BCS for brush cutting, Rotary v. Flail.

[Scooby074]

While at the JD dealer the other day, i noticed a nice new BCS 722 sitting in the corner, so blue being my favorite colour i had to investigate

Ive always been curious about BCS and reading online i understand that they are one of the best tillers out there. The BCS is appealing to me, due to the different attachments, which is why i began this thread.

Every year, i have to maintain 2-3 acres of brush. This is mostly saplings or alders varying in size from 1/2" to 2"+. These saplings are hardwood and grow in clusters of 5 or more stalks.

I usually rent a Billy Goat rough terrain mower for this, snd its a real workout. One if the problems is that the BG mower doesnt have the weight to push these clusters over, so i end up having to let the machine ride up the stalk till the blades dig in and cut it. Another MAJOR issue is that the back of the mower deck has a lip that constantly catches on the cut off stumps.

So some questions before i look more seriously at a BCS:

1.Is the BCS more comfortable to run then the Billy Goat? THe model i m considering is the 732. It has the steering breaks, are they helpful for brush mowing?

2. Does the mower deck clear the cut stalks easily?

3. Does it have the weight to push the clusters of stalks over? (of course the dealer says it will)

4.Would the flail be better to use for the type of cutting i do?

5. Can the flail handle "trees" or is it designed for grass? Will it catch on the cut stalks? I was hoping that the flail would let me "eat " my way through the clusters, kind of like a mulcher.

Now the prices in Canadian dollars:
722: 2900$
732: 3800

26" bush hog $1499
26 tiller $750
40 sickle 1500
Local dealer doesnt have a price for the flail.

I know form looking online that these prices are several hundred dollars per item over comparable items in the states.

Dealer says that there is no wiggle room on these prices. Also gave me some BS that if i could find it cheaper online in the states, that i should tell him. He said they'd drop the line if "Their supplier wasnt giving them the best prices" ya right.

Honestly the canadian prices could prevent me from buying. My honda tiller is still running strong after 20 years!!! Id hate to part with it as much as id like a rear time. Also i dont want to spend the money to upgrade if the brush mower isnt better than the billy goat that ive been using.

So what do the experts think. I know BCS is a great tiller, but the brush mowing thing is very important to me too. THeres another couple dealers in my province , so ill have to check their prices out,but i dont expect much difference.

Is it worth the money to upgrade to a larger machine considering my uses?
My garden is only 20x35.

 

[wstr75]

Brakes are well worth it for mowing, particularly hillside mowing. I have a flail mower and it can take saplings up to 3/8" (7 - 8 mm) if I let it ride up on them. I have used my mower in heavy field grass up to 2' (.66m) tall. I run in 2nd gear and full throttle. BCS 853 Lombardini diesel and 34" flail mower.

Bill in NC

 

[Scooby074]

Brakes are well worth it for mowing, particularly hillside mowing. I have a flail mower and it can take saplings up to 3/8" (7 - 8 mm) if I let it ride up on them. I have used my mower in heavy field grass up to 2' (.66m) tall. I run in 2nd gear and full throttle. BCS 853 Lombardini diesel and 34" flail mower.

Bill in NC

Thanks. So you'd say that 3/8" is the max for the flail? In your opinion does the machine have enough weight to push over 3/4"+ saplings?

 

[wstr75]

I don't know what the maximum diameter my flail mower can cut. 3/4" sounds pretty thick. It would probably cut the sapling but would likely chew on it for a while.

Bill in NC

 

[milkman]

Take a look here, looks like the sickle mower, in the second video, will cut what you've got, good video of several attachments.

YouTube - BCS Dealers, Tiller, Lawn Mower, Snowblowers, Wood Chippers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqxTQshHqO4&feature=channel

 

[Scooby074]

Take a look here, looks like the sickle mower, in the second video, will cut what you've got, good video of several attachments.

YouTube - BCS Dealers, Tiller, Lawn Mower, Snowblowers, Wood Chippers

YouTube - BCS Dealers, Tiller, Lawn Mower, Snowblowers, Wood Chippers

Thanks for the links. I actually had those videos on a DVD that my dealer gave me. THe clusters of brush im talking about are 5 or more stalks sharing a common root. Essentially you have 5 stalks clustered in a 8" circle.

