Does a 6ft Bush Hog need 35 PTO minimum?

   / Does a 6ft Bush Hog need 35 PTO minimum? #1  

ArtVandelay

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What is the minimum PTO required for a 6ft Bush Hog?
 
   / Does a 6ft Bush Hog need 35 PTO minimum? #2  
25hp, maybe a bit less would suffice for a standard "light duty" rotary cutter. Some people quote 5hp/foot of bush hog but that is probably excessive unless you are talking about using a medium or heavy duty cutter for constant brush clearing. For mowing pastures 25hp, maybe a bit less, at PTO should do fine.

Keep in mind that for a 6ft cutter, the "light duty" versions weigh about 600+lbs and will last a lifetime of pasture maintenance. The medium and heavy duty cutters weigh over 1000lbs and are really tough pieces of equipment made more for commercial land clearing and highway shoulder maintenance rather than pasture mowing. The light duty cutters probably need a bit less than the 5hp/foot rule suggests and the heavy duty versions would likely need 10hp/ft for optimal performance.
 
   / Does a 6ft Bush Hog need 35 PTO minimum? #3  
ArtVandelay:

I agree with IslandTractor (as usual :)). The NH sales literature indicates that I could pull a light and medium duty 6' rotary cutter with my 23+ HP PTO, but I chose a
5' medium duty RC due to needs, weight, and vibration concerns.

A word of advise- try not to hang yourslef up on a "number" like HP. You definately need 4WD/MFWD and probably a FEL as well as a tiller from what you have indicated. You may need to be concerned about ground clearance. Mowing and tilling do not require that much HP in reality. Tractor and dealer "feel" is ultimately more important than a tractor that "specs out" better. I would like to add that most of the "data" you will find describing and comparing tractors is driven by Sales and Marketing Departments. Many times the manufacturors will compare their tractors against the competition using different criteria that will put their tractor in the best light
(like lift capacities, hydraulics, etc.).

Keep the posts coming :D! Jay
 
   / Does a 6ft Bush Hog need 35 PTO minimum? #4  
ArtVandelay said:
What is the minimum PTO required for a 6ft Bush Hog?


It's all about what you'll be mowing. Heavy grass about knee deep can be the toughest thing to cut. "Brush" can run the gammit from dry scrub to heavy, woody thickets. With that in mind, brush can be relatively easy to cut, or it can be slow going, tough cutting, and rough on equipment. The toughest single thing to mow I've ever encountered is a thick stand of bermuda grass about waist high. That'll bog down a 60hp tractor pulling a 6' mower.

For clipping pastures that are relatively well maintained, 25 or 30 hp will suffice for a 6'er. Tractor HP and that tractors ability to handle weight are somewhat related. Not as a carved in stone figure, but more as a general rule of thumb, the less the hp, the smaller the tractor, the lighter the hitch capacity. Or at least, smaller HP tractors tend to be lighter which limits a tractors ability to handle a heavy mounted implement. Medium and heavy duty mowers weigh more than light duty as you might imagine. As the weight goes up, the need for a tractor that can handle that weight goes up accordingly. So.... as the mower's "duty rating" increases, so does the need for a bigger tractor. With that bigger tractor, the hp number USUALLY increases right along with size.

Some consideration has to be taken for what ground speed you intend to mow at also. Conditions will dictate that limitation. Flat, smooth, obstruction free fields and you can set sail with enough power. Lower HP means slower speeds even if conditions would allow higher ground speed.

I use a 6' medium duty Bush Hog 286 on a 47 PTO HP tractor. In 90% of the situations I use it, that's more than adaquate. But I've mowed a few places where 47 hp is barely enough.

Again, it all depends on what you're mowing.
 
   / Does a 6ft Bush Hog need 35 PTO minimum? #5  
My tractor is 35 engine HP and around 30 HP at the PTO. I have a 6 foot bush hog that it handles fine. The thick grass when it's tall is the biggest issue for it and I have to downshift to low range, first or second gear sometimes, but mostly I cruise along with it.

Weight is the biggest issue I've noticed. When going up hill, the weight of the bush hog will cause my front tires to not be able to steer. I've had to put some counter weights on the front end since it doesn't have a FEL.

What will you be mowing?

I recently bought a used 7 foot finish mower that is my new favorite thing in the world. It's much faster, easier and nicer to mow with. My fields have been bush hogged for years, so I know they are all grass. The finish mower has four wheels on it, plus the large anti scalping wheels in the middle that follow the contour of the ground. I just drive and steer the tractor and the mower follows along without any adjusting on my end.

It really is a HUGE difference. Not just a nicer cut and overal look,because that part is also very significant, but no more scalping the ground. No more adjusting the mower height when going over my driveway or drainage ditches. The finish mower just rides along nice and even all by itself!!!!

Eddie
 
   / Does a 6ft Bush Hog need 35 PTO minimum? #6  
Farmwithjunk said:
I use a 6' medium duty Bush Hog 286 on a 47 PTO HP tractor. In 90% of the situations I use it, that's more than adaquate. But I've mowed a few places where 47 hp is barely enough.

Again, it all depends on what you're mowing.

Mornin Bill,
Agreed, my 5' Bush Hog 286 runs great behind the Massey in most stuff but pullin some steep hills cutting waste high grasses and weeds I at times have to raise the hog up a bit and invariably remow that section again:( But most of the terrain could be mowed with a 6', but then I would have to buy another mower :( ;)
 

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   / Does a 6ft Bush Hog need 35 PTO minimum? #7  
Art,

I don't have a rotary cutter at the moment, but I just mowed an overgrown piece of property that looked a lot like Scotts picture. I had to make 2 passes (8", then 4") both at about walking speed with my 5' finish mower. I think my PTO hp is about 26, and it moved right along. A rotary cutter may be a completely different tool, but judging from how this job went, I'm sure a 5' medium duty unit will work fine, as long as I adjust mowing speed as needed. This fits the 5hp/foot formula.
 
   / Does a 6ft Bush Hog need 35 PTO minimum? #8  
An old ford NAA will pull a 6' mower fine.. It's about 30pto / 33 engine..

I imagine you will be fine.

Soundguy
 
   / Does a 6ft Bush Hog need 35 PTO minimum? #9  
ArtVandelay said:
What is the minimum PTO required for a 6ft Bush Hog?
Farmwithjunk gave you a very good answer. I have a 5' and have used it on a 45 and a 30HP. I would be dissatisfied with any less than 30HP on a 5'. If youve got all day and enjoy a challenge a bigger mower is manageable. I just like to move along at at least walking speed in any grass condition. Thick grass is harder than you might think.
larry
 
 
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