DCS
Bronze Member
I have it narrowed down to either a 5' King Cutter mower for $650 or JD LX5 with slip clutch for $1200. Is the JD really worth twice as much.
Which mower to buy
- Thread starter DCS
- Start date
Big_Cajun
Silver Member
I really can't answer this one. I priced a JD unit that was almost twice the cost of a woods or bushhog. The salesman said that the shredder was better b/c it was a John Deere, and b/c it was dome-shaped and would not allow water to sit and corrode the deck.
I'm buying a Bush Hog /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
Hope you get some good answers.
BC
I'm buying a Bush Hog /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
Hope you get some good answers.
BC
Depends on you. I don't own either, but I looked at the HH with its I-beam sides and liked it. Seemed much nicer and better built than the inexpensive red one. The Deere is heavy duty, but the KK seems like it would work for me, and I abuse my shredder. It may not have the best paint, but after a 100 hours with me none of them will.
Soundguy
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You can get a slip clutch from tsc for 99$.. also can usually find a 5-10% off coupon from tsc.. that will max out at 50$.. or open a storecredit card and get that 5-10%/50$ off / 0% interest for 'x' months... so.. if you live near a tsc.. check them out... I bought my 5' KK that way.. saved a good amount.
Take a look at howse as well.. both are decent light-medium duty (economy) cutters.
I've had my 5' KK for 6 seasons now, and used it for 4.5 ys behind a 33hp diesel tractor... never a moments issue with it...
And for the price, in 10ys you can ditch it and buy another and still come in within 50-100$ of the original price of the jd, except you will have a new mower and the jd will be 10ys old.. etc..
Soundguy
Take a look at howse as well.. both are decent light-medium duty (economy) cutters.
I've had my 5' KK for 6 seasons now, and used it for 4.5 ys behind a 33hp diesel tractor... never a moments issue with it...
And for the price, in 10ys you can ditch it and buy another and still come in within 50-100$ of the original price of the jd, except you will have a new mower and the jd will be 10ys old.. etc..
Soundguy
flusher
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I bought a 4' KK rotary mower at TSC last summer for $675.
I use it on my 21HP B7510HST to mow the weeds on my 10-acre spread. Works fine for that job. I mow slow so it takes the better part of a day to do the entire place.
Don't know how it performs as an actual rip-roaring brush hog that's chewing up saplings. It weighs about 450 lb so I don't think it's particularly heavy duty. Apparently some of the other hogs are built stouter.
I use it on my 21HP B7510HST to mow the weeds on my 10-acre spread. Works fine for that job. I mow slow so it takes the better part of a day to do the entire place.
Don't know how it performs as an actual rip-roaring brush hog that's chewing up saplings. It weighs about 450 lb so I don't think it's particularly heavy duty. Apparently some of the other hogs are built stouter.
Farmwithjunk
Super Member
What are you going to be mowing? How often? How many acres?
King Kutter mowers will hold their own with most any LIGHT DUTY mowers on the market, provided you don't try to use it as a medium or heavy duty model.
Clipping pastures, mowing tall grass, even an occasional sapling won't harm the King Kutter. And it's hard to argue against the logic of "1/2 the price".
Now let's say you're going to be mowing down heavy brush on a regular basis. Or doing some custom work where you're mowing rough ground. Or how about mowing a large acreage on a weekly basis. You MIGHT want to consider a medium-to-heavy duty mower.
The difference is there. Heavier metal in the deck and side rails. Heavier metal in the stump jumper. Even more iron in the hitch components. And the BIG difference, the gear box.
I wouldn't even consider mowing without a slip clutch. The aggrevation of shutting down and changing shear bolts is not worth the savings.
By the way, I like my Bush Hog 286.
King Kutter mowers will hold their own with most any LIGHT DUTY mowers on the market, provided you don't try to use it as a medium or heavy duty model.
Clipping pastures, mowing tall grass, even an occasional sapling won't harm the King Kutter. And it's hard to argue against the logic of "1/2 the price".
Now let's say you're going to be mowing down heavy brush on a regular basis. Or doing some custom work where you're mowing rough ground. Or how about mowing a large acreage on a weekly basis. You MIGHT want to consider a medium-to-heavy duty mower.
The difference is there. Heavier metal in the deck and side rails. Heavier metal in the stump jumper. Even more iron in the hitch components. And the BIG difference, the gear box.
I wouldn't even consider mowing without a slip clutch. The aggrevation of shutting down and changing shear bolts is not worth the savings.
By the way, I like my Bush Hog 286.
DCS, I'm not going against anyone here but I've owned a Howse shredder for 14 years. In that time I have cut down tens of thousands (literally) 1-3.5" plum, ceder, post oak, mesquite, youpon, elm and a host of others with my shredder trying to reclaim a once proud cotton farm. I do plan on buying a more heavy duty shredder in the future, but I don't feel you need to have one to do the job. My howse has been welded on a few times and the sides are now round instead of flat, but it still does the job and will probably do so for quite a while longer, and the KK seems to be nicer built than mine. I have kept mine dry in a shed and replaced the blade bolts a few times, but I believe I would have had to do so whith a HD unit also. Maybe not the welding part. The KK will require maintenance, but will work just fine. Keep it dry to keep it from rusting out and it'll do you fine. When the gear box oil seal goes out pump the gearbox full of grease a few times a year. My .02, MP
JoeinTX
Platinum Member
Yeah, DCS, like so many have said...."what will you use it for?"
Personally, for super tough stuff I would dump the J.D. and move on to a Dale Phillips or some of the over-built types. My dad bought one of these and it's like a tank. The John Deere shredders have never impressed me for the prices they ask, but it could just be I've never seen the right one.
King Kutter and Howse seem to fall on the lower end in terms of price, and, I've looked them both over pretty well. Either will do absolutely fine for general use and the occasional rough spot. The base 5' KK is slightly heavier than the comparable Howse, but the Howse seems to have a better milled pan/blade set-up. Half a dozen one hand, six in the other. I wound up buying a Howse 5' ultimatley because Northern Tool sold the bolt on chain guard group at a convenient price. The KK's will need a customer designed and home built guard of your own making because the deck lip is different and, well, I wasn't able to find anyone who sold it.
For a 100% price difference, personally I'd buy the KK and go about my business. If you tear it up, then you have paid a small price to know what you need and it's time to step up the big boys.....Bush Hog, Woods, etc. If not, then youv'e got a cheap shredder that will last for years with routine maintenance....
Personally, for super tough stuff I would dump the J.D. and move on to a Dale Phillips or some of the over-built types. My dad bought one of these and it's like a tank. The John Deere shredders have never impressed me for the prices they ask, but it could just be I've never seen the right one.
King Kutter and Howse seem to fall on the lower end in terms of price, and, I've looked them both over pretty well. Either will do absolutely fine for general use and the occasional rough spot. The base 5' KK is slightly heavier than the comparable Howse, but the Howse seems to have a better milled pan/blade set-up. Half a dozen one hand, six in the other. I wound up buying a Howse 5' ultimatley because Northern Tool sold the bolt on chain guard group at a convenient price. The KK's will need a customer designed and home built guard of your own making because the deck lip is different and, well, I wasn't able to find anyone who sold it.
For a 100% price difference, personally I'd buy the KK and go about my business. If you tear it up, then you have paid a small price to know what you need and it's time to step up the big boys.....Bush Hog, Woods, etc. If not, then youv'e got a cheap shredder that will last for years with routine maintenance....