Pictures from a skid steer mowing contractor

[ptsg]

In my experience, its more about maneuverability. A SS is great for smaller properties or ones with obstacles like trees that are staying. A tractor is far better on large open areas. Not everyone owns both so typically they will always say what they have is best. Reality, not one machine that can do everything.

You’ve mentioned chain blade cutters before, could you explain or show some more pictures? Grade of/type of chain?

This entire country is based on having good maneuverability and the tractor is still ahead by far compared to a SS. On the small village where I have my olive grove, it sits on top of a small mountain with lots of eucalyptus, pine trees, mimosas and lot more with a lot of overgrown brush up to 10 ft high. This mountain has a very high fire risk throughout the entire year and this year they've been mowing all the brush and only leaving stuff thicker than 3 to 4" on the more critical areas closer to houses. They used a LS R50 with one of these cutters and the tractor did a beautiful job mowing the brush and sneaking in between all the trees.

Chains are usually Grade 80 chain, ranging from 3/8" up to 3/4" depending on the size of the cutter and it's class (light duty, medium duty, heavy duty and forestry duty). Most cutters can be configured with either 4 chains or 2, 4 will obviously take more HP. The gearboxes are available in 30HP/60HP/90HP and 120HP rating, up until the forestry duty cutters that get stronger gearboxes with different ratios. The different between classes is mainly the thickness of the steel used to build it.

Some of the biggest advantages of the chains compared to blades is that it will handle a lot thicker brush, won't care about rocks or any objects it may encounter, plus, since it shreds the material, it won't really leave sharp edges or points that can puncture a tire. It will also cut a lot closer to the ground. I have mine set at about 1" to 1.5" from the ground to the hub.

For the amount of work and quality of work these can do, they're not very expensive at all. I run a 1.2m cutting width light duty cutter on my tractor that cost me €650 brand new.

Third picture is me working on a 15 to 25 degree hill and mowing overgrown brush up to 2" that has grown completely unmaintained since the lost forest fire in 2005.

 

[ddbackhoe]

Chains are usually Grade 80 chain, ranging from 3/8" up to 3/4" depending on the size of the cutter and it's class (light duty, medium duty, heavy duty and forestry duty). Most cutters can be configured with either 4 chains or 2, 4 will obviously take more HP. The gearboxes are available in 30HP/60HP/90HP and 120HP rating, up until the forestry duty cutters that get stronger gearboxes with different ratios. The different between classes is mainly the thickness of the steel used to build it.

Some of the biggest advantages of the chains compared to blades is that it will handle a lot thicker brush, won't care about rocks or any objects it may encounter, plus, since it shreds the material, it won't really leave sharp edges or points that can puncture a tire. It will also cut a lot closer to the ground. I have mine set at about 1" to 1.5" from the ground to the hub.


View attachment 808571

Ok, so they use a different carrier too. Are stump jumper pans not normally used either? ( a stump jumper is a concave plate that covers the bottom of the carrier to encourage the carrier to ride over).
How well do these work with just grass/weeds?

 

[Rustyiron]

What’s your round bale weight? Mine were 800-900lbs. Ever since I switched to the large square baler, I have been able to start making “cubes” that weigh about the same as my 4x5 round bales (most weigh 850-900lbs with 12-15% moisture).
Then my round baler became useless and I sold it.

I sort of had to switch as most of my larger buyers want big bales. Round bales are still great for my small buyers. Most have been happy with my new “cube” configuration.

With your flat land you have there, round bales are very sensible. On my hilly fields, the large square baler is perfect.

They also double stack nicely in tight barns or run in sheds.

View attachment 808542

Look like you may have needed to grease those stacks to get them in that shed!
Precision tractor work

 

[ptsg]

Ok, so they use a different carrier too. Are stump jumper pans not normally used either? ( a stump jumper is a concave plate that covers the bottom of the carrier to encourage the carrier to ride over).
How well do these work with just grass/weeds?

No, stump jumpers are not needed. If it can't destroy it, it will jump naturally over the stump.

These will actually eat quite a lot HP on dense grass compared to blades, but will do a nice job too. Not quite as nice finish the blades do but very close. The advantage of not having to worry about rocks, stumps and etc just for the cost of little bit nicer finish is not really worth changing.

You can see it working in grass here:

 

[ddbackhoe]

No, stump jumpers are not needed. If it can't destroy it, it will jump naturally over the stump.

These will actually eat quite a lot HP on dense grass compared to blades, but will do a nice job too. Not quite as nice finish the blades do but very close. The advantage of not having to worry about rocks, stumps and etc just for the cost of little bit nicer finish is not really worth changing.

You can see it working in grass here:

If thats what you start with and the customer isnt happy with the finish cut…the customer has very unrealistic expectations

 

[Rustyiron]

It's funny, as "small" as the world has become with today's information, communication and transportation that some simple and universal "tools" just don't have legs.
There's 2 things I can think of, this type of mower is one and for an excavator, a tilt/rotator is another although they are catching on quickly here in the States.
I'd buy one of those chain cutters in a minute if they were more available at a similar price.

 

[scootr]

Are the chain mowers for sale in the US?

 

[Fixastuff]

Do they spin at the same rpm as a standard bladed rotary or is it faster?

 

[two_bit_score]

You can do an abundance of work with a rig like that in a month, and that is a good price, the most important thing to make sure of if renting a bush hog type cutter for a CTL IMO is to make sure that it has carbide teeth on the bottom of the blade carrier to process/shred the material that you cut down when you back drag over it, there is no comparison to the finished product.

Good point. There is a big difference in bush hog type cutters and brush cutter types.

 

[ptsg]

Are the chain mowers for sale in the US?

Don't know. Probably not because of some sort of safety concern. The ones sold here are compliant with all the safety requirements.

Do they spin at the same rpm as a standard bladed rotary or is it faster?

What RPM does the cutter there spin at? The gearboxes on these typically have a 1:1.92 ratio. At 540 PTO RPM, the spindle spins at around 1040 RPM.

The forestry versions do spin faster.