Rotary Cutter Rotary Cutters

[xring100]

Buy a quality cutter the first time.I did not have good luck with my 5ft king kutter it had cheap steal on the sides.I ended up buying higher end 6ft brush hog brand cutter that is very stout.

I agree a cheap cutter will be destroyed a good cutter won't need to be replaced or repaired even if you find something bigger than its rated cut. king kutters idea if heavy duty is different than woods, bush hog, and landpride. They would be labeled as light duty. Most medium duty cutters have 1/4" plate for side skirts compared to the light Guage metal on KK or any of the cheap $500 TSC models

 

[airbiscuit]

Buy the best cutter you can afford. All good advice here, but the OP will have to decide on budget. One way or another, having a rotary cutter lets you do wonderful things with your property.

 

[ovrszd]

Buy the best cutter you can afford. All good advice here, but the OP will have to decide on budget. One way or another, having a rotary cutter lets you do wonderful things with your property.

I agree. Buying used will extend that budget even farther and into a heavier cutter. But as Larry said, it might be awhile before you find the right one.

 

[newbury]

Any votes for the Everything Attachments line?

 

[Xfaxman]

Any votes for the Everything Attachments line?

You beat me to it, I was going to mention that they have their own line now: The Everything Attachments Xtreme Duty Compact Rotary Cutter

 

[EddieWalker]

I have 32 hp at my PTO and I run a 6 foot Landpride cutter. If I can run it over, I can mow it. I'm very abusive and have destroyed just about every part of my cutter at one time or another. Busted blades to replacing the gear box. Fortunately, Landpride is great for getting replacement parts and the cutter pretty simple to work on.

For just cutting grass, I have a 7 ft Landpride side discharge finish mower. I can cut faster with it, but it's no good on taking out saplings like the rotary cutter. I got it used for $600, which was too good of a deal to pass up. But if I was to only have one cutter, it would be the 6 ft rotary cutter.

I sure wouldn't want anything smaller. I enjoy mowing, but I still want to finish as soon as possible. With my place, it takes me several days to mow each area. I mow once a month and try to get each area done after work so I can have the weekends free to spend on projects that I want to get done.

 

[RalphVa]

I've had both an LX-4 and a Frontier RC-2048. The Frontier unit is a better one. Think they were essentially the same price new.

On the Frontier, I can replace the cutter blades without needing a clamp to hold the blade up there. The stump jumper stays in place and the bolts have a detent deally whereby you put the bolt back and rotate it (or something; it stays in place), you don't need a clamp to go up top and put the nut back on. Also haven't had any issues with the check plug. Had to replace the one on the LX with a bolt.

Think you can run a 6' cutter with your tractor. The LX-4 was fine for my 18.5 hp 4010, and the 2048 Frontier is fine for my 24.5 hp 2025.

Ralph

 

[chrissheerman]

Alright first of all I didn't have a chance all weekend to look at this post to check replys. I want to thank all of you for giving me info and help.
I have been talking with the john deere dealer today he agrees that I should be able to run a light duty 6 ft of medium duty 5 ft. I agree that the tire width would be ideal however I know my rig wont wanna run a 7 foot cutter. I found a 6ft at tractor supply yesterday for $1200. Looked really light to me but would probably do the job. John deere tells me that a 5 ft medium duty will cost me $1850.00 and the 6 ft would be $2100.00.
Ill have to keep thinking about it I guess and figure out what i'm gonna do. I'm bringing my tractor up to dealer to get tubes put in my tires to solve my slow leak problem I have on two tires saturday so I plan to look at what they have up there then. Oh well its a good chunk of change either way. Thanks everyone for the info and advice again. Also if any of you are in new hampshire and run john deere this ray guy at black mount has been awesome help for parts pricing and sales for me for the last 2 seasons. Haven't ever had a dealer treat a little guy like me so good. Anyways thanks again for all the info.

 

[Turbys_1700]

I found a 6' Brown last year off Craigslist that was in excellent shape. They do not have the dealer support that Bush Hog and others have but parts are not an issue since you can purchase direct from the company. My 472 has a 130 HP gearbox and weighs in at 1100#. They are very well made machines.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I've had 2 Kingkutters, a 4' and a 5'. I was pleased with both. I have no doubt that landpride, bush hog, etc. are built heavier, but I was on a budget. I have cut 1 1/2 brush, hit stumps, etc. but it has done the job with zero problems.

I think all brands have light, medium and heavy duty style of cutters and about the only difference other than price is thicker steel in the deck. The drive line components are the same (at least on the ones that I have researched) so you don't have to worry about paying for heavy duty in order to get heavy duty drive components. I started with a light duty Howse cutter and cut 3-4" trees down with it and never even sheared a shear bolt but I did bend the sheet metal on the back (driving backward into some brush) which resulted in the blades ripping a hole in the sheet metal. A heavy duty one like the bush hog I now have wouldn't have been an issue. It all depends on how you plan to use it as to whether you need an light duty or heavy duty frame.

 

[LD1]

Light duty-Medium duty-Heavy duty dont really make a difference in the tractors ability to run the cutter. Rather the width of the cutter and your HP are the determining factors.

