Rotary Cutter Rough Cut Rotary Cutter Recommendation

[sandman2234]

Not wanting to upset the apple cart, as most people seem to be leaning towards the lighter weight mowers, due mostly to the limited TIME usage. I wonder just what the amount of time you use a mower has to do with what rating you purchase, other than to appease your pocketbook. If you plan on using a mower to do heavy duty stuff with, then you need a heavy duty mower. Using a light weight mower a few hours a week to do heavy duty mowing will still take it 's toll on the mower, as it is being used past it's design limitations. Granted you will be able to abuse a light weight mower for a long time but it is still abusing it.
Once you get the roughest stuff cut, the more often you mow, the easier it will be on the mower, so it you really do have "heavy duty" stuff to cut, then hire it out the first time and then use the light weight mower to keep it cut. If your mowing requirements aren't really heavy duty cutting, then all we have done is wasted a little bit of bandwidth.
If you decide to go with the lighter duty mower, then take it easy on it for the first couple cuts (read GO SLOW!!) and you will probably be ok. Lord knows I have abused many a bush hog and they have lived to mow another day. Last one I destroyed was with a bunch of 3/8" diameter guy wire that the power company decided to throw into the bushes on some property I mow for the church. I knew I was in trouble when it stopped the 70 horsepower tractor dead in it's tracks.
David from jax

 

[gilbertmsg]

I agree with Lineman North FL. Howse is a very solid lightweight cutter. If you don't do anything stupid and with a little care, the cutter will probably outlast you.

Eddie

 

[Charles Billings]

Thanks everyone for your good recommendations, and I will research them all. Using a benchmark, like Landpride, for example, makes a great deal of sense. I am still undecided on light duty versus heavier duty. Sandman stated my quandry very well, because I am going to have little time use, but brief periods of high demand on the implement. I was on my way to an event yesterday and stopped at a year-old TSC store in NH that I didn't know existed. First, I looked at the CountyLine 6' Tiller. That is definitely a rebranded KKII--same Omni Gear RTS50 working mechanism, same sheet metal thickness, exact same design, and even the same terrible paint job. Then I looked at the 6' CountyLine rotary mower, which was offered for $900. It appeared to have an 11 gauge deck, and it did have a Cheetah H-300 gear box. From prior Tractorbynet threads this would indicate that it is probably not a KK manufacture. I couldn't come up with anything that would tell me what the Cheetah H-300 gear box was, and TSC gives little or no specifications in their catalog or online. At least on my rotary mower purchase, I think I am leaning away from TSC and setting my sights on a manufacturer that will provide specifications. It will probably not be this year, because I have overspent the implement budget, but hope to do so by spring. That could change if there were some great sale, or something lightly used that I become aware of. What is the experience here, are there better deals in the spring when dealers are getting in truck load quantities, or in the fall when they want to get rid of inventory, or is there really no ideal time?

 

[medicshawn]

I would also keep your eye out for something used to pop up. I Got a 6 foot Woods cutter for 165. I replaced the rear tailwheel fork for 50 dollars and it's good to go. I have only used it for about 20 minutes. I didn't really need a cutter but for the price I couldn't pass it up.

 

[whistlepig]

Thanks everyone for your good recommendations, and I will research them all. Using a benchmark, like Landpride, for example, makes a great deal of sense. I am still undecided on light duty versus heavier duty. Sandman stated my quandry very well, because I am going to have little time use, but brief periods of high demand on the implement. I was on my way to an event yesterday and stopped at a year-old TSC store in NH that I didn't know existed. First, I looked at the CountyLine 6' Tiller. That is definitely a rebranded KKII--same Omni Gear RTS50 working mechanism, same sheet metal thickness, exact same design, and even the same terrible paint job. Then I looked at the 6' CountyLine rotary mower, which was offered for $900. It appeared to have an 11 gauge deck, and it did have a Cheetah H-300 gear box. From prior Tractorbynet threads this would indicate that it is probably not a KK manufacture. I couldn't come up with anything that would tell me what the Cheetah H-300 gear box was, and TSC gives little or no specifications in their catalog or online. At least on my rotary mower purchase, I think I am leaning away from TSC and setting my sights on a manufacturer that will provide specifications. It will probably not be this year, because I have overspent the implement budget, but hope to do so by spring. That could change if there were some great sale, or something lightly used that I become aware of. What is the experience here, are there better deals in the spring when dealers are getting in truck load quantities, or in the fall when they want to get rid of inventory, or is there really no ideal time?

Land Pride will last a lifetime. As will as some of the other premium brands. I'm not all that impressed by TSC implements. I have bought some.

 

[Rede166]

Charles with such little amount of mowing ...try calling a rental yard and renting just the mower minus the tractor or if you want to buy look for used unit ,usually those can be bought for .50 on the dollar. Also reputable rental yards will tell you what mower is best to buy ,because homeowners usually beat up the machines