5 or 6' shredder on my JD 955?

[noose]

I'm looking for a good deal on a used rotary cutter and I've found a few deals on both 5' and 6'. I'm trying to decide which to get. I've read all about the 5hp/foot rule of thumb... My JD955 is old and beat up but runs pretty well. Claimed HP to the PTO is 27 (33 Gross). It's a hydrostatic... I have way more property than I can cut with such a small tractor as it is so I'd like to go 6 if reasonable. My property is mostly heavy grass with a whole lot of mesquite saplings popping up everywhere. They are either new or established. The new ones are <1.5" and the established... chainsaw required.

There's the "Light" vs. "Medium" duty as well to consider, of course. Perhaps a light 6 or a medium 5 is really my option here.

Suggestions?

 

[smstonypoint]

How wide is your tractor?

Steve

 

[noose]

How wide is your tractor?

Steve

This is the dimension data from Tractor Data and is almost identical to the numbers in my manual:

Weight: 1,990 lbs [902 kg]
Wheelbase: 64 inches [162 cm]
Length: 110 inches [279 cm]
Width: 50.2 inches [127 cm] (min)
58.9 inches [149 cm] (max)
Height (hood): 53.3 inches [135 cm]
Height (ROPS): 77.1 inches [195 cm]
Clearance (drawbar): 10.9 inches [27 cm]

 

[Fallon]

This is the dimension data from Tractor Data and is almost identical to the numbers in my manual:

Weight: 1,990 lbs [902 kg]
Wheelbase: 64 inches [162 cm]
Length: 110 inches [279 cm]
Width: 50.2 inches [127 cm] (min)
58.9 inches [149 cm] (max)
Height (hood): 53.3 inches [135 cm]
Height (ROPS): 77.1 inches [195 cm]
Clearance (drawbar): 10.9 inches [27 cm]

You generally want something equal to or a hair wider than your tracks.

My 32hp 3,500lbs (with loader & loaded tires) Kubota L3209 is a good match for my 60" LandPride RC. I wouldn't get anything bigger for yours.

 

[noose]

Thanks, Fallon. I was leaning toward the 60" and getting a medium duty so I can hit a little heavier brush. My tractor is 2K without the loader or loaded tires. I will be loading them soon... I would guess I can get to about 3000 with the loader and ballasted tires.

 

[Fallon]

Loading your rears probably won't help to much in this case. If you try lifting a heavy cutter you may find it doesn't lift but your front tires will, depending on your hydraulics & actual 3pt lift capacity. Proper front ballast is essential. I've never had an issue, but have never bothered to remove my quick attach loader (I do often drop the bucket though).

A rotary cutter is really long & has massive leverage because it sticks so much further back than most other implements.

 

[Spindifferent]

The limiting factor will likely be the weight of the shredder. Lifting the shredder on the 3 point without lifting up your front wheels is the challenge. You may be able to add front suitcase weights and certainly fill the front tires, but this will only help so much. If you can find the owners manual to the 955, it may have info on proper ballasting.

A loader helps with the ballasting.

 

[noose]

The limiting factor will likely be the weight of the shredder. Lifting the shredder on the 3 point without lifting up your front wheels is the challenge. You may be able to add front suitcase weights and certainly fill the front tires, but this will only help so much. If you can find the owners manual to the 955, it may have info on proper ballasting.

A loader helps with the ballasting.

I've got a 70A front loader on there already that adds about 750 to the front end. I can certainly turn the bucket up and fill it with sand or something for more ballast.

 

[Spindifferent]

I've used both a light-duty Frontier RC1072 (6' - approx. 694lbs) and a medium-duty MX5 (5' - approx. 823lbs) with my JD 3520 and I much prefer the MX5. For reference, I added 350lbs (5 70lb weights) of suitcase weights to the front of the 3520 to better ballast the MX5 (I prefer to remove the loader for shredding). The RC1072 only needed about half that weight up front. The 3520 operator's manual specifies that the MX5 implement code of 59 requires 8 70lb suitcase weights (560lbs) on the front. As you can tell, I've only got 62% of the weight specification. This seems to work fine for what I do.

My 300X loader weighs approx. 803lbs and both the RC1072 and the MX5 work fine with it in terms of ballast.

 

[tman1020]

I think it would power it ok with the hydrostat but that is an awful big mower for that size tractor. For general purposes I would say the five would be a much better fit. But if you were buying it specifically just for this project and wanted as wide as possible you could probably get away with it just be careful. it would be a lot of weight leveraging on your three point linkage especially if it started bouncing as you were going over rough terrain in the up position.