Edit: clearing virgin land with BCS 1 and BCS for brush clearing and trail building

[Big wheels are better]

I've used my Berta flail mower on a Grillo for exactly that purpose and it's been bullet-proof. I'm not exactly sure what all that vegetation is, I've found that anything you can bend over with the weight of the flail mower and the forward drive of the 2-wheel, you can completely demolish. It might take a pass or more for the thicker things, and you might have to go slow when you're in the thick of it, but it'll get the job done.

I'm not sure what you've heard about reliability, but the only thing I've done for maintenance has been replacing flails - clearing land is pretty hard on them as you'll be finding rocks and other debris. I've saved all my old beat up flails and might try sharpening them to see how it goes, but even budgeting for 2 sets of flails per season is economical compared to larger equipment.



This is a problem. You can adjust a flail to go lower, but you'll also be striking dirt and crap more frequently, dulling the flails faster, so it's a trade-off. My cutting height is maybe an inch or two. The smaller stuff doesn't leave any obstacles, but the thicker things leave a stump behind. However you approach removing these, you'll be either letting time do its magic or using more expensive equipment - so, how many you have is your deciding factor.



In my opinion this is not an area where 2-wheel tractors shine. Especially if you've just cleared the overgrowth... I see this as a struggle. Sorry, just telling it as I see it from my experience. My 110D with diesel engine, loaded Ag tires, and wheel weights... I just can't see it pulling a ripper through land that I just cleared and not getting snagged on roots and rocks. It doesn't have enough traction. Pushing a blade would be a million times worse. Maybe your soil and terrain is more favorable, but I'd bet you hate every moment of your experience, even if it works.



Yes it would! BUT!!!...

1. I don't think they exist for BCS. (I know they do for other models but it's pretty limited application and requires synchronized PTO)
2. Yeah, I want one too! But it's not compatible with my G110D (and I don't think your BCS), and, even if they do... they are $$$$.
3. If your purpose is to move attachments around, you'll still have to lift them onto the trailer, move them around on the trailer, and then get them off again when you get where you want them. And let me tell you, these attachments can be VERY awkward to move around by hand when "free floating" on the ground. The weights, dimensions, center of gravity - it's just hard and awkward. I move around my flail mower, bush cutter, cutter bar, and stump grinder, and it's a STRUGGLE. There's no good way to do it.

For the price of one of those 4x4 trailers you might be better off finding a used ATV and trailer and use the tractor to load the implements onto the trailer the easy way, and then moving equipment with the ATV. Depends how far you need to go and how often you'll be moving implements.

Hope this helps!

All good advice, thanks!

For the dirt work with a 2 wheel tractor, I was thinking rotary plow. I agree, definitely not enough weight or traction for dozer blade or ripper in many conditions.

 

[Big wheels are better]

Always wanted one of these for the trailbuilding part.

Using a BCS rotary plow if you don't have a trail dozer.

2.4K views · 52 reactions | Rotary plow. I first experimented with this in 2013. Had to buy one and borrow a tiller. That was a single side. This one allows you to change the discharge direction which is critical. Your membership dollars at work. If

Rotary plow. I first experimented with this in 2013. Had to buy one and borrow a tiller. That was a single side. This one allows you to change the discharge direction which is critical. Your...

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Bruce

That dozer is awesome! If only I had more land and money…

Yep, that’s what I was thinking. Rotary plow to cut and fill, hand pick rocks, rake to shape and tamp.

 

[Jrasband]

Good point! I have used a wheeled string trimmer, walk behind rotary mowers (gas and electric), a 2 stage snow blower and a Craftsman GT6000 garden tractor.

I currently have a walk behind corded electric rotary mower, a Craftsman GT6000 garden tractor and a BCS 736 with rotary mower. The BCS is my first and a major project. I bought it not running and it’s a project.

I have a rototiller for the BCS.

I thought about a sickle bar mower but decided they are too high maintenance. I’ve never used one, but don’t like what I read and heard about vibration to the hands.

I’ll have to look at and think about ground clearance. Bigger wheels would help with tractor clearance and add weight. I will try my rotary mower and see how well the factory wheels do. I may replace them with taller and wider tires.

I use a sickle mower for just about everything 4 wheel and 2 wheel, and they are excellent. They require minimal maintenance, are cheap, have wide cutting area for less hp, and will cut just about anything that will fit through the blades. I don't know why people talk them down so much. You have to keep the rpm low on the BCS to keep the vibration down, large wheels(26" compensate the slow ground speed.

 

[Big wheels are better]

I use a sickle mower for just about everything 4 wheel and 2 wheel, and they are excellent. They require minimal maintenance, are cheap, have wide cutting area for less hp, and will cut just about anything that will fit through the blades. I don't know why people talk them down so much. You have to keep the rpm low on the BCS to keep the vibration down, large wheels(26" compensate the slow ground speed.

