Rotary cutter, Homemade or bought

[Rio_Grande]

I was looking at parts to make a rotary brush cutter for my Mustang MTL20 no high flow and ideas I had read off of here seemed to support if I ran a hydro motor on a deck through a box, like running the PTO hydraulicly, then i could get away with a less expensive hydraulic motor, but when I went to putting this to practice all the hydraulic motors I am seeing are in the 1000.00+ range. While I realize I wiould save dough by going this way I still wouldnt have a cutter like the brush monster or similar,,,

So is it advisable to buy over building?

Just currious what the thoughts are. I have all the tools to build but sometimes it seems smarter to buy.

I will be using this for brush on my property not for comercial use.

Ideas? Conversation? tounge lashing?

 

[DIRTROAD]

If you will watch my videos on youtube you will see a brush cutter exactly like you are considering building.

LINK HERE: YouTube - ‪CAROLINACLEARING's Channel‬‏

It is being driven by a standard flow TL140 Takeuchi. The hydro motor turns a shaft which spins the original gearbox on the cutter. It works but that is all I will say about it. If you hit a stump or something the blades will just stop. I am not talking about something big. There just isn't much power available to the blades. It works good for briars, light brush, grass, etc. You can't use it to take down anything much over 1"-1.5".

My opinion and advice would be to just go and purchase a unit already built. I think it would be money better spent in the long run.

 

[DIRTROAD]

I would add that I don't know who put this particular cutter together or what their skill level was at the time.

However, If you have a good working knowledge of fluid dynamics and good fabrication ability, then go for it. In theory, if you can find a hydraulic motor that will spin at the correct RPM and work efficiently at your predetermined pressures, it should work productively.

Whoever modified the cutter used on the Takeuchi may not have taken anything into consideration and just used what was available to complete the project. That would be my guess, given its appearance, but I just don't know.

Good Luck

 

[Rio_Grande]

You and I have almost the exact same skid steer. I always refer to it as a mustang MTL20 but mine is actually a ghel ctl 70, same machine diffrent stickers.

I was looking on craigs list and found a 1/4 in deck bush hog broand squealer for about 500, it is a 60 hp gear box and if I am right the motor I need can be had for 400 ish. that leaves couplers and the like that wont be cheap but it is a far sight cheaper than the 4300 pluss shipping for the brush monster,,,,, BUT,,,, would I have less grief and more dependability out of a bought unit. I will not be buying one of the high end units as I would never pay for it. Hard pressed to think I would pay for the 4300 of that brush monster unless I picked up som clearing jobs, but not sure I want to do that. I like to make money but the inshurance on my loader is really specific in regards to not being used for comercial use.

 

[DIRTROAD]

That machine actually belongs to another guy that I use from time to time. He can easily reach the areas too steep for my wheel tractor so I will sub the steep stuff out to him. I don't remember exactly but that is basically just a very crudely modified tractor-type brushcutter made to use on the front of a skid steer. It works, but it is no Davco that's for sure. It does cut small stuff just fine though. That type setup might work just fine for your purposes.