Batwing Mower Users. Advice, please.

[BufordBoone]

I've continued to mull over getting a batwing mower as I have a lot of grass to cut. My current equipment:

JD 2355 with 10' offset BushHog brand rotary cutter (cuts directly behind and about 3' to right of tractor). Great for treelines, around the pond, etc. It is a semi-mount, meaning you control the cut height via a combination of 3pt. hitch and a hydraulic cylinder on the rear. It cuts pretty well but requires the right lift arm to be shortened due the the counterbalance effect of the offset. As it does not flex, it is prone to scalping undulating terrain unless watched very closely. Owner's manual says it requres 60 HP (doesn't specify engine or PTO).

Kubota L5740 with 6' Land Pride rotary cutter. This tractor has a cab and A/C. I call it "The Wife's tractor".

Grass - We cut a large area in front of the cabin about every two weeks. Running both tractors, it takes about 1.5-2 hours. My records show that we cut it 16 times in 2016.

We also have three fields. Largest field is about 34 acres. Middle field is about 11 acres. Small field is about 8 acres. All fields are very flat. I had to cut the large field by myself last year. Used the JD and 10' mower. Took over 9.5 hours.

Fields have hog damage and, therefore, have to go fairly slow when cutting them.

I plan to replace the JD tractor with something larger in a year or two. I'd like to buy a batwing that I can:

1 - Use now, on either tractor (knowing I'd have to go slow with the L5740 - have to do that anyway).
2 - Use with future tractor.

Land Pride shows two 15' batwing mowers that require 50 hp. I don't know if that is engine or PTO (L5740 has 59 engine and 50 PTO, JD has 67 engine, 55 PTO)

The models are RC2515 and RC3615. Only difference I see in the mowers is cutting capacity, overall weight and tongue weight. Lighter version is 475 lbs less overall and 117 lbs less on the tongue.

I'm guessing that either model, particularly when used on fairly flat ground, would be fine behind the Kubota L5740. I also think either would work well behind the JD.

When cutting the large fields, if I use the 10' and have the wife running the L5740 with a batwing, we should significantly reduce the mowing time. I realize she will have to go slow but she already has to go slow because of the hog damage.

Running the same combination in front of the house, I expect, may shave 45 minutes or more off the mowing time. That would be 12 hours/yr.

To current batwing users, what have you noticed when cutting with a batwing?
Are turns fairly easy or more complicated?
Do they cut well on a turn or do they skip and you have to back over the area again?
What should I watch out for?

I hope I provided enough info for good answers.

Thanks.

 

[BufordBoone]

Addendum: I know there are other brands, will probably look at them also. Just using the two Landpride as an example because they both require 50 hp at a minimum.

Still wondering if that means engine or PTO.

 

[RedNeckRacin]

they are rated at pto hp. They don't care how big your engine is, just what is available at the back end. I don't have a batwing so I'll leave that to the other members. Personally, id put the biggest mower on the biggest machine. If the 10' is semi mount, the 5740 should be able to drag it around ok on flat ground?

 

[BufordBoone]

Thanks, RNR.

I'd guess there must be some leeway as My JD tractor is 55 pto but the owner's manual for the mower says 60 is minimum. The tractor and mower were purchased as a set and I got them when I purchased the farm.

They seem to work fine together.

 

[rustyshakelford]

For batwing the pto rating is for the needs of the cutter. On smaller tractors I think it more accurately reflects the weight needed. I put a 15' behind my old 5055e cab. It was was to much weight behind it. I run a new mx15 behind my 100hp Deere and it's a whole different animal. Very nice to pull and cuts great. I can easily do 23 acres is 4-4.5 hrs but that's going around lots of trees. Batwing are the best thing since sliced bread if you have lots to cut

Brett

 

[BufordBoone]

Thanks, Rusty. The 5055e cab looks to be very similar to my L5740. When you say it was too much weight behind it, what symptoms did it show?

My land is very flat but has a lot of hog damage. Cutting with the L5740 probably can't go faster than low in the Mid range or high in the low range. I'm hoping that would work with a 15' but I might have to drop down to the 12'.

Thanks, again.

 

[boggen]

tossing it out there. since you are mowing so many acres. what about a hay cutters / mowers. it would be a single chop and lay everything down flat. and would not mulch the grass up with multi cuts. but *shrugs* you could get a lot cut maybe cheaper. check out various equipment at tractorhouse.com

if it was not for hog damage, i might suggest "gang mowers" not gang reel mowers, but gang finishing mowers. were the individual blades are offset with each other with just enough overlap for turns.

would be a bit of a pain, offset trail mowers for an ATV / UTV or pull behind a truck. rig up a tow bar behind mower, and toss a couple trail mowers behind with there own engines on them. for a diy gang finishing mower setup.

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no direct experience with batwing rotary mowers. but have seen many leave a "strip" between 2 or more blades. were there is not enough overlap between the blades. and that is mowing down a straight line not even turning.

the few bat wing mowers i do remember seeing, for more of a "finish mower" doing. the wings were further back, than the central blade. so as to allow more overlap. sharper turning radius do to longer tongue,

do not remember who it was, had a hydraulic rotary cutter. and ended up sharping one side of blades for tall weeds, and then sharpened other side of the flat blades, for better finish mower cuttings. and just tossed the rear hydrualic valve in forward or reverse pending on type of cut wanted.

if you are going for finishing mower cut from rotary mower, check the underside, if there is a "ring of metal" just a little bit larger than the blades. you will more likely get more "suction power" to suck grass up into the blades, and allow the grass to get cut a few more times. but this will also require some more HP and/or going slower.

a flat bottom deck and nothing under it but a stump jumper and blades. and chains on the rear/front. more likely the least amount of HP required and able to drive faster. but your suction power to pull grass / weeds up into the blades will drastically go down. and you will get stems and pieces of grass stick up all over the place, more so what ever the wheels drive over. the end result grass / weeds do not get cut up as much and less HP required.

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your gang mowers, were each deck has its own gauge wheels, will better follow the land but more likely get hung up on something and more maintenance. while a bat wing mower the wings just go up and down at the sides and may not cut as nice, but keep on going through thick and thin.

 

[rustyshakelford]

Thanks, Rusty. The 5055e cab looks to be very similar to my L5740. When you say it was too much weight behind it, what symptoms did it show?

My land is very flat but has a lot of hog damage. Cutting with the L5740 probably can't go faster than low in the Mid range or high in the low range. I'm hoping that would work with a 15' but I might have to drop down to the 12'.

Thanks, again.

It would push the tractor around when making turns. I thought I was going to bend the draw bar too. Really wasn't good at anything with it. Also, mine sat really low to the ground with the r4 tires and wasn't much clearance. 12' would probably be a good fit as they make them a little lighter for tractors in the size.

I just drug a track hoe home to dig a bunch of trees on my place so I can leave the mx8 in the shop and use the batwing everywhere. My home place is only 13 hrs. I can knock it out quick

Brett

 

[Garrett Wiggins]

Look at a Rhino TS12 batwing. One could be had new in the 12k range.