Thanks. I like what I see for cutting performance.

So you don’t have to:
-check for and tighten loose fasteners every use? Stake fasteners any loose fasteners?
-lube very, very frequently?
-sharpen and align blades very often?

 

[Jrasband]

Never lube the blades, that is a myth. only oil if in storage if you want to prevent surface rust. Yes of course grease the zerks every use. Depending on how hard you are on the blades determines how often you sharpen, or replace the sickle blades. I use a battery powered angle grinder to sharpen. Replacing a blade takes about 5 minutes. Sometimes a blade will come loose, and you can repound the rivet, or replace if it is gone. On the BCS single action cutter bar you do have to tighten the jam bolts maybe once a year.

I prefer the single action BCS bar. I used a double action cutter bar a couple years but found that it clogs, unlike the single action.

 

[Big wheels are better]

Never lube the blades, that is a myth. only oil if in storage if you want to prevent surface rust. Yes of course grease the zerks every use. Depending on how hard you are on the blades determines how often you sharpen, or replace the sickle blades. I use a battery powered angle grinder to sharpen. Replacing a blade takes about 5 minutes. Sometimes a blade will come loose, and you can repound the rivet, or replace if it is gone. On the BCS single action cutter bar you do have to tighten the jam bolts maybe once a year.

I prefer the single action BCS bar. I used a double action cutter bar a couple years but found that it clogs, unlike the single action.

Thanks.

 

[NibbanaFarm]

The sickle bar is an excellent, super low maintenance implement. Run it slow, just off idle, and it will cut anything. And doesn't get damaged by rocks. You do have to worry about metal though.

For land clearing you're going to want as big wheels as you can afford, and duels if possible. But you're still not going to go over super rough terrain.

We have a lot of invasive Barberry and wild rose bushes here. You can cut them clean off with the sickle bar if you can get close enough but you're still left with a thorn bush sitting on the ground. If they're small enough I try to get on top of them with the 26" bush hog and chop them up. Then when they're down to a safe height I can cut it clean and low with the sickle bar. But if they're really big, (and these things get huge, 10-12 foot diameter,) you can't get close enough to cut them up safely. I have a long reach Husqvarna gas hedge cutter that I go in with for the big ones. Once I chop then down to a safe size I go in with the bush hog and sickle bar. It's a slow process.

As far as digging out rocks with the rotary plow goes, it will do it. But you better have a lot of time, energy, and muscle. I have dug out a few basketball size rocks from the garden and when that plow grabs hold it's like riding a bucking bronco. And you're still left with a super heavy rock down in a hole that you have to get out and move.

 

[Jens767]

Hi again Big wheels are better

Welcome to the 2-wheel Tractors forum!

Around 13 years ago I was where you are now, I guess, with no experience in 2-wheel tractors, but the urge to get the most out of my then new BCS 740. I also quickly discovered this great forum, and you have come to the right place, as a lot of more experienced members are happy to share their hard learned lessons with you

I hope that you will have a lot of fun with your BCS 735 once you get it fixed, but I honestly think that you are right in assuming, that you are expecting to much of your tractor, having read your original post a few times

I like the fact that you are considering a lot of different options and solutions to your problems, and I guess many of us did the same when we were new to this topic. Over the years I have noticed though, that many subjects appear again and again in this forum, with a few years interval. Rarely problems are completely new, but other members have had similar ones as well at some point, like in this case. I can highly recommend that you go through most of the older threads, as there is a lot of good information to be found there, that is still valid today.

I fully agree with 2manyrocks in post #2! If the initial clearing and building of your trails is done by professionals with heavy equipment, you might be able to maintain it afterwards with your BCS and a flail mower. Remember though, that a flail mower is called a „mower“ for a reason - it does not like „rock-mowing“ very much, although a Berta will take quite some punishment without complaining

Again, I also agree fully with jeepcoma in post #5! I have set the cutting height on my flail mower at 2’’, and that works just fine. That cutting height leaves a clean and nice surface, and you avoid „mowing“ into the ground too often

A very important topic that jeepcoma does also mention, is traction - or the lack thereof!

Modern 2-wheel tractors are very powerful in relation to their weight, compared to models produced and used a century or so ago. Often these early 2-wheel tractors were called „general-purpose tractors“, „garden tractors“ or „cultivators“, and they often replaced a single horse on a small farm, and introduced mechanized farming on the smallest holdings. The 2-wheel tractor was merely a mechanized horse, primarily used for drawbar work, and perhaps a bit of belt work. For drawbar work traction is of course very important, and traction is closely related to the weight on the driving wheels, and the size of these wheels.

