L4060 - which rotary cutter?

[Wildfire]

It's time to cut the weeds so some grass can grow...

Going to run a 5' cutter so nothing sticks out past the R1 tires.

Choices:
1. Landpride RCR1860 for $1650 + tax
2. Woods BB60X for $1800-2000 + tax, haven't finished negotiating this price yet
3. USED Woods BB600X for $1800 - about 140 lbs (15%) heavier than my 3-pt is rated to lift for a rotary cutter
4. Everything Attachments with the slip clutch and 75hp gear box for $1695

The new cutters are all pretty much the same 10 gauge decks, 1/4" walls, 65-75hp gear boxes.

The used BB600 is a beast of a mower, giving that one some serious thought. Not too worried about it being a little overweight.

What do you think?

 

[jeff9366]

"3. USED Woods BB600X for $1800 - about 140 lbs (15%) heavier than my 3-pt is rated to lift for a rotary cutter. Not too worried about it being a little overweight."

When I mow with my Land Pride RCF2060 it is not too unusual to find I have a 100 pound tree branch fully or partly riding on the mower.

If you will mow over sloped ground the heavy Woods is liable to tear up your rigid, pinned, Lower Link stabilizers. Read this LINK: http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...ng/385093-l6060-sway-links-2.html#post4862062

If you do not have a Loader on your L4060 I speculate you will need rack weights installed on tractor's front end.



Sometimes the subject of tractor RELIABILITY is chewed here. I maintain the equipment brand is much less important than the prudence and experience of the tractor operator. A good example: "3. USED Woods BB600X, about 140 lbs (15%) heavier than my 3-pt is rated to lift for a rotary cutter. Not too worried about it being a little overweight."

I would not buy a second-hand tractor from you.

 

[Wildfire]

Should have specified that I do have a front end loader, so the counter balance is there. And my 7 acres of land ranges from 23-25' above sea level in South Louisiana. No hills to worry about at all.

Regarding the excess weight...Kubota engineers design safety factors in just like every other engineer. The machine should manage the weight without complaint. Given that I'm a hobby farmer (< 100 hrs/year), its not going to shorten the life of the equipment.

Back to the original question, your saying NO to 3.

Any of the other ones you like better? I do appreciate the feedback. (my personal pick is the woods BB60X)

 

[jeff9366]

I have never owned a Woods implement. Woods has a sterling reputation.

I have four implements from everytfhingattachments.com, in my implement stable. I have been satisfied with all. Like Woods, ETA is built to work. I like having a sixteen wheeled truck pull up to my property to unload a new yellow implement three days after placing the order. CHRISTMAS!

I have a Land Pride RCF2060 Rotary Cutter. It is fine. The plastic guards over the PTO shaft bind, making the PTO quite difficult to connect. I probably have an aberrent example. An aberrant example can happen in any equipment line, tractors and implements. Operationally the RCF2060 is 100% but I do not love it.

 

[Fallon]

My L4060 with R4s has a 66" track at the narrowest. Mine is set to a 72" track. Generally you want an impliment that will cover your tracks.

My L3200 was half the weight & pulled a 60" light duty rotary. I wouldn't go any lower than a 72" if I were getting a rotary. I have a 7' old beat to **** Ford 917 flail I ran on both tractors. Gonna replace it with another flail.

I hear the 7' flails are just to long & awkward, so most people skip them & go to a 8' dual spindle.

 

[SDT]

I have been mowing with various tractor/mower combinations for nearly 50 years.

Currently I have Woods BB720X and BB840X and Frontier RC2060 cutters. I just sold my Woods MDS1260 12.5' cutter. The Woods BB series are serious HD Cutters. The Frontier is not but is quite a bit lighter than a comparable Woods BB600X cutter.

I use the BB720X with a Kubota L6060 on steep ground with many obstacles. It too is about 150+ heavier than the L6060 lift is rated. The BB720X is heavy and rugged. It will not break but your tractor may. Don't push it.

SDT

 

[LD1]

You guys seem to be mistaken what the tractor / 3PH is rated to lift.....and what the manual suggestions are for max weight for given implements.

the manual suggestions are VERY conservative. Ill just come right out and say....ignore them.

