Best light/medium 5' rough cutter?

GeauxLSU · Mar 19, 2007

I guess tying into this thread http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/92120-king-kutter-5-rough-cut.html
What is the best 5' rough cut mower for under $900?
(This will be pulled behind an L3130)
This is my first tractor so simplicity, dependability and if the worse happens, ease and availability of replacement parts is key. I definitely want something with an installed guard or one that's VERY easy to attach.
Slip clutch/shear pin no matter as this will primarily be pretty light use.
Thanks in advance.
Phil

hunterridgefarm · Mar 19, 2007

I have the 3130DT and a 5' Bush Hog brand squealer. I think I paid around $600.00 for it 3 years ago. Most likely around $800 now.

I have also used a 5' KK, King Kutter, from TSC that is at my dads place. Really could not tell any difference and the cost is a lot less.

scott_vt · Mar 19, 2007

hunterridgefarm said:
I have the 3130DT and a 5' Bush Hog brand squealer. I think I paid around $600.00 for it 3 years ago. Most likely around $800 now.

Mornin Hunterridge,
I will cast another vote for Bush Hog Squealer, I have a 5ft and its an excellent light to medium cutter, I have used it the last few years and had good luck with it !

Ben3130 · Mar 19, 2007

I am shopping for a brush cutter as well (for the same tractor too

), and if you're requiring easy to attach guards then the KingKutter is out. There are no factory guards that I can find (at least no one selling them), so you would have to fabricate your own, or attempt to retrofit a set from another brand of rotary cutter (like Howse).

I priced out a Howse in my area, but by the time I buy the cutter and the front/rear guards, it pushed it up into the cost bracket of Bush Hog and Woods.

I am leaning towards purchasing a KingKutter 5' rotary cutter. I have a friend who is pretty good at welding and has offered to help me fabricate front and rear guards using some angle bracket and strips of old conveyor belt. Should be as good as anything that comes standard on any light duty cutter.

If you find out where to buy guards for a KingKutter and how to install them, please let me know. I have looked for months to no avail. Good luck in your hunting.

GeauxLSU · Mar 19, 2007

Ben3130 said:
I am shopping for a brush cutter as well (for the same tractor too ), and if you're requiring easy to attach guards then the KingKutter is out. There are no factory guards that I can find (at least no one selling them), so you would have to fabricate your own, or attempt to retrofit a set from another brand of rotary cutter (like Howse).

I priced out a Howse in my area, but by the time I buy the cutter and the front/rear guards, it pushed it up into the cost bracket of Bush Hog and Woods.

I am leaning towards purchasing a KingKutter 5' rotary cutter. I have a friend who is pretty good at welding and has offered to help me fabricate front and rear guards using some angle bracket and strips of old conveyor belt. Should be as good as anything that comes standard on any light duty cutter.

If you find out where to buy guards for a KingKutter and how to install them, please let me know. I have looked for months to no avail. Good luck in your hunting.

Well that's not good. I don't have a friend like that.

Do the BH/Woods come in under $900 WITH guards?

Ben3130 · Mar 19, 2007

Definitely not a Woods or Bush Hog. In my area, they are $1175 and $1095, respectively. I there is only one place that sells Howse locally (Northern Tool), and right now they are on sale for $699. Then add $150 for the front chain guard, that's $850 right there. I don't see any item for a rear chain guard, but I'd imagine that's probably another ~$100.

What you could do is buy a Howse, which comes factory pre-drilled with holes for mounting guards, then fabricate your own. This way you wouldn't need to have a friend that welds. It would be a little bit of work to make your own guards, but then removing/replacing them would be no more work than factory guards. Either way you'd be bolting/unbolting them from the cutter.

One thing to consider, I've been told by a lot of people that use rotary cutters that if you're just cutting grass (nothing that would be dense enough to really throw and cause damage), you don't need to worry about the guards. The worst thing that will happen is you'll get grass blown on you from the cutter. It depends on what 'light duty' means to you.

john_bud · Mar 19, 2007

My woods BrushBull 600 is a medium duty cutter. It weighs in at 1100 pounds with the front and rear chains. It has been great cutting small trees in the 1-3" range and does a slow but decent job on the occasional 4-5" range (soft woods - no oak!). The weight pushes over the trees and mulches them down pretty good. That might be more than you are wanting in terms of $$ and capability.

The Woods 60 is supposed to be good, but will still top over your budget.

It might be best long term if you save for a couple more months and get a higher quality unit, if you really want medium duty.

Things to look for are thickness of the deck and sides, diameter of the stump jumper (bigger is better), rotating weight (more is better for chomping up stuff), total weight (higher is usually more reliable), HP of the gear box and shielding. Look over all the ones you are interested in and decide which fits your needs the best.

jb

GeauxLSU · Mar 19, 2007

Most I could ever imagine cutting would be 2" and then VERY rarely. Even though it'll primarily be grass I still want the guards on both sides. Could pick up the stray rock or something and I have a 4 year old that will likely be running around. He's not worth ANY risk.

FamilyFarm · Mar 20, 2007

I also have a Woods BrushBull in a 6 ft model. While that is more cutter than you are looking for, I have been very pleased with it and I suspect the lighter duty Woods cutters would be very well made also. I use front and rear guards (the front more to protect the glass in the tractor cab) to protect anything from thrown rocks. The 4 year old doesn't need to be near the cutter, guard or not! I'm sure you already plan to keep him away, and like me, you also worry that he could somehow get out of sight and wander too close. Sometimes it's hard to keep up with the little guys! The thing is, I have had rocks manage to escape the guards and go quite a distance. Some of my cutting is done pretty close to my front yard, so I make extra effort to make sure the children are never out in the yard when I am even remotely close.
Best wishes on finding the right cutter for your needs. Don't let the manufacturers rating of light or medium duty matter so much as the weight of the unit and the reputaion of the company.

