Rotary Cutter Brush hog size question

[WM75Guy]

Stick with the name brands and you should not have a problem. You have to look at the specs to see which is best for your use. You can buy too much cutter for your tractor. Get someone to clear the land for you and use your equipment to maintain it. If your then doing mainly mowing why buy a HD cutter weighting 1400 pounds that will cut 3 1/2" diameter trees that calls for 60 HP PTO. After a while it will take its toll on your tractor pulling and lifting the extra weight and spinning the gearbox.

I run a Bush Hog SQ172 cutter with both my tractors, 40 and 33 HP PTO. It has a 65 HP gearbox and the specs call for a 30 - 45 HP PTO tractor. Weight is 764 pounds and is rated for cutting 2" diameter. It does everything I need as I mow cleared pasture with some small areas of light brush and small new growth trees.

I had to add 200 pounds of weights to the front of the Boomer 8N (no FEL) as it was light on the front end with the mower raised. I tried to load it on the trailer and the front tires kept going into air at the top of the ramps. I was lucky the tail wheel kept it from going any higher and I backed it down the ramps.

 

[rbargeron]

Going back to your original post, for reclaiming orchard land, another rotary cutter to consider is a Brown 472. The Brown is virtually identical to a Bush Hog 286. It can be had with rubber flaps front and back instead of chain curtains. The flaps weigh less - which you'll appreciate on the L4610 because at 1200 pounds the mower already weighs plenty. The 472 has a 130 hp gearbox, meaning that if you tie into a rock it won't die as quick as a 40 hp box would. It also has a slip clutch on the pto to protect the tractor. Back when I was shopping for a rotary, my dealer had a sharper pencil on the Brown than anybody had on the Bush Hog. It's been used in some tough going - but has been trouble free. I'd buy another one. BTW, Brown considers the 472 a medium duty machine. Their heavy duty 672 weighs 500 lb more.

 

[Soundguy]

what about renting a cutter for the initial cut.. or hiring the job done the first time.. then maintain with a more economy unit.

after all.. if you buy a 2000$ land clearing brush cutter.. while it will be cool for the first cutting.. it's 95% overkill after that.. unless you are only planning on cutting 1 per year or two??

on implements.. especially expensive ones. i like to buy for uses i will do semi often. 1-of uses i like to rent , borrow, or hire out those type jobs.

 

[Frankman]

Some very good stuff to think about. Thanks guys. I guess I never though about renting a heavy duty one for the initial cut. Makes sense.
I want the clearing of the property to be done by my family. Already had a few quotes.. Way more then im willing to spend for what they said they would do. I have also considered renting a bobcat tracked skid steer with a forestry mulcher. That would do a better job then the crew would for considerably less, but still pricey. But buying a heavier duty bush hog would be the cheapest and I would always have it to use afterwords, but would require much more labor.

 

[arlen4720]

Some very good stuff to think about. Thanks guys. I guess I never though about renting a heavy duty one for the initial cut. Makes sense.
I want the clearing of the property to be done by my family. Already had a few quotes.. Way more then im willing to spend for what they said they would do. I have also considered renting a bobcat tracked skid steer with a forestry mulcher. That would do a better job then the crew would for considerably less, but still pricey. But buying a heavier duty bush hog would be the cheapest and I would always have it to use afterwords, but would require much more labor.

I'm rather fond of my MX6 john deere. rated for 2 inch brush with a 75 hp gearbox and a double walled sloped top deck.

 

[crowbar032]

My Dad bought a 286 BushHog (6 ft classified as medium duty cutting 2-3 inch saplings) to pull behind a gas MF 150 (about 38 PTO HP). In thick cutting, it's all that tractor wanted. 2nd gear low range for most cutting, if it was really thick had to go to 1st. We didn't have weights on the front the first few times we used it and the front wheels would be off the ground going up inclines. We found a freeman loader cheap that corrected that issue.

 

[cointoss]

Get the Bushhog 286 I am happy I did. I went through 2 or 3 gear boxs in a light weight Hi-Co and was never really abuseing it by trying to mow anything over 1 inch. But you never know when you will hit a low stump or mole or sand hill hidden in the high grass and make sure it has a slip clutch on the pto too.

 

[sawtooth]

I'm rather fond of my MX6 john deere. rated for 2 inch brush with a 75 hp gearbox and a double walled sloped top deck.

Im not sure on the MX6. We have had the most trouble with this unit more than our other cutters. Harder to hook up due to type of coupling they use. Also lost our gear box in 2011 and cutter only has about 80 hours on it. Surprisingly its used for cutting weeds with the occasional 1-2" tree. I will go back to the Bush Hog brand. Never tried Brown but i hear they are tanks. If i were to try something other than BH it would be a Brown. One thing to note is that Brown considers the 472 as a medium or medium heavy cutter. However if you look at the specs they uses heavier decks than their competitors. Most companies go with 10ga but Brown uses 7ga.

Now i think this is a bit much though for your tractor. BUT i do know exactly what you need if you can still find one. Its a bush hog 286 model. The reason i say this is that it has a 110hp box and 10 gauge steel. And it weighs little less than others plus min tractor hp rating is 40 which is exactly what you need. Good luck with your purchase.

 

[arlen4720]

Im not sure on the MX6. We have had the most trouble with this unit more than our other cutters. Harder to hook up due to type of coupling they use. Also lost our gear box in 2011 and cutter only has about 80 hours on it. Surprisingly its used for cutting weeds with the occasional 1-2" tree.

Lucky the MX6 has a 5 year gearbox warranty

 

[bilrus61]

Lucky the MX6 has a 5 year gearbox warranty

Yeah if your idea of fun is going to the dealer and asking for and waiting on a warranty repair. I have a MX 6 and if I had it to do over again I wouldn't get it. I would get either a Landpride 2672 or a Bushhog 296. Get one with a clevis hitch instead of the mounted pins like the MX6.:thumbdown: The MX6 has the most idiotic rear wheel adjustment ever. The Deere design team's computer must have been down the day they designed it. The first three holes of the adjustment flange leave the rear wheel in the air with the rear of the mower dragging the ground. Only the last 3 holes lower the wheel enough to lift the rear of the mower above the ground.:confused2:

For all its many quirks I did mow with my MX6 for two hours yesterday on a field border that hadn't been hogged in years. It took down some pretty big trees and didn't bat a eye. But its not a mower known for being rugged to say the least. I mow with the idea if/when it's gearbox blows up I'll just retire it to some out of the way corner and get a Landpride or Bushhog brand that I wished I had got in the first place.:2cents: