Rotary Cutter Can I?

[Stancoll]

On our hunting property we have found a wet weather hole (mini-eden) that we want easy access to. Its about 25-30 ft from a hunt plot but a lot of scrub stuff. About the thickest most of it is about the thickness of the little finger and about 3-4 ft tall. Pretty thick, just walking through is labor intensive. I tried going thru with my Mahindra 1526, but I'm nervous about tearing something at the undercarriage area. Would it hurt to back the rotary mower thru first backing in low 1st and the first cut real high? No stumps that we can see just scrub whatever it is. Your thought?

 

[Shaneard]

I don't think it would hurt to back in it, be careful not to get stuck and also watch out for puncturing a tire after cutting it.

 

[Stancoll]

I don't think it would hurt to back in it, be careful not to get stuck and also watch out for puncturing a tire after cutting it.

Thanks, good thing to watch out for, punctured tire.

 

[papachaz]

I don't think it would hurt to back in it, be careful not to get stuck and also watch out for puncturing a tire after cutting it.

yeah if it was me, I'd back in with the cutter raises as far as you can/want to go and start it cutting on the way back OUT. Do you have a loader? can you not set it on the ground and push the scrub stuff out?

 

[Stancoll]

yeah if it was me, I'd back in with the cutter raises as far as you can/want to go and start it cutting on the way back OUT. Do you have a loader? can you not set it on the ground and push the scrub stuff out?

I do have the loader, I'll give it a try but I think with the slick tip it may ride under the bucket. Wish I had that Piranha Blade.looks like it might just grab the stuff while pushing. The scrub is grow over from old logging trail probaly 10 to 15 years ago.

 

[Egon]

Trying to work through it with mower will probably end with a new tire or two and maybe branches stuck or poking holes on the tractor underside.

The toothed cutting bar and making a cleaned strip might be easier??

 

[CobyRupert]

(IMHO)
Like other say, if you back in have cutter raised high, then lower it onto what your cutting. Backing up about a cutter length at a time. It's hard to see what you backing into with heavy bush, and if you find that odd stump, rock, fence post, sapling that doesn't bend , etc... rotary mowers make one h*ll of a noise when the object pushes the mowers sheet metal lip into the blades as you back into it. Ask me how I know. -then comes the job of parking mower between 2 trees with 2 come-alongs, trying to bend the lip out again.

Other way is to go forward (slowly) and curl bucket down about 6-10" off the ground so that brush get snapped over or uprooted before they get mowed. This is also good method to find those hidden stumps, rocks, posts, etc... Not a fool proof system though, it might knock over 99%, but there will still be that ONE that will try to wedge itself in the wrong place. Go slow and watch.

 

[MultiMow]

Depends on how much time you want to kill, and if you want to be looking backward over your shoulder all day.

If you only have a 25-30ft passage to clear... and don't feel comfortable on a tractor.... you could buy a good carbide tooth brush blade for your string trimmer for around $15 on eBay. Shouldn't take you any more than a couple hours to clear that short distance.

 

[LD48750]

Nothing over finger size?
I wouldn't think twice about it.
Back in with the cutter at what you normally cut at & get it done.

 

[MESSMAKER]

Do it all the time. I set the loader about 6 inches off the ground and go slow and careful. You should be fine.

 

[Stancoll]

Thanks everyone, all good advice I will attempt to heed. One thing for sure, my hunting partner will be ahead of me on his atv to look for any obstructions that don't just jump out at us..

 

[wagne223]

This is me clearing an overgrown field on some hunting property.
Had no idea what was in there. Just went slow, and watched for stumps, or anything that would cause problems.

But this is me. You have to do what is comfortable for you.

Kubota L2501 Heavy Brushcutting - YouTube

 

[nyone]

4ft tall stuff i would just dump the bucket all the way and scrape away. It should pull loose most of the small bushes, trees and leave the top soil.

 

[4570Man]

4ft tall stuff i would just dump the bucket all the way and scrape away. It should pull loose most of the small bushes, trees and leave the top soil.

Terrible idea especially going backwards. Tractors aren’t meant for that and the cylinders will bend.

 

[nyone]

No one said anything about going backwards. And i guess i should have a mountian of bent cylinders by now...yet i have none and a 61yr old tractor.

 

[wagne223]

Terrible idea especially going backwards. Tractors aren’t meant for that and the cylinders will bend.

Yes, the bucket has a lot of leverage when dumped and the extended cylinders are at their weakest point.

When I use the loader as a dozer, I keep the bucket as parallel to the ground as possible.

Of course now that I'm better with the box blade, I really only use the loader for picking up and dumping material.
The BB does all the digging, scraping and loosening.

 

[4570Man]

No one said anything about going backwards. And i guess i should have a mountian of bent cylinders by now...yet i have none and a 61yr old tractor.

Glad it works for you. But it’s a bad idea especially going backwards. Plenty of people have bent cylinders doing it. You probably aren’t going to change your ways and I don’t care but now at least the new unsuspecting tractor owner has been warned.

 

[tcreeley]

With my bush hog I have cut a lot of brush, grown up field edges. I have a 5' tow along. It handles 3" spruce, pine, 1 " birch, golden rods, ant hills. I just leave the bucket low to warn me of stones or tree limbs.

 

[Stancoll]

Glad it works for you. But it’s a bad idea especially going backwards. Plenty of people have bent cylinders doing it. You probably aren’t going to change your ways and I don’t care but now at least the new unsuspecting tractor owner has been warned.

OK gentlemen, lets keep it civil. I'm just asking for advice/input, not wanting to cause confrontation. All good advice and direction that I will remember and try to use. I have used the bucket parallel to the ground and pushed a few things behind my home that I wanted further out in the woods. I've also backed my rotary mower to cut some small patches that i could not otherwise get to by going forward. The only time that I've used the bucket to drag with is to float/back drag some fill dirt. I have to change part of my statement, I believe i said 25-30 feet, it's more like 30 yards, sorry, my bad. I was just thinking that backing up slowly would be a way to keep from getting stuff caught in the undercarriage. Still sounds good, but the punctured tires are a consideration. I may just wait until I cough up the cash for the Piranha teeth bar. Hope yawl have a great weekend!

 

[nyone]

Again no one said to scrape going backwards. That wouldnt even make sence. Your cylinders would be pulled appart not compressed thus no risk in bending a cyl.