All over but the Shouting

[ShantyBranch]

Wife is out if town, so the shouting will be next week. /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif Oh well! Finally took the plunge today.
Worked out the deal on a JD 4500, mfwd, pwr revr, fel, R4's tall rops, what else ?
I need help deciding on cutter specs.
Going with the new Woods BrushBull, but not sure if I should get 5ft wide or 6ft wide, and am I stuck on shear pin or slip clutch.
Hope to be riding the Deere this weekend !

 

[JATO_RaT]

Nothing less then 72".

 

[mlmartin]

AFter using my rotary cutter for the first time yesterday, go for the 72 inch. I have a JD 870 with 25 PTO HP. I was able to mow my pasture, full of knee to hip height weeds and areas of lush thick grass, at 4 MPH with a one foot overlap. It took about an hour to do two acres. I had previously mown it with a 48 mower deck on my Cub Cadet 147. That took a full day.

After I finished the pasture, I bush hogged my future garden site, about 5,000 square feet. Having a deck wider than the tractor when in the woods is no problem when you back into the brush. It did a hell of a job on the wild rose canes and small trees.

As far as protection devices, I'm using 1/2 inch shear bolts. I broke two. The first was when my 72 inch mower pancaked onto a 60 inch hummock. The hummock is now free of all vegetation/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif The second bolt sheared when a three inch tree broke off it's trunk under the mower. Having to suddenly deal with both the trunk and stump at the same time was more than the bolt wanted to do. It's easy to replace the sheared bolt. I just slide the PTO shaft guard towards the tractor, push the remains of the old bold out with the new one, put the lockwasher and nut on tight, slide the guard back into place and I'm good to go.

I can break a whole lot of shear bolts for the cost of a slip clutch.

Matthew

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Get the slip clutch, rotary cutters last a long time and it is worth it to not have to change pins all the time, plus if you are cutting brush you will go through a lot of bolts. The slip clutch doesn't cost that much more, I paid $1,700 for a MD172 with slip clutch and chains all around and didn't think twice as I have had sticks and stones thrown out the choppers before and some have hit me so the front gaurd chains are a must. I also had to change shear bolts on my old cutter and if you don't ping the end of the bolt the nut can work off and come out. Good luck on your decision.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Do you really need a rotary cutter??? I have a Woods RM990 "finish mower" that is built like a rotary cutter with 3 blades. I have mowed the grass around my house and cut 3' meadow grass. It works a lot better behind my 4700 vs the 955 it replaced.

This deck has a 90" cut with rear discharge and weighs in around 1100 lbs.

 

[ShantyBranch]

Hmmm, that sounds like a good idea. I haven't seen one. I will look into it. Approx what does it cost? Is it about the same maint. has a rotary cutter ? I do have yard grass and a barn lot as well!
Varry Interestin'
Thanks

 

[Anonymous Poster]

I paid $ 2800 for it. It is constructed of 7 gage sheet metal and has withstood the last 3 years of cutting with no problems. There is info on at www.woodsonline.com

 

[ShantyBranch]

Thanks for all input and ideas! I did get the Woods BrushBull. The 72 model. Put it to great use this weekend put 9 hours on the tractor. It ran like a champ and the farm never looked better.
I hauled it back to the dealer so they could put the FEL on it.
This thing is going to be addicting.

I am working on getting a picture posted.
Thanks again

 

[ShantyBranch]

Got a quick pic of the 4500 just after I finished mowing the barn lot. This is before FEL was put on.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Great photo... looks like a postcard!