Another Brush Hog Post! Advice On a 5-6 Foot Medium Duty Hog.

[wirlybird]

HI all,
New to me tractor coming today. JD 3032E 32 HP, 25 PTO.
I am looking to step up a little with my brush hog.
I'd like a 5-6 footer that can handle up to 2 inch stuff basically.
My lighter duty 5 footer and tractor do ok but it is hard on it and I try to be careful of tree size.

I am doing more rough, open fields that have over grown and there is a bunch of heavy junk as you can imagine.

I see the Rhino brand and of course brush Hog.

What brands/models have you guys found good?
I will probably be looking in the used market to save a buck!!

 

[WM75Guy]

Looks like you will need more tractor. The Bush Hog BH300 is rated for 3". The 60" needs 35 HP PTO minimum and weighs 890#, the 72" weighs 1050#. One problem is driving over or backing over a 3" trunk. It doesn't bend well. If you can run over it you run the risk of ripping off lines or filters, or denting the cutter if you back over it. Another is when the blade hits it there is a considerable force transferred back to the cutter.

 

[nybirdman]

I can see a chain-saw in your future.I have 44 HP and a medium duty six foot and no way I would try a 3" tree.

 

[wirlybird]

Looks like you will need more tractor. The Bush Hog BH300 is rated for 3". The 60" needs 35 HP PTO minimum and weighs 890#, the 72" weighs 1050#. One problem is driving over or backing over a 3" trunk. It doesn't bend well. If you can run over it you run the risk of ripping off lines or filters, or denting the cutter if you back over it. Another is when the blade hits it there is a considerable force transferred back to the cutter.

Good points, thank you.

I guess the 3 inch might be an extreme example! I guess 2 ought to be the max now that I think about it.
I can take down 1-2 inchers now but the 2's are hard on it and I go slow and careful.
I run a Big Bee agri5 now on the smaller tractor and it does great but I am looking to step up and maybe I should go to a six footer and not worry so much about a heavier duty one?

 

[wirlybird]

I can see a chain-saw in your future.I have 44 HP and a medium duty six foot and no way I would try a 3" tree.

Thanks, I changed my wishes!! Maybe for me it is best to go to a 6 footer and just a decent build quality.
My friend does forestry mulching and I clear the "field" type areas. Just seeing what might be my options to be able to clear a little more of the stuff in the fields.

 

[jeff9366]

Rotary Cutter / Bush Hog Considerations for Compact Tractors

If you buy a Rotary Cutter too light it will visit the dealer yearly for $600 repair. NEW Rotary Cutters cut everything at first. As the light blades dull a light cutter undergoes increasing stress. 60" - 72" Rotary Cutters: 400/500 pounds = light duty = grass only. 600/700 pounds = medium...

www.tractorbynet.com

 

[DieselBound]

I have hundreds of hours running 5' light-duty RCs behind my B7800. I'd be hard-pressed to hear of anyone putting a 5' RC through the utter hell that I've put mine through (and my faithful B7800). Most of those hours were with a Rankin. That thing did battle with car rims, car front-ends, AND, the biggest battle, an old VW transaxle shaft (at dusk, it was a sight to behold- early 4th of July!). Only ever replaced one tail wheel. Had bought a new set of blades but never needed them! When I ended up selling it I don't recall seeing any denting in the deck. A couple years back I swapped over to a 5' LandPride (RCR1860) because it had a floating top-link and was QH compatible (I don't use a QH; it's just a lot easier to hook up): this thing came with a beat up deck and tooth picks for blades (severely worn), which I promptly replaced.

I run an old 6' "medium duty" Bush Hog behind my NX5510. About 1,000 lbs and an 110hp gearbox. Rated for 2" diameter material. Gotta tell ya, there's NO way I'd be looking to eat up larger than a couple inch diameter wood on a regular, sustained basis: 2" IMO is underated for this thing! This RC can readily take it, but my ears/nerves cannot: and my NX is a cabbed tractor. This unit would NOT be suitable on a 32hp tractor if looking to chew up a bunch of heavy brush and wood debris.

In my opinion lesser duty RCs can cut larger diameter wood than spec'd, it's just that they're not going to do it on a sustained basis (again, I wouldn't want to be exposed to the racket from cutting a lot of 2" -or more- wood produces).

For OP's tractor I recommend 6' light-duty for light/grass work or a 5' medium-duty for light+medium work.

 

[DieselBound]

Rotary Cutter / Bush Hog Considerations for Compact Tractors

If you buy a Rotary Cutter too light it will visit the dealer yearly for $600 repair. NEW Rotary Cutters cut everything at first. As the light blades dull a light cutter undergoes increasing stress. 60" - 72" Rotary Cutters: 400/500 pounds = light duty = grass only. 600/700 pounds = medium...

www.tractorbynet.com

This does NOT comport with my experience (and I have hundreds of hours runtime- safe to say 700hrs). If you're chewing rocks then PERHAPS. But that's blades.

 

[wirlybird]

I have hundreds of hours running 5' light-duty RCs behind my B7800. I'd be hard-pressed to hear of anyone putting a 5' RC through the utter hell that I've put mine through (and my faithful B7800). Most of those hours were with a Rankin. That thing did battle with car rims, car front-ends, AND, the biggest battle, an old VW transaxle shaft (at dusk, it was a sight to behold- early 4th of July!). Only ever replaced one tail wheel. Had bought a new set of blades but never needed them! When I ended up selling it I don't recall seeing any denting in the deck. A couple years back I swapped over to a 5' LandPride (RCR1860) because it had a floating top-link and was QH compatible (I don't use a QH; it's just a lot easier to hook up): this thing came with a beat up deck and tooth picks for blades (severely worn), which I promptly replaced.

I run an old 6' "medium duty" Bush Hog behind my NX5510. About 1,000 lbs and an 110hp gearbox. Rated for 2" diameter material. Gotta tell ya, there's NO way I'd be looking to eat up larger than a couple inch diameter wood on a regular, sustained basis: 2" IMO is underated for this thing! This RC can readily take it, but my ears/nerves cannot: and my NX is a cabbed tractor. This unit would NOT be suitable on a 32hp tractor if looking to chew up a bunch of heavy brush and wood debris.

In my opinion lesser duty RCs can cut larger diameter wood than spec'd, it's just that they're not going to do it on a sustained basis (again, I wouldn't want to be exposed to the racket from cutting a lot of 2" -or more- wood produces).

For OP's tractor I recommend 6' light-duty for light/grass work or a 5' medium-duty for light+medium work.

Thank you for the great advice.
My little BigBee Agri5 just doesn't quit. I added a heavy duty stump jump and a set of tractor supply blades and it just keeps going.
I am thin king the same now. A good 6 footer for general use to cover some ground and at some point a heavier 5 footer for rougher stuff.

There was a really nice RC 2026 a bit ago for a great price but at the time ... well you know!

 

[Scott 728]

I have a Woods BB60x and highly recommend it! It handles the rough stuff, and can handle general mowing duties with a near finishing mower appearance. I keep a set of blades for the rougher stuff and a good sharp set for our pasture which is all grass. Woods cutters are very easy and quick to swap the blades around. My tractor is 30hp at the PTO, and I can tell you for certain I wouldn't want any more mower than this. A general duty 6ft maybe for average height grass/pasture mowing for shaving off a little time would be nice, but anything rated for 2in material or more 5ft would absolutely be the max.