Which rotary mower or shredder for a B2601?

[Sid Post]

How does a Woods RC4 compare to a similar LandPride orange 'bush hog'? Or, what rotary mower - bush hog - shredder do you recommend for a B2601 and what is a reasonable 'street cost' for it?

LandPride for me is $1620 with an unknown delivery date and a Woods RC4 is $1200 and two weeks as starting points. I am a bit brand agnostic and want a good price but, it is most important to buy a good quality mower that is the RIGHT mower, not the cheapest.

This mower will be used in an orchard and to trim up after a larger tractor and shredder around trees and other obstacles in an open pasture.

TIA,
Sid

 

[jeff9366]

Consider Land Pride RCR1548 with a cutting width of 45-1/2" and a weight of 424 pounds. This model has a Category 3 mower drive line which should hold up fine in fairly heavy "follower" orchard use.

A B2601 is fine for powering a nominal 48"/450 pound Rotary Cutter, a little underpowered/underweight for powering a 60"/450 pound medium duty Rotary Cutter.

 

[Sid Post]

Yes, a 60" shredder to me is a bit too much leverage on the 3pt for this size tractor though, I have considered one off and on for a while. A 48" shredder is also shorter in length so it is better for turning clearance too.

 

[TMGT]

I run a Woods M4 on my B2620, I mostly clear underbrush in wooded areas but it mowed heavy grass fine also. If you're not cutting tall/heavy grass a 60in would work.

Honestly a medium duty 54" would be the sweet spot for this size tractor, i use the 4' because its the same width as the tractor and can fit between trees.

 

[Sid Post]

I run a Woods M4 on my B2620, I mostly clear underbrush in wooded areas but it mowed heavy grass fine also. If you're not cutting tall/heavy grass a 60in would work.

Honestly a medium duty 54" would be the sweet spot for this size tractor, i use the 4' because its the same width as the tractor and can fit between trees.

Any particular brands of medium-duty 54" or 60" shredders that are recommended?

I've thought about 60" shredders but, they seem pretty heavy and long for the tractor. In terms of heavy grass, I don't have any issue taking a smaller cut if need to avoid bogging but, ~4hp/ft seems to work well for me where I cut grass. Spacing in my orchard would allow a 5' and possibly a 6' shredder but, vertical clearance is where I run into trouble with my larger tractors.

 

[TMGT]

Woods and Land Pride use to make decent 54" cutters but it seems they stopped. If its just lighter grass, a decent 60in should work well.
I'm a fan of Woods mowers, but going to a 60 really opens up your options.

 

[SDT]

How does a Woods RC4 compare to a similar LandPride orange 'bush hog'? Or, what rotary mower - bush hog - shredder do you recommend for a B2601 and what is a reasonable 'street cost' for it?

LandPride for me is $1620 with an unknown delivery date and a Woods RC4 is $1200 and two weeks as starting points. I am a bit brand agnostic and want a good price but, it is most important to buy a good quality mower that is the RIGHT mower, not the cheapest.

This mower will be used in an orchard and to trim up after a larger tractor and shredder around trees and other obstacles in an open pasture.

TIA,
Sid

I'm a fan of Woods mowers, having bought four new Woods mowers of varying sizes within the past 10-12 years.

Woods, like Bush Hog, has long been considered top shelf. Land Pride has not yet reached top shelf but is close and becomes closer each year.

Keep in mind that most (all?) manufacturers make multiple lines of cutters, light duty, medium duty, HD, etc. Of course price and weight both increase as one climbs the quality scale.

Consider how long you plan to keep your tractor/mower combination. Just about all light duty cutters, regardless of manufacturer, and some so-called "medium duty" cutters, use bronze bushings rather than roller bearings in the tail wheel. A bronze bushing tail wheel will be a constant source of maintenance even if greased upon each use. A roller bearing will outlast the rest of the cutter even with irregular maintenance.

When buying a small cutter, I always have the parts department guy pull up the parts diagram showing the tail wheel and axle and print it. Don't trust the sales guy. Any mower not having a roller bearing tail wheel is immediately removed from consideration.

As previouosly mentioned, weight increases with quality. Accordingly, I agree with your assessment that you should not buy a cutter larger than 48" (agree that 54" cutters are becoming extinct) unless you are willing to accept a light duty (light weight) 60" model that you plan to keep only a few years and your mowing conditions are light/moderate.

SDT

 

[TMGT]

The RC5 looks like it might be a good fit for a 60" cutter for your size tractor. Tail wheel has bushings but shouldn't be a problem to change out the hub if it becomes an issue.

 

[Mat4644]

Too bad Woods doesn't offer the 54 inch mowers anymore. For this size tractor it's an ideal size combination. Look to see if there's a good used Woods HC54 in your locality.

 

[SDT]

Too bad Woods doesn't offer the 54 inch mowers anymore. For this size tractor it's an ideal size combination. Look to see if there's a good used Woods HC54 in your locality.

I agree but 54" mowers are becoming as extinct as the doo doo bird. Simply not enough market.

Used 54" cutters are even more difficult to find than are used 48" cutters.

SDT