conflicting advice on using bucket with rotary cutter

   / conflicting advice on using bucket with rotary cutter #1  

dxturner

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Jan 14, 2022
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One dealer said leave the bucket on and run it slightly lower than the cutter to find any stumps, etc.
One dealer said leave the bucket on and run it slightly higher than the cutter to find any 'big stuff' and help with stability.
Two dealers said to take it off to help with visibility and turning.

What do you think?
 
   / conflicting advice on using bucket with rotary cutter #3  
Is there was a single correct answer for all situations, all dealers would give you the same answer. If you mow areas where stuff might be in the way, I'd go with number one, but keep the bucket curled up. That way if you find something the heel of the bucket will ride up over it rather than the edge catching it and possibly bending a loader arm.
 
   / conflicting advice on using bucket with rotary cutter #4  
I mow hills.. pretty steep hills. For stability, the bucket helps. That said, the bucket makes the whole rig longer and does make it harder to turn when in tight places.

If running on flat land that you know, you likely do not need the bucket on. if on land you do not know and there is a chance of hitting a stump, then do as @Diggin It suggested - leave it down and curled to feel for stumps.

On land I know, I loose the bucket but put my fork vertical plate on. It adds just the right weight to balance the brush hog.
 
   / conflicting advice on using bucket with rotary cutter #5  
One dealer said leave the bucket on and run it slightly lower than the cutter to find any stumps, etc.
One dealer said leave the bucket on and run it slightly higher than the cutter to find any 'big stuff' and help with stability.
Two dealers said to take it off to help with visibility and turning.

What do you think?

Lower than the mower? It's going to be digging in to the ground a lot. That's not going to work well.

Driving around with the bucket raised up high is inviting a rollover.

I leave the loader and bucket on. I keep the bucket low for better balance and to hopefully find stuff before I try to mow it. But I can't run it low enough to detect rocks that only stick up a few inches that the mower can catch and pull out of the ground, or branches lying on the ground. That's most of the objects I accidentally mow that I'd rather not. So it's not that useful for detecting objects for me. But it would help if you have stumps in the grass.
 
   / conflicting advice on using bucket with rotary cutter #6  
I take mine off when shredding. Makes turning easier (less room required).
Most times I remove my FEL. I have enough going on behind me to have to worry about ramming my FEL into something. But I'm old..... :)
 
   / conflicting advice on using bucket with rotary cutter #7  
I mow hills.. pretty steep hills. For stability, the bucket helps. That said, the bucket makes the whole rig longer and does make it harder to turn when in tight places.

If running on flat land that you know, you likely do not need the bucket on. if on land you do not know and there is a chance of hitting a stump, then do as @Diggin It suggested - leave it down and curled to feel for stumps.

On land I know, I loose the bucket but put my fork vertical plate on. It adds just the right weight to balance the brush hog.
Other than situations where the front tires want to lift off the ground, the FEL takes away stability. A tractor gets it's stability from weight on the rear tires. An FEL removes weight from the rear tires and puts it on the front tires which oscillate.
 
   / conflicting advice on using bucket with rotary cutter #8  
Most times I remove my FEL. I have enough going on behind me to have to worry about ramming my FEL into something. But I'm old..... :)
I have in the past as well but mine are a royal PITA to take off so I just leave them on 99% of the time (minus the bucket of course).
 
   / conflicting advice on using bucket with rotary cutter #9  
I too just take the entire loader off. It just gets in the way most of the time and makes the tractor less stable. I do have front weight plus a front hydraulic winch though, so the front doesn't get light with the mower in the back.
 
   / conflicting advice on using bucket with rotary cutter #10  
That said, the bucket makes the whole rig longer and does make it harder to turn when in tight places.
^This. The lip of the bucket sticks out several feet beyond the front of the tractor so I can't get as close to fences. And area I mow doesn't have any obstacles sticking up so that's not a worry.

I remove the entire loader - not just the bucket. Easy enough to do with the Kubota - pull 2 pins and disconnect 4 hoses. Greatly enhanced visibility so I can see those big badger holes before I drive into them.

Not to mention that to mow ~ 50 acres with my 6' mower takes a lot of hours. Why pack around all that extra weight? Save some fuel - important at today's prices!
 
 
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