rotary mower manufacturer comparisons

[suzy38]

This may have already been asked, but the search engine didn't work for me and I didn't want to check 300+ pages. I have a 7ft King Kutter that seized up on me last night (probably a bearing). We have to decide whether to repair it again or buy a different used mower. (already had to do some bearings, redo seals, new clutch plate etc), although the deck and 3 point are still in decent shape. I mow about 30 acres 3-4 times a year, mainly heavy grass, but I do hit stumps every now and then. Biggest problem is all the runoff ditches and culverts which is hard on the mower, so it needs to be fairly heavy duty, have some flex and a clutch. My property is extremely hard on any kind of wheel (regulars get flat, no-flat ones bend brackets or break hubs). I get so tired of broken wheels that we end up just letting the deck drag which isn't pretty if the ground is damp at all and can be pretty dusty if dry. I don't think a pull-behind would work well (although I like the big side wheels on them) and I'd probably break a lot of shear pins. So any recommendations on used brands to look for would be great. I'd like another 7 foot (my tractor is a 65 hspwr JD) which is probably the biggest it can handle, and keep it under $1000. Rhino? JD? Land Pride? Woods (most look really rusted)? Bushhog? keep the King Kutter? any others?
Thanks!

 

[beenthere]

:welcome:
If the gear case has oil, can't figure why a bearing would go out. Seems if most is in good shape, then maybe a new gear box would be the cheapest way to go.

I can't decipher if the property is so hard on the mower or the operator. Mowing a stump at ground level (you said it is dragging on the ground with no wheel) isn't something any rotary cutter is designed to do, even if the clutch is adjusted right.

Heavy grass should be a breeze for most any rotary cutter, the King Kutter included.

 

[suzy38]

yes, there was oil in the gear box, but we can't think of anything else but bearing failure at this point that would make it lock up. The clutch was smoking when I shut the pto immediately off. Upon advice, I tightened 4 loose bolts on the clutch (2 were tight), turned it back on at very low rpms, engaged the the pto and it rotated about 3 turns and locked up, stalling the tractor and now it won't move at all....any clues to the problem?

And yes, there is some operator damage most likely as I don't have days to go in 1st gear to get it all mowed, but even though it is pasture, it is really rough ground......rain gulches, ravines, run-offs etc everywhere that you can't really see through thick grass that plays **** on the wheels and 3 point (the 3 point is obviously stronger than the wheels) and it seems it is easier to just drag it along than continually fix the wheels, although then it catches any half -submerged rocks and ground cut stumps, so it is hard on the mower.

 

[beenthere]

With the info given, sounds like one problem is the clutch is too tight, and not slipping. The clutch should slip so it doesn't kill the tractor. Given that the gear box appears to be locked up, there must be two problems.
Need to find out what is locked up in the gear box. I wouldn't try running it under PTO power until that gear box is freed up.

Or are you just interested in going to something else at this point?

 

[TripleR]

As long as the deck is in good shape, we simply replace the gear box. We have done this on different brands up to a Woods 121.

 

[Transit]

From what you are saying, the problem is not with the hog. You have a cockpit problem, I think the hog is too wide to follow the ground and you are scalping the high spots over stressing the gearbox. These hogs are rated to cut 2-3 inch saplings not stump removers. Dragging the hog on the ground is even harder on the blades and gearbox. Everything has limits.

 

[suzy38]

Thanks for the feedback. Yes, I realize the thing should not be drug, but the ground just has too many culverts, ditches and run offs to keep wheels on it for any long period. There are so many and in different locations, that I cannot even run parellel to them. So, yes, it gets' torqued and scalped. I am running it in second gear only, so although I try to be careful, its just tough ground. The main reason for this thread was to get your opinions on the toughest hogs, ones with really strong wheels and wheel braces if that is what will help. My King Kutter has a strong box as non of the edges have bent, even with the abuse of dragging it, which is a selling point for keeping it, so maybe I will just change out the gear box. We have the wheel braces at the welders for straightening and then I have to also buy 2 new wheel hubs once the braces are done if I keep it. Maybe for others (as well as me, if I do a future purchase), you guys could still rate some of these brands on which ones you think are the toughest, require the least maintenance and hold up best over rough ground???

Believe me, I'll never buy ground again with a major creek on it. It causes a lot more problems than just the hog. I've replaced the culvert 3 times now and will have to pay $2000 for a concreted low water crossing. It washes out my fence posts, erodes my banks (I have to have rock trucked in constantly. plant willows etc) and is just a pain in the ***. All these run-off ditches flow to it from all 3 of my pastures. You rock or fill one and another forms. They're like tenacles that never stop changing or growing, so the hog has to be tough. Anyone that has lived on a major water run-off area will understand it is a constant battle.

 

[MikeInEburg]

I'd replace the gear box, make sure the slip clutch is adjusted properly, beef up the wheel supports and never look back. You could buy another one that may be in the same shape as the one you already own. Better the devil you know...
Mike

 

[Dargo]

From what you are saying, the problem is not with the hog. You have a cockpit problem, I think the hog is too wide to follow the ground and you are scalping the high spots over stressing the gearbox. These hogs are rated to cut 2-3 inch saplings not stump removers. Dragging the hog on the ground is even harder on the blades and gearbox. Everything has limits.

I can tell you from experience that as soon as my rotary cutter slams into terra firma my slip clutch immediately smokes. Basically, if I see smoke come out of my exhaust, my slip clutch is also going to be smoking. Concrete blocks just explode, but old train tracks (yes, hit a section) and granite rocks are just flat brutal on the blades. My cutter in pretty well a 1400 pound frankenstein model that I surrounded with 2X2X3/8" wall square tubing for a frame. If I can knock it down, I'll try to cut it. That's where I find the surprises. So far the train track is the only thing that flat broke a blade. The chunk of granite ruined a blade, but it didn't break. These are 1" blades on pivots with a stump jumper and a 90 hp gear box.

I use my FEL as a "feeler" as I go through areas where I can't see and just take my chances. I'd almost break something than get old power lines all wrapped up under the deck though. That sucked! The same goes for a 'gatorback', which is what they call a big chunk of a retread that came off a semi tire. They take forever to cut out!

As others have said, if nothing else is damaged too bad, just put a stronger gear box on it and try to avoid leveling dirt with the cutter when possible.

 

[suzy38]

I just looked up what a new one costs and it is $3000 so I think I'll just go with the new gear box. This Kutter box has been really strong with no reinforcements and no bends on the 3 point and no rust, so it has held up to some big abuse.
Any suggestions on how to properly adjust the clutch since my local "advice" person telling me to tighten all bolts on the housing didn't produce good results. These are the bolts with the compressed springs on the back where the nut is....how tight??? 2 were real tight, one was loose and the other 3 took about 3 turns to snug down. I didn't torque them down hard, but I did snug them up and thats when it shut the tractor down.