Rotary Cutter Which new cutter???

   / Which new cutter??? #1  

Skintback

Bronze Member
Joined
Sep 30, 2012
Messages
73
Location
Mississippi
Tractor
Kubota L3240 4wd
I am in the "research" stage of looking for a new cutter. The purchase won't be until next spring but I still like gathering data before I make a purchase. First, I have a kubota l3240 4wd tractor with 27.5 pto hp. I want a good 5' medium duty cutter. It will be used on my 117 acre place which is mainly timbered. Uses are for wildlife food plot prep, road clipping, and keeping roughly 8 acres of other open fields under control. It will need to be able to cut 2" or so saplings and brush; ground has basically no rocks but roots and limbs are abundant. My current cutter is a no name that my father totally rebuilt about 15 years ago and is just worn out. I have pretty well narrowed it down to the following (but will listen to any advice on one I may have missed). They are:

1. LandPride RCF 2060

2. BushHog BH 25

3. BushHog 295

4. BushHog 285

LandPride is the easiest because already in stock at local dealership and weight is around 650#s. the BH 25 and BH 295 series are quite a bit heavier at 900#s and may be too much for my tractor. The BH 285 was the series I was most interested in from BH from what I have heard and witnessed but it looks like it is no longer offered as it isn't listed on BH website. It weighs in at around 800#s. The same dealer can get BH cutters so that isn't a big factor.

I am looking on opinions about the cutters but also on what weight would be ok on my size tractor. I just don't think I need 900 #s hung off the back of my sized tractor. Opinions???
 
   / Which new cutter???
  • Thread Starter
#2  
Oh, btw.... Dealer is also a LMC dealer and has several in stock. He said he personally bought a 6' LMC over the 6' LandPride because he doesn't like the round back. He tried to steer me to the LMC which is about 600 dollars cheaper but I just don't think that is what I am looking for. Any opinions on a LMC cutter?
 
   / Which new cutter??? #3  
When I had a JD750, I ran a Landpride RC1048 4ft cutter behind it and thought that was a pretty good unit. I never bent it, although I tried to!! I used to back the tractor up and use the bush hog to push some pretty good sized dead pines that had fallen down in the firebreaks at the hunt club. That was before I got a tractor with a FEL though! It didn't have a rounded back though, more of an angled back with a lip at the bottom. The rounded back will help clear obstacles easier when making sharp turns in tight places. What size material is the RC2060 rated to cut???

I agree with your concern about hanging 900lbs that far back from the tractor, it might be the old "tail wagging the dog" scenario. Good luck with whatever you decide on. If I were in your shoes, I would have to give a serious look at the Landpride RC2060 unit, if it is rated for the 2" stuff.
 
   / Which new cutter???
  • Thread Starter
#4  
When I had a JD750, I ran a Landpride RC1048 4ft cutter behind it and thought that was a pretty good unit. I never bent it, although I tried to!! I used to back the tractor up and use the bush hog to push some pretty good sized dead pines that had fallen down in the firebreaks at the hunt club. That was before I got a tractor with a FEL though! It didn't have a rounded back though, more of an angled back with a lip at the bottom. The rounded back will help clear obstacles easier when making sharp turns in tight places. What size material is the RC2060 rated to cut???

I agree with your concern about hanging 900lbs that far back from the tractor, it might be the old "tail wagging the dog" scenario. Good luck with whatever you decide on. If I were in your shoes, I would have to give a serious look at the Landpride RC2060 unit, if it is rated for the 2" stuff.

Thanks for the info! Yes it is rated to cut 2" stuff. Probably will be going that route but just checking on options. The LP is roughly $2000 and I don't have a price on the BH yet. Both have 10 ga decks. Just not sure where all the other weight difference comes from...
 
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   / Which new cutter??? #5  
I was thinking of recommending the Brown 415 cutter when you mentioned medium duty and the BH25, but if your concerned with the Bush Hog being 'too heavy duty' then the Brown cutter would most likely be too heavy duty for your needs as well. However, I figured I'd mention it since your open to other ideas. Depending if you have a dealer who sells Brown nearby or not can make a big difference on pricing.

I wouldn't want to go too much lighter though if your planning on routinely cutting 2" material.
 
   / Which new cutter???
  • Thread Starter
#6  
Thanks Piston. I will give brown a look. Definitely no lighter just don't know about the weight on the back of my size tractor. Not really routinely cutting 2" material but it does happen occasionally. I want as good as a cutter as I can for the money without over powering my tractor.
 
   / Which new cutter??? #7  
I just bought a BH27 and now have about 10 hours on it and am very impressed with the build quality and construction. i was also interested in the landpride 2684 and 2784 all have similar construction. I looked at the browns as well but no dealer in a 100 mile radius had one and it was between $400 & 600 more mainly due to freight as the distributor in oh also did not have one. 5 footer might be a different story. I believe the brown had thicker deck construction but the side skirts were thinner were land pride and bush hog had 1/4" wall. which is why i believe the brown gets a 2" rating. That said if you can find a good price on a brown I'd go for it. The dealer told me the new BH20 series is using a higher yield strength steel in the deck. Not sure why bush hog does not advertise this if its true.

I think both the landpride and bush hog that your looking at have clevis style lower think attachment which is nice and strong. The recommended minimum pto hp for the bh25 is 35 but I'm sure you could run but its heavy. Would you intend on running with a loader or front weights?

The landpride might be more appropriate for your tractor. I would pass on the bh squealer series though as its not a clevis style attachment inn the lower links.
To bad the 285 was discontinued your right it would have been a good fit

Here is my BH27 fyi if it was any heavier i would need front weights on mine

ForumRunner_20130824_215119.jpg
 
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   / Which new cutter??? #8  
Dave, that is one heck of a NICE looking setup!
 
   / Which new cutter???
  • Thread Starter
#9  
I just bought a BH27 and now have about 10 hours on it and am very impressed with the build quality and construction. i was also interested in the landpride 2684 and 2784 all have similar construction. I looked at the browns as well but no dealer in a 100 mile radius had one and it was between $400 & 600 more mainly due to freight as the distributor in oh also did not have one. 5 footer might be a different story. I believe the brown had thicker deck construction but the side skirts were thinner were land pride and bush hog had 1/4" wall. which is why i believe the brown gets a 2" rating. That said if you can find a good price on a brown I'd go for it. The dealer told me the new BH20 series is using a higher yield strength steel in the deck. Not sure why bush hog does not advertise this if its true.

I think both the landpride and bush hog that your looking at have clevis style lower think attachment which is nice and strong. The recommended minimum pto hp for the bh25 is 35 but I'm sure you could run but its heavy. Would you intend on running with a loader or front weights?

The landpride might be more appropriate for your tractor. I would pass on the bh squealer series though as its not a clevis style attachment inn the lower links.
To bad the 285 was discontinued your right it would have been a good fit

Here is my BH27 fyi if it was any heavier i would need front weights on mine

View attachment 333828

No frontend loader yet. Judging from your post, with your tractor being light or close to it in the front end, I'm pretty sure 900#s is going to put me in the upper limits of my tractor. Going off the kubota website, your 8540 weighs roughly 5500# dry and the BH 27 weighs roughly 1350#. My 3240 weighs roughly 3300#s and either the BH25 or BH295 weigh roughly 900#s. If I put that in a percentage ratio, 25% of your tractor weight is in a cutter and 27% would be in the BH's I listed above. When you said yours was at the limit of being light on the front, that is without a loader or weights, correct? This is very useful info for me.
 
 
 
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