Tractor Capabilities VS. Attachment

jeff9366 · Mar 30, 2021

FlyingPRanch said:
1) Are you saying I need to run the tractor at 2,600 rpm in order to operate the brush hog effectively?

2) Do I need to worry about gear box rating when I purchase?

1) All compact tractor rear PTO's are engineered to run at 540 rpm.

(( Front PTOs operate at 1,000 rpm. ))

Before commencing a row cut, engine throttle will require just under 2,600 rpm to achieve 540 rpm without load. When cutting thick/high/tough/ resistant grass a bit more throttle will be required to maintain 540 rpm, probably 2,600 rpm.

Tractors are designed to work hard. Fuel use will increase about 50% per hour when operating a Rotary Mower.

Check your fluid levels and clear radiator screen(s) if obstructed by debris before mowing for several hours.

2) Not with your modest power tractor unitized with a 60" Rotary Cutter.

FlyingPRanch · Mar 30, 2021

KubotaToy said:
There should be a mark on your tack for 540 PTO rpm which is what you want to run most rear pto implements, that is its effective speed, it is not at max throttle. It has been a few weeks since I was on the tractor but I think it is somewhere around 2400 tractor rpm. If you get a 5' brush cutter, it will be rated for way more HP than your tractor has or if your wondering about PTO speed, the gearbox is geared to work at the 540 pto rpm standard although you can run it less if the conditions allow it.

Thanks!

I know you said you had a "Rhino" for a while. Is there any other brands you may suggest that are in a moderate price range? The County Line at Tractor Supply is $1,400. Am I just paying for a cheap Chinese implement that is going to cause more headaches than good?

jeff9366 · Mar 30, 2021

Reasonably priced brand suggestions would be great too.

TSC's 'CountyLine' implements are assembled by Tarter in Kentucky. CountyLine implements come festooned with Tarter stickers.

LINK: 3-Point Series — Tarter Farm and Ranch Equipment | American Made Quality Since 1945

VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=TARTER+BUSH+HOG+ROTARY

I own no Tarter/CountyLine implements but I confess to being an implement snob. And I rack up 250 - 300 tractor engine hours annually.

Tarter/CountyLine implements are home owner / hobby farm grade. TSC sells a lot of them. $3.00 per pound is a low price for a PTO-powered implement.

Does your mowing application require exceptional implement endurance?

'Bush Hog' invented/refined the Rotary Cutter in Georgia during the 1950's. You are hardly buying into a new, untried category of implement.

KubotaToy · Mar 30, 2021

FlyingPRanch said:
I know you said you had a "Rhino" for a while. Is there any other brands you may suggest that are in a moderate price range? The County Line at Tractor Supply is $1,400. Am I just paying for a cheap Chinese implement that is going to cause more headaches than good?

As jeff9366 stated, the price point brands are lighter duty homeowner use but if all you need is to cut a few acres of grass, any of them will do. I am a one who buys the best I can afford. I use my equipment hard and do not want to work on them but if I need to repair something, I also want to be able to buy parts. Some of the cheaper brands can be hard to get parts once they are a few years old.

I have owned Bush hogs, Rhinos, Woods and a King Cutter in various sizes. All have have performed well, the only one that has never broke and is used the most is the King cutter. I mounted it behind a 90 hp tractor sometimes and use it as a mulcher for limbs I cut off trees I take down

... not a recommended use.

One other consideration, if you are just cutting grass, you may want a finishing mower, I have a 6' finishing mower behind my wife's tractor that she uses to mow the pasture. The only time I use a rotary cutter on the pasture is when I let it get overgrown which is seldom.

airbiscuit · Mar 30, 2021

I've owned 2 KingKutter rotary cutters. They have been tough and very functional. I cut brush up to 1 1/2" thick up to 8' tall. My 24hp John Deere 850 powered a 5' kutter just fine. Here is a pic of the trail I cut with a 4' KingKutter and a 15hp Shibaura.

jeff9366 · Mar 31, 2021

My first Rotary Cutter (48") was from King Cutter. It was faultless. I purchased a few wear parts direct from King Kutter. KK's customer service for parts was good.

