72" rotery mower most bang for the $$$

[RandyinMS]

I',m buying a new LSXR415H (40hp at pto) and I'm in the market fora 72 inch brush mower. Mowing pasture, kudzu, old fields, roadside everything. The Bush-Whacker is a regional brand, Arkansas and Mississippi DOT buy them. The BW mid duty is about $19.900. 120hp gear box, 3.5 inch blades, cat 4 driveshaft and 2 inc cutting capacity

Looking for equivalent mowers in the price range. Also looking at Everything attachments 72 inch...

thoughts?

 

[LD1]

Might be a good mower, but I personally dont like the specs.

Look at their comparison chart compared to others, like the bushhog 296.

The bushwhacker is heavier, yet has thinner side skirts (which take alot of abuse), it has a slightly smaller gearbox, slower blade speed, smaller blades, and is only rated for 2" instead of 3".

So...it has the slowest blade speed of all listed, heaviest of all listed, lightest side skirts of all listed, and lowest cut capacity except for the light duty woods and rhino they are comparing it to. (they should be comparing to a BB720x or rhino 272) which have similar specs to the bushhog.

Just look at the weights and range of specs. A 1100+ pound cutter with 120hp gearbox should have more than a 2" rating and bigger blades. If you want a 2" rated mower, save the weigh, get a 800# unit with ~65 hp gearbox.

In fairness though, their heavy duty mowers look good from a comparison standpoint. I like the high blade speed.

 

[Supraman0614]

I just bought an XR4145 with an LS branded 72" rotary cutter. It's made by Pittsburgh in the US. It has gone through everything I've thrown at it with no issues so far. 2" stuff didn't seem to be a problem. It went through really heavy grass without bogging the tractor at all. Since I was already buying the tractor, the dealer sold it as a part of the package for $1600.

 

[Spindifferent]

Anything from Landpride, Woods, or Deere.

 

[brown40]

If I had to do it over again I'd shop by the most widely available and common parts. Glamour brands sometimes use proprietary spacings and configurations, where others are purchasing the same gearboxes and blades that are readily and cheaply available to people. Nice to have options if something were to break.
The cutters that come to mind for best specs are Rhino, Woods and Bushhog, and as LD1 mentioned, pay attention to the side skirt thickness and protection underneath for the leading corner, the cleanability of the top of the deck, the sturdiness of the 3pt and wheels. The Howse family of cutters are built under a number of brands, so there's a bunch of them out there at a lower price point.

 

[STx]

I have a 20+ year old Rhino TW72 that was used (abused) abused by a school district until I bought it last year for $1,000. I've had to do about $400 in repairs to it but this thing will cut anything I can drive over, it even shreds old tree trunks pretty well if they're not green. It has a 135HP Italian gearbox.

If you can look around for an older, used heavy duty cutter, I think you'll get a lot more capacity for the money. If you're definitely going to buy new, I like the Rhino, Brush Hog and Modern Ag cutters as long as you get at least the Medium Duty line. They're all well built but also all have smaller (usually around 65HP) Chinese made gearboxes. I personally think the older stuff was built better/stronger.

 

[Poopdeck Pappy]

. . . If you can look around for an older, used heavy duty cutter, I think you'll get a lot more capacity for the money. If you're definitely going to buy new, I like the Rhino, Brush Hog and Modern Ag cutters as long as you get at least the Medium Duty line. They're all well built but also all have smaller (usually around 65HP) Chinese made gearboxes. I personally think the older stuff was built better/stronger.

I agree with this. I've got a Rhino 172 and it's a fine cutter and I'm happy with it. But the rotary cutters of today aren't built as well as the old ones, in my opinion. Your TW72 is a good example of a great older cutter that was built like a tank.

The old Rhino (Servis) Gyro 84 was the toughest cutter I've ever seen. I ran over a telephone pole with one (intentionally, for a demonstration) and didn't hurt it a bit. Sounded like the apocalypse, though.

 

[case580c]

I have a 20+ year old Rhino TW72 that was used (abused) abused by a school district until I bought it last year for $1,000. I've had to do about $400 in repairs to it but this thing will cut anything I can drive over, it even shreds old tree trunks pretty well if they're not green. It has a 135HP Italian gearbox.

If you can look around for an older, used heavy duty cutter, I think you'll get a lot more capacity for the money. If you're definitely going to buy new, I like the Rhino, Brush Hog and Modern Ag cutters as long as you get at least the Medium Duty line. They're all well built but also all have smaller (usually around 65HP) Chinese made gearboxes. I personally think the older stuff was built better/stronger.

STx I am looking for the weight of the older TW72 mower I have chains on the front & rear of my Rhino TW72 mower. I have searched on like can't seem to find the real weight I did find a weight of 870 lbs but I think that was for a newer TW72 as it states max cutting size of brush at 2 inches. An owners manual should have the info I wish I had an owners manual any suggests or help appreciated

 

[Rmart30]

Look at the land pride RCR2672. Ive had 4 different LP of various sizes due to upgrading or changing tractor sizes etc.
Mine get used hard mainly maintaining my hunting leases. The 26 series is rated for up to 3.5" cutting. Land pride also has 24 month zero % financing.

 

[MESSMAKER]

Look at the land pride RCR2672. Ive had 4 different LP of various sizes due to upgrading or changing tractor sizes etc.
Mine get used hard mainly maintaining my hunting leases. The 26 series is rated for up to 3.5" cutting. Land pride also has 24 month zero % financing.

Might be overkill for most people.