The Deerslayer
Platinum Member
I recently had the same tractor as you. I ran it for years with a 5 footer with no problems at all. Not sure I would go any bigger than a 5 footer. Good luck and enjoy...that is a great tractor you have there.
Mowing L2250... what size brush hog
- Thread starter bjorn773
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LD1
Epic Contributor
IN equal conditions, a finish mower is gonna be more load on the tractor. They really are designed to cut different things. A finish mower, having 3 small blades and belt drive is just that, a finish mower and is ment to cut nothing more than grass. And just to maintain it, not try to cut grass that hasnt been touched for a year.
If you are into a pasture with 12" high grass or weeds, a 6' bushhog is gonna be less load on the tractor than even a 5' finish mower.
I dont recall you ever saying what you intended to cut, but you started off looking for a bushhog, so I assume you have some thick stuff to knock down. A 6' finish mower is not the right tool
If you are into a pasture with 12" high grass or weeds, a 6' bushhog is gonna be less load on the tractor than even a 5' finish mower.
I dont recall you ever saying what you intended to cut, but you started off looking for a bushhog, so I assume you have some thick stuff to knock down. A 6' finish mower is not the right tool
JWR
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LD1 is right on the money. I foolishly had a 6ft finish mower and enough horsepower to cut virtually anything I could drag it over. Cut an old grown over meadow with briars and 4 ft high grass and crud a couple of times with it. HOWEVER, I also had multiple flat tires (the small air filled type) , burned a belt off the thing once and generally beat the heck out of it for no good reason. Too lazy at the time to swap it out for the bush hog. Should have been using a hog obviously. LD1 is exactly right overall.
My buddy acruelly has 2 mowers that I can try. One is a tow behind 6 ft brush mower and the other a 6 ft 3 pt finish mower. Not saying I have to buy either, but he is kind enough to haul one out and let me play with it. Maybe I should be looking at the tow behind instead?
DK35vince
Super Member
Then a 5' brush mower is what you need
if you're set on 6' hog, be prepared to remove & sharpen the knives several times a season esp w/the tall stuff.... impact wrench a must. then, well maybe it could work for you...if you're patient and gear down...i can't imagine a bush hog like that w/your size tractor. safety on slopes w/that size hog on a light frame is also a consideration... best regards
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LD1
Epic Contributor
Sharpen several times a season?
Don't know how much he is cutting, but I do about 300 acres a year ranging from grass to thick brush and saplings. Lots of new properties with unknowns, ant mounds, rocks, metal, etc. I sharpen 2x a year at most
Don't know how much he is cutting, but I do about 300 acres a year ranging from grass to thick brush and saplings. Lots of new properties with unknowns, ant mounds, rocks, metal, etc. I sharpen 2x a year at most
I'm not set on anything. I was simply stating that I have the opportunity to field test 2 different 6 foot mowers. I have located a couple of 5 foot mowers for the same price as well. The difference being I can try out the 6 foot finish mower or a 6 foot tow behind brush hog. I don't have to commit any money to do so. The 5 footer would be buy it and hope I like it. I figure it's worth playing with the loaners. In the end, it sounds like maybe the 5 footer is the way to go for my intended purpose.
DK35vince
Super Member
3 point finish mowers are for lawn, like your zero turn.
If you wouldn't cut it with the zero turn, then a finish mower is the wrong tool for the job.
I'm not set on anything. I was simply stating that I have the opportunity to field test 2 different 6 foot mowers. I have located a couple of 5 foot mowers for the same price as well. The difference being I can try out the 6 foot finish mower or a 6 foot tow behind brush hog. I don't have to commit any money to do so. The 5 footer would be buy it and hope I like it. I figure it's worth playing with the loaners. In the end, it sounds like maybe the 5 footer is the way to go for my intended purpose.
LD1
Epic Contributor
Not a ton more power. Don't have to go fast or take a full bite either.
SPYDERLK
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Between the OPs 2250, our 2550 and 3450, and your 3400, I think we have this bracketed pretty well. Our JD 127 bushog is an extremely lightweight medium duty model. At 5' and 600# it can be used even on the B9200 and up to the JD2010. Back when we bought it we had free trial of both the 6' JD 227 and the 5' 127 bushogs on the 45ptohp JD 2010 tractor. Plenty of power for either but the 5 foot seemed more rugged when it encountered sizable material.
Having now used the 127 from its min to near its max I would say that going on the smaller side with a bushog gives the more versatile setup. 5 foot is the sweet spot of durability/capability of a single spindle mower. A wider mower is also more sensitive to scalping when on a narrow tractor, and the extra length of that mower will further lessen its applicability. Going bigger on a 20HP tractor will dictate a lot of "workaround" behavior to allow for it. - And there will be some penalties that cannot be overcome.
LD1
Epic Contributor
For flag a tow behind is fine.
On hills, you have to pull all that weight around which isn't an easy task with a smaller lighter machine. I like a mounted cutter as the tractor carries some or all the weight if needed for traction. Plus it's a whole lot easier to load on a trailer
On hills, you have to pull all that weight around which isn't an easy task with a smaller lighter machine. I like a mounted cutter as the tractor carries some or all the weight if needed for traction. Plus it's a whole lot easier to load on a trailer
SPYDERLK
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Exactly. ... And with FEL your tractor will be very happy with 600+ pounds and a nice platform/deck riding on the 3ph that you could load moderately when needing more counterweight.
dieselcrawler
Elite Member
To address the power needed concerns, testing with the 6' tow behind will give you a good idea if your tractor has the power to turn it... the weight hanging off the rear in a 3PH model will be a far different story. I have no desire to even try one that big, the 5' I have is almost too much for my tractor and (key words here) my style of use.
So by all means, try the 6' at no cost... I expect you will decide to find a 5' model, 3PH mounted.
So by all means, try the 6' at no cost... I expect you will decide to find a 5' model, 3PH mounted.
JWR
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Yup, these guys are right (last 3 or 4 posts) but I would add -- I do not think you want a pull behind cutter. It becomes a nuisance every time you have to back up or make any sort of sharp turn. Years ago I had a 4' pull behind using the Kubota B2150 to drive it. It worked but I spent my whole time owning it trying to figure out how to convert it to a 3ph. Like diesel crawler says, sure try it for size etc. but you will be much happier with a 3ph I think. Especially with a loader the two complement each other weight wise, you get better traction with the tractor, etc. But as my kid once said "everyone has their own way of doing things" and people have preferences.
