Rotary Cutter bush hog bat wing price

[moloss]

I found a used 98 model 15' bat wing for $3500.....does this seem like a decent price? One of the boxes has been replaced, no rust, some dings and a few dent's but otherwise it seems to be in good shape......it is owned by a guy who cuts right of ways (he owns 8 15' batwings) so it has alot of hours but I figure it also has had proper maintenance......any ideas? thanks Chris.

 

[chh]

That is a pretty fair price, if it is in good mechanical shape. New Bush Hog brand mowers run in the $10,500 to $12, 500 depending on model and options around here. A tip though. Check for slack in the gears and drivelines by turning one wing and watching to see how much it moves before the other set of blades turns though. The u-joints aren't cheap to replace and the gears and boxes sure aren't. I have seen them sell at auctions that had so much wear in them that you could move one side quite aways around before the other side started to move.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

Is it a Bush Hog brand, or are you using "bush hog" as a generic term? $3500, even for a used one is cheap. I'd make certain it's in decent shape before buying. They can get to be money pits if there's problems. In addition to checking driveline slack for wear, look at deck hinge condition. Pay close attention to main drive shaft,especially flex points nearest the tractor end. Main (center) gearbox is less of a problem than outboard gearbox(s). Check oil/grease in the gear cases. seals can fail. Sometimes people fill them with heavy grease. That MAY indicate seal failure that may have caused significant damage to gears/bearings BEFORE filling with grease. Always a good indicator on comercial equipment, look at the hitch pin hole. Is it worn excessively? An elongated hole will indicate LOTS of hours of use generally.

A NEW Bush Hog 2615 Legend mower is north of $12,000 (with a GOOD price) so a commercial mowing contractor who's bought several, selling one for $3500 would probably indicate it's been worn hard. (2715 Legend even higher)

 

[moloss]

it is a "bush hog" brand model 2615L.......the batwing is located about 2 hrs from my house, here's a couple of pics....

 

[Farmwithjunk]

For what ever it's worth, that mower doesn't look nearly as abused as a lot of them I've seen. The tractor doesn't look abused either. That is a bit of an indicator that this fellow takes good care of his equipment. I have 2 new ones and one that's got a years use on it. (1400+ hrs in 1 season) You might just have yourself a bargain there!