Rotary Cutter Rotary Cutter

[JohnMiller3]

When you get ready for the hog for the rest of your life... Let me know and I'll help you get a 6' Brown for about $1800. delivered to your front door... Spec. wise it's comparable to the John Deere 609...check out Deere's price.../w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif

(7 gauge) 3/16 " plate steel deck... I've done up to 5 - 6" stuff with mine...{very nicely...I might add.../w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif}
{6' unit-90 hp gearbox w/4-plate slip clutch, 7' unit-120 hp gearbox w/4-plate slip clutch}

 

[MikePA]

A question...

I can see the need for a rotary cutter for clearing a brushy, overgrown area the first time. Once this is done, can a finish mower usually handle the chore?

In my case, I have a 3 acre field that has what remains after a corn harvest last November. After I turn it into a horse pasture, I will use my mmm to mow it. Even though I would love a new toy /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif, I am having a hard time justifying a rotary cutter to just clear the corn stalks.

Advice?

 

[Anonymous Poster]

<font color=blue>...can a finish mower usually handle the chore?...</font color=blue>

Mike...

It mostly depends on what was originally cut... take your corn field for example... look closely at the stubble/stalks left after your first cut... the next season do you think you could go in and use a finish mower and start cutting that field...?

I don't use any chemicals {as of yet}, so I always have some regrowth... and another problem is so much acreage to cut... I may not see that same area again for a few years.../w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif

But a couple seasons of cutting a 3 acre parcel with a rotary cutter... depending on the terrain and regrowth... you may be able to start using a "finish mower"... but look at Bird's field and see his wide open beautiful "lawn" he still maintains with his rotary cutter... so don't be so quick to discount those 3 to 4" wide 1/2" thick rotary blades... against 1 to 2" wide 1/4" thick finish blades... /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[RichZ]

Robert, I think I can make the decision easier for you. I've got a 5 ft King Kutter. Now that we know we're neighbors, come on over to my place and check it out. When our snow and ice melts, we can hook it up to my tractor, and you can try it out.

I think there's no question that the Woods is a step higher in quality, but do you really need that step for your use? That's the question, because the King Kutter is a great unit, it's built to last, and it may be fine for you.

Rich
"What a long strange trip it's been."

 

[RobS]

I'm planning on keeping most of our property looking tidy with just the rotary cutter. I did this last summer and it seemed to work OK. I'll handle the finish lawn right around the house with my lawn tractor and bush-hog the rest once a month or so. Once I "find" all the rocks I may even put a decent edge on the rotary blades /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[MikePA]

<font color=blue>take your corn field for example... look closely at the stubble/stalks left after your first cut... the next season do you think you could go in and use a finish mower and start cutting that field...?</font color=blue>

A friend (the farmer I buy hay from) will be plowing, disc-ing and planting pasture grass in the field, hopefully next month. I called him this past weekend to see if there's anything I need to do, e.g., mow the corn stalk remains. His response was "No, not really." So I was wondering if it'd be better to do it, but all I have is my 60" mmm. I tried my 16hp WheelHorse garden tractor with a 42" rear discharge mower as a sacrificial test. I think I got about 5 feet before being convinced the WheelHorse was not up to the task!

When I told him the soil test indicated I needed 2 tons of lime/acre his response was, "No one will come out to spread lime on 3 acres. I'll just tell the outfit I use to drive up and lime your field when they do my fields." What a prince of a guy! Plow, disc, lime and plant pasture grass for me. Now I gotta figure out what I should pay for this! Any ideas?

 

[cowboydoc]

Usually do a per acre deal. Just call around and find out what the going rate is for your area. Most of those farmers will really appreciate a little cash under the table. He's probably just going to do yours when he's doing his fields.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

I can't tell you what to buy. I just think it's worth shopping around.

I paid $650 for a new Howse MH5 cutter a few years ago. I didn't like Howse's lighter cutter. <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.howseimplement.com/Rotary_Cutters/Medium_Heavy_Duty/MH5_Specs/mh5_specs.html>Click for specs on Howse MH5.</A> The quality of this machine is not the equal of Woods, Bush Hog, Land Pride, etc. But it works fine for me. I have cut acres of weeds, many 1"-2" trees and small brush, and a few 2"+ trees. If it looks bigger than 2" I usually use a chain saw. I pull my MH5 with an older tractor rated at about 42 HP, and have yet to break a shear pin.

What kind of prices are people getting quoted for top brand rotary cutters?

 

[Timd]

<font color=blue>What kind of prices are people getting quoted for top brand rotary cutters?</font color=blue>

The Woods/Landpride MD cutters which can handle the 2" stuff seem to range from $1600-$2000 depending on options (chain guard, slip clutch, stump jumper, tail wheel, replacable skids). An exception is the recently introduced Woods Brush Bull, where the MD cutters are around $1200 here (New England).

I just bought a used Woods MD160 (the older model "Dixie" cutter in good shape for $900. Haven't had a chance to use it yet, although the way this winter is going I might in a week or two.

