Shopping for a 15' Bushhog

[DT86]

I've been on the hunt for a 15' bushhog for my M9540. The primary use will be clipping open pasture but will occasionally see some cedar trees, rose bushes, rocks and all the other good stuff you can find on overgrown, neglected rented ground.

It's been muddy this week and I've pretty much got all my projects for the year done anyway (this also explains why I've been on here 24/7 :laughing so I hit the road and went to look at a couple of different dealers. I've looked at some Bushhog brand and Woods cutters, and at >$15k I don't think I can swing that right now. Farming is my main income until I win the Mega Millions.
Someone told me you actually have to buy tickets to win?? :confused3:

Well I found a nice used (2006) Rhino SD15 for less than $8k, good paint, no dents in the deck, aircraft tires, fairly new blades and will have brand new stump jumpers. The stump jumpers that are on it have cracks from the spindles outward. You can tell it hasn't spent much time beating rocks into dust so I wondered if this is a common problem or design flaw. Anyway I thought it was odd since you could tell the machine has had an easy life. Before I commit to it I would have them hook it up to something on the lot and run it to check for vibrations, ect.

My other option is a new Taylor Way which I believe I can get for ~$10.5K

My question is do any of you fine folks have any experience with either machine? Or have any other type of comments or suggestions? Anybody have one they are looking to donate? Thanks.

 

[Soundguy]

here's what I did when I wanted my 15' mower. I watched want adds, and sales papers and ebay and craigslist.

i then started cold calling horse farms. I finally found a horse farm that was upgrading it's mowing equipment. they had some 98 jd 1517 batwings.. and in 04 or so were upgrading to newer ones. I got a used 1517 that had 1 new gearbos on it. well used but serviceable aircraft tires. wel, well worn, and repaired but working pto shafts.. and a deck that needed a weld or tow, plus an operable torque clutch.. for 2000$ they had another in parts they would have sold me for 500$ that i STUPIDLY passed on. I probably could have had it running for less than a grand and flipped it.
i completely cleaned and pressure washed mine.. dressed the blades.. aired tires.. greased fittings, made 2 weld repairs and then repainted JD green after a good primer coat. I probably had less that 200$ 'repair work in it' at that time.

about 2m into using it, I broke the hinge on one wing. I bought a big hobart AC welder for ?238$ at tractor supply and using some bottle jacks and jack stands got her true, and used scrap iron and the starter kit of welding rods and buxxed her back together. minimum charge for a farm service call on a welder service many was 450$ plus materials, plus time. so my first use of the welder paid for itself.

if I figure that cost in.. i have 2538$ intot he mower and have not had a problem since then with her.

I cut light pasture with some stemmy weeds. have knocked out a 3" pine before and eat some fence posts and wire a few times.. scalped a rock or two and devastated some tall ant and gopher mounds a few times.. great mower. i'd buy another just like it if it blew up tomorrow.


soundguy

 

[DT86]

Around here we don't have yuppie horse farms, thankfully.

All the used ones I find are very much used up, Limestone rocks have a way of doing that.

I've been looking on Tractorhouse, ect with no luck.

It seems the few halfway decent ones are higher here than in say, Middle Tn. I just hate to buy one sight unseen.

Did the JD you bought have stump jumpers?

 

[Soundguy]

nope.. just the bar style blade carrier...

we have more limerock than anybody I think..

 

[Soundguy]

hav you looked at the howse 15'er

I was considering that one before ai found my use done. reminds me of a flexwing..

 

[DT86]

I actually haven't. The local Howse dealer is just... well... never mind. Any idea on the price?
I might call CCM in the morning to see if they have anything used. I went right by there Tuesday and didn't even think to stop.

 

[Soundguy]

have no idea on price.. they were still coming out when I was looking .. might have been out by the time I bought.. dunno.

here';s the link to them.. and the call for price deal. see what they do for ya.. might be worth it. I have a 10' hd howse.. it's a beast. deffinately worth what I paid for it. I've used and abused it.. looks almost as good as when I got it... it's heavier duty than that JD 1517 for sure... cost ? 2250$ or so new... ( in 2002 )

https://store.howseimplement.com/in...s/rotary-cutters/15-1-2-flex-wing-cutter.html

 

[DT86]

That is a pretty nice looking cutter.
Come to think of it my cousin bought a 10' Howse last year. Bough it un-assembled and saved even more $ but I'll have to check and see if was worth it. lol I guess it came w/o the wheels and hitch bolted???

 

[Soundguy]

mine came that way as well. came on HUGE pallate style box with banding.

no wheels.. no hitch.. just the gear boxes on the deck, and the short shafts to the side boxes.

took me? 4 hours maybee to get it all assembled and adjusted? wasn't a huge deal.. just needs 3/4 or 1" tools.. and air tools if ya got them.. retorque all nuts AFTER running it around the yard and vibrating it loose. ( Don't ask )

also.. my boxes were shipped dry.. or with just a lil grease residue in them.. so chek new boxes before use..

 

[Verticaltrx]

Also take a look at Kodiak. I wouldn't say they are top quality, but pretty decent. I have a Kodiak 5' cutter that I have mowed hundreds of acres with and it hasn't given me any trouble. FWIW, I've seen some new-old-stock Woods BW180's in tractorhouse for $10-12K, I think they were way down south though.

 

[Soundguy]

i almost got a kodiak 10' mower when I got my howse 10'\
\they were within a couple hundred in price.. howse was a lil cheaper.. though did look better on the welds. was closer too..

 

[DT86]

Also take a look at Kodiak. I wouldn't say they are top quality, but pretty decent. I have a Kodiak 5' cutter that I have mowed hundreds of acres with and it hasn't given me any trouble. FWIW, I've seen some new-old-stock Woods BW180's in tractorhouse for $10-12K, I think they were way down south though.

Yeah everything is cheaper where there is a higher demand. I'll look into Kodiak but as of right now I don't know who sells them locally and couldn't get their web site to load.

 

[DT86]

Also I talked to a Deere dealer that was trying to trade with a guy who was looking for a new CX15. Claimed to be with in $500 of making the trade. I must admit I've never seen a CX15 but they've got to be leaps and bounds over the MX model I've used in the past.

 

[DT86]

Found out that the local rental place sells Kodiak cutters but 8' is the biggest they've ever stocked. Waiting to hear back on a price.

Got a guy looking on CL and I'm still searching Tractor House for any and all brands.

 

[Soundguy]

if they are a kodiak dealer.. I bet they'd bring in a 10'er on their next order if you bought it. might save freight!

 

[Burtonbr]

This is from North Raleigh , NC. IF not too far from you
15' woods for $5500
Woods Bush Hog

Not mine, just noticed it while browsing.

 

[Soundguy]

one other thing to point out.

15' hog is on the cusp of the 1000 rpm vs 540 rpm pto issue.

make sure your mower matches your pto.

 

[DT86]

one other thing to point out.

15' hog is on the cusp of the 1000 rpm vs 540 rpm pto issue.

make sure your mower matches your pto.

Good point. I am aware however others might not be.

 

[DT86]

This is from North Raleigh , NC. IF not too far from you
15' woods for $5500

Thank you Sir.
That is about a 4 hour drive. I may call tomorrow but will probably try for something closer. I like to look prior to buying.

 

[DT86]

The dealer with the 15' Rhino called back and said he would deliver it for $7,500. I told him I'd let him know after the New Year.