Pull vs. Hitch Cutter

[DaveHerndon]

Anyone got any thoughts on Pull vs. Hitch mounts for rotary cutters? I'm looking at a new 10 foot cutter (BH or Rhino) for my NH TN70.....and have to decide between hitch or pull type.

My pastures are hilly in spots with terraces. I mow now with a 5 (or 6?) foot cutter no problems, of course, but i'm concerned about a 10 foot and scalping problems.....will pull make this worse or better?

Thanks!

 

[Slamfire]

I am pulling an ancient rotary cutter, and other than the problems with turns and tight spaces it is no different than the hitch mounted type.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.tractorbynet.com/cgi-bin/compact/showflat.pl?Cat=&Board=implement&Number=46965&page=41&view=collapsed&sb=2&o=&fpart=>Rotary Cutters 3-point or Pull type…?</A>

 

[DaveHerndon]

Hi John, thanks for the pointer to the other thread. I did do a search but didn't find that thread (didn't search on "3pth" ....<g>).

Good info on that thread, but i'm still torn. I think my tractor could handle the "3pth" no problem, but most of the folks mentioned in that thread that they had 8 ft cutters. I'm looking at a 10 foot cutter which would be alot heavier (but the vendors sell 3pth versions.....)

I'm buying this to mow 'wide open' spaces. I have a 8n with a 5 foot cutter for doing "trim" work <smile>.

I have a NH TN70, 68 HP (58 on the PTO) with a FEL for counter-balance......guess i'd have to get the dealer to agree to let me try it on MY tractor maybe..... I think 10 foot is probably going to be a fine-line between 3pth and pull.

Thanks!

 

[bubenberg]

for hills, i like the 3 point hitch hook up better you can get out of a jam allot easier. one of my customer has a 12 foot woods 3 pts that works great on the flat, but in the rolling hills and around trees this is like swimming with a big rock, strap around your neck.

i have other options which you seem to have also. for tight and uneven areas i would use your smaller one. the scalping with the larger mower can be a problem, if you attempt to cut at finish mower levels, at 5 and above inches scalping becomes very minimal

good luck

 

[Anonymous Poster]

<font color=blue>...My pastures are hilly in spots with terraces. I mow now with a 5 (or 6?) foot cutter no problems... but i'm concerned about a 10 foot and scalping problems...</font color=blue>

Hi Dave,

Using my friend's land as a reference(and some of mine)... (he has the pull unit, I don't), on the flat wide-open areas I'd consider both a 10/12' 3-point unit and also a 7' 3-point unit for the hilly/rolling areas...

The tow units are normally more pricier and as I'd said previously, in my opinion not as versatile as a 3-point... though I'll admit... when you get up into the 10/12' size... that's a lot of "potatoes" to pick up and back over some brush/debris... but the fact is... you can and it's easier to manipulate than a tow behind unit...

The secret to success is to make sure you have a hefty A-frame to handle all this abuse... and also to have all the nasty thick brush chopped up (small saplings, big brush) & knocked down first, so you can "whiz" right along without skipping a beat with that 10' beast behind ya...

I don't know what kind of prices you've been quoted, but I've seen some 10' HD 3-point units by Kodiak for ~$3000... a tow behind is about another ~$1500-2000. more...

 

[Phred]

Dave,

I also have a TN70, and a fair number of acres to cut.

Currently I do it with a 6' heavy duty brush hog. When I finish its time to start again.

Long term I will be purchasing a ~15' batwing pull type finish mower. I will keep the 6' for any heavy brush and trim work.
You can't beat one of those big pull types for the large areas. Only problem is the price, which is why I have at least one more year of work with just the 6'.

Fred

 

[DaveHerndon]

Great posts folks.....good feedback. Everyone seems to think 3pth is best. I should have never asked my cousin now, he knows this stuff and says I should stick with the pull type <grin>. Now i'm really confused <smile>. (he's a cattle rancher and ought to know......).

I'm going to borrow my neighbors pull type in the next few days and see how I like it.....it's 10 foot.

Anyway, I went and priced yesterday, and whew!!! I got prices on John Deere and Bush Hog cutters.....they were about the same, 4200-4900 for semi-hitch/pull respectively.

I also learned that there is a 3rd type of connector, a "semi hitch" type. This is where you hook the cutter to the two lift arms, but not the center arm. The dealer yesterday told me this was the way to go....so now i'm really confused <grin>. He was a john deere dealer but sold bush -hog too. He was leaning me towards the JD mower.......says overall, it's better quality. It was good quality it seemed........which I expected really.

I'm going to look at a Rhino in the next few days at another dealer....

 

[rf33]

I think that your JD dealer is right that the JD MX and HX cutters are good quality (I have a tph MX8 and I like it), but they are also about the highest priced cutters to be had. If I had to do it again, I would probably get a brown or a king kutter, as I understand both of these units to be very well built, and substantially lower in price than the Deere. Not that I am at all unhappy with my MX8, just now realizing that it is not built that much better (unless you really like the double deck design) than units priced less. BTW I have a 5520 Deere MFWD with loader, and you definitely know it when you pick up even the MX8. I think that a 10' cutter would really be alot to pick up with with either your tractor or mine. Gotta keep in mind that that is alot of weight, and a good deal of it is way behind the tractor. The lift ratings are measured a certain distance behind the tractor, and if I remember right it is about 24". These big mowers really are a load to pick up as JMIII has said. That said, I would not get a pull behind unless you are mowing wide open spaces.

 

[DaveHerndon]

Yeah, something about that green cutter behind my blue tractor......I think there's laws around here about stuff like that <g>. My dealer had a solution....paint my tractor green <g>.

All total, i'll have about 70 acres to mow each year. Most of it is "wide open spaces" but happens to terraced thanks to the CCC back in the 30's or 40's.

I borrowed my neighbors 10 foot pull type yesterday, and man.......now i'm mowing!!! Still doesn't make up my mind completely, but the pull behind worked well for a couple hours yesterday. I scalped a couple spots.....but I guess that just takes getting used to.

One thing I noticed......when I use the hydrolics to lift this big cutter up (it's pull type with a cylinder for raising the entire body up.....), it bounced my tractor pretty good even with the FEL on the front. Just goes to show how heavy these suckers are........