Are Woods Implements worth the extra $$$?

[75H2]

New (1st) tractor ordered. Input from this site has been invaluable, thanks I've turned my attention to the attachments. I got a quote on a Woods back blade & I've been searching the lot of the local TSC. Their back blade is about half the price of the Woods unit. Is it worth the extra expense?

I'm getting a little 23 HP SCUT not a 100 HP farm tractor. I'd like to buy something that will last. But, I don't like to waste money. What's the consesus out there?

 

[Redbug]

Woods and Landpride make some very good implements. When I first got my tractor, I bought a 6' TSC box blade. It does the job. However, if I had to do it over again I would have spent the extra dollars and gotten a Landpride. It has thicker metal and much better made.

I would say that if the weight of the TSC is about the weight of the Woods...go for the TSC. Otherwise, try not to look at the dollars and go for the better built Woods.

 

[Z-Michigan]

Woods and the TSC brands are almost at opposite ends of the spectrum. Whether it's worth the money depends on the tasks. A 23hp SCUT won't be nearly as hard on stuff as bigger tractors, and if the TSC stuff is the right size and it looks ok, it may serve you fine. Surprisingly, of all my implements the only trouble-free one is a "Farm Force by Tarter Gate" disk harrow I got from TSC. I do think the Farm Force line is better than King Kutter.

I don't own Woods, but they are definitely my first choice for any future purchase of a new blade or a box blade, and high on the shopping list if I ever have to replace my rotary cutter. Woods stuff seems very well made, and if you shop around prices aren't too bad. I regret buying a Frontier (=JD marketing) brand rear blade* for $900 instead of a Woods for $1100. Also, their box scrapers are among the heaviest built that are easy to find in dealers. [*: some of the Frontier branded blades were made by Woods, but not the one I have - it was made by Tecnomec Agricola of Mexico, and isn't very sturdy.]

I own one implement from Landpride, a scarifier, and it is total junk. I know Landpride has a decent rep among many, but my experience is junk. And the Landpride factory rep who looked at the broken junk and acknowledged it was broken but didn't offer to replace it or even fix it, just three months after I bought it brand new from a Landpride dealer (note: 1 year written warranty), really, REALLY soured me on that company. I won't ever buy their stuff again.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

You need to keep in mind that implement manufacturers make products for many sized machines. Just because you buy a Woods or Land Pride implement does not mean that you have bought the best of that size. They make some of the same size implements, just different horse power ratings for the same implement. Example, I have a Land Pride PD35 post hole digger, rated for 75 pto horse power. They build a PD10 post hole digger rated for 30 hp. Both will dig a 12" hole. They are not equal pieces of equipment and their cost is quite a bit different. But they are both Land Pride implements.

For your size tractor, the economy brands should be fine, they might not have pretty welds or as good of a paint job, but should be all that you need for strength and durability. If you want something a little nicer, then get a Woods or Land Pride etc.

Good luck with your choice.

 

[Z-Michigan]

Mtnview - I have a 50hp MFWD utility. The Landpride implement that failed me badly was rated for exactly 50hp. The Frontier/Tenomec blade that is basically functional but weak and not wonderfully designed is rated for 60hp MFWD or 65hp 2wd. I can't guarantee that Woods would not have failed me either, but I tend to doubt it.

 

[john_bud]

Is Snap-On worth it when Harbor Freight has "the same" tool for a fraction of the price?

Lots of folks buy the TSC stuff and are satisfied. I do think the Woods products are better made, thicker metal, stronger metal, better engineered in some areas. The same can be said for Bushog, Landpride and others.

For a blade, you want it to weigh a fair amount. On the order of 100# per linear foot for a "good one". The weight will make the tool engage the ground and do a good job in a broad range of situations. Lighter blades (per linear foot), will be compromised a bit. The lighter they are, the greater the compromises. Even the lightest ones work, just not as well as the heavier ones. They are also not as reliable and easier to bend when you hit a rock or root. Like all tools, it's best to buy once and buy right for the long haul. Fighting with a cheap tool is worse than not doing the job at all. But that's just my opinion. Others will surely chime in also.


Used blades that are in the pretty good to good categories can be found at auction, usually for $50-200. Getting a good 7' blade and cutting it down with a circular saw and abrasive blade works. If you go that route, try the full blade and slowly cut. Too wide is better than too narrow and too wide is easier to fix...

jb

 

[NuBota]

I'm in the same boat - been shopping for a rear blade for my BX24. I know I would do just fine for most jobs with the 60" King Kutter from TSC - but I am really hung up on having tilt. All my property is 15-20% slope, so I think having tilt will be useful. KK makes a tilt blade (RB-OT-60) for low cost, but you have to have to adjust a couple of bolts. Plus the model doesn't seem to be available from TSC normal stock. Woods and Landpride both have nice blades with tilt, but they are like twice the cost of their non-tilt versions. Howse makes their farm blade with tilt, comparable to KK in price, but I don't know anything about 'em and have no dealers nearby.

As I ramble on it hits me that you may not care about the tilt feature - so assuming that, I would definately grab the KK - lots of folks here with subcuts have 'em and haven't seen many (any that I can recall) complaints.

 

[dirt ditch]

I was in the same boat making a rear blade decision for my new 790 JD with 24 PTO hp. Looked at King Kutter but bought a Land Pride RBT1572 last Friday. Worked on a section my driveway Saturday and learned a lot about rear blades that I wish I knew before my purchase. The 790 pulled it with no problems at all. Thought I needed the tilt feature of this blade but it is too much angle. My 3pt has enough adjustment for my needs that I could have bought a heaver blade without the tilt feature. The 72 blade just covers the tire tracks when the blade is angled all the way. An 84 would have been a better choice for me. If fit and finish are important to you then the cheaper implements don't compare. But if you just need a tool to get the job done then the they are probably the way to go. Good luck which ever way you go.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

There isn't an across the board, absolute answer to this question.

Woods makes SOME good implements. Some of their products are middle of the road quality. They make lightweight, medium weight, and heavy duty models. Some of their mowers, as a for instance, are quite nice for the average user, while being far too fragile for constant duty in a commercial setting.

All depends on what you're going to be doing with it, what sort of power you'll be handling it with, which particular implement we're talking about, and even to a degree, how hard you are on equipment.

I've owned several Woods mowers. (Most recently a BB840) I much prefer Bush Hog brand mowers for operation and reliability. I've got a Woods 84" box blade that I wouldn't part with. I've got a Woods rear blade that's no BETTER, but no WORSE than a heavy duty KK blade but a little more pricey. Also have a Gill (Woods) 72" soil pulverizer that's the gold standard amongst pulverizers.

So, IMHO the answer to your question is a resounding MAYBE.

 

[newt92]

NuBota, When I got my JD 2210 I got the Frontier RB1060 blade as part of a deal at that time. It had the tilt which I thought would be neat! After I looked at it at home I found it to be useless. There are 3 settings, level, extreme left, and extreme right. It tilts way too much, if you had a cylinder or a turn buckle on there it would work better. I have learned on this site someone else takes the pin out for snow removal so the blade floats. I tried it and it works! So now I have a use for the tilt. I now have a RB1072 since I jumped to the JD 2520. Also if you are using a quick hitch, some brands you will have to modify the top point to work. If you want pictures of the tilting let me know and I will take some.

Dennis