Yet another brush hog width question

[jimmysisson]

I have a 5' brush hog, and the sides come right about to the middle of the rears on my 2120. If I went to a 6', they'd reach just about the outside edge. Since the grass/brush gets crushed down by the tires, would a wider cutter actually cut more? When you're done mowing, the mowed grass and the crushed grass are about the same height, and grow back pretty evenly.
I'm sure I have power enough. At PTO rpm there's hardly any load on the engine, just a little mowing june grass.
This is what I think about mowing a 10 acre field: how can I do this quicker!
Jim

 

[whitearrow]

jimmysisson,i would always get a hog that comes to the outer most part of the rear tire if your tractor will handle it hp wise.if you don't then you are just wasting time by going with too narrow of a cutter.
whitearrow->>>------------->

 

[LeadPoison]

Go 6 foot. The blades will produce an upward suction that will cut the knocked down grass, unless it's wet.

 

[MrJimi]

Jim, you do realize that a 5 foot will have a wider than 5 foot deck and cut a 5 foot path. If your in the center of your tires now you may want a 6 foot if you have the HP for it? And the upward suction is in the blade shape not the width, they are called uplift blades or high lift
Jim

 

[have_blue]

I'm sure I have power enough. At PTO rpm there's hardly any load on the engine, just a little mowing june grass.
This is what I think about mowing a 10 acre field: how can I do this quicker!
Jim

The 2120 has plenty of power for a 6 footer, and maybe even a 7 footer. I went from a 5' cutter up to 6', and the time savings took me by surprise. It saves me around 2 hours of mowing time.

If you're only mowing grass and light weeds on smooth ground, consider a finishing mower. They are a bit easier to pull than a brush hog, so you can pull a 9 footer with no problem. They mow lower, and that eventually kills off weeds and tall-growing grasses. The result is that you spend a little less mowing, your field looks great, and it's much easier on your equipment.

 

[Big_Cajun]

Wow. I didn't realize that one foot would make that much of a difference.

BC

 

[Glowplug]

I'd get a 15 foot Batwing; nothing less.
Just kidding. . .
I agree with above that the mower should come to the outer width of the rear tires. I want to get a 7 footer (84") so that the mower is even with my rears.

 

[BB_TX]

I have a 6' that extends 3"-4" past my tires. I have a simple 2 wire elec fence separating off about 2 acres where my shop is to keep the cattle away. By going slow and weaving slightly around the T posts, I can actually mow just under that fence. Then when I mow the other side, I do the same and it keeps my fence row from growing up. Of course, I do have a few T posts leaning at a slight angle where I didn't weave quite enough.

 

[jbrumberg]

BB TX:

If those Olympic skiers do it why can't you . Jay

 

[jimmysisson]

No one's addressed the crushing question (except MrJimi), which was really what I was posting about. If the grass/brush under the tires is crushed under the tires, and it doesn't spring back up (or pulled up by uplift blades) to get cut by the hog, what benefit is there to having the hog out to the edges of the tires, as opposed to the middle? I see the benefit of "mowing" right up to fences, etc., but for that to really work I'd need to get a 7' mower, which is probably right at the limit for my tractor, pricy new and rare used.
When you look at a hogged field, the tire tracks appear as matted down stripes, with mowed grass/brush between, and all roughly the same height. As the field grows back up, competition among the plants keeps it more or less at the same height, so a couple of weeks later it's pretty even. So, aside from the fenceline benefit, do I gain from the extra few inches which will be right behind the tires.
Not trying to be cranky, just curious.
Jim