Bush Hogs on rough fields

[SSG]

I am a novice, amateur farmer. My fields have been tended for years by a dairy farmer who raised corn for his cattle. I plan to build my home on the land and therefore am converting the fields from row-crops to pasture for hay. I have about 40 acres of "upland" with an amazingly healthy stand of Johnson grass that I am told gets into corn seed. In order to get to Orchard grass, the local agricultural extension office told me to spray round-up, bush hog, let the Johnson grass grow, repeating the above until fall growing season, then plant the new crop.
So, I got my shiny new M9000 and a friend's 7 ft., 10 year old bush hog and promptly managed to first disconnect the drive shaft going over the bumps, which was readily repaired, before the U-joint at the PTO attachment finally sheared, rather than the shear bolts at the cutter head- my friend said "welcome to farming." Once I get the weeds cut down, I'll be able to disc the land so that it is smoother, and yes I am cutting with the field, not against it. Once the fields are in Orchard grass, I'll need a bush hog for general cleaning up aroung the edges and in another 40 acres of river bottom.
Does either a batwing, or a pull-behind non-flexing rotary cutter have an advantage, or disadvantage in rough fields over the more usual one attached at the 3 point hitch? Is the pull-behind style cumbersome? Likely to get stuck in softer ground? More or less strain on the tractor?
Any thoughts on the subject are appreciated.
Steve.

 

[W5FL]

Bush Hog makes a nice set of Medium Duty Cutters that have 110 HP gearboxes and the PTO shafts that can be cut in case they are too long although that is not likely with the M9000. All they need is check the gearbox, lube the PTO shaft and cut. I have a 6 ft but a 7 ft is nice except that it won't fit on most trailers if you ever need to transport it. Was the bush hog a light duty Squeeler rated for 40 hp tractors or a medium duty rated for 100 hp tractors or a heavy duty model? I would spend my money for the medium or heavy duty model and sacrafice a little size for the ruggedness.

Look at the mowing times on Zimmerer site (search this site for the word zimmerer) and bush hog also has a web site. The larger mowers will cut more, are expensive, and heavy. The bat wings are even more expensive and heavier. The biggest problem is their biggest advantage in that they are large and don't do a lot of smaller areas that must also be cut. Most of us would own one if we had to cut 40 acres very often. If you only cut it 3 times a year, then you will do ok with a 7 ft mower.

You may want to consider using a tiller on the fields before you replant them. It leaves them in much better condition for planting and gets rids of most of the "rough field" that you have now from disking them and the clods make it pretty rough. It takes a while, but you will be glad for a long time.

I personally wouldn't have a pull behind if I could get a 3 point that would do the same thing. This is not possible in the larger bat wing types though. The tractor won't care, but you may when you need to pick it up to get over stumps, etc.

 

[jgh]

2000-06-20

I'm considering the BH 287 (the one Wen refers to), a seven ft, with dual wheels & hydraulic angling. Its slip clutch should help with some of the trouble you are having.

In thinking of trailering, the 287's transport width is 89 inches, and most 16-18 ft trailers are either 81 or 84 in, so you might be able to manage, esp if yours has the dual rear wheels. But be careful, and if I am suggesting something not practical, pls jump in anyone.

Boo on that orange thingy ;->, but sounds like you did your homework and got what you wanted.

Good luck and I am still learning myself,

Jim

 

[SSG]

I used the term bush hog in the generic "xerox" sense. It was actually a medium duty Hardee Williams 7' single blade rotary cutter. That Bush Hog sounds like a good machine. I will look locally for distributor. Hardee seems to be the favorite around here. Woods is also a popular brand. Any experience with the Hardee Williams line? Transport is not really a problem; I don't have a trailer and winch, the dealer brings a large flatbed truck to pick-up and drop off equipment.

 

[Bird]

SSG, "Bush Hog" is a brand name; "brush hog" is the generic (at least in my part of the country), although "rotary cutter" seems to be the manufacturers' preferred name, and "shredder" is another common name for them around here.

Gets confusing at times, huh?/w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif Reminds me of the fact that, to my mother, all motorhomes are Winnebagos./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Bird

 

[M.McMillan]

SSG,
I have looked at about 6 different mowers from cheap beer can types to super heavy-duty Land Pride or Woods. I have a M6800SD and purchased a Woods (medium duty) MD184 because it is built as strong as some "heavy-duty". My place is about 150 acres and I have the same problem with ruts due to being an old tobacco plantation. Hopefully it won't take to long to cut the 40 or so acres. If you want to get your field finished quicker look at a 10' dual spindle blade like a bushhog or land pride 3510 or 2510. Good luck and happy farming.

 

[W5FL]

Steve,

The M9000 manual lists the maximum sized rotary mower at 90 inch and 1320#. This is probably due to the tremendous inertial of that large of a blade. I think most of the 10 foot multiple head mowers are pull type, so just depends on what their requirements are for HP, but you can't lift them past stumps, rocks, etc.They list a flail mower up to 12 feet, but you will cut more with a 7 ft rotary mower in a day under less than ideal conditions. The medium duty mowers are pretty rugged. Be sure to get chain guards (preferred) or fabric guards front and rear as these are really dangerous devices around people and breakable things.

No one ever writes about the M9000, so please tell us all the things that work as you expected and any that don't.

Matt,

Wondering how you like the new tractor. Any of the good things or bad things about it.

I still wind up with the brakes on sometimes, and when you push in the clutch, boy does it stop quick.

I bought an 8 ft rear blade and checked very carefully that it was rated for more than 68 HP and had Class II pins but got it home and found out that Kubota recommended a max of 7 ft. I could see why when I was digging the ditches with it. Tremendous forces when you have thousands of pounds of load against the soil cantilevered out on that four foot arm. Guess I will just be careful with it. Since it is pretty heavily made, cutting it down to 7 ft would be relatively easy to do. Would probably do better to just make a tension brace to go from the blade tip to the three point attachment plate on the blade. Funny how you don't consider these things and they turn out to be important.

 

[SSG]

Wen,
Thank you for your thoughts. I have decided on a 7 ft. Hardee Williams rotary cutter. They are very well spoken of, and easy to repair in this area (Piedmont of NC) due to the proximity of the plant. The locals have less favorable opinions about Woods products in that size range. True Bush Hogs are relatively rare. I decided on that size because it matches the tractor width, and I was advised that "anywhere the tractor went the mower was sure to follow", not so with the bigger cutters.
I'll let you know how things go with the M9000. So far, just 2.2 hours, a very comfortable and quiet cab, and one busted bush hog (brush hog).
Steve.

 

[W5FL]

I believe you will be very satisfied with the 7 ft mower. Yes, the first time you catch the mower on something that the tractor just past one of two things follow immediately. The tractor is jerked immediately to a stop or what ever you hit falls over. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif Take good care of the mower and it will last for many years.