Rotary Cutter for MX5000?

[Britt]

I purchased a MX5000 this past weekend and I'm anticipating delivery soon. I need some advice on choosing a rotary cutter / bush hog for this tractor. I have some rough land to reclaim but I don't want to spend $1500 on a new heavy duty bush hog. I'm looking at brands King Cutter, Bushhog, Hawkline, Woods. Any suggestions? Also do I need a clutch or is the shear pin enough, and what is the additional cost for the clutch? I appreciate any feedback.
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Thanks.

 

[slowzuki]

The slip clutch is only good if you do the maintenance every so often to unstick it. Are there big stumps and rocks? Changing shear pins gets old fast.

Will you need to cut often? Buying a cheap one that gets ruined after one season isn't a good idea.

Ken

 

[rbargeron]

A friend of mine bought a Bush Hog squealer 6' rotary for reclaiming 6 acres of open land that had gotten away - 2" poplar and soft maples mixed in with 3" field pines. It was pretty brutal and the mower's stump jumper (elliptical) got twisted. He borrowed my Brown 472 to finish it up - which was heavy enough to handle it without damage.

The Brown is virtually identical to a Bush Hog 286 - made heavy. I'd suggest going heavy for "reclaiming". Another advantage of a heavier unit is the higher rotating mass makes it a bit less likely to do drive train damage if you hit a rock. Once you spin it up, the cutter delivers the hammer blow and the tractor gearing takes less impulse.

Slip clutches were more common years ago - but their faces tend to stick if not occasionally "slipped". They can get so stuck in place that they don't offer the intended protection. I have had good luck with soft bolts in the pto shaft (from the local hardware store) - they wipe off pretty reliably if the going gets rough. Your MX5000 would probably be adequately protected with a 1/2" soft steel bolt thru the rear pto u-joint. I've had good luck with this setup for years. If you wanted to be more conservative, use a 3/8" bolt with some copper tubing around it to fill the gap. (might occasionally shear in nomal service)

As always, cheerful refund if info is bogus. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Britt]

Thanks for the good input. The cutters generally come in light duty, standard duty and heavy duty. I have a lot of rough land with stumps and 2"-3" young pines, so I may better find a good heavy duty or a heavy built standard duty. I'm leaning against the slip clutch - if I see a big advantage later, I'll add it.
If anyone has some brand or model recommendations, I'm all ears.
Thanks.
Britt /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif