Batwing cutter 15 foot--Whoos best?

jgh · Mar 26, 2006

20060326

Hey, thanks for the tires heads up, Mark. Seems logical but I sure did not know it.

And when you say ring, is that the one under the deck that seems to be for either strengthening the deck or for keeping an errant blade from punching a gouge in it, or both? For example the ring one sees on the Bush Hog 2615L...see attachment.

My Bobcat/JD dealer chimed in that he was a Rhino dealer, so I will talk to him about them.

I really appreciate the discussion here, friends.

J

jgh · Mar 26, 2006

20060326

What is "M&W"? Cannot recall those initials.

J

ps--it's 2 am (EST) and over 30 people are browsing this forum. Can't you guys sleep?
/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

JoeinTX · Mar 26, 2006

M&W is a brand name, part of the Alamo group...which includes Servis-Rhino as well as Schulte and Gradall.

Like the posters above have noted, the amount of HP needed for a 15' rig can vary. We see the highway crews cutting the bar-ditches with batwings and 55hp tractors all the time. But, then we see the guy who needs 100hp+ to pull the same machine over his rough fields.

Not knowing anything about your pasture, I would say a 10' shredder would be a sure bet for your 80hp.....you won't find anything that the tractor can't handle in this case. You'll probably be okay with the 15' 85% of the time.

Have you considerd the 12' single fold models that Bush Hog and Land Pride among others offer? I've always kind of liked them myself, being sort of a happy medium between a non-fold 10 footer and the full 15' models.

As for it being 2 am and we're still up and posting......hey, it's Saturday night.

We gotta be able to let our hair down sometime, don't we..... /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

gabby · Mar 26, 2006

( Your 80 HP PTO is plenty for a 15' batwing mower. )

If you're only clipping weeds or light grass with gentle slopes. Get into thick stuff and hills and it's a different story.
gabby

Gatorboy · Mar 26, 2006

( If you're only clipping weeds or light grass with gentle slopes. Get into thick stuff and hills and it's a different story. ) 

As an owner of an 85 HP PTO tractor and a 15' Rhino Super Heavy Duty Flexwing mower, I know you can cut more than light grass and clipping weeds. The 15' flexwing is rated for a 50 HP tractor -- which is probably a bit underpowered.

jgh · Mar 27, 2006

20060327

Hey there is a NH 8770 A machine (4wd, cab, SuperSteer, 480 hrs, even a CD changer!) in an auction next weekend, I'll see if Anne will let me go after it /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif.

One thought--if a dealer sells you a 15 ft machine and knows what you are using it on might make the combination dangerous, I wonder what his liability might be...?

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Give you an example: if you go into a glass shop around here and say you want something for a door, they will NOT sell you anything that is not tempered. And one shop got rowdy when I said I'd just go to another one and not say what it was for (this was years ago when I was younger and dumber, and impatient--takes time to order tempered glass panes to size /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif).

I wish a dealer (Mark, Neil, others) would chime in on this aspect. Sure want to be safe but don't want to scare off unnecessarily--and I am just not going to be comfortable with a 10 footer (don't want BIL Mike telling me I told you so).

Gotta get up in a few so night-night and thanks again for the spirited discussion.

J

jgh · Mar 27, 2006

20060327

Hey, Dave, the good lookin' (from what I can see /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif) one in that picture is no GatorBOY!!

Here's mine with her violent side showing (actually toward me for taking her picture). ps--password is "open" to prevent copying.

/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

J

Soundguy · Mar 27, 2006

( Your 80 HP PTO is plenty for a 15' batwing mower. )

If you're only clipping weeds or light grass with gentle slopes. Get into thick stuff and hills and it's a different story.
gabby )

I think you've got to be kidding.

My 71 eng / 67 pto hp ford 5000 runs a 10' mower thru anything I want to cut. I specifically bought that 5000 after seeing the guy down the road run a 15' mower with his 5000 ( which i almost had bought 2 ys ago.. ).

Soundguy

Soundguy · Mar 27, 2006

Forgot to mention, to the original poster. DO check the pto speed and spline type on the mower and tractor and make sure they match. Most cat 2 tractors are still 540/6 spline.. though some of them can be swapped to 1000rpm/many? splines. Lots of 12 and 15' mowers are 1000rpm/many splines.. though you do find a few 12 and 15 footers ont he 540/6spline setup..

Soundguy

zjohnson · Mar 28, 2006

Well, I've cut a lot of CRP/pasture the past 2 days and my Woods hasen't blowed up yet /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif. Maybe I'll get one year out of it! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif As far as HP is concerned, I would agree that 70-80 hp is usually adquate for a 15 footer. However, I have stalled my 1130 ( rebuilt AT354 showed 137 dyno HP) in a perfectly clear(not a weed or sapling) fescu(2 foot tall) field. Conditions do matter. No 60 hp tractor will pull a 15ft thru my thick fescue fields. If you could hang on, your 5000 would pull a 15 ft thru my bermuda fields in high gear! Maybe the gentleman who posted eariler has difficult enough conditions so that 60 - 80 pto hp is inadequate - for him??? Excellent advice about the 540/1000 (I think my 1000 is a 21 spline) pto. I would add - Get aircraft tires!!