Actual test data for 2-wheel tractors are hard to find, but in 1920, which was the first year of the Nebraska Tractor Tests, an Allis-Chalmers 6-12 was tested in test No. 54. This tractor had a 12 hp engine, produced a pull of 1,046 pound, and weighed 2,500 pounds.

Comparing that to my BCS 740, also having around 12 hp, but only weighing around 250 lbs, I might expect only about 10% of that drawbar pull, or about 100 lbs, which, I think couldn’t knock the skin off a rice pudding

An 8 hp 2-wheel tractor from the early 1960s, like the Holder E8, weighing around 600 lbs and having 16’’ rims, could pull a plow, as seen in this video:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=_y6EsPc9Uzk

Your BCS 735 also has 8 hp, but it weigh only around 150 lbs I think, and has 10’’ rims. With only ¼ of the weight of the Holder E8 on the wheels, and small 10’’ rims, I also can’t see how pulling a ripper, or pushing a blade should work. - Physics is simply not on your side, sorry

Where modern light-weight, powerful 2-wheel tractors really shine, is working with PTO-powered implements. With most other implements, chances are that you will run out of traction long before you run out of power! I have found, that only really power-hungry implements like my flail mower and drum mower, are able to take full advantage of my 12 hp engine.

I don’t want to sound negative, but I think that you are expecting too much of a 2-wheel tractor with this kind of job in mind. On top of that, you will also have a hard time yourself, operating a 2-wheel tractor in this kind of terrain. Working with a 2-wheel tractor on level and even ground is no big deal, and this is what you will see in most sales videos. Working in rough, uneven and rocky terrain though, is not only tough on the tractor, it will be tough on you too! When the going gets tough, these tractors seem to develop their own mind, and chances are that your tractor has other plans for where to go than you do, and you might struggle to stay on top and be in command. I’m modelyear 1958, and like to think that I’m in pretty good shape for my age, but after 3-3½ hour hard work with the flail or drum mower, I’m done. If you are perhaps 30-40 years younger, big and strong, you might easily do more than that, but like jeepcoma rightly says: „I’d bet you hate every moment“


Best regards

Jens

 

[2manyrocks]

I've never had the privilege of operating a BCS. They aren't cheap to buy around here and rarely come up for sale.

I own various Gravely walk behinds and a couple of Bachtold walk behind brush mowers that I was able to buy for probably under $400 each used over the years.

I agree with Jens that operating any two wheel tractor is physically tiring.

Although I like the heavier build of the Gravely's, they are so heavy that they can only really be controlled via their own power. There's no man handling them.

The Bachtolds are much lighter to control.

I have been struck in the legs by rocks thrown by the Bachtolds. Not fun at all.

The Bachtolds rely on a long belt to drive the cutting blade which has been pretty effective at avoiding sheared keys on the engine. There's no clutch. Only a belt tension lever. I would be concerned that a tractor like a BCS that uses a clutch could be damaged by repeatedly running into tree stumps or rocks which are pretty much unavoidable in land clearing.

IMO, having a BCS is like having a premium machine that's really too costly to risk damage clearing raw land.

 

[Big wheels are better]

The sickle bar is an excellent, super low maintenance implement. Run it slow, just off idle, and it will cut anything. And doesn't get damaged by rocks. You do have to worry about metal though.

For land clearing you're going to want as big wheels as you can afford, and duels if possible. But you're still not going to go over super rough terrain.

We have a lot of invasive Barberry and wild rose bushes here. You can cut them clean off with the sickle bar if you can get close enough but you're still left with a thorn bush sitting on the ground. If they're small enough I try to get on top of them with the 26" bush hog and chop them up. Then when they're down to a safe height I can cut it clean and low with the sickle bar. But if they're really big, (and these things get huge, 10-12 foot diameter,) you can't get close enough to cut them up safely. I have a long reach Husqvarna gas hedge cutter that I go in with for the big ones. Once I chop then down to a safe size I go in with the bush hog and sickle bar. It's a slow process.

As far as digging out rocks with the rotary plow goes, it will do it. But you better have a lot of time, energy, and muscle. I have dug out a few basketball size rocks from the garden and when that plow grabs hold it's like riding a bucking bronco. And you're still left with a super heavy rock down in a hole that you have to get out and move.

Thanks.

Yeah, I definitely want bigger wheels, dual wheels and weights!

Ok. A sickle bar could do some of my land clearing. I’ll have to us a saw for some of the brush, unless I bring in heavier equipment with a forestry mulcher.

Have you tried a flail mower on those briars?

It sounds like the rotary plow will cut most of the grade for me but I will need to hand dig a lot of rock.