Looking for bush hog/rotary mower

[TheMan419]

Greetings oh great brain trust....

I am new to the world of tractors. We have purchased an 18 acre plot. The plan is to build a barn and have horses. We currently own 3 and are bringing them home.

So I will need a bush hog to do the pastures a few time a year as well as maintain a meadow and possibly some trails we plan to cut through the 4 or so acres of woods.

I have a NH Boomer 24. I'd like to get a used hog rather than spend the big bucks on a new one.

There is a local "dealer" of used implements down the road. By dealer I mean he has a bunch sitting out in his yard and sells them. I cannot find anywhere that he advertises.

I am thinking 4 ft to 5 ft mower width. Any wider and I do not think I would have the power for it.

What are the critical questions that I ask of him to determine if the mower will work?

Note that I do have a buddy that is very mechanically inclined. He will go a long with me for the look see and possible purchase transaction. I fully expect that this mower will come with a "tail light" warranty .... meaning when the seller can no longer see my tail lights the mower is out of warranty.

Thanks for any advice.

 

[Bansil]

OST I am needing same info so I will see what answers you get

 

[TripleR]

From checking TractorData.com, it appears you have a machine very much like our BX2660. You will be limited to a 48", my manual recommends 42", but mine does well with the 48". I use a Land Pride RCR1248, it cuts material up to 1" and I occasional hit something just a bit bigger, but while it cuts, it sure makes a racked. Woods also makes a "Estate Sries" and King Kutter makes mode for SCUTs. While the SCUT 3PH is a Cat 1, its geometry is a bit different than the larger tractors, so while a regular 48" may fit, it won't handle as well as one made for a SCUT.

Note I am just extrapolating based on Tractor Data, so take my post as that since I have no real experience with that tractor.

 

[RedNeckRacin]

5 pto hp/ft is a good rule of thumb. Weight of the mower would be good to know. Mowers are deceptive since the weight is generally so far behind the lift point. I would want to wiggle each pto joint, and take a look and smell of the gear case. Definitely want to look a the underside of the mower to see if the main output shaft seal is leaking. Blade condition would be high on my list. General appearance of the mower i.e. dents dings, heavy corrosion, missing parts, mismatched wheels/tires.

 

[kebo]

If the dealer you mentioned is pretty close, then just drive your tractor over there and ask to hook up a mower and try it out. That will insure it hooks up properly, and you can see how it operates at the same time. This would also be a good chance to raise up the mower deck to look underneath it (with the tractor shut off of course). Check for any bent blades or bent stump jumper (pan) if it has one. Look for oil that might be weeping out of the gear box from a leaky seal. When you run it, look and listen for vibrations, from the deck itself or from the PTO shaft.

As for size, your tractor is a "tweener" and could go with either the 4ft or the 5ft. If you go with the 5ft, it will shorten the time to cut (versus a 4ft) but not by much. The 5ft will tend to bog it down more in heavy, tall, or wet grasses. The easy solution is to take narrower passes, but if you have to do that, then you might should have gotten the 4ft deck lol.

Maybe you can work out a deal where you can take home a 5ft mower on trial basis and if your tractor handles it just fine, then everybody is happy. But if it's too much for it, then you can trade it on a 4ft with out taking a beating. Just a thought.

As for me, what I look for in used equipment is mostly overall condition, and does it work like it should or not? If it does, then that will command a better price. If it needs some work, or needs some parts, then that knocks off a substantial amount off the asking price. If it has any rust-through on the deck, I generally pass on it because that usually means the deck is made of a pretty thin gauge steel and it won't be long before you are having to weld on heavier sheathing to the entire deck to repair it

For a used 4ft bush hog in decent condition and is field ready, I would say they generally go for about $450. If it's a 5ft in same, then add about $50-$100 dollars. This is for standard duty to medium duty. For a true heavy duty bush hog, the price can go up 20% or more. I have dabbled at buying/reselling 3 pt attachments for a few years, like the cultivator I posted on another current thread, and that's about the best free advice I can share with you. Good luck!

