I've been researching tractor and implement size best suited to establish deer food plots in clearcuts which have grown up since initial clearing. We have been using a 17 horse DR field and brush mower to cut brush with stems up to 2 inches with good success. But relatively narrow width of cut makes it a slow process. I would like to use a rotary cutter, probably 5 foot, on 3 pt hitch behind 30-35 horse tractor to perform this task. Would a tractor of that size have enough PTO guts to operate a rotary cutter suitable for material up to 2 inches thick. Thanks for the info you'll have provided on previous post about discs for food plots
Rotary Cutter ROTARY CUTTER FOR FOOD PLOTS
- Thread starter flINTLOCK
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Highbeam
Super Member
Yes. Especially young/softer 2 inch stems. If the going gets tough and the engine begins to lug down then slow down a bit or take a smaller bite, say 4 feet, with the hog. A 5 footer is plenty small for a 30 horse tractor.
I have a 26HP Mahindra (2615 4WD) with a 5' King Kutter rotary cutter. What you describe would be typical work for my setup. Actually, I've done exactly what you describe in a 3 year old cutover and it works great.
I think a 5' cutter on a 30-35 HP tractor would handle it fine.
BR
I think a 5' cutter on a 30-35 HP tractor would handle it fine.
BR
djradz
Veteran Member
If you've cut it with a DR, you'll have no problem with a rotary cutter driven by a properly sized PTO tractor.
Highbeam
Super Member
I have not had good luck backing over stuff. In fact, I've bent the RC linkage doing that. I have gone forward through brush that was eye high to me while in the seat with no trouble so long as the loader is down lower that the tractor bottom and able to knock the brush over. If you can run it over, the hog can chop it up. BUT, be sure not to change your mind and back up once you have a bunch of brush laying down under the tractor. This will result is brush "spearing" the tractor from below.
My hunting camp is rather low budget, may not be able to afford FEL. If we do not have FEL to help push the brush over ahead of the tractor, is there a recommended blade to mount on the front end to achieve the same results.
John_Mc
Elite Member
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</font><font color="blue" class="small">( My hunting camp is rather low budget, may not be able to afford FEL. If we do not have FEL to help push the brush over ahead of the tractor, is there a recommended blade to mount on the front end to achieve the same results. )</font>
I run a 5 foot Woods BB60 cutter on a NH TC33D tractor (about 27 HP at the PTO) and it works just fine. I've cut down some 3" white pine with it without much trouble, just have to take it slow. I regularly do multiple 1 and 2" saplings with no problems, I just slow down a bit if it starts to bog down. If you get to 30 or 35 HP at the PTO, you're in the range where many people are considering moving up to a 6 foot cutter (30 is probably pushing your luck for heavy cutting).
I generally try to drive forward over the brush, using the loader to push it down, as someone else has already described. But I have also backed into a lot of stuff. If you are going to try much of the backing into it, I'd look at a hydraulic top-link. This lets you tilt the mower up as you back in, then lower it down onto the brush. This is the set-up I have, and it has let me get into stuff I couldn't have done otherwise. A word of caution: you want to make sure no one is anywhere near if you are running a brush cutter raised up in the air like this. As an added bonus, the hydraulic rear remote you have installed to run the toplink can also be used to power other hydraulic implements (such as a log splitter). Something to think about if a loader is out of your price range (though I'm sure you'd find LOTS of use for the loader).
John Mc
I run a 5 foot Woods BB60 cutter on a NH TC33D tractor (about 27 HP at the PTO) and it works just fine. I've cut down some 3" white pine with it without much trouble, just have to take it slow. I regularly do multiple 1 and 2" saplings with no problems, I just slow down a bit if it starts to bog down. If you get to 30 or 35 HP at the PTO, you're in the range where many people are considering moving up to a 6 foot cutter (30 is probably pushing your luck for heavy cutting).
I generally try to drive forward over the brush, using the loader to push it down, as someone else has already described. But I have also backed into a lot of stuff. If you are going to try much of the backing into it, I'd look at a hydraulic top-link. This lets you tilt the mower up as you back in, then lower it down onto the brush. This is the set-up I have, and it has let me get into stuff I couldn't have done otherwise. A word of caution: you want to make sure no one is anywhere near if you are running a brush cutter raised up in the air like this. As an added bonus, the hydraulic rear remote you have installed to run the toplink can also be used to power other hydraulic implements (such as a log splitter). Something to think about if a loader is out of your price range (though I'm sure you'd find LOTS of use for the loader).
John Mc
Soundguy
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</font><font color="blue" class="small">( If we do not have FEL to help push the brush over ahead of the tractor, is there a recommended blade to mount on the front end to achieve the same results )</font>
Most of my tractors simply have a girll guard or front bumper. I cut anything the front axle will ride over with my rotary cutters.
As others have mentioned.. I've been cutting plenty of times where brush like ragweed and dog fennel were taller than my tractor cannopy... Just had to blow out the radiator alot!
Soundguy
Most of my tractors simply have a girll guard or front bumper. I cut anything the front axle will ride over with my rotary cutters.
As others have mentioned.. I've been cutting plenty of times where brush like ragweed and dog fennel were taller than my tractor cannopy... Just had to blow out the radiator alot!
Soundguy
jimainiac
Platinum Member
Our old Kubota 245, with 22 pto hp handles a 5' bushog fine, and to cut heavy brush and small trees I back into the work. If there is a pile, I back over it with the cutter raised up and slowly lower it into the work. If it bogs down I raise it up and let it regain it's momentum and lower it again. Though hydraulic top and tilt is a handy feature, I've not found it to be essential for bushogging.
