Advice on bush hog width vs rear tire width

[Rmd8136]

I am close to purchasing a 5065e, 4WD with 77 inch outside rear tire width. I want to buy a Bush Hog 296, 6 foot cutter. Is it dumb to have a cutter that won't cover your tire track? I will be 2.5 inches short on each side. I will be cutting logging roads and some food plots and fire break. Some tight spots needing 3 point turn arounds. I can't see that it will matter. I will have to run the tires down the edges and won't cut to the tire track edge but not an issue. Any experience that would suggest a 7 foot cutter (84 inches>77)?

 

[strum456]

If you were planning on mowing fields, then you would really want the 7' model. It might also depend how close you want to mow to objects along the logging roads. Are you going to have to run over something to get close enough with a 6' mower? Another option would be to offset the 6' mower so it clears the tire on one side (by adjusting your sway bars).

Personally, I would always want the mower to be a little wider than the tractor.

 

[DKCDKC]

I bought a rotary cutter initially that was 5 feet with an old JD about the width of yours. It was fine for cutting roads, because little grows in the tracks anyway and the cutter easily covered the middle. In cutting fields, the tires mash down the weeds so that the cutter doesn't cut them as well - but that's true for any size cutter. If you get something like the big bat-wing jobs the tire mash is less noticeable because it's a smaller portion of the cut, but it's there. It never really bothered me that much. The big thing with the bigger cutter is that it simply takes less time to cut a large area. For forest roads, fire breaks and tight areas, I would say you're fine with a six footer. I'd even check out the used market in your area. I've had really good luck there.

I now have a JD CUT and the cutter is relatively larger... But it all works the same.

 

[TripleR]

I don't see a problem with your intended uses, we used a six foot cutter on our Massey Ferguson 375 for cutting and maintaining paths for years and while a tight fit, worked OK and no it didn't cover the tracks.

A seven foot single spindle is an odd size to me and I would prefer to just go to a twin spindle eight foot, but you don't need that. A seven foot is usually going to have dual tail wheels and will making turning around, maneuvering in tight spaces more difficult than with a single tail wheel six footer.

I now use a Land Pride RCR2672 with my L5740 and turning around or maneuvering in our woods especially with the FEL on can be a real bear, I would hate to think of trying it with a larger tractor and mower.

 

[IndyIan]

I put a 5'er behind my tractor and the trails still end up being 6' wide. Now for mowing brush in reverse it would be better to go a bit wider than the tractor but that's the only time I really wanted a 6 or 7' one. I found I could smear and fold over the brush with the bucket going forward and then the mower would chop anything still sticking up.

 

[flusher]

I am close to purchasing a 5065e, 4WD with 77 inch outside rear tire width. I want to buy a Bush Hog 296, 6 foot cutter. Is it dumb to have a cutter that won't cover your tire track? I will be 2.5 inches short on each side. I will be cutting logging roads and some food plots and fire break. Some tight spots needing 3 point turn arounds. I can't see that it will matter. I will have to run the tires down the edges and won't cut to the tire track edge but not an issue. Any experience that would suggest a 7 foot cutter (84 inches>77)?

No need to cover the tracks with the mower. Get the 72" size.

 

[KYDan]

If you are mowing close to obstacles such as fence lines, posts, trees, etc. The mower needs to extend beyond the width of the tires.

 

[Verticaltrx]

No need to cover the tracks with the mower. Get the 72" size.

Agreed. In fact a single spindle cutter is designed to go between the wheel tracks for an optimum cut. I'm not sure where the whole notion of having a cutter wider than your tractor came from, but as per the design of the cutter that is incorrect. The reason for this is so the cutter is cutting undisturbed grass. With this setup if you go around the field the proper way the inside tire will still mash down the grass for the next pass, but the rotation of the blades will pick it back up, the outside tire is always in cut grass.

I use a 5' bush hog on my 5203. The cutter works better on that tractor than my Ford NAA or B3200. The distance between my front tires is right at 5', so it's real easy to judge where you are cutting and get a full swath each time with very little overlap. If I need to cut up close to something I just swing it over to one side using the sway links.

So I say go with the 6', a single spindle 7' is a really large, heavy and long cutter. They also take a disproportionate amount of power due to the really long blades.

This is an illustration provided in the manuals for JD single spindle cutters describing cutting technique and wheel spacing:

 

[KYDan]

Agreed. In fact a single spindle cutter is designed to go between the wheel tracks for an optimum cut. I'm not sure where the whole notion of having a cutter wider than your tractor came from, but as per the design of the cutter that is incorrect. The reason for this is so the cutter is cutting undisturbed grass. With this setup if you go around the field the proper way the inside tire will still mash down the grass for the next pass, but the rotation of the blades will pick it back up, the outside tire is always in cut grass.

