Bat Wing Deck Rings

[HenRut]

Looking at buying a medium duty 15' bat wing mower (Woods or Bush Hog) and am wondering about the usefulness/need for deck rings. Manufacturers tout they give deck strength and protect the blades but, do they? The blades are designed to hit stuff (hopefully just grass and brush) so what are the rings protecting them from? They add a nice premium and seem to be more welds to crack at some point. I searched for user info and only come up with the manufacturers sales pitch. Thoughts?

 

[Turbys_1700]

I've never run a bat wing or any brush hog with deck rings. I would think that the rings would protect the side plates somewhat but I don't know how that would affect overall performance. I am not aware of them on heavier duty smaller units. I guess that as an option on bat wings they could not hurt. How much up charge is there for them?

 

[HenRut]

$1,000+ depending on manufacturer. I'm leaning toward Bush Hog where they appear to come standard on even their smallest 15-footer.