Is a 6 foot heavy duty rotary cutter better than an 8 ft light/medium duty?

[plowhog]

I'm looking at a bush hog bh26 rotary cutter. It's a 3pt hitch model, single spindle, 6 foot, heavy duty cutter. Needs 45pto horsepower which is exactly what I have.

Also considering a Rhino se8a. It's a pull or semi mount, twin spindle, 8 ft medium duty cutter. Needs 45pto as a 3pt, 40hp as semi, or 30hp as pull type.

Both of these will be behind a cab model Massey 1758 tractor. I like the extra width, which means faster mowing in ideal conditions. But I definitely do not want maintenance issues from a non-HD cutter nor dealing with multiple gearboxes to possibly fail, even though they should not. I need to cut 12 acres a few times per year, mostly 2-3 foot weeds, level to moderate slope. Pasture is surrounded by forest and trees. I know a single spindle might be more maneuverable at the edges of the pasture between trees, but I think I could mow effectively with either.

Would you opt for heavy duty at narrower cut, or get 25% more cutting width at a cost of how sturdy the unit is? The twin spindle is more money, but, I learned a long time ago that you only pay for it once, but then use it many many times thereafter. So price-wise, either one is fine.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I would think that if both are in the same condition when bought, the "light duty" one would not be harmed in any way by mowing weeds and grass. You only need heavy duty ones when trying to cut brush and saplings 3-4" in diameter.
I would check the oil level in all gear boxes prior to buying to make sure the oil seals are good in them. If possible hook them to a tractor and listen to the gear boxes for bearing whine and or vibration.

 

[TheMan419]

It all comes down to what you are planning to cut. I bush hog just weeds. Very rarely anything more substantial. So a lighter duty machine is fine for me. Also my ground is flat (Northern Indiana so flat does not begin to describe it), so no worries there.

If you are going after 3" diameter saplings all the time you are going to want heavy duty.

 

[weathda]

For pasture clipping, the 6 is long, skinny and will require more power. I suggest an 8 foot 3 pt or semi-mount if it's too heavy for your tractor.

 

[sweettractors]

I'm looking at a bush hog bh26 rotary cutter. It's a 3pt hitch model, single spindle, 6 foot, heavy duty cutter. Needs 45pto horsepower which is exactly what I have.

Also considering a Rhino se8a. It's a pull or semi mount, twin spindle, 8 ft medium duty cutter. Needs 45pto as a 3pt, 40hp as semi, or 30hp as pull type.

Both of these will be behind a cab model Massey 1758 tractor. I like the extra width, which means faster mowing in ideal conditions. But I definitely do not want maintenance issues from a non-HD cutter nor dealing with multiple gearboxes to possibly fail, even though they should not. I need to cut 12 acres a few times per year, mostly 2-3 foot weeds, level to moderate slope. Pasture is surrounded by forest and trees. I know a single spindle might be more maneuverable at the edges of the pasture between trees, but I think I could mow effectively with either.

Would you opt for heavy duty at narrower cut, or get 25% more cutting width at a cost of how sturdy the unit is? The twin spindle is more money, but, I learned a long time ago that you only pay for it once, but then use it many many times thereafter. So price-wise, either one is fine.

To do what you describe, I would rather go with a 6 or 7 ft because you only have 1 gearbox to maintain and service vs 3 on the 8 ft. Less moving parts is a plus for me. Ken Sweet

 

[plowhog]

Ken, I looked at a used twin spindle on your site this morning. Thanks for your reply. Some others have warned against a 7 footer-- thinking it extends far behind the tractor and is quite heavy.

I have been careful with my 4' Woods RCR rotary cutter behind a Massey SCUT on a 2 acre property, but I have still hit rocks and obstructions with it no matter how careful I was. The new 12 acres has been cut several times a year for many years, although I've never been the one cutting it. So I'm not exactly sure what lurks in the weeds. If I didn't have a cab tractor I wouldn't hesitate to get as wide of a cutter as I could, but with a cab and its creature comforts it is less of an issue. Having a hard time deciding which way to go.

 

[sweettractors]

Ken, I looked at a used twin spindle on your site this morning. Thanks for your reply. Some others have warned against a 7 footer-- thinking it extends far behind the tractor and is quite heavy.

