B7100 Bush Hog Suggestion

[lanman]

Any suggestions for size and type of bush hog for my Kubota B7100? Thanks

 

[murphy1244]

:welcome: From Ohio, At 13 HP you can run a 36 inch cutter.

 

[The kid]

Welcome to TractorByNet.

 

[Fred Barbour]

Ianman;

I owned a Kubota B7100 for 10 years and during that time mowed my lawns with a Farm King 5 foot finish mower. It weighed 550 lbs. The B7100 couldn't even lift it off the ground unless I was moving forward and at full revs. The mower was rated for tractors between 15-25 hp so the Kubota was at the lowest end.

Having said that the little monster towed that mower for 10 years without incident. I also have a decent hill to climb and it did that without problem as well. I always mowed in 4th gear.

I now have a 35 hp CT 235 Bobcat using the same mower.

Yes, the 5 foot finish mower was a bit too big but the Kubota chugged right along. The 4 foot model would have been just right and not too big in my opinion.

Fred

 

[Leejohn]

He is talking bush mower not finish mower. 4 ft is the smallest you can get, I think.

 

[Mudfarmer]

I have never had problems with either light-duty or heavy-duty four foot mowers on by B7100. I have used an old Ford branded light weight one that I gave away a few years ago, a light weight Farm-Force, and a heavy duty, pro-model King Cutter. No problems with any of them. One thing I like about it when using a lightweight mower is that if I hit something that hangs the mower blades up, it will lug down the engine rather than breaking the sheer bolt. On my JD 3005, I can break a sheer bolt on the light weight farm force just by starting it up too fast.

On another topic, mowing an open field with the B7100 is bouncy and tedious, I much prefer the bigger, heavier, gear-transmission Deere. But around buildings and small lots the B7100 [with hydrostatic transmission] is my preference.

Mf

 

[peterc38]

He is talking bush mower not finish mower. 4 ft is the smallest you can get, I think.

Some manufacturers (Landpride & Bush Hog for example) sell 42" rotary cutters that would probably be a decent match.

RCR15 Series Rotary Cutters | Land Pride

Rotary Cutters Single Spindle Squealer

 

[Rod in Forfar]

With three suitcase weights on the front your tractor should balance a 430 pound 48" rotary mower o.k. My Bolens G174 is about the same size, and I'm basing my opinion on that. In 2WD the Bolens can't always pull the mower around corners, though. I usually work in 4WD on the turf tires. Most grass and weed cutting isn't all that demanding of engine power. If you can find a 42" rotary mower, it would likely be a good fit, but they're pretty scarce.

BTW: You'll certainly need an over-running ratchet gear attachment to go between your PTO outlet and the PTO shaft on the mower. Without the over-runing clutch the rotary mower blades become a flywheel directly connected to the tractor's rear wheels: they stop when the blades stop. This produces a terrifying surge of adrenaline the first time it happens. Note: just because a finish mower will stop without an overrunning clutch does not mean a rotary mower will behave. They're different.

Hope this helps,

Rod

 

[Kenonf]

Hi,
My B7100 HST,is a "second series" model, the overrunning clutch is built in and for what it is worth it has been running a 4' bushhog for 1500+hours. It is a heavier model made of quarter plate steel. And it can be a wild ride with two 55lb weights on the front if the rear tire is lifted off the ground. Yes I might have also pushed it into a few 2" trees here and there but who knows...
Keep the radiator clean and enjoy your tractor.
Ken

 

[Will_C]

If you are buying new, I would look at those 42" units.If you have one or are looking to not spend much money, you can make a 4' unit work-just take small bites if you need to and be careful with all that weight back there.

Will

 

[Mudfarmer]

referring to my previous note above, I have a front end loader on my B7100. With a front loader you DO NOT need to worry about a four foot mower on the back. It tackles more than you would imagine.

 

[Fred Barbour]

I have to agree on the performance of the B7100. As stated previously, I had mine for 10 years and the only reason I upgraded to the Bobcat CT235 was loader performance. The loader on the B7100 was painfully slow which is the reason I finally decided to change. I must admit that little tractor did everything I asked it to. I did break it a few times, front spur gear, ujoint, but all in all a great tractor.

One thing, it was useless in two wheel drive so, 99.9% of the time it was in 4wd.

Fred

 

[Mudfarmer]

One thing, it was useless in two wheel drive so, 99.9% of the time it was in 4wd.

Fred

Everything is useless without 4 wheel drive, except on the open road or cleaning stables. And a B7100 is useless going uphill in high range, but conquers anything in low.

By the way, my loader is really not slow at all, as responsive as my other two CUTs
Mf

 

[slimpickins28]

One suggestion I would make though, whatever you get, is to get a slip clutch and put it on the drive shaft. I love those things. They protect your tractor. I've had them on 5ft bush hogs, to 15 foot batwings & rototillers....whatever. They will keep the tractor from stalling if you hit something. that is hard on a tractor when it happens.