5'/60" rotary mower recommendation for 30~55HP tractors

[dstriplett]

Love my RhinoAg Twister TW25 cutter. Medium duty (2" cut capacity). Built like a tank. Available in 5,6,7 ' widths. Great customer service. Love the novel "stump jumper" design also.

 

[Texbest]

My friend and I currently have need of a class1/2 convertible rotary mower that has a 5' cut. He is looking at a 20-series LandPride/Kubota mower right now. Not sure on the cost, with a slip clutch it is likely in the ~$2500 range.

I have a Kubota 4600 and he has a smaller Kioti that is ~30HP with a Hydrostat so, still probably a good match for a 5' cut.

Where he cuts has a lot of rocks so that has basically destroyed his current mower which is a Kioti. Kioti and they don't have repair parts so, there really aren't any good repair options. His stump jumper seems to be welded on the PTO box shaft so, he can't really service it without a cutting torch so, that with no Kioti parts support, at this time he is moving on to a new mower.

He mows around his tree farm and the backside of a dam so, the mower gets enough rough service, a lighter cheaper one won't really work that well for him.

So rocks, trees stumps possibly, branches, and similar hazards along with mowing a tree farm and his dam, I good medium class mower is likely a good fit. Thoughts?

What what would you recommend? Where are the price breaks on this size mower in terms of quality and durability? Will $2K~$3K get a mower that will hold up to this type of service?

Best Regards,
Sid

Bush Hog or Rhino and be done with it. Both are Alamo brands, and both are the undisputed leaders of the rotary cutter business. **you get what you pat for**

 

[Texbest]

You must get commission from Brown

I made a verifiable statement of fact. You did not

Brown is great gear, but smaller mfg. Couple that with ignorant parts counter guys and replacing blades becomes a nearly Impossible task.

 

[JWR]

Get a Brown 415 it’s the heaviest duty that size tractor can run. With chains it’s around $4200 plus tax. Side by side with a RCR 1860 there is little comparison

I say the Brown is overpriced. Parts are harder to get for the Brown in most areas. So are dealers. So I disagree.

 

[JWR]

I agree I wouldnt want to share a cutter that someone is gonna beat the snot out of.

Depending on what model the 30hp kioti is....it might be better suited for a 6' cutter. Which is a much better match for your larger tractor also.

Not sure the deal with the kioti cutter.....but I highly doubt the stump jumper is actually welded to the gearbox output unless some previous owner did so.
6' is the sweet spot for pricing. 5' is also quite affordable because they are common. above 6 the prices go up alot....and smaller than 5' the prices dont really drop and sometimes even more just because lack of demand for anything smaller.

I'd be trying to find some used old iron if the plan is to beat the snot out of it

I agree with LD1 (and those who question the partnership.) I suggest you buy a medium duty 6' RC for your L4600 which is just right for it and let your friend buy a heavier 5ft that is better for his tractor. There are so many hogs around unless you are in some huge hurry you can find a good used 5ft hog for $1000. I found a consignment Bush Hog brand 5ft with very few hrs on it for $1000 a couple years ago. The 6ft is going to cost more but again, so many around. I like Bush Hog best because they back their machines so well and they are made as good as any. AND there are more dealers than most. Landpride is good. I had a Deere MX6 6ft that was excellent. So are some others. Once you get a good solid 6ft one and your friend gets a 5ft one ... you can still loan each other once in a while and stand a whole lot more chance of staying friends than what you started out planning to do.

 

[Sid Post]

They are usually a tapered spline so think like a ball joint or tie rod end.

A homemade puller of some sort, and maybe a little heating and hammering. Sometimes they go easy....sometimes........

Heat and puller have not moved it at all. We used a torch to heat it up pretty hot and used a puller on it with no movement.

 

[Sid Post]

My friend is essentially a brother from different mother. We both look out for each other better than my siblings do for me. When my parents were alive, my parents treated him like a son as well and he treated them like parents.

I'm not worried about him breaking my mower. If he did, he would fix it good as new. Same here.

 

[oosik]

For more than a couple years - I've been looking for a rotary cutter. Rhino, Woods, Land Pride, Brown, Bush Hog, etc - - all seem to have top line models. Not a single one specify that they can handle ROCKS.

I would not partner up with anybody who will be trashing a rotary cutter on rocks.

Get your own cutter - let him get whatever he wants.

 

[Sid Post]

We aren't mowing a rock quarry but, there are rocks that get exposed with soil erosion and similar stuff along with a stump or two hidden in brush and tall grass. Heck, I hit a solid metal shaft that came from who knows where and had been there many years, likely decades.

I tilled up some pasture that had been rooted out by feral hogs and discovered what I think was an old farmhouse site. I also turned up some football sized rocks. My Angsun gear drive tiller took that beating and kept running just fine. Obviously, I would avoid things like that if I knew they were there but, buying a property from someone that is unrelated to the owners with history to it is a mixed bag with issues like this.

 

[Sid Post]

He has a new EA "Rotary mower" headed our way in ~4 months and I have a Land Plane coming. I know I will be glad when he pulls his driveway and trails with my Land Plane!