Just forced into buying a woods MD-172...what can I expect from it?

kentuckydiesel · Jul 7, 2013

I have been looking for a decently priced 10'-12' mower as my tractor is just over 8' wide to the outside of the rear tires.
In the meantime, I have been mowing my property along with a couple neighbor's places with a rusted old 5' king kutter that belonged to a friend's grandfather (one house that is in foreclosure and is an eye sore, the other is a place that a single older lady owns and keeps a horse, but she doesn't have anything to keep the pasture up with)...and I don't charge anything for helping neighbors out.

I was just about to re-deck the king kutter (it has nearly split in half) when one of our favorite neighbors (really nice couple) told my wife that they have a bunch of t-posts they want to give us, and while we're over there, they have a 6' bush hog they want us to come look at.

I knew I wanted something wider, but I went ahead and took a look at the mower. It was a fairly clean 1998 Woods MD172-1. Used very little, minor rust just from being outside. I told our neighbors that it looked like a very nice mower, but I had no idea of the value, so I would have to check around and would let them know if we could give them a fair offer (didn't want to give them less than a fair price). After looking around and seeing them selling for around $1000, I told my wife to let them know next time she saw them that we couldn't give them what it was worth (since I was really looking for something double the width).

A few weeks went by and the husband comes into the store where my wife works and tells her that he and his wife discussed it, and they want to sell the mower to us for $300. My wife told him she really appreciated the offer, but we had seen them selling for around $1000. He told her that he knows what he could get for it, but they want US to have it for $300.

When she told me, I couldn't believe it. I didn't have a choice then...I had to buy it.

What great people they are.

So anyway, now you know that the world does still contain really nice people who are more than happy to help a younger couple out.

That said, I have very little experience with "medium duty" bush hogs. I have only ever used heavy duty pull behind stuff...so I need to know what I can expect out of this mower so I can minimize breakage and keep it in good working order. Things like maximum material diameter...and will this thing come apart if I hit the occasional large branch or stump buried in brush?
It doesn't currently have a stump jumper, so I am going to make one for it. Also, I have read about the lower seal issue in the gearbox so although it's not leaking yet, I have already filled the box with half grease/half gear oil.

Any other insights would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Phillip

8404 · Jul 7, 2013

kentuckydiesel said:
I have been looking for a decently priced 10'-12' mower as my tractor is just over 8' wide to the outside of the rear tires.
In the meantime, I have been mowing my property along with a couple neighbor's places with a rusted old 5' king kutter that belonged to a friend's grandfather (one house that is in foreclosure and is an eye sore, the other is a place that a single older lady owns and keeps a horse, but she doesn't have anything to keep the pasture up with)...and I don't charge anything for helping neighbors out.

I was just about to re-deck the king kutter (it has nearly split in half) when one of our favorite neighbors (really nice couple) told my wife that they have a bunch of t-posts they want to give us, and while we're over there, they have a 6' bush hog they want us to come look at.

I knew I wanted something wider, but I went ahead and took a look at the mower. It was a fairly clean 1998 Woods MD172-1. Used very little, minor rust just from being outside. I told our neighbors that it looked like a very nice mower, but I had no idea of the value, so I would have to check around and would let them know if we could give them a fair offer (didn't want to give them less than a fair price). After looking around and seeing them selling for around $1000, I told my wife to let them know next time she saw them that we couldn't give them what it was worth (since I was really looking for something double the width).

A few weeks went by and the husband comes into the store where my wife works and tells her that he and his wife discussed it, and they want to sell the mower to us for $300. My wife told him she really appreciated the offer, but we had seen them selling for around $1000. He told her that he knows what he could get for it, but they want US to have it for $300.

When she told me, I couldn't believe it. I didn't have a choice then...I had to buy it. What great people they are.

So anyway, now you know that the world does still contain really nice people who are more than happy to help a younger couple out.

That said, I have very little experience with "medium duty" bush hogs. I have only ever used heavy duty pull behind stuff...so I need to know what I can expect out of this mower so I can minimize breakage and keep it in good working order. Things like maximum material diameter...and will this thing come apart if I hit the occasional large branch or stump buried in brush?
It doesn't currently have a stump jumper, so I am going to make one for it. Also, I have read about the lower seal issue in the gearbox so although it's not leaking yet, I have already filled the box with half grease/half gear oil.

Any other insights would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Phillip

Since you only paid 300.00 you cant go wrong with anything you spend on it. like New Blades, oil seals fix broken welds ect..

LouieJunior · Jul 7, 2013

I have an MD160 -- same vintage only a 5 footer. I think MD stands for medium duty - but mine has held up well given the abuse I give it. I do swap the blades every few years with a second set as I blaze trails with it -- hitting an occasional rock or buried fence post. I've even managed to get a small tree wrapped around the blades. I consider mine to be heavy duty.

Ken45101 · Jul 8, 2013

I'm pretty sure that's the model I have. It's a good cutter. I've had mine for a dozen years and I've had to replace the slip clutch discs once, an inexpensive item. No other maintenance has been required. I'm still on the original blades.

It will cut through pretty much anything you will drive the tractor over. Sometimes I back up over the rough stuff, I won't drive the tractor over it.

I have had a problem with the front lip catching a stump and flipping the unit up. It bent the front lip and cracked the tail wheel mounting when it came back down.

kentuckydiesel · Jul 8, 2013

8404 said:
Since you only paid 300.00 you cant go wrong with anything you spend on it. like New Blades, oil seals fix broken welds ect..

Currently there are no leaking seals or broken welds, and the blades may as well be new. Good place to be starting, especially for the price. Just want to make sure I don't abuse the thing by expecting it to take on the same things as the 20' rhino or the 10' deere mowers that I use at my grandparents farm.

Ken45101 said:
I have had a problem with the front lip catching a stump and flipping the unit up. It bent the front lip and cracked the tail wheel mounting when it came back down.

I have already had this happen...but without the breakage. Had it raised up fairly high but the stump was right at a breakover at the top of a hill so it caught. Thinking about welding a sort of a ramp on the front to keep it from catching like that.

Glad to hear the MD woods mowers are holding up fairly well. It's about time for me to go do some real bushhogging with it, so I won't be quite as nervous.

Thanks,
Phillip

Ken45101 · Jul 8, 2013

kentuckydiesel said:
Thinking about welding a sort of a ramp on the front to keep it from catching like that.

That's an interesting thought although I'm not sure how long of a ramp would be required to do any good. Now that I have a torch, I need to bend that lip back into proper position to minimize it catching again. Need to add that to my "to do" list. Right now, that list is growing faster than I can fix things, LOL.

Ken

kentuckydiesel · Jul 9, 2013

Ken45101 said:
That's an interesting thought although I'm not sure how long of a ramp would be required to do any good. Now that I have a torch, I need to bend that lip back into proper position to minimize it catching again. Need to add that to my "to do" list. Right now, that list is growing faster than I can fix things, LOL.

Ken

I had considered that, but a bend of any less (or more) than 90degrees will have less strength for the times when it does hit something.

I doubt a "ramp" off the lip would have to be too long...just enough to keep the lip from hanging up in things.

-Phillip