So your dealer saying light 6' or medium 5' I do not agree with. Your tractor will handle a heavy 6' just the same as a light 6' cutter, as long as your 3PH can lift the cutter. Since your tractor is HEAVY, and has LOTS of rear lift capacity for its relative HP, this isnt of any concern IMO.

I have both a very heavy bushhog 306....6'....1100lb cutter, and a light duty kk 5' mower thats probably 500#. Run both behind my 29 PTO HP kubota. I use the heavy cutter when doing new jobs and venturing into the unknown, or cutting really thick brush or saplings. My jobs that get done 2-4 times a year, and just grass, I use the 5' KK as it has high lift blades, and higher blade speed that result in a cleaner cut....and its light enough I can take the FEL off and still steer.

For your tractor, I would want no less than 6', and as heavy as you can afford, as heavier is gonna last longer.

Even with my 29 PTO HP, and 6' cutter, I have yet to run out of power. Sure, in thick stuff I have to go slower, but have never even touched 1st or 2nd gear even in the thickest of stuff. And 3rd gear only in the worst of cases. Most of my mowing is done in 3rd-6th gear.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

I think all brands have light, medium and heavy duty style of cutters and about the only difference other than price is thicker steel in the deck. The drive line components are the same (at least on the ones that I have researched) so you don't have to worry about paying for heavy duty in order to get heavy duty drive components.

That just isn't true! AND if it's true for Howse , then that's not a brand I'd want!

With a QUALITY rotary cutter, like Woods brand, as you go up the scale, all the steel in the deck and sides is thicker. ALSO you get a bigger stronger gear box and heavier duty PTO shaft and drive line parts.

My next cutter WILL be another Woods, medium duty! Their med. duty cutter has a 115hp rated gear box...

SR

 

[LD1]

Agree. True heavier duty cutters come with better drive line components. Stronger gearbox, heavier stump jumper, more massive blades, etc. As well as thicker decks and sides, heavier tailwheel assemblies, and heavier hitch components.

No comparison between a light duty anything, and a try heavy duty unit from bushhog, landpride, woods, rhino, etc

 

[kthompson]

If you are not able to find or use mower wide enough to cover the tire tracks see if you can get one that will extend past the my preference the right tire so you can cut close to fences or trees with at least one side. Maybe I am wrong but to me a 7 foot cutter would be too much for that tractor. The decks on those are rather huge to me. If you want a quick way to get idea of difference in the different brands just look at the weight of the cutter. Not the best way to buy but a good indicator. kt

 

[Xfaxman]

Did you see this one? Click this link: 72 Inch Xtreme Duty Brush Cutter for Tractors with up to 75 HP by Everything Attachments

 

[Sawyer Rob]

That may be a decent cutter ?, but it's far from extreme duty!

SR

 

[joefromga]

Why would the gearbox be higher rated for a heavy duty cutter if you only need a certain hp to turn it?

 

[aarolar]

That may be a decent cutter ?, but it's far from extreme duty!

SR

I was thinking the same thing.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Why would the gearbox be higher rated for a heavy duty cutter if you only need a certain hp to turn it?

Because they are made to take the torque/abuse of bigger engines and cut thicker/tougher materials...

SR

 

[Texasmark]

Light duty and medium duty have differences other than steel thickness. I wanted a 6' mower for my 6530 and the light duty was built with lighter weight materials and had a 45 hp gear box. My PTO is 57 and I have torn up a gearbox on a dual blade 8' mohawk because the tractor PTO hp was greater than the gearbox rating and in a tight, as usual the carefully maintained clutch didn't disengage fast enough when hitting a berm.

So I went with the same brand cutter just moved up to the med duty and got a stronger frame and 60 hp gearbox.

I just bought a new 5' to go with my new 2400 and I will say this: The new ones aren't built like the old ones and cost a whole lot more. It's real obvious that the new designs are doing all that they can to limit the amount of steel in the design. I'm using the one I purchased and a Bush Hog Brand at a local dealer as a comparison. If you are going to do a lot of mowing in heavy brush/timber you might look for a used name brand at least medium duty. Main problem I've experienced with any used mower is the lower shaft seal leaking on the gearbox. So that's what I look for when shopping used.

On 33 PTO hp and 86" wheel spacing, I think you met your match. 33 hp, less than my Ford 3000 will have a problem lifting and driving a 7'. You'd have to go to a dual setup with 2 3 ½ ft blades side by side with a main and 2 aux gearboxes....price just went up big time. But still it would be a concern for the 3 pt to lift it adequately to suit you.

Remember the lift rating on a 3pt is at the lift pins or 1' out. When you are talking about a mower you aren't talking about all that much dead weight per se, you have to add in the feet in the foot-pounds equation.

For a number, a 2500# lift spec (when new) say at the lift arms, figured out 10' is only 250# of lift capability and at that the engine has to be at PTO rpms to get it.

So here is the dilemma. You want a "heavy" duty mower that's 86" wide and you can't lift it, even if your 33 pto hp can drive it.......Think about it.