 

[TheMan419]

Kebo:

Thanks. The "Dealer" is not close enough to just drive the tractor over. That would be nice though! He is just a guy selling them out of his yard. I do not know at this point if he buys them and fixes them to sell for a profit or just buys low and sells high.

Ideally the 5ft would work for what I need to do, but I do not know. The land is totally flat (I live in Northern Indiana) and it would just be mowing down the pasture the horses are in a few times a year.

$400 or so seems about right for what I have seen on Craigs List or similar.

Thanks to all for the advice.

 

[MESSMAKER]

I think a 4 foot is what you need. HP pretty low for a 5 foot. $400 should be a fair price on a used one.

 

[747driver]

I have a Kioti CK27 HST. 28 hp at the engine but only 24 hp at the pto. I just bought a woods bx48 brush hog. Here is the place i bought it at....very close to your place. Might go check them out.

Myers Implement Elkhart - Farm machinery and equipment
myersimplement.com/
With 10 acres of new and used farm machinery and parts, whether managing a few acres or a few hundred, we have what you need to get the job done.

 

[Jerry/MT]

Greetings oh great brain trust....

I am new to the world of tractors. We have purchased an 18 acre plot. The plan is to build a barn and have horses. We currently own 3 and are bringing them home.

So I will need a bush hog to do the pastures a few time a year as well as maintain a meadow and possibly some trails we plan to cut through the 4 or so acres of woods.

I have a NH Boomer 24. I'd like to get a used hog rather than spend the big bucks on a new one.

There is a local "dealer" of used implements down the road. By dealer I mean he has a bunch sitting out in his yard and sells them. I cannot find anywhere that he advertises.

I am thinking 4 ft to 5 ft mower width. Any wider and I do not think I would have the power for it.

What are the critical questions that I ask of him to determine if the mower will work?

Note that I do have a buddy that is very mechanically inclined. He will go a long with me for the look see and possible purchase transaction. I fully expect that this mower will come with a "tail light" warranty .... meaning when the seller can no longer see my tail lights the mower is out of warranty.

Thanks for any advice.

A good rule of thumb 5 pto horsepower per foot of cut. If you are only going to gut grass and it's not 4 ft tall, you can probably get by with a 5 ft mower. For those times you get into tall stuff, reduce the width of the cut. Try for something that's close to the outside width of the rear wheels. Be sure to get the proper shields, front and rear because these cutters throw stuff forward and backward. If they aren't on the mower you buy, make sure that they are available from the manufacturer. If you want to be absolutely sure that you have enough power to cut most anything, then a 4 ft cutting width will be fine.
Be careful not to get a mower that is too heavy because it will lighten up the steering and make control difficult if the mower is raised up on the three point hitch. I don't have a rule of thumb for that. If it's kept on the ground , it's not so much a problem.

As far as mechanical issues, look for leaky seals on the gear box, loose u-joints, worn shear pin hole, cracked or rusted through deck. As a general observation, these implements take a heck of beating but they can be found in good mechanical shape while appearing rough. Rotate the pto shaft and check for ease of rotation. Consider replacing the blades and the blade bolts before putting it into use unless the blades look really good. (The last thing you want to have happen is to throw a piece of blade. It won't be contained by the deck!)Most of them will be chipped and have damaged leading edges. If they are not badly damaged they maybe able to have the nicks blended out with a small grinder. Don't expect a bade edge like a lawn mower. These blades are relatively blunt for toughness and I believe they are forged for strength or heat treated.

good luck in your search.

 

[TheMan419]

I have a Kioti CK27 HST. 28 hp at the engine but only 24 hp at the pto. I just bought a woods bx48 brush hog. Here is the place i bought it at....very close to your place. Might go check them out.

Myers Implement Elkhart - Farm machinery and equipment
myersimplement.com/
With 10 acres of new and used farm machinery and parts, whether managing a few acres or a few hundred, we have what you need to get the job done.

Holy cow! Thanks. That is just around the corner..... well ok like a 30 minute drive from me so no big deal. I will go check them out.