Rotary Cutter Rotary Cutter for Pensacola Bahia.

[PSDStu]

I am currently using a 4' Woods Brushbull on my B7510 to cut about 5 acres of Pensacola Bahia. The cutter does a poor job on the Bahia.

One of the problems is that the width of the cutter is the same as my rear tires and the tractor tends to flatten down the Bahia and the cutter doesn't seem to be able to lift it up to mow it. I think I can solve this buy going to a 5' cutter. Because I just mow fields with it I think my tractor can handle the 5' cutter ok.

The second issue maybe the design of the Woods Mower deck underside. There is alot of structural steel under there that maybe affecting the way the mower cuts the Bahia. The mower does fine cutting centepide or other tall weeds, but the cutter does poorly on the Bahia.

I have tried varying my speed, cutting height, etc.. all with no success.

I suppose I could sharpen the cutter blades, but even with a news set of blades the cut is the same.

I was wondering there are other guys who are cutting Pensacola Bahia, and what brand cutter they are using, and how well is it cutting.

 

[meadowlarkponds]

I've got several acres of Pensacola, Argentine, and now newly planted Tifton 9 bahia. I've used a four foot cutter on a small Kubota, a six foot cutter on a medium Massey, and now use a batwing mower on a larger Massey.

When I mow my pastures, I'm after shredding any/all weeds and lowering the bahia height to encourage new growth. I don't pasture mow bahia for a "lawn" type look. For my purposes as described, each of the cutters did an entirely adequate job.

Bahia is often very tough, especially as the summer goes on and it isn't heavily grazed. When cut it just won't look like other grasses such as centipede. I sure wouldn't want Bahia as a lawn grass, but for pastures and (at today's fertilizer prices) for hay, it has no equal in my area, IMO.

 

[Eagleview]

Regardless of how wide you go with the mowers you still have the two tracks left from the tyres to contend with . Nothing cuts Bahia neatly , it turns to rope under the cutter deck . What you must have though is twisted uplift blades or blades with rear flights to create vacuum to stand the flattened grass up to meet the blades . Straight blades will not stand grass back up . Also the outlet of the mower needs to be unobstructed as the Bahia is thrown out the back in larger strands than other grasses because it wraps around the cutter bar and is flung out after one cut instead of being cut multiple times , if it can't get out it will turn your cutters into a broom and not cut well . The only other way to get around your problem is to use an offset slasher that will cut virgin grass as your tractor runs on the already cut area .

 

[Johnagain]

One other thing you can do is remove the front guard on the cutter. It will allow the stalks to stand up higher when first going under the deck and provide a better cut. The shorter you cut it the better it will look.

I know this is not recommended so if you do remove the guards keep in mind how dangeress this can be, objects can come flying out the front and go hundreds of yards. You are responsible if they hit anything or anyone.

This is why I purchased a RFM.