Why Can't Someone Make a Good 12' Batwing Cutter?

[rockinbbar]

I have been looking for a high quality 12' batwing cutter for a long time now...

They make great 15 foot cutters, but when you want a 12' for tighter areas and less horsepower, the lineup of what's out there is just disgusting.

Currently I have a Modern Ag 12' Viper. I have a love/hate relationship with it. It is used for light duty only, mostly just mowing weeded pastures without any or sparse, small brush. It gets pulled behind my 75hp Powerstar.

The Viper leaves a nice cut, and I love the galvanized deck, but other things leave me puzzled, such as the very light duty wing leveling turnbuckles, and having the wing gear boxes sling all the gear oil out through the vent nut on a daily basis. I mean I have to add lubricant nearly on a daily basis. Vibration on the cutter has always been very rough. You'd better check those gear box bolts and re-tighten them to the deck often. Drive shafts have to be disconnected, cleaned and greased by hand very often. No grease fittings that lube the shafts...

The Woods BW12 is by far the worst cutter I ever used. Once it gets a bit of use and gets dirty, the wings won't go up or down due to the extremely tight wing hinge pin, and no way to lube it. When you can't use the wings, it kinda does away with the need for a batwing, right? Sold that cutter for half of what I paid for it, just to be rid of it.

Several manufacturers make very good 15' batwing cutters.

Why is it so hard to make a decent 12'? Seems like all they would have to do is scale a 15' cutter that has been time tested and proven and last decades, and scale that down to be a 12' cutter?

If any of you have any input as to better quality cutters in the 12' wide size, I'd love to hear of it!

 

[Hay Dude]

Why not just get a 15’ and call it good if all you are doing is cutting light brush & tall weeds. Your tractor can handle it. 5HP/ft = 75HP.

The Deere MX-15 would be perfect for you. I have a CX-15 and had an MX-8.

Probably the best attachments I ever owned. Went through hell & back without so much as a whimper.

 

[K5lwq]

No experience with one but the Rhino would be worth a closer look for me.

 

[zzvyb6]

Why not get an old NH499 12' hay cutter and roll in high gear ? Don't windrow it, just let it all hang out.

 

[bdhsfz6]

I'd like to see a 12' batwing 3pt mower. I find the tow behinds too difficult to maneuver. A 12' batwing 3pt with the ability to raise & lower the wings on the fly to get around obstacles would be ideal. I can see where weight might be an issue for smaller tractors but shouldn't be a problem for 60+ HP machines.

 

[rockinbbar]

Why not just get a 15’ and call it good if all you are doing is cutting light brush & tall weeds. Your tractor can handle it. 5HP/ft = 75HP.

The Deere MX-15 would be perfect for you. I have a CX-15 and had an MX-8.

Probably the best attachments I ever owned. Went through hell & back without so much as a whimper.

I have a Woods BWXHD180.

Owned it about 10 years, and is an EXCELLENT cutter that has by far exceeded my expectations of what a cutter should be and do.

Here's the larger tractor and 15' cutter.

But with my Ag Service/Ranch business, I have need for a cutter that turns tighter, is lighter (because in this sandy country, when you get some rainfall, heavy can get you stuck to the deck quicker than you can blink) My 15' cutter weighs 2000 pounds more than the 12'.

Lots of my pasture mowing involves places where I have to cut around lots of trees, and can do so with a 12' much more efficiently than a 15'.

I also pair my 15' cutter with 120hp tractor, and use it to cut thicker brush projects. I just don't need the weight, bulk, or wide turns of a 15' for a lot of my cutting.

Kinda odd, but between my bigger rig, and the 12', I have about the same hours per year on each of them.

 

[Hay Dude]

It’s no secret that most 12’ cutters are designed & built with the large homeowners/small hobby farmers in mind.
​

 

[rockinbbar]

No experience with one but the Rhino would be worth a closer look for me.

My dealer that sells Modern Ag cutters also sells Rhino cutters.

They look interesting, but when you look at the specs, it's only rated to cut 1.5 inch thick brush.

VERY light duty cutter.

My Viper is rated at 3"... Even though I don't cut much brush with it, the cut capacity is related to how strong the gear boxes and drive lines are. Or should be.

Another thing I look at in the specs is the blade tip speed. The higher, the better.

 

[rockinbbar]

It’s no secret that most 12’ cutters are designed & built with the large homeowners/small hobby farmers in mind.
​

Without a doubt!

That's the gap I'd like to see filled in by something better.

 

[rockinbbar]

I'd like to see a 12' batwing 3pt mower. I find the tow behinds too difficult to maneuver. A 12' batwing 3pt with the ability to raise & lower the wings on the fly to get around obstacles would be ideal. I can see where weight might be an issue for smaller tractors but shouldn't be a problem for 60+ HP machines.

That's a lot of weight to be flopping around in less than smooth pasture conditions. Most Cat1 and many Cat2 3pt systems just won't take the beating.