Timd

 

[PaulinSD]

I was quoted $500 for a 5' KK from my nearest dealer. TSC in Sioux Falls does not stock them any more. They handle Wallace products. I'll enjoy a 50 mile ride to pick up my KK

Paul

 

[stubblefield]

It will be worth your trip. I bought a much used KingKutter a couple years ago from a subdivision developer who I think used it to level trees and hills and let it sit outside 12 months of the year. I gave it a coat of paint and have used it many hours and it is as tough and dependable as the Bushhog rotary mower I sold after buying my current smaller tractor. My point - I am very impressed with KingKutter.

 

[webbmeister]

I don't know, Mike. Aside from reimbursing him his cost on the materials and the time it takes his outfit to spread the lime, I'd just keep on doing whatever it is you're doing to make the guy think so highly of you. There's another thread around here somewhere about what to ask in return for grading a neighbor's drive. The consensus there, and it seems prevalent in the spirit of the TBN community, is that when it comes to your time (within reason) it ought to be part of the grease that makes relations with neighbors run smoothly. Judging by your friend's actions, I'd say he might see it that way too. -Jim

 

[rancar]

Thank John, Rich, Rubintrofen -- I'm going back now to do more research on these things. I'll let you guys know where I'm going.

 

[MikePA]

I'm in the market for a 48" rotary cutter for use with my TC25D and collected the following information from the company web sites. Which attributes are more important?

<pre>
Model Cutting Weight Gearbox Deck Blade
KK L-48-40-P 1 - 8 420 40 hp 12 ga .5 x 3
Landpride RCR-1548 1.75-11.5 475 30 hp 12 ga .5 x 3
Woods 1 - 9 456 50 hp 12 ga 3/8 x 3"
Bush Hog SQ480 2 - 12 431 45 hp 11 ga 3/8 x 3"

</pre>

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Cutting height doesn't matter much. You probably want to cut most fields 4"-8" high.

The overall weight can be an indicator of the amount of metal in the unit. But these weights may only be approximate (ship weight, or field ready? With chain guards, or without?) so a 20 pound difference doesn't matter. As long as your tractor can comfortably lift it.

The gearbox should be able to withstand a greater load than your tractor can provide, i.e. the HP rating of the hog should exceed your tractor's.

A thicker deck (lower gauge number) helps keep the hog from being battered to death from the inside by flying brush parts.

A heavier blade batters the brush better.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Mike,

Have you checked the prices of them...?/w3tcompact/icons/blush.gif

Using a 20 PTO hp tractor... you're not going to hurt any gearbox... At this hp/entry level I would go for best price and it appears the KingKutter leads the pack selected...

Cosmetically the other three are nicest... but the 1" brush doesn't care who is prettiest..

One spec you left out is "blade speed"... the higher the better for shredding purposes, but with a smaller hp unit, you'd have to spend more time on the debris and in turn go slower with the "brush stuff or high out-of-control grass"...

 

[Anonymous Poster]

I almost forgot. One of the most important attributes is width.

The width does the work. A 5' hog cuts light stuff 25% faster than a 4' hog, if your tractor can handle it. It's nice to have an implement that covers your tracks, but sometimes that just isn't practical.

Did you decide on a 4' hog because of the manufacturer's recommendation, or for some other reason? I've used a 5' hog on a tractor with 23 PTO HP with few problems.

 

[MikePA]

JMIII - Nope, have checked prices yet, although I know the KK will be the least expensive. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Rubintropfen - I decided on a 4' model because I wont be using it all that much and wanted the lowest entry price.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

<font color=blue>...I decided on a 4' model because I wont be using it all that much and wanted the lowest entry price...</font color=blue>

With KingKutter... the price differential between a 4' to 5' rotary cutter only ranges about $5- 10. ... the other manufacturers put a "premium" price tag on the 4' that usually ends up costing more than the 5'.../w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif

For 20 PTO hp, I think the 4' is ideal for this marriage of hp... as I've said before the 5' would be too much implement unless it was only grass/very light duty stuff...

The best way I can explain it other than to try it out for yourself and see... Using Lawn Mowers as an example: imagine a brand new 5 hp B/S engine mounted on a 22" mower deck... and then a 5 hp B/S lawn mower engine mounted on a 33" mower deck... they both work good with 2" high grass... but with 3-4" or higher grass... the 22" deck still works good with some bogging down... however the 33" deck is constantly choking and now you're going extra slow so the engine doesn't stall out...

The rotary cutter and plow are two implements where matching the width of your tractor doesn't usually work with that "as wide as the tractor unwritten formula..."

 

[MikePA]

Thanks, John, et. al. My sister has a 4' Bush Hog that she uses with her 2410 and she's very happy with it.

I find it interesting, and not a little ironic, that many people buy a larger implement, ostensibly to complete a task in less time. However, if the implement is too much for the tractor and conditions, they have to slow down, thus defeating the reason for the larger implement.