I have been careful with my 4' Woods RCR rotary cutter behind a Massey SCUT on a 2 acre property, but I have still hit rocks and obstructions with it no matter how careful I was. The new 12 acres has been cut several times a year for many years, although I've never been the one cutting it. So I'm not exactly sure what lurks in the weeds. If I didn't have a cab tractor I wouldn't hesitate to get as wide of a cutter as I could, but with a cab and its creature comforts it is less of an issue. Having a hard time deciding which way to go.

I understand. We probably would not be competitive with your local options considering shipping from Ky to Ca. Another thing to consider is a 8 ft(usually 8 1/2 overall width) going to be a issue if you have to be on any narrow highways? Ken Sweet

 

[MinnesotaEric]

 

[Texasmark]

I'm looking at a bush hog bh26 rotary cutter. It's a 3pt hitch model, single spindle, 6 foot, heavy duty cutter. Needs 45pto horsepower which is exactly what I have.

Also considering a Rhino se8a. It's a pull or semi mount, twin spindle, 8 ft medium duty cutter. Needs 45pto as a 3pt, 40hp as semi, or 30hp as pull type.


Both of these will be behind a cab model Massey 1758 tractor. I like the extra width, which means faster mowing in ideal conditions. But I definitely do not want maintenance issues from a non-HD cutter nor dealing with multiple gearboxes to possibly fail, even though they should not. I need to cut 12 acres a few times per year, mostly 2-3 foot weeds, level to moderate slope. Pasture is surrounded by forest and trees. I know a single spindle might be more maneuverable at the edges of the pasture between trees, but I think I could mow effectively with either.

Would you opt for heavy duty at narrower cut, or get 25% more cutting width at a cost of how sturdy the unit is? The twin spindle is more money, but, I learned a long time ago that you only pay for it once, but then use it many many times thereafter. So price-wise, either one is fine.

I have been up and down that ladder several times over my 38 years of Farming 101 education. I had a Mohawk brand, 8' medium duty, twin rotor, dual wheel, drag type, behind a 100 hp tractor. I got high centered on a ridge and before I realized what was going on and all, I had damaged the central box.

Two problems leading to the incident. Tractor hp and slip clutch.

i really liked the 8' cutting wider than the tractor's tires as you didn't have to be so careful in getting a full cut without having some "holidays". The wider cut was 8/6 33% more width per lap which surely adds up in getting finished with the job. The dual wheels really helped stability. The other thing in adding to mowing speed, is that you didn't loose ground as fast with the overlap loss as happens with a narrower mower, like 6" overlap on a 4' mower is ⅛ your cutting width. On an 8' the loss is only 1/16 th your cutting width.

I don't like slip clutches as mentioned in other responses and as the root cause of my problem. They are a PIA. For me a shear bolt is bullet proof if you are worried about your gear boxes. Also if you don't have it use 85w-140 in your gear boxes....drain (suck it out) your current oil and add fresh. Install a vented fill plug so that when mowing and the oil/gearbox/air in it gets hot it has a place to go rather than by pushing oil out around your lower shaft seals.

Get the 8' would be my choice. If it overloads the tractor in heavy cutting, don't take such a big bite or drop a gear. On regular mowing you are getting 33% per round free.

 

[weathda]

Guess I should also add some background to my short opinionated comment above.

I use a Woods DS96 8' cutter and love it. Few years ago my dad bought a Kubota 5140M with a 6' cutter. He was second guessing on whether he should've bought the 8' cutter as he was worried about the 5140 pulling an 8' foot. So we swapped. He used the 8' on 5140.

I used his 6' cutter.

I didn't care for it for the reasons I mentioned above. Skinny, long and required as much or more power than the 8'. Like Texasmark mentioned it didn't cover my tracks and I lost efficiency on every round. I wanted my 8' back.

He loved the 8' behind his tractor and it pulled it fine which was his major concern. We use it in pretty thick stuff.

He ended up trading the 6 in for the 8 and has never looked back. It was an expensive deal for dad as he lost on the trade. Just trying to offer some info for you decision process. You might need the heavy duty for good reason.