Your 3PH is rated to lift 2800# @ 24". If jeff dont want to buy a used tractor from you because you put a 1000# 5' cutter on a 3800# tractor thats rated to lift 2800#.......thats his problem.

Your tractor is the same frame/platform as my MX, only with a little less power. NO, you will not need front weights or be required to leave the loader on. Your tractor will hardly notice a short 5' 1000# cutter back there. I run an 8' 1620# cutter on mine.

I would advise that the 5' is too small and would suggest you take a serious look at a 6' cutter.

 

[oosik]

For a couple of years I tried to convince myself that I needed a rotary cutter. My cutter of choice would have been - Brown 415. But then I took a grasp of reality(unfortunately) and realized - I can cut anything needing to be cut with my riding lawnmower.

 

[SDT]

You guys seem to be mistaken what the tractor / 3PH is rated to lift.....and what the manual suggestions are for max weight for given implements.

the manual suggestions are VERY conservative. Ill just come right out and say....ignore them.

Your 3PH is rated to lift 2800# @ 24". If jeff dont want to buy a used tractor from you because you put a 1000# 5' cutter on a 3800# tractor thats rated to lift 2800#.......thats his problem.

Your tractor is the same frame/platform as my MX, only with a little less power. NO, you will not need front weights or be required to leave the loader on. Your tractor will hardly notice a short 5' 1000# cutter back there. I run an 8' 1620# cutter on mine.

I would advise that the 5' is too small and would suggest you take a serious look at a 6' cutter.

It depends upon what you plan to cut, where you plan to cut it, how much time you plan to use cutting it, how long you plan to keep your tractor, and other factors.

The Woods 6' BB720X is as much as my L6060 wants (front weights and loader brackets on) in my steep conditions, and then some. FWIW, My Woods 7' BB840X is all my M9960 wants (EPTO, front weights and loader brackets on) in the spring. These are heavy mowers and the BB840X extends well behind the lift arms.

Yes, my L6060 could pull a 12' bat wing in ideal conditions. My M9960 pull a 20' bat wing in similar conditions, but I do not play mow.

Finally, 24" lift capacity is irrelevant to this discussion. A 6' rotary cutter extends far beyond 24" from the lift arms. Yes, the tractor will lift it but the dynamic stresses applied to the structures determine the cutter weight limit specified by Kubota. A retired engineer who, in one of my previous lives performed failure analysis for GM, I'm with Jeff in this regard. BTDT.

Been doing this far to long.

SDT

 

[LD1]

It depends upon what you plan to cut, where you plan to cut it, how much time you plan to use cutting it, how long you plan to keep your tractor, and other factors.

The Woods 6' BB720X is as much as my L6060 wants (front weights and loader brackets on) in my steep conditions, and then some. FWIW, My Woods 7' BB840X is all my M9960 wants (EPTO, front weights and loader brackets on) in the spring. These are heavy mowers and the BB840X extends well behind the lift arms.

Yes, my L6060 could pull a 12' bat wing in ideal conditions. My M9960 pull a 20' bat wing in similar conditions, but I do not play mow.

Finally, 24" lift capacity is irrelevant to this discussion. A 6' rotary cutter extends far beyond 24" from the lift arms. Yes, the tractor will lift it but the dynamic stresses applied to the structures determine the cutter weight limit specified by Kubota. A retired engineer who, in one of my previous lives performed failure analysis for GM, I'm with Jeff in this regard. BTDT.

Been doing this far to long.

SDT

Good for you.

Those of us in reality arent gonna limit a 3800# tractor with a 2800# lift cap at 24" to a mere 1000# 5' cutter. The manual is conservative, kubota knows it, dealers know it, "most" owners know it. It has nothing to do with "failure analysis", or any of that BS. Its simply kubota using a CYA policy. Nothing more, nothing less.

Not sure what "play mow" means. Must be a new term. But I mow 250-300 acres a year with a hog commercially. Last tractor (kubota L3400) was 2600# and 29 PTO HP and I mowed thousands of acres with that carrying a 1100# 6' mower. Now have a 8' 1600# that is the same basic frame as the GLxx60 tractors. HST allows me to go infinity slow. After 300-400 acres with this machine now, I have yet to wish I had a smaller cutter.

And not sure why you feel kubotas published lift specs are irrelevant? they give a capacity, and a distance. Do some math will you? Then you would realize how foolish you sound.