up as pages, and pages of used machines,,,
it starts out with hay balers,,,

I just edited it to show the pic only. How does that look? Ken Sweet

 

[TripleR]

For what you describe, unless you have more money to spend than most of us, I'd buy a good quality 6' mower. We have a couple of 10' mowers and prices are pretty darned high.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

My next rotary cutter WILL BE a 6' "Woods" medium duty "Brush Bull"!

Why? Because I have full confidence that it's built as good or better than anything in it's class, and it will last a long LONG time.

Yes, it cost more than the cheapo units, but it's going to LAST and Woods has the best blade removal system in the business.

Make mine a Brush Bull pleaseeee...

SR

 

[Sawyer Rob]

I just edited it to show the pic only. How does that look? Ken Sweet

Well, no offence, but it looks like one of those cutters that traps a LOT of dirt and on water on top of it...

Personally, that's something I don't like having to keep up with...

Do you have to have a big azzed socket to get the blades off it??

SR

 

[em14]

If you want heavy duty then look at these:FEATURED PRODUCTS | Brown Manufacturing | 8-633-899 or look at Bush Hog and many others! If you want medium duty look at just about any of the others. Heavy Duty is not cheap and you need the power to pull it. Bush Hog, as well as many others, make good machines. I have a medium/heavy duty 10 ft made by Howse which I have used for many years and is now pulled by a JD 6420 and it has served me well. Would I buy another Howse not very likely as I would more than likely buy a 15 ft bat wing Bush Hog mdl 2815. There are many good mowers that are available now as compared to many years ago. Just make sure your tractor is matched in PTO HP to the mowers requirements. Check the Mower Gear Boxes to see that they have a high rated HP .... this list can go on and own. The better and stronger construction will be very easy to spot!
Leo

 

[LD1]

First I would check the details of the CRP agreement. There is usually a limit to the number of times you can cut it per year. Something like 1 or 2 times at most. But in either case, unless you plan on mowing it every 2 weeks, I'd keep the belt drive finish mower off of it. Just not the right tool for the job.

Beyond that, given you have 140 acres of woods that you want trails on, and 30 acres of field to do a few times a year.....there really is no one size fits all. I think you would be best served with two cutters. An 8'-10' twin spindle for the field, and a 6' HD cutter for the trails.

They do make real HD larger twin spindle cutters......that would hold up to clearing in the woods as well as do double duty in the pasture, but would require some rather wide trails through the woods. If thats what you want....go for it. I dont think there will be much difference in cost if you go with 1 big heavy cutter vs 1 big light one w/ 1 small heavy cutter.

Regarding the comment about blade bolts. I have a woods cutter that has the blade pins use a small keeper and a 1/2" bolt (3/4 socket) to keep them in place. The rest of my cutters have all been the large bolt. Personally I like the large bolt/large socket approach. Thats why I have 3/4 drive tools. I was just changing the blades on my woods 2 days ago and one of the little 1/2" bolts decided to break. Which turned into a 2-hour repair by the time I got the stump jumper off, old bolt extracted, and everything put back on. I didnt think to measure the woods blade pin diameter, but if it matches any commonly available "bolts", this winters project will be broaching a key way in the woods carrier and using a bolt just like all my bushhog brand cutters use. So much easier to swap blades than deal with little bolts, fight the keepers into the slots, etc.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Both of Woods cutters are old and neither have had even one problem with the bolts or retainer to hold the blades on If YOU broke a bolt, that's on you, not Woods..

I just HATED changing the blades on my previous cutters with big bolts, and see no reason to go back to that style.

SR

 

[sweettractors]

Well, no offence, but it looks like one of those cutters that traps a LOT of dirt and on water on top of it...

Personally, that's something I don't like having to keep up with...

Do you have to have a big azzed socket to get the blades off it??

SR

Most safety conscious companies stopped putting holes in the top to keep some dummy from sticking something in it while the flywheel was still turning. Ken Sweet

 

[LD1]

Both of Woods cutters are old and neither have had even one problem with the bolts or retainer to hold the blades on If YOU broke a bolt, that's on you, not Woods..

I just HATED changing the blades on my previous cutters with big bolts, and see no reason to go back to that style.

SR

Agree, it's not woods fault. I just don't like the design. But functionally, it's easier and faster to change the old style. Good 1/2 drive impact or 3/4, zip nut off from the top, drive bolt down...done.

With the woods style, gotta take out a little bolt and small keeper, the drive the square keyed washer out from the bottom, then go back to the top and drive the pin out.

Too many added steps and small parts for my liking.

 

[docsfarm]

Thanks for all the comments so far. Keep them coming.
In response to a couple things...
Yes, the CREP stuff allows mowing only 1/3 per year. But I need to keep the edges of everything mowed for access and driving around the property. I'm not sure how many miles of farm road that makes, but its several.
There is one 3.5 acre field that will be where my house will be built that I can mow regularly. The finish mower can handle this. But with the 'farm roads' I think they really beat it up.
I'm starting to think I should just sell the finish mower.
Then buy a heavy duty flail mower as a one fit option?
Or a large light duty rotary cutter for the fields and access roads and a heavier duty smaller cutter for the woods. I don't need huge trails in the woods- just enough for my side by side. And if the tractor fits, it will fit.
On the Flail side, I like the idea of how little is behind me for working in the woods. And the cut on the 3.5acre field will be nicer than the rotary cutter (I borrowed that one from the OP and my wife pointed out the difference in cut from the finish mower right away).
One the house is built I'll have a zero turn for the grass mowing.

 

[stuckmotor]

A mower with a sloped top might be a good idea, especially if it'll be parked outside. I've seen mowers rust out when grass left on the deck was rained on.

 

[em14]

Most safety conscious companies stopped putting holes in the top to keep some dummy from sticking something in it while the flywheel was still turning. Ken Sweet

Ken that must make changing blades a real treat!
em14

 

[4570Man]

Ken that must make changing blades a real treat! em14

I have an old cutter that must not have had a hole in the top. The previous owner used a cutting torch and fixed that problem.