Best medium dutyBatwing Mower

[chevy454]

I have about 120 acres of hilly pasture in southeast ohio I mow with my Kubota M8540. Using my 6' woods brushbull 720 takes too long! I want to get a 15' batwing. Which one is best? My woods 720 is tough so I was thinking of woods BW180 but I have seen negative reviews about woods batwings from a few years ago.

Are negative comments about brands simply brand-based like Chevy versus Ford or are there real differences? When I look at specs for various brands they all seem to be the same based on light, medium, heavy duty.

Looking for advice on brands, chain guards versus rubber, laminated versus ac tires, and number of wheels.

Thanks in advance for any help

 

[Farmwithjunk]

I have about 120 acres of hilly pasture in southeast ohio I mow with my Kubota M8540. Using my 6' woods brushbull 720 takes too long! I want to get a 15' batwing. Which one is best? My woods 720 is tough so I was thinking of woods BW180 but I have seen negative reviews about woods batwings from a few years ago.

Are negative comments about brands simply brand-based like Chevy versus Ford or are there real differences? When I look at specs for various brands they all seem to be the same based on light, medium, heavy duty.

Looking for advice on brands, chain guards versus rubber, laminated versus ac tires, and number of wheels.

Thanks in advance for any help

I'm partial to Bush Hog products. IMHO, the best bang for the buck (buckS....Lots of bucks) is the 2615L. I've got 2 of them and 3 2715L's that are used to mow highway right-of-ways.


My experience with Woods batwings is ALL negative. Gearbox/driveline failures, deck hinge failures, and an over-all failure of Woods to step up to the plate when dealing with warranty issues. I've heard the same old story from several others who TRIED Woods batwings.


Bush Hog is now owned by Alamo Group. That's the same folks who market Rhino, Shulte, and Alamo commercial grade batwings. They have a splendid rep in the industry. I've been assured that Bush Hog's operation will remain essentially the same for the forseeable future. The name is too valuable to let it venture very far from home.

Chains are best. To get the MOST out of a mower, you need good air flow along with high lift blades. Chains allow that air movement. Rubber gaurds inhibit the air flow somewhat. Chains also allow flying object a way to exit from under the mower, in a CONTROLLED manner, so the blades done continue to beat the object into submission.

I like laminated wheels personally, but the nature of my business dictates pneumatic tires. (actually FOAM FILLED tires) I move my mowers on-road quite a bit. Laminated tires just don't lend themselves to that chore.

 

[Thumper & Buttercup]

We had a Woods offset for a few years, got it at a auction, both gear boxes had been rebuilt. When looking for a mower it seems that all the gear boxes had been rebuilt at one time or another and if the guy who set them up did it wrong they were not going to last. I guess the lash has to be set just right and run them and then recheck the lash. Mine worked great but I would not buy another one.

 

[Thudawg]

Kodiak makes a nice 15' batwing cutter - all of their models are built well and compare favorably to others...with a nice fit and finish to boot. And they are affordable.

 

[Ed1C]

I think Bush Hog is a solid brand. I致e been happy with my 297 but with 130 acres in CRP and limited time I upgraded to a batwing. I had narrowed my search to the 2615 or 2715 until my Kubota dealer said he could do zero % for 42 months if I purchased a Land Pride with my M9540. After further research, I went with the RC 5515 and have been extremely pleased.

My neighbor has a 2615L that is almost 10 years old and still going strong. But even he says my 5515 cuts better and without windrows than his 2615 ever did.

I have lots of holes, swells and a creek I mow a path across but the standard tire set up has worked just fine for me. I did not get the dual rears or tandem wheel option. I like the laminated tires after 2 flats on my tractor this summer, kinda wish they were laminated too J. If you have to transport your batwing very far though, the laminated won稚 hold up on the roads as well as other options.

I like the smooth & curved Land Pride top for easy cleaning/water runoff. I suggest the CV driveline and slip clutch as well great turning radius and no shear bolts to replace.

