Bush hog for my TC18

[Spitz]

I am sure my inquiry falls into the category of ... "haven't we all seen that post 1,000 times ?!?!" I could use a little advice...

I have a NH TC18 with a loader, 4WD, etc. It does a great job for most projects, particularly for the wife to muck stalls daily into the loader, then dump into our manure dumpster.

Early in the spring, I rented a 5ft brush hog and it seemed to do fine. I was mowing grass and weeds, a few sapplings - mostly flat but a few bumps in the ground... no hills to speak of. I am now ready to buy a bush hog, and the advice seems to be mixed on whether my tractor can (or should) handle it...

I regularly use a 60" First Choice RFM (thanks to everyone on TBN for the recommendations, I love it!) and the tractor seems to work fine. I can tell I'm running it hard, but it never seems to give up. Hills require low range on the hydrostatic drive, but it doesn't bog.

Am I going to kill this tractor prematurely if I also brush hog 3 or 4 times a year? Will the items that wear because of the heavy use be easily replaced? Am I nuts? (okay, maybe I shouldn't ask for an answer to that last one...)

Thanks in advance!

 

[HammerFour]

If the tractor isn't overheating, then I don't think you are working it to hard.

I have done a lot of rotary cutting with my B7100 and it does just fine, it will take a bit longer especially uphill in long grass, etc.

 

[Joe1]

What does the dealer recommend size wise for your tractor. It is probably a 4' rotary cutter.

Joe

 

[Henro]

Can your tractor handle the weight of the BH you might buy?

5' sounds too big to me, but it might not be if you are not really expecting it to do any real work with it.

A light duty 5' might not weigh too much and I suppose that is what you would buy. If you take your loader off (if you have one) that a 5' cutter may make the front wheels real light when lifted in the transport position.

You might be better off with a 4' as it would probably be a better match for your tractor's physical size...

It has taken a while, but I am myself finally beginning to understand that bigger is not always better... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[jwstewar]

When I went to buy my TC-24 I was looking at getting a 5' at TSC. At the dealership he didn't recommend the 5' behind "that small of tractor." He ended up selling me a 4' at a much better price then the 5' at TSC and we ended just financing in w/ the tractor. I'm so glad I went with the 4'. It doesn't make the tractor feel light in the front (of course I usually leave the loader on), the tractor has plenty of power so that it has never bogged down even in really thick and really tall stuff, or when I have used it to cut down 2" woody type growth in my ditch. Seems like it was built just for my tractor, they go together perfectly. BTW, it is just a cheapy KingKutter - I've had no problems with it other then losing the lynch pin in the toplink a couple of times, but I wouldn't blame that on the cutter. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[OhioGuy]

I have a 1220 which I believe to be very similar to the TC18. It's the 4WD Hydro version. I read all the reviews and opinions here when I was trying to decide between a 4 or 5 footer.

The folks at TSC thought a 5 footer would work fine, well, I bought the 4 foot King Cutter and if I had it to do over, I'd buy the same rotary. I can back in tighter spaces but more importantly with my FEL removed the steering is a little light. With a five I doubt it would be steerable without the FEL on.

I generally have the FEL off unless called for.

If you are always going to have the FEL on and you're not workin it to death the 5 would probably work too.

Maybe the dealer would let you trial it from the standpoint of just taking it home, mounting it and getting a feel for your tractors response to it. Especially if you told him you were going to buy one or the other?

Good Luck.
Curt

 

[sweettractors]

From past experience, I would go with 4 ft and not use the FEL for ballast. I have seen a lot of premature front end problems caused by leaving the FEL on all the time while doing 3 point work--IMHO--Ken Sweet
Sweet Farm Equipment LLC *New First Choice 5 ft Double Action Sickle Mowers $2189*

 

[OkieG]

<font color="blue"> I have seen a lot of premature front end problems caused by leaving the FEL on </font>

Ken,
What kind of front end problems?

OkieG

 

[JerryG]

Front end problems will be accelerated with a loader on if the bushing are not lubricated often.

 

[OkieG]

<font color="blue"> Early in the spring, I rented a 5ft brush hog and it seemed to do fine. </font>

Spitz,
That's the best test there is. My 24hp JD is possibly slightly larger than your tractor. My brush hog is a light duty BushHog brand 5'er, the Squealer series. My 3PH would just barely lift their medium duty 5'er, so based on weight alone, it was much too much cutter for the tractor. The 5' Squealer is a good balance between handling and performance for me.

If you've tried a 5'er and like the results, I'd be less inclined to only consider 4'ers. A light duty 5'er might work just fine. The type of work you have to do makes a difference, too. A small area with tight spots might do better with a 4'er. Larger, open areas will cut faster with a 5'er.

I don't think you will kill your tractor prematurely. Whatever size/duty you buy, just make sure your tractor can handle the weight of the unit OK. The tractor should control the cutter, not the other way around.

By the way, I almost always have the front loader attached when brush hogging. The tractor's front end is too light without it, but that's only half the reason. The other half is, the FEL when set low, runs interferece for the tractor and cutter by identifying items you may not want to run over or cut, in time to stop and investigate.

OkieG