Rotary Cutter Brush cutting for beginners...

[Torvy]

So, one of the tasks I will have with my new piece of land is maintaining utility easements. Technically, I could wait for the utility companies to cut them, but I live there, they don't. 2/3 of my easements are buried gas lines, so they only come out if there is a big problem...almost never. The power line guys are only worried about the trees and the easement is wide enough they are not really an issue. My wife and I are in agreement that we have no interest in a 'lawn'. As such, I will not need a finish mower (I am pretty sure). If we did have something later it would be extremely small and could be easily done using a push mower.

That being said, the land is wooded and seedlings and saplings will pop up rather frequently. There are also non-easement open areas (see avatar photo) that we need basic maintenance.

I am looking for something that is user friendly. I love to work, but I am not a mechanic.

My question or request: Please discuss the pros and cons of the rotary cutter versus the flail cutter. The budget will only fit one or the other. I am especially interested in hearing from people who have used both.

Thanks!

 

[WranglerX]

Not sure on any cutter to recommends, but I have found that any trees or sapling you cut either do it BELOW ground level or leave them tall enough tall enough to be seen and drive around.... Previous owner cut a bunch off about 6 inched above ground, and even after 12 years of working property still discover one or more with the mower deck of riding mower and stops mower suddenly trying to throw operator over steering wheel... Solution for me is dig down around stump and use chainsaw with "OLD" chain to cut below ground level...

 

[Torvy]

Good advice! I think anything more than an inch or two diameter I would uproot the stump. I am considering a tree puller attachment that may help with that as well.

 

[leonz]

So, one of the tasks I will have with my new piece of land is maintaining utility easements. Technically, I could wait for the utility companies to cut them, but I live there, they don't. 2/3 of my easements are buried gas lines, so they only come out if there is a big problem...almost never. The power line guys are only worried about the trees and the easement is wide enough they are not really an issue. My wife and I are in agreement that we have no interest in a 'lawn'. As such, I will not need a finish mower (I am pretty sure). If we did have something later it would be extremely small and could be easily done using a push mower.

That being said, the land is wooded and seedlings and saplings will pop up rather frequently. There are also non-easement open areas (see avatar photo) that we need basic maintenance.

I am looking for something that is user friendly. I love to work, but I am not a mechanic.

My question or request: Please discuss the pros and cons of the rotary cutter versus the flail cutter. The budget will only fit one or the other. I am especially interested in hearing from people who have used both.

Thanks!

The more power you have in your mule the better; what do you know about tractors in general????????
A sub compact mule is out of the question unless you want to spend night after night mowing.
You also need to know how much snow you have to deal with each winter to purchase a big enough snow blower and back blade.
Just be very aware that you need to check what your liability if any is for this "easement" as you may not legally be able to mow it.
Do this easy work first then we can help you with a mower and a mule with a cab and air conditioner.


Do your home work first, find out if you can legally mow it then wander down the decision tree path and then do an upside down decision tree and then go to a
local dealer without your wallet or check book or credit card in hand and UNDERSTAND FULLY that that they are only interested in seeing that credit card slip across the reader or a bank check in their paws for an undersized mule and the wrong mower which is a rotary cutter as you want to cut everything down to 2 inches in height every time you mow.

If you can legally mow it your going to be years and money ahead renting a tracked FECON forestry mulcher and in so doing you will not have to mow that often to worry about it.
renting a mulcher with a flail head for a week or two will save you lots of money.

 

[TractorTYMe]

Between the two I decided on a flail mower with hammer knives. It mulches really really nice. Plus I found it easier to control size wise vs. a rotary cutter.

 

[DieselBound]

Depends on the scale. Are were talking 100' (or less) or 1,000' (or more)?

RCs are almost indestructible. They're good for heavier brush and saplings. OK on grass, but larger expanses of it less so. Fails have more moving parts and are therefore more prone to incurring mechanical issues: they require more maintenance than RCs; how much really depends on how used/abused. In general, flails are better suited for areas that have been well-worked and have next to no unknowns: flails don't like stumps and rocks; RCs don't like them either, but they don't suffer the damage that a flail might. RCs are cheaper to purchase.

If you're only looking to use a tractor for this I'd think about hiring someone else to do it on a regular basis. Might be more cost effective: keep in mind maintenance and repair costs.

 

[Torvy]

The more power you have in your mule the better; what do you know about tractors in general????????
A sub compact mule is out of the question unless you want to spend night after night mowing.
You also need to know how much snow you have to deal with each winter to purchase a big enough snow blower and back blade.
Just be very aware that you need to check what your liability if any is for this "easement" as you may not legally be able to mow it.
Do this easy work first then we can help you with a mower and a mule with a cab and air conditioner.


Do your home work first, find out if you can legally mow it then wander down the decision tree path and then do an upside down decision tree and then go to a
local dealer without your wallet or check book or credit card in hand and UNDERSTAND FULLY that that they are only interested in seeing that credit card slip across the reader or a bank check in their paws for an undersized mule and the wrong mower which is a rotary cutter as you want to cut everything down to 2 inches in height every time you mow.

