Brush cutters

[whistlepig]

Recommended is 5 HP per foot on a rotary cutter minimum. That's pushing it if you mow heavy stuff.

 

[Slickheadhunter]

Recommended is 5 HP per foot on a rotary cutter minimum. That's pushing it if you mow heavy stuff.

Using the 5 HP per foot rule a five foot cutter using 31 PTO hp I should be fine?

 

[whistlepig]

You would have 6 PTO HP to spare on the 5' rule.

 

[xring100]

Using the 5 HP per foot rule a five foot cutter using 31 PTO hp I should be fine?

You'll be fine in field grass or light brush but I can load my tractor up pretty good if you start throwing 2" diameter saplings into the picture and thats with 75 pto hp and 7 foot deck ~11 hp/ft.

One option you see guys here using is leaving overlap and only using a portion of the deck if it gets slow going

 

[Piston]

You would absolutely be fine with the medium duty cutter, the Woods 600 would be great for your tractor. It is still a very well built and durable cutter that will last you a lifetime. My tractor weighs 6k lbs with FEL and ballast in the rear tires, I use a 6' 1,100 lb rotary cutter (a true medium duty cutter, "heavy duty" to some). I handle the weight just fine as long as the FEL stays on. Without it I can do power wheelies relatively easy. A true heavy duty 6' cutter is too much for my tractor, I'm referring to cutter's like the Brown 672.

I have 39-40 PTO hp, it takes a bit to get the cutter spinning, but once there is great. If I do anything thick, like 2" material or more, I have to go very slow, it will overwhelm the cutter.

I've had both light duty and medium duty, I will never recommend a light duty cutter to anyone, not even for field mowing unless it's a very small tractor. There are times you can get away with Light Duty when all your mowing is grass and very small brush, but I would never recommend one. Not to mention, resale is horrible on light duty equipment, mostly because it's always pretzeled up and bent and torn apart.

Lastly, be careful on other manufacturers "naming" of they're cutters. You will see some advertised as heavy duty, yet, they weigh 500lbs with a 35hp gearbox rating.

 

[Slickheadhunter]

You would absolutely be fine with the medium duty cutter, the Woods 600 would be great for your tractor. It is still a very well built and durable cutter that will last you a lifetime. My tractor weighs 6k lbs with FEL and ballast in the rear tires, I use a 6' 1,100 lb rotary cutter (a true medium duty cutter, "heavy duty" to some). I handle the weight just fine as long as the FEL stays on. Without it I can do power wheelies relatively easy. A true heavy duty 6' cutter is too much for my tractor, I'm referring to cutter's like the Brown 672.


I have 39-40 PTO hp, it takes a bit to get the cutter spinning, but once there is great. If I do anything thick, like 2" material or more, I have to go very slow, it will overwhelm the cutter.

I've had both light duty and medium duty, I will never recommend a light duty cutter to anyone, not even for field mowing unless it's a very small tractor. There are times you can get away with Light Duty when all your mowing is grass and very small brush, but I would never recommend one. Not to mention, resale is horrible on light duty equipment, mostly because it's always pretzeled up and bent and torn apart.

Lastly, be careful on other manufacturers "naming" of they're cutters. You will see some advertised as heavy duty, yet, they weigh 500lbs with a 35hp gearbox rating.

That's what I was hoping, the one thing I will be very careful with is driving to my plots. Going up my road is no problem but once I turn off my road onto the dirt road it can get a little rough. The dirt road is about 1/4 mile and with that kind of weight hanging off the back it will be slow going.

 

[whistlepig]

A heavy duty cutter is heavy in weight. A medium duty cutter is lighter in weight. The HP required the same for both of the same size cut. More strength and longevity for the heavier cutters in my experience. Still don't compromise the tractor for the cutter. Cutter's are a bit cheaper to replace.

 

[xring100]

I agree with piston you probably close enough to the minimum horsepower you'd be alright and not have an issue. Is this tractor an electronic self modulated Pto or manual I like being incontrol? Once its spinning the rotational inertia will work to your advantage. Bush hog, woods, landpride, brown, there are others , make true medium duty cutters that are rated. 2.5 -3" that weigh twice as much as the heavy duty pieces of junk by some of the other brands. Ive seen some of these supposed heavy duties that looked like they cleared a mine field with them. I wouldn't want the light duty of woods BH etc either unless it would be only used for field grass they are just too delicate

 

[Slickheadhunter]

A heavy duty cutter is heavy in weight. A medium duty cutter is lighter in weight. The HP required the same for both of the same size cut. More strength and longevity for the heavier cutters in my experience. Still don't compromise the tractor for the cutter. Cutter's are a bit cheaper to replace.

Using the 5hp per foot rule and having 3525lb lift capacity on my three point hitch lifting a 1000lb cutter should fall into the safe category?! More involved than I thought it would be.

 

[Slickheadhunter]

I agree with piston you probably close enough to the minimum horsepower you'd be alright and not have an issue. Is this tractor an electronic self modulated Pto or manual I like being incontrol? Once its spinning the rotational inertia will work to your advantage. Bush hog, woods, landpride, brown, there are others , make true medium duty cutters that are rated. 2.5 -3" that weigh twice as much as the heavy duty pieces of junk by some of the other brands. Ive seen some of these supposed heavy duties that looked like they cleared a mine field with them. I wouldn't want the light duty of woods BH etc either unless it would be only used for field grass they are just too delicate

It has a dual stage clutch live PTO