Rotary Cutter BROWN 472 brush cutter max dismeter brush mowing

[sawtooth]

Re: BROWN 472 brush cutter max diameter brush mowing

I've been on the prowl for a good used medium duty brush mower and have been really looking for a Bush Hog 306,286,296, woods 720, or LandPride RCR 2672.
I see on the specs for the above mentioned mowers that they are rated for up to 3" material. (Bush Hog 296 is rated for 3.5" I believe.)

I recently came across a Brown 472 for sale and am curious what the max rated cutting capacity is? It appears to be very well built and is a solid cutter with a 130hp gearbox, 7 gauge deck (compared to 10 gauge of the 296), and weighing in at 1200lbs. However, the Brown website doesn't list a cutting capacity for the mower. Compared to the other mowers mentioned, it appears it should be rated at least as much as them at 3"+. The specs seem very comparable, if not even a bit better on the Brown.

I did some searching and found a few old posts where people mention that they think the cutting capacity is only 2"? Is this correct? That seems like not a lot for what seems to be such a substantial mower.

Does anyone have experience with the brown 400 series mowers? How do you like them and would you recommend one?
I would like to buy a mower that I will keep for the next 20 yrs and won't fail me assuming I take good care of it. Should I try to buy the Brown or stick with the bigger names?

Anything I should look for that they are known for?

What would be the max diameter brush you would think is safe to take down with this?

Thank you.

I too am interested in Brown 472 so i called them and was told that like anything else that is rated but cant really be proven by consumers those ratings can be ultra conservative to on the raggad edge. Brown says that they are very consevative on thier ratings and more so than their competitors. Overall they look to be heavier/better as listed below. See comparison below:

Deck -and side thickness brown 7gauge and others 10ga
Driveline- cat 5 brown and cat 4 others
Gearbox- rated about same but Brown says its box is much stronger than competitors
One supplier uses exact same gearbox and rates it at over 210hp. He said all suppliers now use Chinese boxes due to price. Once oneJ company starts using them the others must follow to stay competitive. Anyway food for thought if anyone is interested.

 

[Piston]

Re: BROWN 472 brush cutter max diameter brush mowing

Sawtooth,
What does the Cat 5 driveline refer to?

I called Brown as well to get a price on a new one. They quoted $2,935 for a new 472. I also asked many other questions and the guy I spoke too was super helpful. He gave me a few different dealers in my area, I had no idea that the dealer I bought my grapple from was also a Brown dealer. I'll buy parts through them.

I wanted to get a price for a new 'decal kit' because the one I am buying (or at least should be! fingers crossed) is a bit faded and the decals look old and scratched up. I know that's no big deal but I figured if I could put a fresh coat of paint on it, and new stickers, it would look like brand new! The new decal kit $28.78 and he said for paint, use Valspar Inernational Red.

I also got a price on front and rear chains. Right now, the cutter I am buying has the stock rubber guards, which I'll keep now that I know the price. $279 for the front chains, and $259 for the rear. If I ever need to replace the rubber guards, I'd probably buy the chains, but I think that will take a while.

I really hope I end up with the one I'm looking at! The owner has been keeping it around as a spare in case his Bush Hog 287 breaks on him. I keep telling him he's not gonna break a 287! :laughing:
I'm probably gonna have to drive 6.5 hrs to get it, but it's tough to find used ones around.

 

[sawtooth]

Re: BROWN 472 brush cutter max diameter brush mowing

Sawtooth,
What does the Cat 5 driveline refer to?

I called Brown as well to get a price on a new one. They quoted $2,935 for a new 472. I also asked many other questions and the guy I spoke too was super helpful. He gave me a few different dealers in my area, I had no idea that the dealer I bought my grapple from was also a Brown dealer. I'll buy parts through them.

I wanted to get a price for a new 'decal kit' because the one I am buying (or at least should be! fingers crossed) is a bit faded and the decals look old and scratched up. I know that's no big deal but I figured if I could put a fresh coat of paint on it, and new stickers, it would look like brand new! The new decal kit $28.78 and he said for paint, use Valspar Inernational Red.

I also got a price on front and rear chains. Right now, the cutter I am buying has the stock rubber guards, which I'll keep now that I know the price. $279 for the front chains, and $259 for the rear. If I ever need to replace the rubber guards, I'd probably buy the chains, but I think that will take a while.

I really hope I end up with the one I'm looking at! The owner has been keeping it around as a spare in case his Bush Hog 287 breaks on him. I keep telling him he's not gonna break a 287! :laughing:
I'm probably gonna have to drive 6.5 hrs to get it, but it's tough to find used ones around.

Its the driveline size thats transfers power from tractor to cutter. Not sure what actual size is though.

 

[Piston]

Just to update this thread, it looks like we've struck a deal on the Brown 472 rotary cutter. It took a while because the guy I'm buying it from was on vacation, then I was on vacation, but now we've made a deal. He is taking some lumber that I will mill him on my sawmill as partial trade. He also said he had a disk plow that he'd get rid I so I'm going to pick that up as well. I've never used a disk plow and will be interested to see what it does.
Hopefully this Wednesday I'll be picking up my new toys! Thanks to all for your input!

 

[sawtooth]

Just to update this thread, it looks like we've struck a deal on the Brown 472 rotary cutter. It took a while because the guy I'm buying it from was on vacation, then I was on vacation, but now we've made a deal. He is taking some lumber that I will mill him on my sawmill as partial trade. He also said he had a disk plow that he'd get rid I so I'm going to pick that up as well. I've never used a disk plow and will be interested to see what it does.
Hopefully this Wednesday I'll be picking up my new toys! Thanks to all for your input!

Let us know how you like the cutter as im looking at buying one next spring.

 

[wthompson]

i have a Brown 460 and these cutters are built to last a lifetime. Does a great job for me.

 

[sawtooth]

i have a Brown 460 and these cutters are built to last a lifetime. Does a great job for me.

Do they also just cut pastures fairly well? Ive had a hardee and didnt seem to cut just grass very well. I think its because a slower blade tip speed but not sure.

 

[Zebrafive]

Do they also just cut pastures fairly well? Ive had a hardee and didnt seem to cut just grass very well. I think its because a slower blade tip speed but not sure.

You need sharp blades to cut just grass. For brush the blades are intentionally not sharp. Usually come to a 1/16-1/8" flat or rounded edge.

 

[wthompson]

Do they also just cut pastures fairly well? Ive had a hardee and didnt seem to cut just grass very well. I think its because a slower blade tip speed but not sure.

Like zebra said you will need sharp blades for grass. i mainly use mine clearing overgrown areas on my property and mow down corn and sunflowers for dove.

 

[Piston]

Have you used it on anything around 2-3" saplings? If so how does it handle it? I will use mine on some saplings around 3" if I can, not often, but if I come across one I'll try to mow it over and hope that it's not too much for the mower. I'd hate to break a something the first few times I use it!