If you can legally mow it your going to be years and money ahead renting a tracked FECON forestry mulcher and in so doing you will not have to mow that often to worry about it.
renting a mulcher with a flail head for a week or two will save you lots of money.

I know enough to know that I don't know. Growing up, my dad was (for about 10 years) a partner in an IH dealership. I worked as a gopher in the shop and have a solid basic understanding of tractors...have driven the old-school stuff...but I am old now and the market has changed drastically. Thankfully, I live in Texas. On the rare occasions that it snows, I can ignore it until it melts. I spend my youth up north and appreciate your consideration of snow...just not a thing in my situation.

My legal issues are quite simple in Texas...I need to allow the utilities access to my property on their easements and if I build or plant anything on it, they have no liability if they destroy it. I cannot, for example, put a locked gate across the entrance. I can, however, put an old-school barbed-wire fence/gate. Worst case is they drive over it and I an have some fence mending to do. Again, I appreciate you thoughtfulness. I know easements can be a sticky wicket, especially in other states.

A forestry mulcher is WAY too much for me to handle. The easements are wide and only have weeds and small saplings to handle. The entire property is only 18.5 acres, so I probably have a total of 2-3 acres of easements and open areas to mow. These are also great ways for me to traverse the property. Even my small SUV can handle it. I'll likely cut 4-6 times a year depending on rain. I will look into the FECON option if we ever decide to clear some of our land. As it is, I really like the pine and the timber is a crop unto itself.

In all likelihood, I would buy most implements used unless they were a deal as a package. My bigger fear is that I buy too much tractor, not too little. I have a home boss who is how shall we say it nicely...frugal. She will be the only reason we were in too small a tractor.

 

[bearthebruce]

@Torvey, my recommendation is a brush hog. You have no idea what is in those power lines and gas lines.. I mow them on our property and I am cleaning them up so the seat pucker surprises are fewer.. But i would not run a flail there. Rocks, stumps, you name it, its there. I think it would tear a flail to pieces.

As @DieselBound said, the rotary brush cutters are far more forgiving. Oh, you'll know it when you get on something.. but it wll survive. I took out a telco splice box that I did not know was hiding in the 10 foot tall stuff I was cutting.. that was quite the seat pucker surprise! Now I know its there and it will never happen again.. but that first cutting... you have no idea what is laying there.

Walk it.. its a good idea. Walking 15 acres and several miles of trails was a bit much to ask. I chose to cut it.. ran the brush hog high at about 6" that first time. Then dropped it to 4" where I cut now. 2".. and I would have lots of trouble.

 

[Torvy]

Depends on the scale. Are were talking 100' (or less) or 1,000' (or more)?

RCs are almost indestructible. They're good for heavier brush and saplings. OK on grass, but larger expanses of it less so. Fails have more moving parts and are therefore more prone to incurring mechanical issues: they require more maintenance than RCs; how much really depends on how used/abused. In general, flails are better suited for areas that have been well-worked and have next to no unknowns: flails don't like stumps and rocks; RCs don't like them either, but they don't suffer the damage that a flail might. RCs are cheaper to purchase.

If you're only looking to use a tractor for this I'd think about hiring someone else to do it on a regular basis. Might be more cost effective: keep in mind maintenance and repair costs.

Thanks! This is exactly the type of thing I am looking for. I've used cutters and mowers before, but never a flail. The tractor will be part of overall land management. Most of it is timber, so I will be using the loader quite a bit and maintaining the driveway, tilling a garden, fencing, etc.

The open area in my picture is part of about a 300 yard long cut through the timber. Eventually, the center will be our driveway (gravel, rock). We have 3 big easements that cut the property. They total about 1000 yards by about 30 feet wide. There are a few other open areas that will be cut until my home boss decides if she wants to plant something there, then it will be tilling or digging holes for trees. I am sure in the first few years it will be a rough area to mow as it has not been well maintained until the developer prepped it for sale.

 

[shooterdon]

I hate using a RC'er. I have rocks and have thrown softball size ones over 50ft. When I traded my tractor I included it in the trade.

My approach is different. I have a few areas that I used to brushhog but am trying an annual cover crop. I am using Dutch White clover as it grows 6-8" high and is suitable for my climate. I see no reason to mow it and it will feed and attract deer. By letting it go to seed, it will reseed itself over time.

I was able to establish it by spraying with Round Up and after the grass died off, using my landscape rake to level things out and scratch up the ground (mostly sand). After seeding, I reversed the rake and used it like a cultipacker to lightly press the seed down a bit.

I planted it last fall and it has done well. I may overseed a bit in some areas this fall. Seed rate I used was 6-8 lbs per acre. $50 for 10 lbs for the stuff I got, but I have seen it for $150/25 lbs.

Not sure what will work in your area but something you do not need to mow would keep things simple.