Until a few years ago KIng Kutter produced TSC's CountyLine implements. Then TSC changed to Tarter as its supplier for CountyLine implements, perhaps because Tarter could supply livestock paraphernalia in addition to tractor implements.

King Kutter continues to produce and sell implements under their own brand, King Kutter. King Kutter also produces implements for Rural King's 'RK' implement brand, painted 'RK red', rather than 'KK yellow'.

I consider King Kutter implements higher in quality than Tarter implements based on retail inspections and my multi-year experience with the one King Kutter Rotary Cutter.

I now use a 60" heavy-duty Rotary Cutter from Land Pride, product code RCR2660, weighing 1,000 pounds, for mowing thick Florida jungle. Land Pride is owned 100% by Kubota. I began buying Land Pride intermittently when I began buying Kubota tractors.

RCR2660 is too heavy for your B2910 to manage.

" I am a one who buys the best I can afford. I use my equipment hard and do NOT want to work on equipment when something needs repair."

Me too. Too old.

blacktruck · Mar 31, 2021

FlyingPRanch said:
Morning,

I am in the market for a brush hog but do not know much about it. I have a Kubota B2910 (25 HP PTO??). Cutting about 5 acres of horse pasture. The pasture has been kind of neglected but does not have saplings (maybe a handful), just a bunch of random grasses and weeds. I plan to rehab it and plant fescue.

So my question is; can I get away with a 5ft light duty mower? Will this be to much strain on the tractor? If so, maybe a 4ft medium duty? Reasonably priced brand suggestions would be great too.

Thanks!

Your tractor should have no problem with a 5' rotary mower. Mowing a lot of saplings would be a little tough but doable. Typical grass and weeds should go right through it. With a tractor the size of yours, I would not go use any smaller rotary mower. The 1' difference in size makes a fair amount of difference in the time it takes to mow a field. I'm not sure what criteria you are using to describe light duty or medium duty. I would find a well made "Bush Hog" type of mower that you can get parts or service for in your local area. You will find few parts ever need to be replaced but just on the outside chance you, it is nice to be able to procure those locally.

FlyingPRanch · Mar 31, 2021

jeff9366 said:
Reasonably priced brand suggestions would be great too.

TSC's 'CountyLine' implements are assembled by Tarter in Kentucky. CountyLine implements come festooned with Tarter stickers.

LINK: 3-Point Series — Tarter Farm and Ranch Equipment | American Made Quality Since 1945

VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=TARTER+BUSH+HOG+ROTARY

I own no Tarter/CountyLine implements but I confess to being an implement snob. And I rack up 250 - 300 tractor engine hours annually.

Tarter/CountyLine implements are home owner / hobby farm grade. TSC sells a lot of them. $3.00 per pound is a low price for a PTO-powered implement.

Does your mowing application require exceptional implement endurance?

'Bush Hog' invented/refined the Rotary Cutter in Georgia during the 1950's. You are hardly buying into a new, untried category of implement.

At first it may be a little hard on the cutter due to the neglect the pasture has seen. We are currently combing through to pick up branches, rocks, etc. I will try to get a picture of what I'm working to post. It may not be as daunting as I'm thinking due to my lack of experience with a brush hog. Thank you for all the help!

blacktruck · Mar 31, 2021

Yep, a little prep for the field is not a bad thing. I used to take care of some pastures at my grandpa's place. Doing a quick walk through is not a bad thing just to find buried or hidden hazards. Run over it the first time very slowly. After that it will be just like mowing the yard but faster.

JohnnyMX · Mar 31, 2021

Seems like if you are going to buy get one that plans more for the second cut and just assume a slower speed the first time around, or as Jeff said, take a smaller cut. Once you have it under control, you will want a full width cut to get it done faster. I had an old Kubota 2250HD and a 5' cutter worked great after the initial cutting. I had about 20 acres to mow back that was under-maintained CRP land. I'd also go with something with chains as even my MX5200 will bog down as it has a solid rear and doesn't like to clear heavy debris very well. Let it flow.