Howse 48 inch Brush Hog.

[TheGreyRider]

Can anyone tell me if a Howse brand brush hog is any good? I have never heard of them, but there is a 48inch one for sale close to me, 2 months old like new condition for 800 bucks, just didnt know if that was a good deal or not.

 

[johnrex62]

I have never run a Howse brand mower. My Mohawk from AgMeir looks a lot beefier and my 60" was cheaper than a Howse at TSC. The Howse I looked at was skip welded around the top deck, while my Mohawk was fully welded on the top seam.

I don't know if anyone near you sells AgMeir, but I would look around a bit more based on my limited observations. If you were talking about a mower under $400, then I would say go for it. A 4 foot mower at $800 is a bit too high for a used standard duty mower in my opinion, at least in my craigslist coverage area.

 

[kmassing]

I've run that mower for 7 years, haven't had any issues or complaints. I changed the blades last year, now that was an experience.
Howse is a family business, been in business since 1964, good stuff.

 

[acme97]

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/119676-word-about-howse-implements.html

This is a link to a discussion about the Howse implement. It might answer some of your questions.

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

Sounds high to me for a used rotary mower. I just bought a new 48" for way less than that but it isn't a Howse.

 

[Danner]

I ran a 48" Howse mower/shredder from 2004 through 2010 to cut 6 acres here in Texas. It's a bit of a crude machine, but it ran without a hiccup on the back of my 24 HP Yanmar CUT. Cast iron bearing on the tail wheel that needs grease regularly. I never touched the gear box. Howse gets a lot of knocks, but my experience was good.

$800 sounds a bit high to me. I'd offer $600 and see how the seller reacts. I'll bet he takes it.

Here is a picture of it from May this year, just before I sold the whole rig:

 

[Grandad4]

Biggest issue I've seen with Howse cutters is the comparatively flimsy 3pt brackets. If all you do is mow on flat ground, it's not an issue, but if you're in rough or hilly terrain, they can get twisted out of shape if the cutter is used aggressively. The brackets on our neighbor's 5 ft. Howse are pretty well bent out of shape from rough use so it doesn't look anything like the one in Danner's photo. The cutter's gearbox, etc. are OK.

 

[Volfandt]

I ran a Howse 60" rotery cutter on the back of my TE20 for nearly 15 yrs, cutting 3 to 4 acres every couple weeks during the mowing season. Greased the rear wheel and driveshaft before every mow, never let me down
I'd buy another.

 

[Grandad4]

I ran a Howse 60" rotery cutter on the back of my TE20 for nearly 15 yrs, cutting 3 to 4 acres every couple weeks during the mowing season. Greased the rear wheel and driveshaft before every mow, never let me down
I'd buy another.

Nice TE20! That was the first tractor I ever operated, at age 12. I thought I had really made the big leagues driving a real tractor. The little Fergie is perfect for running a cutter like that, although I only got to pull the honey wagon with it. My wife says I've been slinging the bull**** ever since, but that's another story. Sorry to stray off the topic of Howse cutters, but couldn't hold back the memories.

 

[houstonscott]

Here are two pictures of the 72" HD model. It will eat shear pins if your not careful.

HS