I should mention that i also have a Husky 252 spacing saw. It does a good job on these clusters, however its slow and your still left with the stalks to deal with.

 

[farmerboybill]

Hey Jason,

Have you considered an 853? The 732 is a good machine, but its ground speed options are limited vs. an 853. It is a considerable increase in price, but may be well worth it in the long run.

I have a 26 inch rotary rough-cut mower I FINALLY got up and running last week. I'd been waiting for parts for about 2 months. It works very nice so far, but I haven't really put any hours on it yet. I plan on offering a custom mowing operation for small areas where a four wheel tractor can't go.

According to Joel at Earth Tools (earthtoolsbcs.com), the flail mower's best quality is that it can mow all your garden waste/cover crop very fine and put it back on the ground evenly across the entire cut width. It can also be used for several other operations such as scarifying with various other types of flails (go to Joels website and download his catalog on PDF to learn more about these. Ignore the old prices, they've gone up considerably). The rough-cut mower will mow everything a flail mower will do, it just doesn't lay it down evenly across the mown path. He says it costs more in both the initial purchase and in maintenance as it has several flails vs. two blades on the rotary. Joel also says you need to go a gear slower with a flail mower vs. a rotary mower of similar size.

I still want a flail mower for garden work, but my enthusiasm for one has waned considerably since I came across this fix'er upper 26 inch mower.

You won't regret investing the money in a BCS. If the price on new scares you, start scanning craigslist for used 605, 830, 850, 852s. It may take you longer to find what you're searching for, but the equipment can be had for a considerable discount if you're willing to tinker with another man's trash. My fix'er upper cost me $125 to purchase, $50 to ship, $180 in bought parts, and $120 in fabricated parts. With my labor, I pry lost money, but it's pretty satisfying to bring a dead machine back to life.

Bill in WI

 

[Scooby074]

853 would be awesome. However id be scared to get a quote on it up here.

Looking used around here is a 6 yr old 720 with tiller and snowblower for.......$2800 Plus its briggs powered.. and i SWEAR im never owing another briggs.. one of the selling points on the new BCS is honda power.

Theres a couple smaller older 5hp tillers, but the cheapest is around 1k

I wish i could find a deal like farmerboybill mentioned on here but im not that lucky.

farmerboybill: what does the rear edge of the rough deck look like? does it have a lip to catch on whats cut? That was my issue with the billygoat.

I was reading the BCS has a 14 day satisfaction guarantee? Do all dealers offer this? or is it voluntary? Is it applicable in canada?

 

[wstr75]

The new Briggs OHV motors are a-ok and equal to Honda. Briggs and also Kohler have bought up small engine manufacturers around the world. For example, Lombardini is now part of Kohler.

I spoke to Joel at Earthtools when repowering my 737 and he said the Briggs Vanguard motors are excellent and are made in Japan (at least the 9 hp one I bought was).

Why don't you get away from warm and sunny Nova Scotia next January, come on down to the States for a vacation and buy up some used and new BCS equipment in your pick-up truck? Good prices, good times and good weather all rolled into one neat trip.

Bill in NC

 

[oldmech]

Hi! BCS , GRILLO and other two-wheels doesnt have enough weight and power for push down cluster of 5 or more 1-2+ saplings As the BILLY GOAT (about same weight and power)
But 26 in. BCS bush Hog can make a very good job with 1 in. or less saplings. May be better than the BILLY GOAT because BCS have a more slow first gear and are all shafts and gears system NO BELT.
A 35-50 HP tractor with 5 feet Bush hog can handle cluster of 5 or more 1-2+ saplings
I think the best is Mow EVERY YEAR the sapling . For 1-2+ saplings chain saw and chipper can help you for clear your land. BCS and GRILLO (Quality built Bcs Tranny was lifetime guaranty) are Systems you can add Tiller mower chipper trailer snowblower etc.
Canadian prices are too high. You know they are not custom duty for walk behind tractor . Two years ago I buy a GRILLO 107d From USA. Canadians money was better .
Farmerboy ( Gentleman) give you good ideas. Look for used. But look for BCS with Differential . 730 and up because 710-720 serial have not . Good luck Oldmech