Rotary Cutter Right size rotary cutter for a Kubota L4400

[kgroesch]

I have been researching tractors and attachements for the past year with this forum being very helpful. I believe I have decided on a Kubota L4400 tractor w/ FEL and 4WD. I am now looking for the right sized rotary cutter.

My application is 48 acres of pine timber with a fire break around the perimeter. I need to mow the fire break once a year which just about any rotary cutter would manage. However, I have some large areas of heavy brush that I want to open up and would like to get the heaviest duty cutter that an L4400 can manage well. After a timber cut I will also have a lot of limbs that would be nice to shred up. On other threads I saw that the Owner's manual of the L4400 recommends a max weight of 880 pounds for a rotary cutter attachment which greatly limits how heavy duty of a cutter I could purchase. I am looking now at a Bush Hog 295 5' deck and a Bush Hog Squealer SQ172 6' deck. The 295 can handle about 1" thicker material (up to 2.5-3") depending on if you read the owner's manual or the specification sheet. However the 5' deck will not extend past the tires on an L4400 which has a width of about 62.4". I will be working in a lot of tight spaces so I am not sure that is a bad thing but the dealer I have been working with says I will be sorry if I don't get a 6' deck to allow a little overhang. Especially for cutting up against a fence. The 6' deck I don't believe will greatly reduce my cutting time as I don't have wide open fields to cut. Just a 15-20 foot wide fire break. I also don't mind leaving a little grass along the fence line.

I am leaning towards the 5' deck just to handle the thicker brush but am looking for some suggestions from people with experience to see if I am making the right decision.

 

[Z-Michigan]

I think you would be fine with a 6' medium duty if you want a 6'. I also wouldn't enjoy mowing with a cutter narrower than my track. I run a 6' hog on my 5105 which is about 73" wide and I often wish I had a wider mower - 8' double spindle would be ideal for me. I don't think 5' would have much benefit because you won't be able to mow forward closer to things and backing up you will be going slow and have about equal ability to mow close with either size.

 

[IslandTractor]

I agree with Z. 6ft should be the minimum. The BushHog SQ172 looks like a nice compromise as even the regular SQ720 squealer is a solid piece of equipment. If you are cutting into pine brush, you could reasonably stretch the recommended size saplings you try to cut as it is soft wood.

 

[cityfarma]

I have a L4400 and use a 5' slasher. I have nowhere near as much experience as previous posters but this is my experience. I have used slasher to mow dense grass and felt that at times it was getting bogged down. I was running at 2000 rpm (a little lower than recommended as still running in).

Cityfarma

 

[john_bud]

I have a kubota L3410 and it too has a recommendation of 800# for the cutter. Since new, it has been happily running a Woods BrushBull 600 MD cutter. The cutter with chains is about 1100#. It lifts it just fine and I have had no problems with it at all. I do cut with the FEL attached. Without the FEL, I think you really have to keep to the Kubota limits or the front will be too light to steer.

I would say to get the BrushBull 720 or equivalent. That will be in the 1200-1300# range. The very nice thing about the extra weight is being able to push over trees with the weight. The extra steel in the construction means it will be a very long lasting implement.

jb

Oh, Cityfarma -- Run the cutter at full PTO speed. Even in the break in period. Lessen the load by taking 1/2 wide cuts. Running at lower speeds and bogging the engine is BAD with all capital letters (BAD!!) for the engine. Seriously, it can damage the engine. When running tractor for heavy PTO operations, you nearly always want to run at full PTO speed. If it bogs at lower speeds, quickly get back up to PTO rpms. Using the FEL at lower engine speeds is normally fine. The other potentially bad thing is allowing grass clippings, dust etc to clog the radiator screen. Watch the temp gage like a cat at a mouse hole. If it starts to raise, clean the screens. Normally clean them every 3-4 hours when cutting. Two things damage engines, lugging them down and over heating. Avoid those conditions and the tractor will outlast both of us.

 

[JRobyn]

Hiya KGroesch,

The Kubota spec page for the L4400 says that the 3pt can handle 2870 lbs at the lift point, and 2310 lbs at 24" behind the lift point. So I think you can easily handle a BH 286 6' cutter (962 lbs). This is the "medium" duty BH cutter, but it is as heavy as some other manufacturer's "heavy" models. I have abused the crap out of mine (boulders, trees, stumps, dirt piles) and it is only slightly worse for the wear (dents and scratches).

I also heard on this forum or somewhere that Kubota is very conservative regarding their weight ratings. My L4330 specs say 2760 lbs at 24" behind the lift point, and I have had no trouble with the weight. I do run filled rear tires and a FEL, but I generally bushhog with the bucket off (FEL frame still on).

A slip clutch would probably be a good option for your "fire lanes", but be sure to maintain the clutch properly before use and after it has set up for a while. The idea is to loosen and slip the clutch, then re-tighten to be sure that the clutch plates do not freeze together.

- Jay

 

[Z-Michigan]

I also heard on this forum or somewhere that Kubota is very conservative regarding their weight ratings.

I remember when I was shopping tractors I looked at the manual for a Kubota M7040 and it recommended using a box blade no larger than 72". This, for a 70hp utility frame tractor! (Oh, and the tractor was wider than 72" with most wheel/tire configurations.) Very conservative might be an understatement.

 

[daveinnh]

We have a Kubota L4310 (35HP @ PTO) w/ a 5' no-name rotary mower to service a 7-8 acre field. We planted Blue Seal "equa-graze" that gets pretty thick about waist-high) by July 10th. (wife is concerned about bird nests and turkey chicks on the ground).

The mower does pretty good. I added a slip-clutch from Agri-Supply after replacing too many shear pins. I wish the mower had that "stump-jumper" pan though. I turn the mower upside-down and sharpen the blades w/ an angle grinder 2x/ season.

The weight of the 6' mower will not likely be limiting factor; rather the PTO HP will be.

 

[kgroesch]

Thanks for all the feedback. I think I will focus on a 6' deck based of your recommendations. Much appreciated!

 

[40_acre_mule]

I, too have an L4400. I love it. The 4WD is worth every penny. It makes a world of difference. I have been running a 6ft Landpride cutter for about 5 years. I visited many dealers while studying which cutter to buy. The thing that tilted me toward the Landpride was the bulk of the gear box on top the unit. The Landpride seems to use a heavier set of gears than anybody else. Plus, the body is all heavy gauge metal. I have 40 acres, of which about 25 are cleared. I also have a trail or two through some rough, wooded areas. I also have a few swampy areas. I need to cut thick grass, hay, heavy weeds, small bushes, and small trees (mostly pines up to 3 inches). The Landpride handles everything. The L4400 handles the mower with ease. Even with the FEL attached, (I never take it off), I can still get the cutter in to some pretty tight areas. I suspect, in the long run, you'll be happier with the 6 footer.
I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the L4400 or the Landpride to my best friends.
Good Luck.