4' Cutter??

[ebbtide]

4\' Cutter??

I have looked at several brands in the last couple of days.
The King Kutters, Kodiaks and Howse are what interest me.
The Howse looks the best and is the best price @ 495.00. My question is what company has the best product or sevice record? They are all with in a $100 bucks of eachother. Any help would be great! I have a 204 4x4 jinma if that helps.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

Re: 4\' Cutter??

Had a HOWSE, it was junk. When I sold one of my tractors I made the guy haul the Howse cuttery away with the tractor. I'd never buy another piece of their equipment again. I also borrowed a Howse 7' landscape rake from a friend who sells them. It worked. But it too was junk. Very lightly made, difficult to adjust compared to some of the quality brands like Midwest, and I can't image it would hold up well over the long haul. The rake and several other Howse pieces are still sitting on his lot rusting. Just my $0.02. Lot's of others seem to think they got their money's worth out of Howse equipment, all I can say is that my opinion is the stuff is cheap and cheaply made with very poor paint finishes.

Never seen a Kodiak so I have no clue about it.

The stuff I've seen from King Kutter ranks in quality with Howse, perhaps a bit better based on the reports I've seen on TBN? But still a low quality brand.

I suppose any of them would work fine if you are not planning on using them a lot. I generally feel that a heavily used piece of equipment should be a quality piece and you can get by cheap with something you don't use very often.

 

[jwstewar]

Re: 4\' Cutter??

I have a 4' KK that I use behind my NH TC24. I've had it now about 1 1/2 years. I've not had any problems with it. Most of my cutting involves bagging down a ditch. I usually end up wedging it into the bank on the other side (try not to do that too often or too hard when I do) but haven't had any problems even though a few times I've wedged it in pretty hard. I've buried it in the mud a couple of times (along with the tractor). I hit a metal guard that the electric company had taken off one of their guy wires and tossed down. I've mowed down several 2" + trees. It pretty much seems to take everything in stride. I've not bent or broken anything on it yet - including the sides. A lot of times it'll end up dragging the ground and I can't figure out why I can't turn. The sides haven't bent yet. Only thing that has happened is I've scratched the KK decals on the side up pretty good. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

BTW, I did use this for ballast when I was setting the trusses on my garage. I put 6 4"X8"X16" solid blocks on the cutter to keep my back tires on the ground. It didn't hurt anything on it a bit. I paid $500 for from the dealer when I bought the tractor. Could've gotten for less, but I told him I would give him $500 if he didn't put it on the paperwork and just "throw" it in.

 

[LMTC]

Re: 4\' Cutter??

KK, Kodiak, Howse? Kodiak. And yes, I have seen it. Even their SD is plenty heavy for a CUT.

 

[B2400]

Re: 4\' Cutter??

I have a 4ft KK that I've used behind a B7100 and now my B2400 for 3 years. I wouldn't say it's been abused but I've cut down some 1"-2" saplings with it and haven't had any trouble what so ever. I changed the gear box oil to Mobil 1 synthetic after the first year and lube the U-joints every time I use it. I also have King Kutters' 5ft box blade and haven't had any trouble with it either. I don't believe I'm particularly hard on equipment so their product has served me well.

 

[EastTexFrank]

Re: 4\' Cutter??

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( <font color="blue"> I generally feel that a heavily used piece of equipment should be a quality piece and you can get by cheap with something you don't use very often. </font> )</font>

I generally follow Bob's philosophy so it depends on how hard you are going to work the shredder. If all you are going to be cutting is grass on relatively flat , smoothe land, then probably any of the brands mentioned will do the job. When I was looking for a 4' cutter, I passed on the Howse and got one from my Kubota dealer. It was a "Busy Bee Agri-4" or something like that. I didn't know the brand but thought it was a little stouter than the Howse. It did cost a few dollars more but not all that much. I guess that would put it as a medium build type of shredder. My dealer usually only handles the medium to heavy types of equipment as he says he can't compete with the likes of TSC on the lighter to medium stuff. Mine sits outside in the elements, so I didn't want to buy a more expensive one, and I only use it about 2 or 3 times a year to cut 8 acres but I can get rough with it. So far it has stood up well. The paint has faded, it has a few rust spots but it's still functioning. In fact it chewed up a metal T-post that was hidden in the grass a couple of weeks ago. I don't know where that came from. I've cut that pasture at least 20 times and never seen it before.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

[penokee]

Re: 4\' Cutter??

I purchased a 4' Bush Hog Squealer a couple of years ago to pull behind my TO20, and it did a good job on heavy brush and small trees up to 3" diameter (only problem was the TO20 not geared low enough - had a few pucker situations). Believe I paid around $1,000. Never used any other brands, so can't comment on those.

penokee /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[ebbtide]

Re: 4\' Cutter??

As always you guy have some great insight! I think I may go back and give the kodiak another look.

 

[JDNineNinety]

Re: 4\' Cutter??

Check out the John Deere cutters. I have an MX5 medium
duty that weighs 750 pounds. It is a hoss.

 

[theboman]

Re: 4\' Cutter??

I have a John Cain Agri-Fab 4' cutter cost in the $400-$500 range and it'll cut anything you put under it! It'll cut 2"-3" trees on a B7500.

Amazing little cutter.

 

[KiotiJohn]

Re: 4\' Cutter??

Don't know the Kodiak, but I've given all kinds of heck to my 4' Howse cutter, and it's holding up just fine.
I've managed to cut down 3" saplings with it (backing in slowly, cutting, backing, cutting etc.), without any damage or ever breaking a shear pin.
I know they're less expensive, but this one is holding up so well that I think it's worth the money.
Of course, properly maintaining any cutter makes a huge difference. John

 

[Soundguy]

Re: 4\' Cutter??

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Howse equipment, all I can say is that my opinion is the stuff is cheap and cheaply made with very poor paint finishes.
)</font>

You do realize that howse makes a HD line to go along with their extremely 'economy' line don't you?

The howse HD 10' 3pt mower I've got has been tough. And my nh 7610s puts it thru the ropes. Considering I have roughly twice the pto hp the mower needs to cut adequately, it gets a real workout. I've accitentally knocked over 3" trees with it when making a tight corner... didn't even scratch the paint... And fences.. let me tell you.. it will take out a row of fence posts hitdden in a thick stand of weeds like no tomorrow.. scare the heck out of you while doing it too!

The metal on the deck is stiff enough to NOT bow when i walk across it. The upright supports are 1/2 plate steel. Heck.. i didn't see any steel on it under 3/8's thick, save the shield and deck metal.

A decent mower, but it is in the HD line.

For the economy line.. I think KK is just a tad better than howse.. but then it is also a tad more expensive.

Soundguy

 

[Curt]

Re: 4\' Cutter??

Mike,

I bought a Kodiak 4' SD cutter a few months ago, but at a higher price (I think freight from TN is a lot of the difference). I've used it several times and been very satisfied. I was impressed with the welding job and closed seams compared to a King Kutter. Finish is much better, too.

Curt