Need help sizing a rotary cutter

IslandTractor · Apr 6, 2016

IndyIan said:
I can't drive fast enough to make my 5' one make the tractor work. I regret not getting a 6'. I also have a braber/agriease chinesium model with a 40hp gear box and it runs cool and there's nothing scary in the oil when I change it. It's no heavy duty beast but its snapped a few shear pins on dirt and has a proper round stump jumper. Its eaten 2" brush and "finish" mows my neighbors trails when I sharpen the blades. Of the light duty ones I looked at, it was the heaviest built and had the best paint, and had decent welds. If you are mostly just mowing fields and trails like me, I don't think there's any need to spend $2k on it.

You change the oil in your mower gearbox??

EJP1234 · Apr 6, 2016

I have a BB60X I think it's called, a 5' woods brush hog for my ck30hst and it doesn't stutter.. I cut 22 rabbit shooting lanes in a 3/4 mile long thick CRP field right after deer season ended super bowl Sunday morning and it didn't miss a beat.

DK35vince · Apr 6, 2016

TJP89 said:
I have 5ft brushog on my CK35 (600# homemade deal, used for $200), and no issues with power. 6ft would be pushing it, but if I got a RFM I'd go 6ft.

My older model DK 35 has the same basic engine as your CK 35. (I have 34 HP, 28.3 PTO HP).
I run a standard duty 6' brush mower, handles a 7' rear finish mower no problem, and a 6' tiller.

Apsterbobed · Apr 6, 2016

EJP1234 said:
I have a BB60X I think it's called, a 5' woods brush hog for my ck30hst and it doesn't stutter.. I cut 22 rabbit shooting lanes in a 3/4 mile long thick CRP field right after deer season ended super bowl Sunday morning and it didn't miss a beat.

Now that's a good day hunting! I didn't see one rabbit last season while out grouce hunting. I have been busy the past few weeks but I still need to call around on some of the lighter cutters. Also does anyone know why my Gmail account recently decided that all the emails from tractorbynet.com belong in the spam folder?

TJP89 · Apr 7, 2016

IslandTractor said:
You change the oil in your mower gearbox??

I think you can. I don't, but I do check it every once in a while, and top off if needed. Maybe I should change it now and then. This year's project will be getting the blades off to be sharpened. I don't know the last time those things were off, but it's been a while.

C4Ranch · Apr 7, 2016

Based on what you're cuttin, what don't u like abt the finish mower?

I would go 6'.

Here is my 8' on 45pto hp. Cutter spec sheet calls for 50pto hp but it does just fine.
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/341915-landpride-8-rotary-cutter-review.html

IslandTractor · Apr 7, 2016

TJP89 said:
I think you can. I don't, but I do check it every once in a while, and top off if needed. Maybe I should change it now and then. This year's project will be getting the blades off to be sharpened. I don't know the last time those things were off, but it's been a while.

I just top mine off too. Changing oil is for engines and precision pumps that suffer from particulate matter in the oil. I've always thought you could keep a mower gearbox happy with any oily substance from fine oil all the way to bacon grease if necessary. I keep mine topped off with 90w but I cannot imagine actually changing it.

ritcheyvs · Apr 7, 2016

I tend to go with implements the same width as the stock loader bucket. Lack of power is never an issue and I know the implement can follow wherever the the bucket goes.

FTG-05 · Apr 7, 2016

Apsterbobed said:
I think you all have me convinced to go with a 6', thanks for all the advice.

Good. You can always cut 5' with a 6' cutter (or slow down or both). No way in heck to cut 6' with a 5' cutter.

My 6' weighs around 1000 lbs and I wish it was a 7'.

Apsterbobed · Apr 8, 2016

C4Ranch said:
Based on what you're cuttin, what don't u like abt the finish mower?

I would go 6'.

Here is my 8' on 45pto hp. Cutter spec sheet calls for 50pto hp but it does just fine.
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/341915-landpride-8-rotary-cutter-review.html

The mower itself has been great, and it's fine for the pastures. I have 50 acres of woods full of stumps and rocks I don't take the finish mower out there, I borrow an old bushhog to cut the trails but I hate borrowing something and hitting stumps or breaking it. Also the wood lot and the pastures are 10 mile apart so that bushhog never makes it to the pastures (I can usually only get it for a day at a time) alot of the edges need reclaiming from the forest. If I had the funds I would keep the finish mower and get a bushhog but that's not an option right now.