Using a 5' cutter with a Kub.

[rockyridgefarm]

Using a 5\' cutter with a Kub.

I have a buddy looking for a tractor for his 20 acres. He has used older machines and rented a Kubota HST model.

He wants to do some landscaping, and brush hog his pasture from time to time. His job is a 'work' at home one, so he has time slices to get after things and doesn't need high production on his cutting.

He wants to keep within a budget (around $200 monthly payment) for the tractor and loader (probably pick up a used cutter...)

He'd like to use a light duty 5' cutter, he's just cutting grasses that won't get too tall. He can leave the loader on for additional ballast, and has pretty level property. (unlike rockyridgefarm where the crazy terrain can make even the bravest souls faint.... Funny he only lives a few miles from me...)

So what are the good choices? Dealers seem to think only a grand L will handle the cutter, and of coursre that won't fit his budget. He likes the looks of an L2800. I think that even a B series like the B2630 should work...

What do you Orange Guys think? Anyone using a 5' cutter in this range and happy with their results?

 

[Bob_Skurka]

Re: Using a 5\' cutter with a Kub.

I use a B2910 and it easly handled a light/medium duty Howse rotary cutter. The L2800 has similar HP so it should have enough power. However, it has a transmission driven PTO, personally I would not want to bush hog with that set up. While I generally am a big fan of Kubota tractors, I could never recommend the L2800, given that there are other choices in the market that are priced similarly but with better (more modern) features.

 

[Jackrabbit_Slim]

Re: Using a 5\' cutter with a Kub.

I have a 5 footer on a B2710. This is one of those beasts from that company out of Bethel, Ohio. World Agritech International. I'd classify it as a medium duty and it handles it without any trouble. I just finished cutting 5 acres that was waist high in grass and weeds with some wild rose, blackberry and young alder thrown into the mix.

I'd echo Bob's view that I certainly wouldn't want to run a rotary mower off an L2800.

Saw a B2630 for the first time at the dealer's last week. It's a nice little unit with the independent PTO and all. It could do the job without any trouble.

I think one of the questions your friend should be asking is, "What else am I going to want to do with this?" I'm sure a lot of us started out thinking we were "just going to mow" and as soon as we got going and saw the possibilities our horizons and ambitions expanded while our bank accounts shrank by inverse proportion. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif I know there's a lot more iron sittinng in my yard right now than I'd ever planned on and I have a sneaking suspicion that it's not quite over yet.

Slim

 

[DK35vince]

Re: Using a 5\' cutter with a Kub.

Sounds like the L-3400 is a best fit for his buget, and property size.

 

[Alan L.]

Re: Using a 5\' cutter with a Kub.

I use a 5' Rhino cutter on my B2710. I have no complaints whatsoever - it works great. It is my favorite implement, by a longshot, at least in terms of what it gets done. The most surprising thing to me is that before I got a tractor I thought a "brush hog" would cut maybe 4" tall and very rough. But mine will get down lower and the quality of cut is much better than I thought it would be, especially when the grass is only a foot tall or so. I've cut grass, weeds, and brush that was taller than the tractor too.

 

[RoyJackson]

Re: Using a 5\' cutter with a Kub.

Other then it's going to take quite a while cutting 20 acres with a 60" cutter, any tractor with around 20 PTO horsepower should do the job easily.
As far as the transmission...HST isn't necessary. A dual stage clutch would be nice, but with a cutter, not really necessary either.

Using a tranny driven PTO with a cutter isn't a problem. The inertia of those heavy blades keeps them rotating when shifting. One would see more of an issue if using a finishing mower. However, even using a finishing mower isn't too much of a problem.

I'm running a Deere 790 which is pretty close to the L2800, power wise. It does a fine job on heavy brush. I used the same 60" cutter behind a Deere 670 with 16 HP at the PTO which also did a nice job. That 670 had a tranny driven PTO, so that's why I know the cutter blades lose very little RPM when shifting.

Let's see...20 acres with a 60" cutter. I reckon it'll take three to four days to cut that.

 

[cart99]

Re: Using a 5\' cutter with a Kub.

I recently cut my field with my neighbor's B7800 with a Woods 5' brush cutter and had no problems whatsoever (although it is a trans. driven PTO), and I just purchased a B3030 to do the same thing, which is independant PTO. Either one is going to be cheaper than a grand-L.

I'd look at anything with 22 or more PTO HP. If there is a decent Kioti dealer in the area, he might also want to check out a CK30, as they are also "competitively priced"

 

[cart99]

Re: Using a 5\' cutter with a Kub.

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I use a B2910 and it easly handled a light/medium duty Howse rotary cutter. The L2800 has similar HP so it should have enough power. However, it has a transmission driven PTO, personally I would not want to bush hog with that set up. While I generally am a big fan of Kubota tractors, I could never recommend the L2800, given that there are other choices in the market that are priced similarly but with better (more modern) features.

)</font>

Bob, I'm still very new to the tractor world, but learning fast. Can you explain what the concerns are about running a brush cutter off a trans. driven (i.e. live) PTO?

 

[Bob_Skurka]

Re: Using a 5\' cutter with a Kub.

Roy pointed it out in his post, and while he and I have an honest disagreement on this issue, basically you end up in a situation where the the blades can slow down too much during turns when you have to shift. This is a situation and terrain dependant issue, Roy seems to not have a problem, and many others don't. However, it is far from ideal. I suppose you can learn to use whatever you have available and make it work for you. My logic is fairly simple, in the same price and power range as the L2800 you can get other brands that have a more sophisticated set up. So if you can get better in the same general price range, then I think it is reasonable to bypass the L2800. That was the point of my initial post.

 

[bowhunter3030]

Re: Using a 5\' cutter with a Kub.

Glad to hear you like your Rhino 5'. I have one with my new B3030 and am waiting for some rain in the forecast so I can cut my food plots.