Rotary Cutter Brush cutting for beginners...

[mwayne]

Consider a composite of ideas already stated, hire the mowing out for this year and maybe next. Then you can survey and note the potentially difficult areas, if any, for when you take over the job yourself. This also takes the pressure off of needing to buy your own machinery in a hurry.

 

[CoyPatton]

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.

With a 300’ drive way, you want a tractor large enough to pull a wide blade, regardless of box or rear. An angled rear blade is the thing in my opinion to pull gravel from the edges/ditches back onto the drive.
The only caution I have in size is if you plan to work in woods, physical size is not necessarily to your advantage. A bigger tractor requires more space to turn and maneuver, but also handles bigger loads. Also cab glass can get expensive quick, which mandates more clear area to avoid limb contact. But A/C and hear are sure nice!

 

[geoffleach]

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!

I've used a flail mower on a 40 HP tractor. It works -- sort of --- but not with anything larger than a quarter inch. With a 90 HP tractor I get OK results up to a quarter inch. As an alternative, you might consider a "professional" brush cutter (I have a Stihl FS 131) with a "chainsaw" blade. That's a blade with chainsaw cutters instead of teeth. I've cut a lot of heavy brush with that.

 

[DieselBound]

As noted, location/environment has a LOT to do with how you're going to approach things. I put in a fence line running through trees (and "such") and there's about zero way to keep it from sprouting stuff: I don't use chemicals as I have a lot of animals (and I'm in a drainage area feeding a major river- we're pretty adamant about protecting our waterways/fish here).

Now, when one buys an implement it doesn't mean that it's a marriage for life! Get an RC, use it and then assess. If you believe something else would work better, perhaps a different strategy, such as shooterdan mentions, then sell the RC. Used RCs are fairly affordable. They also are fairly easy to sell. Might be, like me, you hang on to the RC for special uses and get a flail for the bulk of your regular needs. My main point here is that sometimes you just go with the best you're able to figure now and then assess after using/doing, and that it's unlikely you're going to be out of any significant amount of cash is you turn around and resell any equipment.

 

[Midniteoyl]

My vote is for the rotary cutter as well, to start with anyways. Mow with it a few times in the first year to knock down, and keep down, the woody growth and you'll eventually be able to use a finish mower on it every 2-4 weeks and have it looking like LD48750's. Keep the rotary cutter to clean up the tree lines once or twice a year.

 

[Torvy]

My vote is for the rotary cutter as well, to start with anyways. Mow with it a few times in the first year to knock down, and keep down, the woody growth and you'll eventually be able to use a finish mower on it every 2-4 weeks and have it looking like LD48750's. Keep the rotary cutter to clean up the tree lines once or twice a year.

I seriously hope not... I like the idea of keeping the space open for transit and the like, but finish mowing seems a bit much for our space. Most of the area that needs to be cut is pretty far from where we are building. I think if we were wanting a more 'lawn-like' look, I may have considered a flail for later, but unless things change in the plan, I think I can use an RC for the whole thing...now is just a matter of figuring out which ones...what features are useful and which are pointless...I hope there is already a thread for that.

 

[ch1ch2]

I have used a RC on a 1/2 acre lot and had a finished cut that looked as good as or better than when I have used a ZTR.
The RC had new blades. It did not leave the cutting piled up on the right like a side discharge mower does.

 

[Greench]

You are correct, you have no obligation to maintain the easements.

I chose to for my own use (& to please the wife.)


Front....View attachment 706846

Over the hillView attachment 706853 View attachment 706854

I use a finish mower.
Have a bush hog to do "extra" clearing in the woods & swamp.

If I only had one, it would be a flail mower.
They can cut almost as nice as a finish mower or do almost as much as a bush hog depending on how you adjust it.

That land is begging for bulls and hogs alternating every three years. They would add a finishing touch to make me feel more at home walking through there.

 

[Williy]

I have a Woods RC very well built I know I will never
wear it out in my life time!

willy

 

[LD48750]

I seriously hope not... I like the idea of keeping the space open for transit and the like, but finish mowing seems a bit much for our space. Most of the area that needs to be cut is pretty far from where we are building. I think if we were wanting a more 'lawn-like' look, I may have considered a flail for later, but unless things change in the plan, I think I can use an RC for the whole thing...now is just a matter of figuring out which ones...what features are useful and which are pointless...I hope there is already a thread for that.

With that, I agree.
The best thing for your situation would be a brush hog/RC .