I use a 5' bush hog on my 5203. The cutter works better on that tractor than my Ford NAA or B3200. The distance between my front tires is right at 5', so it's real easy to judge where you are cutting and get a full swath each time with very little overlap. If I need to cut up close to something I just swing it over to one side using the sway links.

So I say go with the 6', a single spindle 7' is a really large, heavy and long cutter. They also take a disproportionate amount of power due to the really long blades.

This is an illustration provided in the manuals for JD single spindle cutters describing cutting technique and wheel spacing:
View attachment 301778

If this is true why do all commercial mowers, zero turns, lawn tractors, etc. Have mowers that extend beyond the wheels? Also, why would you ever use a batwing if this is the case?

 

[Verticaltrx]

If this is true why do all commercial mowers, zero turns, lawn tractors, etc. Have mowers that extend beyond the wheels? Also, why would you ever use a batwing if this is the case?

Multiple spindle spindle cutters rotate the blades in a manner that will take out both tire tracks. We have a Woods BW180 15' batwing and it provides an excellent cut, as does our Deere 1008 twin spindle 10'. Finishing mowers (and the others you listed) are a whole different ballgame due to the shorter grass height.

Things have changed over the years, I was just informing folks of how these cutters were originally designed to operate. Many of the new high tip-speed single spindle cutters will do a satisfactory job covering both tires, but not as good as they could if operated like they were originally intended. I'll also add, most folks don't care about cut quality when it comes to bush hogging, if it knocks it down that's all that matters to them.

 

[Ed of all trades]

I wood NEVER want a bush hog that was not as wide as the tractor. The same width is fine or wider is fine but NEVER narrower. If you get the narrow one you will eventually run into a job you want to do that you can't do or do well with the narrow hog.:2cents:

 

[ovrszd]

I vote with Ed. I always want the cutter wider than the tractor. Lets me mow up against fences, hang over the edge of ditches, etc, etc.

 

[TripleR]

I vote with Ed. I always want the cutter wider than the tractor. Lets me mow up against fences, hang over the edge of ditches, etc, etc.

In general I agree, but the OP set out a specific set of uses none of which involved mowing along a fence line or ditch. I use a combination of a 4', 6' and 10' for our needs which include fences, ditches, woods etc.

I looked at the 7' models and when in the woods as you well know a few inches one way or the other is oftentimes a few inches too many. On more than one occasion, I had to unhook our 7' RFM and drag it out of the woods sideways as it simply would not fit.

 

[DKCDKC]

I have used rotary cutters narrower and wider than the tractor. The real advantage of a wide unit is that you can cut next to a fence or other barrier. If the cutter is not as wide as the tractor, you simply can't cut close to anything. Double spindle units do cover tracks better, but I've not seen a cutter that completely pulls up and cuts all mashed down by the wheels.

For trails and other forest work, I'd go with a smaller cutter because you have more control, and you won't be cutting close to anything anyway.

 

[vtsnowedin]

I have to agee on the cutting next to a fence line. I have a six foot cutter and a rear tire tread of close to eight feet and I can't get that last foot next to a fence without backing into each post space individualy. It is not a problem on the rest of a field though as the tire on the inside helps mash down some of the next pass and this helps with bushes.

 

[case245]

i would say a 7 foot at min

 

[pjbci]

Get the 7 footer.

 

[teampryor]

twin spindle 7' will be more usefull than "just" your road/trail mowing and the twin wheel models follow uneven ground better, also do not extend as far back as a single wheel which would help with those three point turns i would think. Woods and Brush Hog both have great cutters in this setup. Good luck post some pics of your choice and an after the buy reflection would be awesome.

 

[ovrszd]

In general I agree, but the OP set out a specific set of uses none of which involved mowing along a fence line or ditch. I use a combination of a 4', 6' and 10' for our needs which include fences, ditches, woods etc.

I looked at the 7' models and when in the woods as you well know a few inches one way or the other is oftentimes a few inches too many. On more than one occasion, I had to unhook our 7' RFM and drag it out of the woods sideways as it simply would not fit.

Yep, I agree Larry.

When I started shopping for a bigger cutter I think you pointed out to me that I should look for a multiple spindle cutter to shorten it's length. I hadn't thought about that until I saw a 7' single spindle. It is longer than a 10' dual spindle.

 

[TripleR]

Yep, I agree Larry.

When I started shopping for a bigger cutter I think you pointed out to me that I should look for a multiple spindle cutter to shorten it's length. I hadn't thought about that until I saw a 7' single spindle. It is longer than a 10' dual spindle.

I really like the twin spindle models if you can get one that will cut heavy stuff. Like so many things tractor related, I find I really need two to have the right one. I need my 10' for big open areas, along fence lines, ditches etc. and a 6' to fit between trees where the 10' won't go. Now the 4' doesn't get used much, but my wife says she might use it this year on "her" tractors.:laughing: