Mowing Belly mower on a B2601 - how aggressive can i go?

[JRMOPAR]

Thanks everyone, I don't want to damage anything or take any unsafe risks. There's a old, cheap ($450) 5' king kutter just a few miles from our place, I will go take a look at it this weekend. 5' King Kutter Bush Hog - farm & garden - by owner - sale

 

[JWR]

Good idea. Make sure the gearbox is OK. Sharpen the blades,and away you go. That unit looks like it has some age on it but will probably do what you need for the time being.

 

[Grandad4]

Yes, very good idea. Use the brush cutter to tame your field, mowing it until it's OK to use the belly mower. Once you have no more rough cutting, you can probably sell it for, say, $450 or so.

 

[SDT]

One of my neighbors has a small Kubota (don't know the model number but it is about the same size as your 2601) with a 5' three point finish mower. This neighbor is a retired farmer so is well acquainted with farm equipment.

After retirement, he sold all of his larger equipment and bought the Kubota to maintain his lawn, etc. A third party does the hay on his 50+ acre hay field but cuts it only once each year.

Late last fall, he cut the entire 50+ acre field with his Kubota and finish mower in order to knock down weed re-growth and make it look better.

This is a bush hog job and it's hard on the belts but going slowly so as to allow the mower to clear and not overheat the belts while, limiting shock to the mower structure and wheels will not hurt things much. You might want to remove the belt guards to allow more air flow to cool the belts better.

SDT

 

[SDT]

I've never seen a locust tree grow 4 ft in 10 months. You sure that isn't a year and 10 months ? Regardless I recommend against mowing any size hardwood like locust that might be as thick as your fingers or more. Just asking for trouble with the wrong tool. Borrow a 5ft bush hog and cut it twice -- once high and second pass low. Then maintain it with your belly mower. Don't worry about the tires unless you have seriously heavy, long thorn bushes. I have waded into a hay field, on a bet, with dense hay 5ft tall using a Kubota B2150 and a 60" belly mower. Yes, it WILL cut the stuff. NO it is not the right tool. And if you have 4ft locust tree saplings in there -- NO NO. Buy, borrow or rent a bush hog -- or for that matter hire it done once -- and then go from there. By the way, a good sharp-bladed 5ft bush hog will do a great job mowing larger fields intended to be grass long-term & you may want to buy one & use the MMM for the finish mowing and close in yard work. Easy to sit out here and pontificate when we can't see your fields or know your whole circumstance.

I have lots of black locust on my place.

After cutting a tree, the root system will push up saplings for years unless they are regularly mowed to starve the root system. If mower regularly to prevent replenishment of nutriments to the root system, the root system will die in 2 or 3 years. If you do not mow often enough, it may live for 10+ years or indefinitely.

If unmowed, the root system can push up saplings 4 feet or more within a year.

Problem with mowing larger saplings with a bush hog type mower and sharp blades is that the sharp blades cut the saplings off cleanly resulting in sharp stakes that can puncture tires on the next round.

I keep my mower blades sharp but in years past when I cut brush, I would not do so with sharp blades.

SDT

 

[JWR]

OK, you got me. I have never heard an argument for using dull bush hog blades. Matter of fact, I still have not.

 

[oldballs]

JWR.........I've heard other members mention that phenomenon....i.e. dull brush hog blades on saplings shred them versus making clean cuts that can puncture tires later on. But I don't personally know of it.

 

[SDT]

JWR.........I've heard other members mention that phenomenon....i.e. dull brush hog blades on saplings shred them versus making clean cuts that can puncture tires later on. But I don't personally know of it.

Bingo!

When cutting saplings, the duller the better. Sharp blades leave a nice sharp stake whereas, dull blades leave a much less sharp stake.

BTDT.

SDT

 

[diesel85]

Don't cut saplings with a MMM. For tall grass set up on it's highest setting, it works OK. Just watch for rocks, stakes, poles, rope, etc and you'll be good.

I have cut 4' tall field grass with my BX2200 as a favor. It did a OK job. Not something I'd do with it on a daily basis.

 

[JWR]

"Everybody has their own way of doing things" said my 3 year old daughter once upon a time. I would mow this hypothetical field none of us can see with a sharp bush hog until there isn't anything left but grass and rotten stubs. Then take my lawnmower out to do a nicer finish job. If I have both machines why on earth do otherwise ?