Terry

Bird · Mar 20, 2007

I don't guess you can see them really well, but I made the chain guards for the front and rear of my Howse 500.

Limecuda · Mar 20, 2007

I have a galvanized Modern cutter. It has a one piece deck and cost right at $900.

Ben3130 · Mar 20, 2007

One other option to consider is shopping used. A short while back I was looking at some used equipment at the local John Deere dealer, and they had a bunch of used rotary cutters 'discounted'. Most of them I wasn't interested in, but they had a couple of Howse cutters that were in real good shape, with guards, for right around $800. They had some dings and scratches on them, but they didn't look any worse than some of the 'new' KingKutters at my local tractor supply

Gamemaster · Mar 20, 2007

I'm happy with my KK cutter and made my own front and rear guards for less than $40.00. You need a drill, nuts,bolts,lock washers,some fender washers and some 2x2 angle iron. I got some used mud flaps from a local trucking co. They change them on a regular basis, got some pretty new looking ones from a pile (free),. They cut like butter on a band-saw, had to driil some holes in the mower deck and iron, bolt it up and start hogging. I have hit rocks and such, no problems, just keep some clearance so the cut debris doesn't build-up under the deck.

Soundguy · Mar 20, 2007

I think a KK or howse 5' mower should be great for light to medium duty cutting.. and come in inthe 600$ range.

Guards can be made for about 20$ and a set of truck mud flaps.

Soundguy

GeauxLSU said:
Well that's not good. I don't have a friend like that.
Do the BH/Woods come in under $900 WITH guards?

N80 · Mar 20, 2007

I'd also recommend shopping used. I got a JD LX-6 in really good condition with full chains and heavy duty laminated tail wheel for about $800.

GeauxLSU · Mar 23, 2007

Well I got a local guy to quote me on a Howse medium duty with chains and over ride cluth for $925. Appears to be the price to beat.
M60 Series

john_bud · Mar 23, 2007

I had a blade snap in two at full speed. Figure the the launch speed at 15,000 ft/min and the weight at about 10 pounds+. It isn't something you want to be smacked by. I have full chains front and back and to to this day, have no idea if it went out the front or the back. I assume the back as nothing was seen going out the front!

For most things, my little one is right out with me. But for cutting, he is in the house. Period -- end of story.

jb

chrisjbell · Mar 23, 2007

I've got a Rhino cutter. It works great, has put up with terrible abuse. I don't remember what it cost, and mine's a 4' anyway.

I'll second the thought about not having anyone around when cutting. Haven't lost a blade, yet, but have launched some rocks with the thing and they come out at a fantastic speed. Those things are beasts - anything that will split granite (and that thing will) is creating an enourmous amount of force.

Soundguy · Mar 24, 2007

Thrown blades a re bad news no matter how you 'cut' it. At work, we had a blade come off and go -thru- a chain guard.. ripped 1' of it off the mower. Had 2 other occasions where a blade came off / broke and one went thru top deck, and one went thru a mower that had solid guards ( circa 1998.. or so )

I know a guy that was mowing with a 6' mower.. broke a blade.. had no guards, luckily he was in a pasture.. said it thru it a couple hundred feet.

Another guy had a blade drop and it came forward and went right thru a tire!

bad stuff!!

Soundguy

john_bud said:
I had a blade snap in two at full speed. Figure the the launch speed at 15,000 ft/min and the weight at about 10 pounds+. It isn't something you want to be smacked by. I have full chains front and back and to to this day, have no idea if it went out the front or the back. I assume the back as nothing was seen going out the front!

For most things, my little one is right out with me. But for cutting, he is in the house. Period -- end of story.

jb

Farmwithjunk · Mar 24, 2007

john_bud said:
I had a blade snap in two at full speed. Figure the the launch speed at 15,000 ft/min and the weight at about 10 pounds+. It isn't something you want to be smacked by. I have full chains front and back and to to this day, have no idea if it went out the front or the back. I assume the back as nothing was seen going out the front!

For most things, my little one is right out with me. But for cutting, he is in the house. Period -- end of story.

jb

Summer of 2000, our church bought a semi-wooded 2 acres parcel of land that adjoined the church property. Planning on expanding someday, we decided to clean it up and create a softball field for the time being. Myself and another member brought our tractors over one saturday morning to mow off the lot. The other guy wanted to run nose to tail, either in front of me or right behind me. I was trying to stay on opposite sides of the field. I lost. He finally got the point that I didn't want him in front of me, so he started trailing me. After about 20 minutes of that, I pulled off by my truck and just let him go at it. I was tired of trying to mow AND watch what he was doing. No sooner than I pulled off, he stopped. I thought he was waiting for me to rejoin the party. After a few minutes, he walked over to where I was standing. It seems that his mower started vibrating like a bowling ball in a blender. He didn't know why. We walked back over towards his tractor. About 50 feet from the tractor was sitting, I almost tripped over something laying in the weeds. It was about 75% of a bush hog blade with the cleanest break you'd ever want to see. Snapped like glass. Upon further inspection of the mower, it had gone directly through the side of the mower deck......through 1/4" plate steel.....A gash about a foot long. The guy who was at one point mowing not 20 feet from me said he never felt a thing, heard a thing, nor did he even know for sure when it happened. As it turned out, the blades were almost brand new, just replaced that spring. All I could think of was how if it went through 1/4" steel, how much "resistance" would a human victim offer to 10 pounds of flying iron. I've also thought about why I suddenly decided to get away from him just seconds before it broke. (Always thought it had something to do with the fact we were with-in the shadow of a church steeple....)