Rotary Cutter 8' twin spindle shredders - who else loves em?

[Interlaux]

My first post - I do a lot of mowing and was torn on what to get for "pasture maintenance" which is hotly debated here. I have had my 1st tractor, a JD 4610 eHydro which is 43hp/33@pto for about a year. I live in east Texas and have to mow a couple of LARGE fallow pastures a few times a year. Something like 50 acres it is a little hilly and a Bahia / Bermuda mixture. It wasover grazed and over fertilized for years and needs a good rest. I read every post here on what to get for this and heard little, BUT ENOUGH about twin spindels vs. single blade shredders. I ended up getting a twin spindle 8 and I just want to thank all those on here that suggest twins over single blades. I LOVE THIS SHREDDER! So would say its too much for the tractor but I can go in B range as fast as I can hold on and shred 4 stuff on a lovely 103 degree day tractor warms a little and drinks diesel remember this is a pasture fairly smooth and just grass. Compared to my FILs' 6 HD its easier to pull and turning with twin wheels seems to leave less rutting than with one.
Thanks again guys!

[radman1]

I pull a 10' twin spindle JD hx 10 with my JD 4520. Yes, you can cover some ground with a wider mower. It can pull it down in heavy, 2-3' tall grass, but overall does well. The hardest part is engaging the pto, then the tractor can really bog down starting the blades.

[Interlaux]

Now your getting me excited - the FIL has howse HD 10 - so do you have front weights? My 8' is around 1400 lbs - the Howse HD 10 is ? (I remember 2400) How much does your 10 weigh? The 4520 is the next bro to the 4610 with the JD turbo right? so we are looking at 3800 lbs of tractor with a few more HP than mine

[JoeinTX]

Nice rig there, Inter.

Now, be prepared, as there will be some folk who will look down their collective noses at you for stooping to the level of buying an "economy" brand shredder. Apostate. Since you didn't spend the extra $$$$$$$ and buy the fashionable color and model from the local CUTS-and-croissants dealer along with a cap, a dinnerware set, a vanity plate, and the matching bed sheet set just to cut some pasture grass and saplings...........you may be looked upon with some discomfort.

Just be aware. But, us Howse owners gotta stick together.........

[Interlaux]

Thanks Joe!

For $2,650 FOB FP TX I dare anyone to find something similar. The powder coat is so thick on the thing it's like rubber coating. Howse claims the blade speed is 15k+ and it has a nice sing. The T box is 150HP and the sides are 75's - all cheetahs.

[TripleR]

Nice mower. We have some so called "economy" brands that have taken a beating and lasted for years. A couple are so worn I don't even know the names, but they are still going.

[Soundguy]

I also pull a 10' twin spindle mower.. love it as well. bettern' a 7' er that is real long.. etc.

soundguy

[Interlaux]

I was kind of hoping someone would get on with thier new 12' batwing thats rated for 35 HP pto - for only $10K!! not a Howse - no one?

[ScottOkla]

I got my 10' drag Howse last week. Other than a few quirks that I need to figure out, it cuts well and is really heavy. Plus it only costs about 3k.

Now if I can just pull it with my 50 HP (gross) HST tractor I will really be happy. The 90 hp gear tractor handles it well, but I hate using that tractor for mowing.

I am pretty new and relatively inexperienced with all of this stuff, so I appreciate the input all you guys that help me make decisions. Soundguy's posts helped push me to finally go ahead and buy the Howse.

[Dead Horse]

I run an JD MX10 off the back of a 100 90 Hesston. it is a big, heavy cutter that has seen a lot of hard use and come in contact fith way too many boulders in the 10+ years I have used it to cut my orchard.

typically we cut starting the second week in August. By then the grass and weeds in the orchard are between 4 and 5 feet tall, and usually very thick. We wait till the tops "brown off" to make it easier on the mower and time it such that the fodder growth is perfect through the late fall for the wild life.

This is a good implement for the task, however it was expensive and continues to be as things need to be repaired, replaced.

if one is cutting a flat field used for pasture, that has to be a joy of a task!

I am in the white mountains, Nothing is flat, we grow rocks here and slewing around apple trees with a mower that big, makes for a task that requires INTENSE attention.

I also run a prox 8 foot wide old Seppi flail mower for some of the work and that functions just as well, though the dodo who had it before me removed the hyd slewing cylinder so it is not as effective at mowing an orchard.

I have to put a cylinder back on it. One of these years.........