Baumalight Brushcutt CP560

[Overtaxed]

I suspect you're taking out almost all green woody plants/trees, not deadwood, correct? It seems the momentum you build with the heavy disc with the double edged blades make the chipping and then cutting work as a result of force tearing into the tree/brush, whatever the blades encounter? The undercarriage and sidewalls shown in the manufacturer's pic seem very beefy to withstand the 'shock factor' a brush hog is NOT built to take. Altogether it seems that backing up is less fun than going forward could be. I suspect some of that is a result of potential liability concerns on the manufacturer's part since the cutter throws big enough pieces far enough to do damage to bystanders, even ones supposedly far enough out of 'range' to not get hit.
How'd you do the first drone video with the drone stationary?
Good report and details; enjoy that beast!:thumbsup:

It's mostly green wood, some of it has been deadfall though. That's even better, it just turns it into dust. The blades break it up into almost nothing when it's good and dry. And yes, you're right, this thing is in a whole different class than any bush hog I've ever seen. I know that some are built this heavy (ROW cutters, Brown, etc), but I've never seen one in person. Every BH I've ever seen in person (which is quite a few, from most of the majors) isn't made to take the kind of force this thing is. My EA cutter is a great machine, I mow many acres with it, but if I did what you see in that video, you'd see pictures of a really bent up BH. I've not even scratched the paint (literally) on the Buamalight yet. And, it should be, this is a 60" machine that costs as much as 2-3 BH's! You could buy a used batwing for what this thing costs, which is one of the big reasons I wanted to post this thread, it was a big risk spending this much on a machine like this, and, IMHO, the price is very much justified. As soon as I saw it in person I thought "this is gonna work" and "I see why it costs what it does". But if you've not seen one (as I hadn't), you just don't know what you're gonna get.

Backing up sucks, yes, but, honestly, it was almost a "must have" criteria for me shopping for this machine. The only other thing like is (Brown Tree Cutter) works pretty much the same way, and, if you think about it, do you really want to run over 4" trees over and over with your tractor? I don't. I know that eventually something will catch under there and break, and, also, to get something under the blades going forward, I have to go 10-15' further than I want to into the woods. Going backwards lets me trim right where I want to and saves a whole lot of damage/wear on the underside of the tractor. Now, a tractor with a front mount PTO? That would be the cat's meow. I still don't really get why they are so rare, seems like many, perhaps most of my PTO implements would be better on front than the back (all the cutters for sure!).

My drone hovers. It's as simple as putting it in position pointing where I want it to film, hopping in the tractor and then tearing it up. Works great. Uses GPS to keep position, it's accurate to a few feet, which is enough to make a video that looks stationary, but if you saw the drone, it would actually be wobbling a bit; just doesn't show up on the finished product.

 

[ericm979]

Now you need one of those reversible operator station Antonio Cararro tractors!

 

[ns_in_tex]

My repairs have been about $210 each time. My tires are not loaded with liquid. I've thought about it but would just increase the cost every time I got a flat and I've never felt the need for more weight.

I handle front tires but the rear tires are a whole nother matter.

We have had good luck with Safety Seal tire plugs for nail hole repairs. We sometimes work with tornado disaster relief clean up, so have used them quite often. Don't remember one ever failing me so far.

 

[Overtaxed]

Well, finally had to change a blade today. Probably 25-30 hours on the machine now and the blades are still in good shape, but I bent one (not sure how, I think hitting a stump) so it wasn't in the plane with the other blades and was making it slower to cut (because only 3 blades were hitting instead of 4, that's my theory). The blades are like 40-50 bucks a piece (don't know yet, they shipped the cutter with a free set of replacement blades, so I just pulled one from that set of 4), so, not a big deal at all. I love this machine. It has limitations, it's not a mulcher, and you have to remember that when you're thinking "just a little lower". It's not gonna get to ground level, but it will get close. I added a hydro top link and that really upped the capabilities (and safety) of the machine, when I'm cutting something big, I let the back go real high and it'll sling the shrapnel away from the tractor, then bring it down to grind the rest off. I'd highly recommend getting a top link for this machine, this and my box blade I wonder often "how did I do this before I had a hydro top link". It's nice on everything, but man, it's like a "must have" on those two implements.

All and all, I'm very happy with this machine. I'm contemplating stepping up my clearing so that I can sell it, but, honestly, I have a hard time thinking about not having it because it's just so darn useful. Wife came to me today and said "I'd really like to be able to see the barn better". Well, fired her up and an hour later, I'd cleared everything between the house and the barn selectively, leaving the trees she wanted and blasting everything else. Just so fast and easy; it's expensive which is why I want to get done with it and sell it, but it's so useful that I can't imagine not having it. Kind of like a backhoe, when you need it you need it! And renting a "real mulcher" is crazy expensive, yes, it's faster and more capable, but I'd have spent in rentals what I have in this machine to have it for a week!

 

[turbo0001]

Howdy Overtaxed. I was doing some research on my clearing options and came across this older thread. Thanks for documenting your experience. This CP560 has me very intrigued based on your posts. I thought I'd check in to see if you have any longer term feedback or observations.

Side note, before finding this thread I have also had my eye on a NX6010 (non-cab) as my tractor upgrade, so it was really convenient to read about your experience with this combo.

 

[Overtaxed]

Howdy Overtaxed. I was doing some research on my clearing options and came across this older thread. Thanks for documenting your experience. This CP560 has me very intrigued based on your posts. I thought I'd check in to see if you have any longer term feedback or observations.

Side note, before finding this thread I have also had my eye on a NX6010 (non-cab) as my tractor upgrade, so it was really convenient to read about your experience with this combo.

I'm still very happy with it. I use it a few times a year to cut down trails, works fantastic. Still on my first set of blades except for the one that I bent (still don't know how). Machine is holding up really well, paint still looks good, no problems at all to report honestly. It's solid, it's heavy, it does what it's supposed to do and does it well. I'd buy it again, unless someone comes out with a real mulcher in that price range, it's as good as it gets in the price range, at least compared to everything else I looked at.