King Kutter

[N80]

I'm looking at the King Kutter 6' rotary mower. I'm on a tight budget. I'm looking at the tag along model with two rear wheels and a screw jack for height adjustment. I'll replace the screw jack with a small hydraulic ram for on-the-fly cutting height changes.

My brother-in-law, who is a farmer nearby, recommends this type of setup for the hilly and uneven terrain that I'll be mowing.

This unit costs less than $1000. Far less than most other major brands. Is it absolute junk? Is the gearbox decent? anyone have any experience with this brand, good or bad?

It will get fairly light duty in grass and light brush, a few small persimmon trees here and there, blackberries, etc. Will be used twice a month at the most.

Any opinions appreciated. Thanks,

George

 

[jjcc246]

a lot of guys aren't happy with kk. but i had a 60" for 5 years (sold it with the tractor and still regret it) i never, not once, not even a little bit did i have trouble with that kk. and i did not baby it. i think for the money you can't go wrong with a twice a month mow.

 

[TonyV]

I've had a 5' KK bush hog for about 10 years and used it to clear just a couple acres of field every few months. I just used it over this past weekend to clear about 3 acres of very heavily overgrown field with literally thousands of tree trunks in the 1 to 1 1/2 inch range. I stayed clear of anything larger than that after I broke my 2nd shear bolt....but that was the only problem that I'd ever had. I don't think you can go wrong for the price for light duty clearing.

...Tony

 

[DK35vince]

I run a 6' King Kutter brush mower. I like it, works good, no problems.
Its a h### of a lot better cutter than the JD 513 I previously had.

 

[Cactus]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( <font color="blue"> a lot of guys aren't happy with kk </font> )</font>

And a lot are happy with King Kutter.

 

[MajMac392]

I don’t have a KK and I know there are different quality cutters but I ended up with a International 4’ model made in Bethel, OH. It isn’t anywhere near as pretty as say a Woods but the $250-300 difference and only using it occasionally swayed me to it. I’ve only used it a few times but I am using mine on fairly hilly ground clearing brush, small (1” or so maybe larger) maple, oak, wild cherry, birch, and pine slash and limbs and it works great. I am even amazed at the rocks that I have gone over, not intentionally because I can’t see them, but it just rumbles, and clunks, then keeps on going. I guess the bottom line if the KK is reasonably tough looking, the gearbox is got a high enough margin for your tractor, I’d go for it. It’s your money and if the KK will handle go for it. I like ‘nice’ equipment but I also like good value for my money as well. Let us know what you decide.

 

[MMM]

I'll do the nay saying. I ruined a 72-60 in 2 yrs of fairly hard use in 2" gum/post oak thickets. I found the deck didn't hold together from vibration of heavy cutting. For your purpose could be ok.

 

[Soundguy]

I have a 5' KK mower.. had it for over 5ys now.. I pulled it behind a NH 1920 for a few years.. now behind a ford NAA.. both thos tractors will pull a 6' mower.. so that kk gets a workout. never had a minutes trouble with it.

Soundguy

 

[gamble77]

I always tell people that a KK is a pasture mower. It's not a mower that you want to go clear land with...and therefore they are priced accordingly. I'm sure some of you have been through some pretty tuff stuff with your KK's but bottom line is they won't ever hold a stick to a BushHog brand mower.

 

[N80]

While I agree with you about quality and bitterness, I also believe it is equally unwise to to expend very limited resources on quality or features I don't need. It is a fine balance.

I can get the six foot, tag along King Kutter with 60hp gearbox and 10 ga decking for around $1000. A little more if I add the slipper clutch. I doubt it will ever see any brush bigger than 1/2".

So, maybe the KK is no Bush Hog. Why? If I get a KK I will use it within its recommended specs. So is it going to fail doing what it was designed to do? Where? Gearbox? Deck? It will be stored in a shed so rust/etc won't be an issue.

So maybe I should rephrase my question. What brands should I look at for a 6' tag along rotary cutter for around $1000? Or does that price lock me into serious quality compromises?

 

[Cactus]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( <font color="blue"> I always tell people that a KK is a pasture mower. It's not a mower that you want to go clear land with...and therefore they are priced accordingly. </font> )</font>
A King Kutter is more than a pasture mower in my opinion,I had a 36" King Kutter I had for 15 years and I pulled it on a Mitsubishi III 16.5 HP and I mowed/stradled saplings that when I drove the tractor into it would suspend the front of the tractor until I finally drove across it and the bushhog would mow it down I was amazed at what the King Kutter and the tractor would withstand.

 

[aloha]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( What brands should I look at for a 6' tag along rotary cutter for around $1000? )</font>

I'd check out Woods, Landpride, Bush Hog. You may find prices for these are comparable to the KK, especially if you find a dealer who wants your business.

My one KK implement is a pallet mover. The quality of workmanship in this simple item leaves a lot to be desired.

