7 Foot Bush Hog

Dallas_Lilly · Feb 18, 2020

Good Morning Ladies and Gentlemen

Who out there is running a 7 footer, which brand and how do you like them?
I recently went from a 30hp tractor to a 43hp tractor and it is begging to have a new mower this summer!
I am not seeing much on the web for options so I turn to you fine peope

ovrszd · Feb 18, 2020

They are rare and hard to find if looking for a used one. Depending on the materials you plan to cut, you might be able to do an 8ft. 7ft cutters are generally single spindle with long blades. 8ft cutters are generally dual spindle with short blades. They don't pull much harder.

Good luck in your search.

CobyRupert · Feb 18, 2020

I run a 7' "rotary cutter" , but not a Bush Hog brand. It's a Frontier RC2084 sold by John Deere.

I run it on a ~65Hp (PTO) tractor. Tractor only feels it there if mowing tall grass, or when raised on 3pth.
About a 1000lbs. It feels heavy on the back, you want some front ballast or a FEL on, but it's still built too light....or maybe its me.
About 1/3 of the time I use it I'm bending the sidewalls into the blades. Makes a h*ll of a noise. Then I have to get chains and a come-along and 2 good anchor points to try and bend them back away.
Sometime it's my fault when I back into the "unknown" and run into a stump, rock, fence post etc... I wish there was a more heavy duty, squared off bumper. I've gotten better at not doing that.
Now they get bent in from turning on uneven ground without lifting it enough. It's easy to find "uneven ground" when it's 7' wide.
Bumping into a couple 6" tall pine stumps has ripped off both the front and back chain guard bars.
After 7 years I have a front bearing seal starting to leak. Probably the vent/fill plug failed. I haven't replaced the seal yet, just topped the oil off, but will replace it this spring.

If I had to do it over, I would of got a 6' as I tend to mostly mow around odd spots instead of fields and pastures. 7' foot can cover some ground, but not as maneuverable.
Don't worry about having width that matches tractor width unless you're trying to get next to fences and buildings.

wvgca · Feb 18, 2020

I don't know if a seven will work .. I run a five foot [Woods BB600X] single spindle over some scrub and small tress, and it takes all of seventy horse to turn it ... same as an actual Bush Hog ...
If you meant a finish mower [three blade] then yes, that's enough .. I have a three point Beuhler on a tractor with forty horse ..

Peter 315 · Feb 18, 2020

Hi, I have a woods BB60X seems like a well built mower , I had a old woods Dixie cutter that took a real beating from my brother...

Gary Fowler · Feb 18, 2020

I found a guy in Houston Texas area that redecks rotary cutters. I had him build me a 7 foot mower from bush hog components. He used 1/4" floor plate (floorplate is a bit thicker and heavier than smooth plate) for the deck and put a dual tail wheel on it. The sides are 6" channel iron. It weighs about 1500 pounds and wont bend when backed into a tree. In heavy grass it pulls really heavy on my 70 HP tractor but on normal mowing, I can barely tell it is back there. It is a little hard to start up due to the amount of weight that it has to start turning. Luckily I can feather it in using the clutch on my tractor, if I just pop the PTO electronic clutch, it really bangs away.
The 7 foot is just barely as wide as my tractor so no issues with clearance, if the tractor can go between something then so can the mower.

I think that if I were to do it over, I would have gone with an 8 foot twin spindle mower since everyone claims they pull a bit easier and not as much weight in the drivetrain to start up and it would completely cover my wheel tracks.

1010 · Feb 18, 2020

I have an older 3pt JD 709 that's probably 20-30 years old, I can't say enough how tuff this cutter is. If I was looking for a new 7 foot I would get a Bushhog brand, then landpride, toss up between woods or JD. In that order.
They just aren't made like they use to be.

That said, in the future I plan on a 12 foot batwing, probably a bushhog brand that's made in AL. I love the pull type cutters.

ovrszd · Feb 18, 2020

Gary Fowler said:
I think that if I were to do it over, I would have gone with an 8 foot twin spindle mower since everyone claims they pull a bit easier and not as much weight in the drivetrain to start up and it would completely cover my wheel tracks.

Yep. And they don't stick out so far to the rear if 3pt models.

sweettractors · Feb 18, 2020

If you go with a 7 ft, a pull type would be preferred because the extra weight and length of the 7 ft 3 point models. A 6 ft 3 point would be enough on that 43 hp tractor. Ken Sweet

Rmart30 · Feb 19, 2020

Ive ran 2 , 7 footers. One was a woods. it was fairly light weight. Second was a Landpride. It was HD and heavy. Sold it and bought a dual spindle 8 ft Landpride. Cant tell the 8 pulls any harder than the 7 did. its just not as long.

I agree with Ken. Id wouldn't go bigger than a 6 on that HP machines.

ovrszd · Feb 19, 2020

Rmart30 said:
Sold it and bought a dual spindle 8 ft Landpride. Cant tell the 8 pulls any harder than the 7 did. its just not as long.

That's what I've always heard as well.

Sawyer Rob · Feb 19, 2020

I run this 72 inch Woods,

mostly on a good strong 45 pto hp farm tractor and in heavy grass it's a big load, so I also don't think I'd want a 7 footer on a 43hp tractor...

BTW, that Woods medium rotary cutter has a 115 hp gear box and it's as good or better than any cutter in it's price range! I consider it a better cutter than a Bush Hog or the other common brands in medium duty......

SR

r porter · Feb 20, 2020

with a 45 hp tractor and an 8 ft twin blade my 6 footer sits idle. get a 6 and you will always wish for the 8.

3gunr · Feb 20, 2020

I run a 7 bft woods rotary cutter behind a mf 255 , the tractor handles it fine even through tall thich stuff. but it is a lot of length sticking out. i wish i had a dual spindle 8 ft. I also run a 6 ft standard duty behind a 38 hp mahindra cutting 5 ft brush no problem.

Tom King · Feb 20, 2020

I have a Hardee with two tailwheels. I didn't shop brands, but this one looked okay at a dealer I liked. I fabbed a door on the back of the deck that I can open to sharpen the blades. With the twin tailwheels, and sharp blades, it will cut almost equal to a finish mower. I wanted one that was a little wider than the rear wheels, for trimming the fenceline, and trails. The twin rear wheels cut down a Lot on scalping.

It's their medium duty cutter, but has the heavy duty gearbox. It's over 20 years old, and has been great.

I keep a 40 gallon tank welded on it, with two pumps. One pump is for the "boomless" boom on the back, that can cover a 30' swath, and the other pump is a higher pressure, but lower flow, for a wand that I keep up by the seat. I have to open a ball valve to use the boom, but the wand can be used with a flip of a switch on the dash for spot spraying.

This stays on the 70 hp tractor during grass season.

tractorcrazy · Feb 23, 2020

Brushhog brand makes a 7ft called a squealer it is 7ft wide but only 5 ft long weighs about the same as a 5ft.it has 2 spendals a total of 4 blades mine is offset to the right about a foot its designed for 30 to 40 hp tractors I love mine it works great

kneedeep · Mar 10, 2020

Have a 7' LMC med duty, grass & weeds around the yard are easy to keep trimmed with it. Big thick stuff does not mow well unless going slow.
Got a MX10 last year to speed up keeping trimmed around planted fields & brush cutting in edg of fields. Does not work around the yard.
Either one on 8560 Mahindra but 35hp tractor is a yard mowing machine with LMC 7 footer.