I have a Bush Hog SQ720 rotary cutter that's sold as a "light-duty" mower. It's served me well through 3 years of serious abuse. Although the manufacturer specifies the cutting capacity as 1.5 inches, I've often used it on 4-inch saplings and heavy brush. I've also hit countless logs and other obstacles, and I routinely hit 30 or 40 stumps when mowing parts of my property. I've even broken off a blade while mowing (yes, they can break).
The SQ720 has an oval pan, or stumpjumper, covering the blade holder bar. That oval pan has finally bent enough from hitting stumps that it's beginning to keep the blade from swinging freely. The replacement part is over $300, or about 20% of the cost of the mower. Replacing the pan and blade holder also means I'll probably spend a full Saturday with a sledge removing the old and installing the new -- if I'm lucky.
All heavy-duty mowers seem to have stumpjumpers that are round instead of oval. That would seem to be a better design for avoiding stump damage. Does anyone have experience with both oval and round stumpjumpers? If so, is the round significantly better, or does it eventually get destroyed by stumps as well?
Since there is no round stumpjumper option for my mower, the only way I could get a round one would be to buy a heavy-duty mower. It might be worth considering if a round stumpjumper would last much, much longer than the oval I currently have. If a round one won't make that much difference, then my best bet is to make the repair and try to make it last another two or three years.
I appreciate any advice or experience.
Parker
The SQ720 has an oval pan, or stumpjumper, covering the blade holder bar. That oval pan has finally bent enough from hitting stumps that it's beginning to keep the blade from swinging freely. The replacement part is over $300, or about 20% of the cost of the mower. Replacing the pan and blade holder also means I'll probably spend a full Saturday with a sledge removing the old and installing the new -- if I'm lucky.
All heavy-duty mowers seem to have stumpjumpers that are round instead of oval. That would seem to be a better design for avoiding stump damage. Does anyone have experience with both oval and round stumpjumpers? If so, is the round significantly better, or does it eventually get destroyed by stumps as well?
Since there is no round stumpjumper option for my mower, the only way I could get a round one would be to buy a heavy-duty mower. It might be worth considering if a round stumpjumper would last much, much longer than the oval I currently have. If a round one won't make that much difference, then my best bet is to make the repair and try to make it last another two or three years.
I appreciate any advice or experience.
Parker