IslandTractor
Super Star Member
- Joined
- Sep 15, 2005
- Messages
- 17,101
- Location
- Prudence Island, RI
- Tractor
- 2007 Kioti DK40se HST, Woods BH
I am upgrading to a 41hp tractor and will have both routine pasture mowing and occasional brush clearing duties. I've decided to get a 75" flail (Caroni TM1900) for the routine mowing and light brush clearing but am now considering adding a Bush Hog for some heavier brush clearing. Need to decide what size and light/med type of rotary mower.
Basically the task that I am not sure the flail will be best for is real brush clearing of the sort that you are backing into 8-10ft bushes (multiflora rose, small trees, vine and bramble covered who knows what) and other things that have grown up on a former pasture that was not mowed for roughly 10 years. There is nothing that appears to need a chain saw but some of the bushes I can get access to look to be 2-3 inches at the trunk. I'd estimate there are 200-300 of these various bushes to be taken out in 13-15 acres. It is too dense with briar to walk through and I don't think I'll be driving forward through this with the tractor/cutter.
My plan is to clear the area by backing (mostly) with a bush hog (??flail) and ripping out anything that is too big with a grapple. Once the land is cleared of the bushes I will maintain it with the 75" flail so I am not concerned with time spent mowing as a consideration in choosing the bush hog size. My concerns are to choose a rotary cutter: 1) adequate to take out most of these bushes, 2) future use will be limited to similar "first clearing" operations so no routine mowing, 3) cost/value.
I'll buy this from a Bush Hog dealer who is delivering my other equipment. I currently own a SQ480 so am comfortable sticking with the Bush Hog brand but am waffling on size. In an ideal world I'd use the flail first to see how it handles this scenario but as I live on an island it is not worth the risk of needing the hassle/cost/delay to get a second cutter delivered later so I am going to just get both the flail and hog. The price I have on the SQ720 with slip clutch is about $300 more than the SQ600 w/clutch. Both have the same 1/2 inch blades. My tractor tread is 60 inches wide.
Is there any advantage to having the 60" rotary cutter vs 72" with regard to this specific bush hogging task? Also, am I being too shy about just using the Caroni TM1900 flail for this task...it has hammers, not knives so is certainly rated for brush.
Basically the task that I am not sure the flail will be best for is real brush clearing of the sort that you are backing into 8-10ft bushes (multiflora rose, small trees, vine and bramble covered who knows what) and other things that have grown up on a former pasture that was not mowed for roughly 10 years. There is nothing that appears to need a chain saw but some of the bushes I can get access to look to be 2-3 inches at the trunk. I'd estimate there are 200-300 of these various bushes to be taken out in 13-15 acres. It is too dense with briar to walk through and I don't think I'll be driving forward through this with the tractor/cutter.
My plan is to clear the area by backing (mostly) with a bush hog (??flail) and ripping out anything that is too big with a grapple. Once the land is cleared of the bushes I will maintain it with the 75" flail so I am not concerned with time spent mowing as a consideration in choosing the bush hog size. My concerns are to choose a rotary cutter: 1) adequate to take out most of these bushes, 2) future use will be limited to similar "first clearing" operations so no routine mowing, 3) cost/value.
I'll buy this from a Bush Hog dealer who is delivering my other equipment. I currently own a SQ480 so am comfortable sticking with the Bush Hog brand but am waffling on size. In an ideal world I'd use the flail first to see how it handles this scenario but as I live on an island it is not worth the risk of needing the hassle/cost/delay to get a second cutter delivered later so I am going to just get both the flail and hog. The price I have on the SQ720 with slip clutch is about $300 more than the SQ600 w/clutch. Both have the same 1/2 inch blades. My tractor tread is 60 inches wide.
Is there any advantage to having the 60" rotary cutter vs 72" with regard to this specific bush hogging task? Also, am I being too shy about just using the Caroni TM1900 flail for this task...it has hammers, not knives so is certainly rated for brush.