I spent a bit more and am very glad I went with the heavy-duty cutter. I致e hit some stuff in the tall grass (tire, old fence post, etc) that I知 not sure a light duty cutter would have survived. It痴 amazing how the extra weigh and inertia of the HD cutter just slices through thick stuff. My 297 would either start slipping the clutch or bog down my tractor, but the HD batwing just powers on through like it has it痴 own engine.

I don稚 know anything about Woods other than what I致e read here. Good luck!

 

[Ken45101]

I certainly understand your feelings about 6' cutters, LOL. I got tired of that slow process too and just upgraded to a 2515 Bushhog batwing. So far, it's been wonderful, but I only have 13 hours on it. I had to upgrade tractors too, went with a M9540.

Ken

 

[LoneCowboy]

I'm partial to Bush Hog products. IMHO, the best bang for the buck (buckS....Lots of bucks) is the 2615L. I've got 2 of them and 3 2715L's that are used to mow highway right-of-ways.

Me too, i think Bush hog made the best mowers around (see below)

Bush Hog is now owned by Alamo Group. That's the same folks who market Rhino, Shulte, and Alamo commercial grade batwings. They have a splendid rep in the industry. I've been assured that Bush Hog's operation will remain essentially the same for the forseeable future. The name is too valuable to let it venture very far from home.

Not anymore.
Rhino is junk, they wouldn't stand behind their product (at all, for even simple things) and I won't touch 'em.
Now, I guess bush hog is no more for me.

I will admit I've beat the living tar out of my landpride mower and it's still going and going. Probably where I"ll go for a heavy duty one since BushHog is no more.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

Me too, i think Bush hog made the best mowers around (see below)



Not anymore.
Rhino is junk, they wouldn't stand behind their product (at all, for even simple things) and I won't touch 'em.
Now, I guess bush hog is no more for me.

I will admit I've beat the living tar out of my landpride mower and it's still going and going. Probably where I"ll go for a heavy duty one since BushHog is no more.

OK....You brought this up, so here goes.....You know me....I don't pull punches.


You took light duty, low end, economy grade Rhino single spindle mowers and tried to use it for continuous commercial use. I'd EXPECT it to fall apart, and would have been amazed at any results otherwise. I'm absolutely certain any Alamo/Rhino rep that you'd ask would have told you the same thing going in. Then your DEALER wasn't strong enough to get results with what you perceive as warranty issues. That's not Rhino's fault. Blame your dealer on that one too. That dealer drastically undersold the mowers you ended up with, then failed to stand behind what he sold. The local dealer where I buy my mowers stood up and helped me get a tailwheel assembly replaced on a mower just last week. It was heavily damaged when one of my operators backed hard it into a tree. A GOOD dealer will go to bat for you and get results.

None of the major brands light duty mowers will stand up to full time hard commercial use on a sustained basis. Using one for duty far beyond their designed purpose surely constitutes abuse. Damage resulting from abuse isn't something normally covered under anyones warranty.

I can't count the number of mowing contractors I know of with Rhino/Shulte/Alamo commercial duty mowers who have nothing but praise for them. My #1 source of competition uses Rhino batwings and I've seen first hand how they'll wear out tractors before the mowers give out. They're ANYTHING BUT JUNK.

And long story short, there is absolutely no relationship between light duty single spindle consumer grade mowers and commercial duty batwings.

Bush Hog is still Bush Hog until such a time as they change their products and/or way of doing business, regardless of who owns 'em.

I understand you're upset, but you're upset with the wrong folks.

 

[rvaitor]

I've just got a 55HP tractor and a light one(at least compared to my previous 59HP Mahindra). Any options for me to go wider? I'm running a 3pt, single spindle, 7ft right now and it's seems to be a pretty good load. Was curious about the new 12 Bush hog pull batwing? I'm only cutting about 25 ac at this time but would like to clear more.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

I've just got a 55HP tractor and a light one(at least compared to my previous 59HP Mahindra). Any options for me to go wider? I'm running a 3pt, single spindle, 7ft right now and it's seems to be a pretty good load. Was curious about the new 12 Bush hog pull batwing? I'm only cutting about 25 ac at this time but would like to clear more.

I think that that 12' Bush Hog is about 12K. How fast did you want to mow?