Best brush hog for under $2,000 medium to heavy duty

geislermatt · May 13, 2018

I've got 10 acres to mow. there is a lot of brush and some rocks. Not looking to spend more than $2,000 what would be the best deal

ericm979 · May 13, 2018

Best deal would be a good used rotary. Some places like where I am there's not a lot of used implements, they're usually in rough shape and expensive.

If you're looking to buy new, Agrisupply has Kodiak rotaries for a decent price. They're in NC so shipping should not be expensive.
There's also Everything Attachments.

BTDT2 · May 13, 2018

My third brush hog is a medium duty Bush Hog model. I have around 200 hours on it and so far it still works and looks good

BMan2005 · May 13, 2018

Check out Bushwhacker medium duty mowers. They have the specs of comparable models listed with there's which kinda shows where all of them stack up as well.
Impressive quality and specs for the money. I have a 8410 series I run now.

Luke'sScreenName · May 13, 2018

You can probably find a medium duty 4ft brush hog from a decent manufacturer for under $2000... But not a heavy-duty one. At 5ft I think your going to be looking at just over $2k to $3500 for a medium duty. However, there are lots of off-brands that sell light-duty cutters marketed as medium-duty for $1800 or so. At 6ft I think your out of luck.

I'd look for used... :2cents:

MESSMAKER · May 14, 2018

I am not going to say one is best but some to look at are Kodiak,Everything Attachments,Bad Boy are some to look at. I would also consider Titan and king Kutter (hd unit). A rotary cutter is a pretty simple machine, so don't overthink it. Keep weight in mind when you are shopping. Heavier thicker metal is almost always better. Look for a unit above 650# for a 5 foot model. that will usually be classified as a medium duty.I like the dual arm tail wheel design over the single arm units. I have one of each and have kound that the single arm design is a bit longer and less maneuverable but this is not a deal breaker. Don't rule out a good used machine. I have always bought a used cutter after my first because they take a lot of abuse and don't look new for long under heavy use.

LD1 · May 14, 2018

What size are you looking for and what tractor are you putting it behind. Two crucial pieces of information you left out.

Luke'sScreenName · May 14, 2018

MESSMAKER said:
. Look for a unit above 650# for a 5 foot model. that will usually be classified as a medium duty.

Of course it's all oppinion but the specs above are what I was referencing about some manufacturers classifying light-duty as medium-duty.

Go look at the websites of Land Pride, Woods, Brush hog, and Rhino (little argument that they are the premier manufacturers). I think you will find it their 5ft medium-duty classified cutters start at about 850lb.

That being said, most people say they want a medium duty cutter but don't really need one. If you're mowing 10ac of grass, weeds, bushes, and the occasional sapling you probably don't need a real medium duty cutter.

Just my $0.02 from someone who is really really hard on their brush hogs.

Tigershark · May 14, 2018

I have a 5ft Bad Boy cutter paid around $1200 new, I would consider it medium duty but it has mowed everything from 10 ft Sorghum to 2.5 inch saplings without any issues. it has a slip clutch. It is Long compared to a lot of 5 ft models but it is a beast. I'm not sure what the definition of a heavy duty is but if it is the thickness of steel then it might qualify. It will take out 3 inch trees as well just need to hit them twice

They have redesigned it since mine with some sweet improvements.

Luke'sScreenName · May 14, 2018

Tigershark said:
I have a 5ft Bad Boy cutter paid around $1200 new, I would consider it medium duty but it has mowed everything from 10 ft Sorghum to 2.5 inch saplings without any issues. it has a slip clutch. It is Long compared to a lot of 5 ft models but it is a beast. I'm not sure what the definition of a heavy duty is but if it is the thickness of steel then it might qualify. It will take out 3 inch trees as well just need to hit them twice They have redesigned it since mine with some sweet improvements.

My local Tractor Supplies don't carry them so I never looked at them but I just checked them out online. They certainly have sweet paint jobs.

Again it's just a matter of opinion but for that 5 foot model to be a medium duty cutter it would need a few things.
1. Something considerably bigger than what appears to be a 55hp gearbox. (The medium duty Brown cutter I recently bought I think has 120hp gearbox).
2. A heavy cat6 driveline.
3. 4" wide blades not 3". (You need that mass/inertia to cut through the big stuff IMO).
4. I'd want to know that tailwheel assembly is either solid bar stock or at least quarter inch thick tubing.

Gotta love the matte black paint though and at $1200 that's a great price for a tractor with maybe less than 30hp to the PTO.