Buying Advice Friend needs to replace a Kioti CK30 due to rotary cutter "bush hog" weight

[Sportsman762]

With a brush hog or rotary cutter attached, a wheelie isn't going to happen, other than possibly a few inches before the slack in the mower bottoms out.

I would question the wisdom of the thin little straps on the back of a bush hog preventing a rear roll over.

I am pretty sure you can have a small child bend the rear braces by hand as 1/4"x2" has very little compression strength. The upright mast is just held on by a single bolt on each side, creating a pivot point.

 

[Sid Post]

I would question the wisdom of the thin little straps on the back of a bush hog preventing a rear roll over.
View attachment 4286899

I am pretty sure you can have a small child bend the rear braces by hand as 1/4"x2" has very little compression strength. The upright mast is just held on by a single bolt on each side, creating a pivot point.

His mower is a heavy duty unit not some cheap Chinese made thing from Harbor Freight, TSC, Atwoods, etc.

 

[RayIN]

The

My friend bought a 5' Everything Attachments heavy rotary cutter, aka Bush Hog, and has been using it with a compact Kioti CK30 (think that is the correct model number). While it was a good tractor with the lightweight, disposable Kioti rotary cutter, it isn't really safe around his dam and is generally poorly 'balanced'.

He needs a compact tractor since he clears trails in trees where the lanes are pretty tight. Looking for a replacement in East Texas via TractorHouse and TractorData, I'm not seeing anything that jumps out at me.

I remember seeing an older Massey 26xx something with a Perkins engine that was an older operating station model, but I can't seem to find it today. Kubota and John Deere rule around here with some Mahindra and TYM support.

What tractor models do EA 5' rotary mower owners have that are appropriate for mowing rough trails and the backside of a dam? I am looking for something safe, as he was lucky to remain uninjured when the Hydrostat starved of oil and he rolled backwards down a big dam. Width and height need to remain reasonable for "walking" trails in trees where he blades rain washouts and picks up downed limbs and cut up felled trees.

.....

Please ignore the AutoCorrect/AI madness in this post ...

The solution is to buy a 4' mower and sell the 5'; too much mower for that tiny tractor IMO.
The hydrostatic losing pressure means he needs a gear drive instead for mowing that dam.
Our dam is about 35°, I mowed it with my old H.Ferguson 30 and a 4' rotary mower, only going downhill in low gear.
I did make sure the ground and grass was dry first.

 

[SPYDERLK]

With a brush hog or rotary cutter attached, a wheelie isn't going to happen, other than possibly a few inches before the slack in the mower bottoms out.

I would question the wisdom of the thin little straps on the back of a bush hog preventing a rear roll over.
View attachment 4286899

I am pretty sure you can have a small child bend the rear braces by hand as 1/4"x2" has very little compression strength. The upright mast is just held on by a single bolt on each side, creating a pivot point.

Yes. There is just the small but notable benefit of suspended weight going to ground. A warning/2nd chance to do the right thing.

 

[Sportsman762]

His mower is a heavy duty unit not some cheap Chinese made thing from Harbor Freight, TSC, Atwoods, etc.

My friend bought a 5' Everything Attachments heavy rotary cutter, aka Bush Hog, and has been using it with a compact Kioti CK30

Not trying to be a jerk. But the photo with the thin little straps is from this link.

60 Inch XTreme Duty Rotary Brush Cutter

The 60 Inch XTreme Duty Rotary Brush Cutter with 45 HP Gearbox and shear bolt PTO shaft, 60' cut, 66' wide, standard front and rear shielding, Free Shipping

www.everythingattachments.com

View attachment 4286899

I still stand by my point that the thin braces on the bush hog have little stopping power on a rearwards roll.

 

[Shawn T. W.]

You mean he doesn't want to go for an uncomfortable ride?

https://www.reddit.com/r/Whatcouldgowrong/comments/1odo1w9

Probably should have dropped the tiller ... !

 

[Sid Post]

You mean he doesn't want to go for an uncomfortable ride?

https://www.reddit.com/r/Whatcouldgowrong/comments/1odo1w9

Probably should have dropped the tiller ... !

I vote idiot who didn't know what they were doing.

 

[Texasmark]

Could he get some front suitcase weights?

I’d imagine it’d probably be possible to weld up a bracket for them on the front of the tractor.

Probably cheaper than another tractor anyways.

I needed to weigh down a Ford 2000 diesel and built a bracket for the front as suggested here. Home Depot had 8x16 solid concrete, not cinder block but the heavier.....very heavy to pickup with your hands, and I think it was 4 maybe 6 on the bracket strapped down. Did the job.

Other thing is rear tread width. Increasing that will surely help stability on dams especially if you mow along the dam rather than up and down. I got a piece of 8" diameter steel pipe and cut 2ea. 4" sections....4" because that would set the outside of the rears just within the width of my mower. I made a diagram of the axle's 6 hole mounting dimensions and took it to a machine shop where they made mounting plates out of 1/4" sheet steel.

Brought it home and welded it up and walla better stability.