Tractor Sizing six foot bushog for an L3800

city slicker · Mar 30, 2011

I just bought a new Kubota L3800 and they sent me home with a 5 foot bush hog. I have about 5 acres of field (few trees, level to gentle slope) to mow and I am wondering if I should return the 5 foot and get a 6 foot. I have a few questions. Can my tractor handle the 6 foot wthout wearing on the tractor? How much time will the 6 foot versus 5 foot save me? How much more will the 6 foot cost? Is it worth getting a 5 1/2 foot?

Thanks for any advice you can give me.

MarkV · Mar 30, 2011

The rule of thumb is 5 PTO hp per foot of mower. I am not sure what the PTO hp of the L3800 is but it has to be close to 30. I would go for a 6' mower unless you are cutting very heavy growth all the time.

MarkV

RoyJackson · Mar 30, 2011

Your Kubota has 30-31.5 PTO HP (depending on which transmission you have) which would be ok for a medium duty rotary cutter.
As far as how much time you'd save...depends on what you're mowing.
As far as cost...you need to talk to your dealer about that.

For other new TBNers...size of implements and power requirements should be understood before you sign the paperwork. At this time, city slicker could take a loss (although if his dealer is worth a darn, he won't) because he'd be returning a "used" implement. I doubt city slicker does lose anything on the 5' cutter, but it is possible.

Chilly807 · Mar 30, 2011

For mowing 5 acres, the difference in the time it'll take you isn't worth the extra cash to get the 6 footer. On 25 acres, you'd see a measurable difference.

Sean

JakeBrake · Mar 30, 2011

I went with the 5' Bush Hog for my L3830. The 5' Bush Hog is the same width as my rear wheels.

Unfortunately, my mind wanders when I bush hog, especially after a couple of hours. If my bush hog were wider than my rear wheels, it would only be a matter of time before I hung it up on something.

dkostiha · Mar 30, 2011

It will handle a 6' just fine, but it will be slightly wider than your rear wheels and this sometimes causes you to hang it up/catch it on trees, posts etc. I mow 3 1/2 acres of open land in about 90 minutes with a 5' shredder regularly and I enjoy the seat time on the tractor. Just my opinion.

city slicker · Mar 30, 2011

Roy - Thanks for your suggestion. Haven't used the bush hog yet. Have only had the set-up for four days. I'm sure they'll take it back, but I will probably have to pay for the transport.

Doesn't sound like I will not save a lot of time with my lot size and as I may get behind and end up mowing higher grass, the 5' may be the way to go.

RoyJackson · Mar 31, 2011

city slicker said:
Roy - Thanks for your suggestion. Haven't used the bush hog yet. Have only had the set-up for four days. I'm sure they'll take it back, but I will probably have to pay for the transport.

Doesn't sound like I will not save a lot of time with my lot size and as I may get behind and end up mowing higher grass, the 5' may be the way to go.

Probably not...but if you are going to swap, this is the time to do it.

I do prefer the mower or cutter wider then the rear tire track. I can get closer to my fence. Also, I can use the full width of the cutter or mower on lighter stuff and, if the tractor does bog, take partial width passes.
Depends on the field conditions too. The field I cut is rutty as all get out, so I run pretty slow anyway.

All that said, I am running a 5' cutter behind my 30 PTO HP tractor. In my case, I bought the cutter when I had a 16.5 PTO HP tractor (about 10 years ago). I was mowing 5 acres of field then. Now I only mow about an acre and it's not worth spending the money for a bigger cutter.

ssmith general · Mar 31, 2011

I would say you'd be pushing it a tad unnecessarily to get that extra 6" on either side. The time savings would be negligible, but my biggest concern would be pushing the equipment to the edge of it's capabilities in normal use. *

* I am no expert here, and that information is mostly gathered from a dealer who was probably trying to sell me a bigger tractor.

Chilly807 · Mar 31, 2011

I think if you look in the tractor owner's manual, it'll have a recommended rotary cutter size.

Mine calls for 6 feet as maximum size. If you get into heavy meadow grass it's going to be working hard, mine does well with our 5 foot cutter but I wouldn't want much more in heavy, dense grass. You've got a couple more PTO hp assuming you have the gear drive model.

Sean