 

[Soundguy]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( So, maybe the KK is no Bush Hog. Why? If I get a KK I will use it within its recommended specs. )</font>

The statement that gamble made about KK can't hold a candle to bush hog is an apples to watermellon comparison. What he neglected to mention is also that the price of a KK won't hold a candle to the price of a bush hog.

The construction company I work for does a bit of ROW mowing. We long ago found it was substantially more economical to buy howse and KK 'economy' mowers compaired to 2x and 3x higher priced brands.

In the end.. we are replacing the mowers every year, high priced or not. Didn't take us long to figure out that a 600$ mower replaced every year made more economical sense than a 1200$ mower replaced every year.

And for those interested.. hitting tires, stumps, bumpers, etc on the side of the road in the tall grass will destroy a bush hog mower just like a cheap one.. slip clutch or not.. after you hit about 15 stumps.. -any- mower will be looking for a vacation.

Like many have said.. for light to medium duty cutting.. pasture clipping.. black berries.. and the occasional 1.5" woody brush.. an economy mower is fine. Land clearing mowing is a different story... that's rough stuff.

It all you are doing is weed control.. etc.. no need to pay 2x to 3x for a mower. If you mow 2" green and 1.5" woody material and multi-flora rose and locust sapling all day long.. I would not get a light duty mower.

Soundguy

 

[N80]

Well, there is the occasional locust tree, but they are brushy, mulit stemmed. There is one small field with some type of creeping rose too, but they are very low to the ground. (You must have very similar stuff in your area) All of this stuff has been mowed several times a year.

In addition, if I go the KK route (and I'm not committed to it yet) it will be their medium duty with a heavier gearbox, thicker decking and blades.

I'll continue to do my homework though. It is very hard to find prices for Bush Hog, Woods, Land Pride, etc on the internet. In fact, I can't find any at all. So this will take some leg work and phone work. The dealer that I going to get my tractor from sells Land Pride, but I expect it will be out of my budget range.

I mentioned in another thread that I have access to an old JD 7' single spindle pull type cutter but I have doubts that the Kubota L4400 will run it in deep grass. It is a heavy duty mower, I've seen it go through 3" stuff with no problem....on a much bigger tractor. I'm going to try it before buying anything though since it is essentially free.

 

[Charolais]

I've got a 7' HD KK and I'll put it up against Bush Hog brand. It weighs 1480 pounds and cost $1,480 6 years ago. I cut 70+or- acres of pasture per year. Also have cutover land I use it on. I wait till the stumps will either break apart or be knocked out of the ground by the cutter blades. About 60% of those stumps are 24" across. Lob lolloy and spruce pine. Maybe 5% hard wood. It's been a tough cutter. Got to weld some new skids on the front now. They're worn out.

 

[gamble77]

I agree with all of you in saying that KK has a place in the market. And it is not a fair comparison between KK and BushHog...my thinking about the situation is that if you are going to do actual brush clearing in places that haven't been cleared and want something thats going to last then your money is best placed in a BushHog brand and I think that logic is hard to argue with.

 

[Soundguy]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( if I go the KK route (and I'm not committed to it yet) it will be their medium duty with a heavier gearbox )</font>

I've had good luck with the higher end options of the 'economy' brands. For instance.. I am currently mowing with a howse heavy duty model 10' mower behind a 90 hp tractor. It has deck plates thick enough that they don't flex when i walk on them.. the upright supports and skid plates are 1/2 inch.. rest of the frame is 3/8 and 1/2 inch.

It cost less than 2500$.. came in at about 50% of the price of -any- competitor save kodiak.. and then was 66% of the price.. etc.

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I have access to an old JD 7' single spindle pull type cutter but I have doubts that the Kubota L4400 will run )</font>

Look at it like this.. if it starts to bog.. take a 6' cut.. you were going to get a 6' mower anyway.

Besides.. you state that this stuff is cut a few times a year... It's not like this is going to be a 'new land clearing' cut every time.

While a high hp to mower foot/per/cut is great.. I see lots of people get buy with less. The old horse farmer next to me cuts with an older 50hp kubota and a 12'! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif batwing. It WILL bog down in heavy grass.. so he takes less of a bite.. or goes slower. The local tractor mechanic in town will sell 10' mowers to peopl ein the 50-60 hp range.. It's on the low edge.. but if you look at small er cutters.. you see lots of 5hp per foot of cut mower and tractor combinations..

Soundguy

 

[N80]

How do you take less of a bite? Do you just put shorter blades on it?

 

[Bird]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( How do you take less of a bite? )</font>

More overlap; i.e., just cut with half (or some other fraction) the width of the mower with the other half running in already mowed ground.

 

[N80]

Well now, that makes sense. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I've done it with a regular lawn mower, don't know why I didn't think about it with a rotary cutter.