Billy_S
Gold Member
I have a BX2230 and a 4' KingKutter XB rotary cutter. Prior to this past weekend, all I had used the cutter for was mowing pastures. Just grass, no stress on the cutter at all.
This weekend, I decided to use the cutter for what I had actually bought it for, mowing in our woods. Absolutely virgin, or nearly virgin woods. Many thorn saplings and lots of tall grass. I was mowing with the FEL riding very low. It did manage to find several, fairly large, branches and similar stuff that you would expect to find.
There is a pile of dirt back there that was probably dumped years ago. Whatever kind of dirt it is, the weeds love it. Some of them must be 10 feet tall. I tried backing the mower up the dirt pile and somehow managed to pull one of the solid tailwheels off of the wheel. So I spent the rest of the day mowing with only one tailwheel. One of our tire guys was able to get the tire back on the wheel, no easy task, but saved me like $47.
During one of my backing experiences, I must have contacted something fairly solid, as I caved in the back of the cutter. Nothing really serious, but enough that part of the back panel drags the ground below the tailwheels. Last night, I turned the mower over and tried to beat this panel into submission with a 5 pound sledge. Although it is better, it still ain't quite right. I might have to buy a heavier sledge and try again.
Anyway, my cutter now has the character of battle scars. I will either need to be more careful or consider buying a heavier mower.
This weekend, I decided to use the cutter for what I had actually bought it for, mowing in our woods. Absolutely virgin, or nearly virgin woods. Many thorn saplings and lots of tall grass. I was mowing with the FEL riding very low. It did manage to find several, fairly large, branches and similar stuff that you would expect to find.
There is a pile of dirt back there that was probably dumped years ago. Whatever kind of dirt it is, the weeds love it. Some of them must be 10 feet tall. I tried backing the mower up the dirt pile and somehow managed to pull one of the solid tailwheels off of the wheel. So I spent the rest of the day mowing with only one tailwheel. One of our tire guys was able to get the tire back on the wheel, no easy task, but saved me like $47.
During one of my backing experiences, I must have contacted something fairly solid, as I caved in the back of the cutter. Nothing really serious, but enough that part of the back panel drags the ground below the tailwheels. Last night, I turned the mower over and tried to beat this panel into submission with a 5 pound sledge. Although it is better, it still ain't quite right. I might have to buy a heavier sledge and try again.
Anyway, my cutter now has the character of battle scars. I will either need to be more careful or consider buying a heavier mower.
We have an old JD cutter here where I work that looks like a mushroom. you can hardly tell it had straight lines where the top deck met the side walls. As for backing it into the brush, I know it is sometimes necessary, but I try and avoid it whenever possible as the 3PH structure just wasn't designed for pushing. I have bent the mower mounting structure where the lift pins attach doing this as well and mine is a single strap similar to the pictures I have seen of the XB cutter. When busting brush, I much prefer to find stumps and boulders with the FEL as you described. but sometimes the terrain makes it impractical or unsafe to lead with the tractor. Good Luck.
