lx-4 Rottary or Bush Hog 5' for 20 PTO HP

[Joe1]

lx-4 Rottary or Bush Hog 5\' for 20 PTO HP

Just joined this forum and just bought a used JD 770 with 25 gross and 20 PTO HP. The JD dealer initially suggested an LX-4 with slip clutch, but I'd like a 5'. No LX-5 in stock for 3 weeks, but a Bush Hog with shear pin. Bush Hog is about $100.00 cheaper. I'll be cutting 4-5 acres of 4-5 ft tall weeds on a totally flat lot. After the initial cutting, I'll keep it down, but it hasn't been cut all year. No saplings, just weeds, fennel, etc. I nntend an initial cut set as high as the mower will go, then a recut. Will the 770 handle the Bush Hog Squealer 60" in these conditions. I believe it will, in the lower gears. Is the JD better built for the extra price? Supposedly the LX slip clutch is self adjusting. There are some gopher mounds, etc there so I don't want to spend my cutting time changing shear pins.

I could sure use some expert opinion on this. Thanks.

By the way, I've reviewed about every JD related Posting from the last 6 months. Lots of good advice with enough humor to keep it interesting.

 

[Gary_in_Indiana]

Re: lx-4 Rottary or Bush Hog 5\' for 20 PTO HP

Joel,

My very first reaction upon reading you had 20 HP at the PTO was that 4' was the right size for you. I don't think you're going to get done any quicker with a 5' cutter than you would with a 4' model. I think you'll have to go enough slower with the 5' cutter to compensate for the extra width.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Re: lx-4 Rottary or Bush Hog 5\' for 20 PTO HP

While I am not an expert I thought that JD cutters were more $$ than BH so if the BH comes w/o the slip clutch and the JD has the clutch he is charging you the same price for either cutter.

I would pay the $100 more just for the slip clutch let alone the fact that the JD will match your JD tractor.

Spend the $100 and wait the 3 weeks. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif I am sure if you resell the matching outfit and the slipclutch will be more than made up for.

 

[RoyJackson]

Re: lx-4 Rottary or Bush Hog 5\' for 20 PTO HP

"Just joined this forum and just bought a used JD 770 with 25 gross and 20 PTO HP. The JD dealer initially suggested an LX-4 with slip clutch, but I'd like a 5'. "

There was a fellow on TBN who just bought a 755. He found the Deere literature for that tractor recomended a 5' cutter. A friend of mine just bought a NH TC-24. The recomended cutter was also 5'.
Your 770 is in the same PTO horsepower range of the tractors I mentioned above, so I think you'd be quite happy with a 5' unit.
I use a 4' cutter behind my 670, but it's a fair amount of moderately thick brush. So far, no problems. I even think I could get away with a 5' cutter on just field grass. My machine has 4 less HP at the PTO then your 770 (16 vs. 20 HP).

 

[DarinRay]

Re: lx-4 Rottary or Bush Hog 5\' for 20 PTO HP

Well I have a 770 and also have a squeler 60" and it handles it nicely so far. The razor back from bush hog is the shear pin model not the squeler (this has the slip clutch). Actually the LX-5 was only $150 more than the bush hog for brand new but I found a slightly used bush hog for alot cheaper $600 about a 40% savings so didn't even think about comparing anymore.. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Darin

 

[Bird]

Re: lx-4 Rottary or Bush Hog 5\' for 20 PTO HP

Darin, on the 60" Squealer, the shear bolt is standard and the slip clutch is optional.

 

[DarinRay]

Re: lx-4 Rottary or Bush Hog 5\' for 20 PTO HP

Once again.. I was wrong. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif. Well thank you for the info Bird and a good thing is that everyday I learn or try to learn something.

Darin

 

[Bird]

Re: lx-4 Rottary or Bush Hog 5\' for 20 PTO HP

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( everyday I learn or try to learn something )</font>

Me, too. Trouble is that I sometimes think I'm forgettin' more than I'm learnin', for a net loss. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[Joe1]

Re: lx-4 Rottary or Bush Hog 5\' for 20 PTO HP

Roy: According to what the JD dealer is telling me, the 770 will handle the 5' Bush Hog razor back but would struggle with the LX5. JD sales guy says the LS5 is a heavier built cutter than the Bush Hog and requires more HP because of the heavier Transmission on the LX5. Interestingly, the guy that owned the tractor before me bought it as a lease return and bought a new 70 FEL plus a 60" Bush Hog squealer from the JD dealer. He said he had no problems with it. The LX4 with slip clutch was about $175.00 more than the 5' squealer with a shear pin. I'm going to look at both the LX4 and the squealer 60" and decide based I guess on ruggedness and ease of use issues today. I'll be optomistic and bring my trailer so I can get it home. Thanks to you and the others for the input.