Rotary Cutter Kodiak Rotary Cutter vs. ??? vs. pricing...

[SonnieP]

I'm lookin' for a cutter to go with my Mahindra 6500 4WD. I'll be cutting 20-25 acres, some small saplings to begin with and later maybe clearing a trail down to the creek... maybe a couple of trails just for cruising the land. I want a 7' cutter. I've found the following for $1433 + a few dollars tax:

Kodiak 7' Heavy Duty
Floating Top Link
Cat II Type Hitch
3/16" or 7 GA Steel Deck
HD 8" Channel Side Bands
Series 6 PTO Drive Shaft w/ Slip Clutch
3/4" Solid Stump Jumper
90HP Gear Box
Dual Laminated Tailwheels
Bearing Hub
Blade Tip Speed over 17000 FPM
1/2" X 4" Treated Steel Blade
1375lbs

I like the idea of having a 7 GA steel deck.

Is there anything out there that can compare build and performance wise at or near the same price?

 

[Soundguy]

Go to the Howse websight.. look up their HD line.. I htink they have 7' and 8' mowers in that line.

When i was looking at 10' mowers.. Kodiak was the only brand anywhere near Howse prices.. and howse was a tad cheaper.

Soundguy

 

[gamble77]

Sonnie unless you have some tight places to get into you would be foolish to buy a 7ft mower. With the size tractor you are getting do yourself a favor and buy a 8ft, you would be much happier with it. Kodiak also make an 8ft that is well built. We sell Kodiak and to date are pleased with their performance.

 

[SonnieP]

Nathan... I assume you are referring to the 8' dual spindle cutter they have... OR do they have another that I'm not aware of?

There are a few things that I didn't like about that machine:

10 GA deck vs. 7 GA deck
15000 vs. 17000 blade tip speed

and of course double the blades I'll have to sharpen/buy.

I was mainly considering the 7 GA steel deck thinking of longer lasting and less chance of splitting or bending.

But... I'm all ears... what else could I consider that I won't have to take a mortgage to buy?

I'm gonna check out the Howse site too.

 

[sweettractors]

<font color="blue">There are a few things that I didn't like about that machine: </font>

Our experience has been that all 8 ft machines that we have seen (with 2 outboard gearboxes) tend to leave streak in the middle when cutting or clipping pastures high (6-10 inches)--We stay with single gearbox cutters until you get to the 10 ft machines. If you go with a 8 ft, buy a single gearbox unit--Ken Sweet

 

[gamble77]

I kindly disagree /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

We sell about 2 BH 3008 a month during peak season. These 8 foot mowers are awesome, built like a tank, and cut wonderfully. Now, I have never run or sold a Kodiak 8ft mower, or any brand other than BushHog, so I cannot speak for their cut or longevity. I can however, say that the 4, 5, &6ft Kodiaks we sell are well put together machines and the best "lower line" rotary mowers I have ever seen.

Now, I have never been a fan of 7ft mowers and probably never will be. If you have 50pto HP you need an 8ft mower, and I think one gear box having to swing almost 8 feet of stump jumper and blades is asking a lot...thats why I am a fan of dual box 8ft mowers.

Of course that BH 3008 I mentioned earlier sales for a little under $4000. I believe the Kodiak can be had for a little under $3000. Expensive yes, but I believe that the size machine Sonnie is buying the 8ft would be great and would last him a long long time. I don't think the whole 10guage vs. 7guage is a big deal either...they are both going to last a long time if taken care of.

 

[SonnieP]

I'll check on the price of that 8 footer tomorrow... I'm thinkin' it might be out of my price range though.

 

[SonnieP]

Are the Kodiak's really considered lower end???

I know Brown is considered one of the best ranking up there with Rhino and BushHog. Looking at the specs the Brown and Kodiak appear to be built better than Rhino or BushHog. This is comparing their heavy duty models... not the light or medium duty.

Here's a comparison between the Kodiak 7' and Brown 7' and Rhino 7'...

All have Cat. II hitch
Kodiak/Brown are 7 gauge steel... Rhino is 10 gauge
Kodiak/Brown have size 6 drive shaft... Rhino is size 4
Kodiak/Brown have dual rear wheels standard... Rhino is optional
Kodiak/Brown have treated 1/2" X 4" blades... Rhino has ???
All have slip clutch
Kodiak/Brown have blade tip speed of over 17000... Rhino is over 14000
Kodiak/Brown weigh 1375lbs... Rhino weighs 1215lbs
Kodiak has 90HP gear box... Brown/Rhino have 110HP
Kodiak 3/4" stump jumper vs. Brown 1" vs. Rhino (not sure if it has it)
Brown and Rhino comes standard with rubber deflector guard while Kodiak has no deflector. All have chains optional for extra $$.

Now I have no experience with either but just lookin' at the specs I'd say Kodiak is right up there with Brown and actually out specs Rhino (and BushHog) from what specs I've seen of their units.

I can get the Brown for $2275 and the Kodiak for $1433... I cannot see the Brown being worth $842 more though. The Rhino is graciously overpriced at $2600 (but I have not shopped for the lowest price).

What am I missing here???

 

[Slippy]

I have a Mahindra 6000 and cut with a 10' rotary cutter, tall grass and hills. No question your 6500 will pull it ok. My 10' is a pull type. You can do a search for my prior posts, but I looked at the Kodiac real hard. Almost bought one. Good product for the price, much like the Mahindra. I think you would really like the 10' cutter. Seems no matter what cutter you get, you are going to have some overlap, so you really never get the full width in a cut. All the more reason for a bigger cutter. If you want to do some trail work, then I would get another cutter, say 5' to 6' 3pt type. Thats what I use on my trails. I think you will find that a 7 to 8 footer is too big for the trails, and when cutting in the open, you will wish for a bigger one. Kodiac makes a HD cutter. There is an option for safety chains front and rear, I would highly recommend them. For the pull type cutter you will need a rear remote to operate the lift on the mower.

 

[SonnieP]

I cannot afford a 10' cutter... that's out. I've priced a few and I just cannot do it.

I don't think a 7' is too big for cutting trails either... it will barely cover my tractor width, which if I'm cutting trails I definitely want to at least cover the width of my tractor and then a few more inches.

I checked on that 8' dual spindle Kodiak... it's $2200. I also checked on Brown's 7' and learned it's a little beefier than I initially thought. Seems my specs are a little outdated. Plus it has a few extra features the Kodiak does not have... the slip clutch is 4 disc fully shielded, the stump jumper is 3/16" round disc w/ 1" X 5" solid bar, it has replaceable slides 3/8" X 2", and of course the replaceable front and rear rubber deflectors. The blade tip speed is almost 18000 FPM... plus the gear box is 120HP. I can actually get it for $2225 (retails for $2860).

I'll have to drive 6 hours to get the Kodiak vs. 1 hour to get the Brown. This will be the same for any replacement parts unless I am willing to pay the extra shipping cost for any of the heavier parts.

While I may spend a little more... I know Brown is a good reliable quality cutter, according to several people I've spoken with anyway. The manufacturing plant being this close to me I just feel more comfortable buying it instead of the Kodiak. BUT, I'm still not 100%. I've changed my mind 10 times already. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif