Brush hog advice

[RoyJackson]

I don't use the upper link so the total weight is not an issue. The heavier duty Buhler has much more weight to swing than the smaller cutter so I have to watch what I'm doing more. I have the 72" belly mower sticking out the side so I thought I might as well get the same size cutter to use. I grew up using a 5 ft woods Dixie cutter on the back of a ford 8n and 801.

I notice that the 6 ft has a higher tip speed so it cuts cleaner than the 5 ft cutter. The cutters take less HP to run than the finish belly mower so I can travel faster.

(Bolded text) I think you got that backwards, Brother...cutters require more PTO HP then a same sized finishing mower. Check out some of the implement manufacturers' web site for PTO HP recommendations.

As far as your first paragraph...I normally use the top link but there are a few sections I disconnect it so the cutter can pivot (about the lower link pins) at abrupt changes such as slopes or embankments.
For you folks who try this, just make sure the PTO drive shaft has enough overlap so it doesn't come apart when you back it over a ditch.
Another time I disconnect the top link is when I transport the cutter. I don't raise the cutter...I tow it using the tail wheel. I'm only traveling a hundred yards or so and I would not do this if I was transporting on a road.

 

[ruffdog]

No, I didn't get it wrong. I can definitly mow faster with the cutter than using the mid mount mower. It doesn't look near as nice but it sure is faster. Not only that, but the cutter rides the field better than the rollers of a finish mower. The neighbors 5' cutter didn't cut worth a darn either until I sharpened the blades for him. Maybe check your blades?????

 

[LD1]

A 5' rotary cutter requires more HP than a 5' finish mower IF THEY are being used to full potential.

IE: a 5 foot mower mowing a lawn vs a 5' cutter in a field that hadn't been touched for 6 years.

But if you are using a cutter to just knock down some 10' grass/weeds, yes that takes less HP than with 5' RFM.

 

[stevewatr]

Ran the cutter yesterday for giggles, no major issues I can see. Here is a video of the walk around I did yesterday pointing out the issues I do have to address. Suggestions/comments are always welcome.

Here is the video:

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_1UuSd9nXM]Old Bush hog model 305 - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Hollow]

The removable sidebands are for cutting hay. Take them off and it will sling the grass clear without mulching it.

 

[ruffdog]

Good video Steve! Here is a pic of the Behlen I bought last year up on blocks for the winter. You can see I took all the upper link stuff off because I don't need it. They list it as weighing in at 830 lbs.

Most of the cutters will have a certian amount of play in the upper link brackets so when you raise your 3pt the front of the deck raises first, then the back will raise up. Yours almost looked like it doesn't have that play. You need that for going through gullys and over bumps so the mower can follow the terrain.

 

[Soundguy]

A 5' rotary cutter requires more HP than a 5' finish mower IF THEY are being used to full potential.

IE: a 5 foot mower mowing a lawn vs a 5' cutter in a field that hadn't been touched for 6 years.

But if you are using a cutter to just knock down some 10' grass/weeds, yes that takes less HP than with 5' RFM.

that's contrary to what I've observed.

most situations spec that you can run a 1' LARGER finish mower vs rough mower.. thus menaing the finish mowers take less hp per foot.

tall stemmy weeds are WAY easier to cut that lush grass.

as for thick lawn.. the longer the grass.. the more a finish mower struggles.. and the more hp it eats.. till you hit abuse levels

in the end.. specific condition, tractor setup and mower build will all have a hand in how it plays out though.. some mowers are more efficient than others.

i've seen some finish mowers that were hd enough to be rough mowers.. etc..

 

[greg_g]

that's contrary to what I've observed.

Agreed, because "...IF THEY are used to full potential" is a nebulous qualifier at best. I'm not actually sure what that even means.

It's a long accepted precept that finish mowers require fewer horsepower per foot of cutting swath than do rotary cutters - when both machines are used iaw their respective manufacturer instructions. That said, I suppose some folks could be fooled into believing the opposite - if they use said machines for tasks they were never designed for.

//greg//

 

[LD1]

What I am trying to say (and I think ruffdog is trying to say too) is:

If you are not worried too much about cut quality, and are always going to be mowing say 6-8" grass back down to 3-4", a rotary cutter will do so at a faster ground speed and less load on the engine than a RFM.

So basically, mowing 8" grass with a RFM is pusing its limits. But toward the bottom of the limits of a RC.

When I am using the cutter and cutting the field pretty low, and havent mowed the yard for a week or so, and make a turn in the yard, It clips the grass in the yard off pretty nicely like it isnt there. Cutting it to the same height with a RFM would require a slower ground speed.

So I think what ruffdog is saying (and I agree) is that if you have a field with 6-8" grass that needs mowed, it can be done faster with a RC than a RFM, but you do give up a little cut quality

 

[ruffdog]

LD1...that is exactly what I was trying to say!