A Tractor Without Attachments Is Just a Slow Ride to the Mailbox

[Beltzington]

What mower to buy for this property? I would like a flail but would a finish or rotary be better? I have a tractor rated at 36HP @ the PTO. TIA

 

[john_bud]

I would buy a lite duty 6' rotary cutter. Probably KK brand or Howes. If all you are cutting is the thick grass, they will do fine. If you are wanting to cut the smaller brush and trees in the 1-2" diameter, they you need to step up into a real medium duty cutter. Woods brushbull, 720 or the equivalent bushog. The medium duty cutters are over 1000 pounds and cost 3-4x what the lite duty ones cost. 36 pto hp is perfect for a 6' attachment, not just cutters.

Flail is good for places where you don't want thrown debris. A finish mower is for manicured lawns, not so durable in a field.

 

[tractorman99]

Rotary cutter is a cheaper way out but a flail mower is a cleaner cutting
mower.

flail mower video- YouTube - BrushHound 72F-3 rear pto flail mower

rotary mower video- YouTube - Using a Rotary Cutter with a John Deere Tractor

Woods Brushbull Rotary Cutters

WOBRUSHBULL60 5' (60 inch)- Shear Pin $1,350.00
WOBRUSHBULL72 6' (72 inch) $1,675.00
WOBRUSHBULL84 7' (84 inch) $2,525.00
WOBRUSHBULL720 6' (72 inch) $2,225.00

Hurricane H70 Series Tractor Mounted Flail Mowers


Model H70-060: 60 inch working width, overall width of 69 inches, weight is 869 lbs., shipping weight of 1045 lbs., 2080 rotor rpm, blade tip speed of 8464 ft./minute, 64 blades - Price is $6575.00 delivered, (price includes shipping to commercial and residential locations), ships by truck


Model H70-072: 72 inch working width, overall width of 85 inches, weight is 955 lbs., shipping weight of 1145 lbs., 2080 rotor rpm, blade tip speed of 8464 ft./minute, 80 blades - Price is $6999.00 delivered, (price includes shipping to commercial and residential locations), ships by truck


Model H70-088: 88 inch working width, overall width of 99 inches, weight is 1078 lbs., shipping weight is 1298 lbs., 2080 rotor rpm, blade tip speed of 8464 ft./miute, 96 blades - Price is $7525.00 delivered (price includes shipping to commercial and residential locations),ships by truck

 

[Egon]

What do you wish it to end up looking like?

 

[forester2]

Don't forget the maintance you'll have with a flail: all those swing blades have to be sharpened and eventually replaced. That's why most parks and schools who used to use flails switched to rotarys.

 

[flusher]

What mower to buy for this property? I would like a flail but would a finish or rotary be better? I have a tractor rated at 36HP @ the PTO. TIA

Around here field mowing is done with rotary mowers (brush hogs). Flail mowers are used almost exclusively in the olive, walnut, almond and prune plum orchards. Flails are considerably more expensive than hogs and can be adjusted to skin the surface, if that's what you want. Hogs leave stubble 3 inches or more in height depending on adjustment.

With 36 hp you can easily handle a 5 ft hog. My Mahindra 5525 has 45 hp at the pto and handles a 6-ft Hawkline hog with no trouble ($1150).

 

[have_blue]

Looks a lot like my land.

I recommend a light-medium duty 6' rotary cutter for your 36hp PTO. If you mow it often, that's all you need. If you let the weeds and brush build up, you will have to go slowly. If you keep the blades sharp and mow at least 5-6 times a season, mowing is fast and makes a nice job.

I've owned both the Woods BB72 and Bush Hog SQ172. I like them equally well. Both are capable of mowing nearly as well as a finish mower, without the extra noise and maintenance. Both of these machines will mow down to 1-1/2" height or less.

I tried an "off brand" finish mower, and it was pretty worthless. So if you decide on a finsh mower, make sure the blade tip speed is 14,000fps or higher, and the wheels are sturdy.

 

[Stimw]

If you are just wanting to cut it and you have some areas that still need clearing then you need a bushhog type mower. If you want it to look more like a lawn then a finish mower is what you need.
You don't say where you are located. I have a like new KK 5' finish mower for sale for $900. It cuts great but I have too many trees, I spend half my time backing up.

 

[Airic]

For somthing like this, I would go with a well built finish mower (Welded deck not stamped) unless you plan on cutting fields like this all the time. I don't have one on my tractor but, My Hustler zero turn would go through this with no problem. My 6 acres started out this way and worse in some area with brush and such. I had to buy one $22 blade due to a rock but after a few mowings it looks like a nice manacured yard. Start with a high cut and work your way down.

 

[Beltzington]

First, I appreciate everyone taking the time to post replies. After a couple hours of reading TBN posts, I'm 95% sure I am going to by a Bush Hog. Reasons for this decision are: reputation for durability and a quality cut, lasting value and if I can't find one used there is a dealer in town.
Having reached this conclusion I still am unsure what model and size will meet my current and long-term needs. I have narrowed the playing field down to the Bush Hog Squealer or the 280-series cutters. I like the BH Squealer because of the lighter weight and cost; the 280-series has a heavy duty (110 vs. 65 h.p.) gearbox and comes with standard slip-clutch.
My biggest concern is size, 5-foot vs. 6-foot. Other then the time spent cutting a large field, is there ANY reason to buy a larger deck? The smaller deck just covers my rear wheel tracks so that is not a factor. Also the property has several small hills and gullies and several fence/tree rows to mow around. Based on other TBN member comments, I believe my tractor's 36h.p. PTO would run a 72" without a problem although both my brother-in-laws who have considerable experience with commercial quality equipment say you need at least 40h.p. at the PTO to be happy with the larger mower.
With these thoughts in mind which would you buy?
Used - Bush Hog 285 60 Deck 750lbs ($1000 1300)
New Bush Hog SQ172 72 Deck 750lbs ($1000 1300)