Rotary Cutter PTO Brush cutter vs Walk-Behind

[Sprinklerman]

My new neighbor rented a walk behind last month to cut 2 acres that had gone 3 years without being mowed . He had about 2 1/2 acres to do . In 4 hours he got maybe 1/3 of an acre done . He is in his early 30's . He was wiped out . I asked him if he wanted some help . He at first declined and said that this mower was would be too much for me . I laughed and said I wont use that little toy . I walked over and got the brush hog on the tractor and came back . I told him to stand away , about 2 hours later I was done , and not wiped out . Well his wife made dinner , my wife came over and I did get a bit wiped out after some cold adult beverages and good conversation .

 

[Oldoak]

Welcome to TBN.

A BX with loader and cutter is about 18 feet long. Lots of room needed for turning.

It replaced a walk-behind string trimmer that I almost never use any more. I mow only some roadside and some trails in the property. The brush is mostly left in place for privacy.

Bruce

I don't know about the BX series, but on the two Kubotas I have owned, it doesn't take much to remove the F.E.L. to shorten the overall length of the tractor while brush hogging. And takes very little time to remount.

 

[John Fitzgerald]

I have an old but very good 10.5 HP manual start 26" DR. I find it cuts much cleaner on grass than my rotary cutter. I sharpened the RC blades like a lawn mower because all I cut anymore is grass and weeds, after the initial brush clearing. I still use the DR to mow my two steep banks, and to trim around trees. I think the DR cuts cleaner because the deck is out front. The tractor wheels mash down the grass and weeds before the rotary cutter gets to them. A front mounted rotary cutter would sure be nice. I have some areas of grass and weeds that I only mow about every 5-6 weeks.

 

[cmyoung2]

I have a BCS 850 with a 26" flail mower, I use it for tight or steep stuff where I can't get a tractor. I actually just got a tractor, BX2230 with a 50" flail, and I'm finding out that there are a lot of areas on my place I'm not going, either too steep, or too steep with no turn around at the bottom. I love the BCS, but 10 acres, no way unless it was smooth and fairly level and I only did it every couple of years. But it works great when nothing else will. And yes, a walk behind will give you a good workout.

 

[Cataclysm]

I have both. Run the 3 point on the tractor every time you can. Save the DR for small, tight or steep areas that the 3 pt can't reach. I have the 30" version. My BIL and 6'5" son have both tried to run the DR and it kicks their butt. I have learned to let it do the work without fighting it and can run it quite a while with out too much trouble.

 

[oosik]

I can give a valid comparison with the DR walk behind. I have a Troy Bilt 8hp Horse - rototiller. Running the rototiller on virgin - unbroken land is as much of a workout as using the DR in my deer brush. Both will kick butt - and tire me out after an hour or so. If I ease up on the Troy Bilt - it can take off like a wild, raging stallion - doing great LEAPS across my garden plot. I was fearful of what the DR might do - so I held on tight and fought it every step of the way. Could well be that after more experience - I could do it like Cataclysm indicates.

 

[nybirdman]

If you want a lot of exercise;use the walk behind;if you want to see some progress;get a brush hog for your tractor.

 

[Stubee]

I own & maintain 330A of hunting land in Canada, and my brush clearing is probably 2-3 miles of old skid lanes and shooting lanes. I started with a Stihl FS-110 hand held brush cutter, and would spend 6 full hard working days, like 10 hours each, cutting that stuff. Great tool BTW.

I then pulled two different Swisher cutters with an ATV. First was really a grass cutter, second was a trail mower. That cut the work hours significantly, but I couldn’t turn the rig around on tight lanes with the looong tongue on that second cutter. That meant I had to unhook the 440 pound contraption, turn it around by hand and restart countless times each day. Moving that sucker in dense stuff was killing my back.

Last 6 years I’ve used my B2320 with a LP RCR 1248 bush hog. Night and day difference. I can back around in very tight quarters, no stopping except to use my chainsaw on fallen trees, and it cuts well. I can now do all my cutting in two pretty easy days. I do leave my loader on to carry my saw, plus push stuff outta the way. My B2320 will go everywhere the ATV + cutter went, and then some.

I highly recommend a bush hog and a Stihl hand held for stuff you can’t reach with the tractor.

 

[memmons]

Thanks everyone for the great advice. Here is a picture of the type of stuff I am trying to clear and this is one of the more open areas, the rest is basically NW jungle. I have been hiring a machine to come out and clear that tackles the big stuff by basically mulching right in place but I am still going to need to maintain after it is all clear.

 

[Stubee]

Looks like poplar regrowth? I run my tractor through that + tag alder, willow, etc. My 48” will handle 2” saplings, but I’ve driven over far larger ones that I’ve pushed over with the loader on the side of trails. It sure won’t chop up a 3” sapling like a small one, but will teach it a lesson.