Mowing bush mower - - single or double tail wheel

[oosik]

I'm researching bush mowers for a purchase later this summer. What are the advantages/disadvantages of single vs double tail wheels? I'm sure there are previous threads on this but I'm unable to locate them. I'm looking at a 5' or 6' mower to 3pt behind my M6040. I'm not the least bit concerned about covering my rear tire width with the mower. Thanks

 

[bcp]

On the ones I've seen, the mowers with double wheels seem about 1 foot shorter overall length. I don't know if it was really shorter or just an illusion, as I didn't measure any.

Bruce

 

[TripleR]

No strong preference one way or the other, I have found in tight woods the dual wheel catches on trees more easily than the single, but when mowing close the dual wheeled ones are less likely to dig in on the side and follow the terrain better. It is hard to find one under 7' with dual tail wheels, or it was for me anyway.

 

[oosik]

Thanks for the info bcp & Triple R. I kind of thought the double wheels would help prevent digging in but I never guessed they would catch on trees. Stands to reason - I guess - the wheels are further outboard. I think double wheels seem to always be on twin bladed units and they seem to be shorter. Actually I've only been able to find one unit with double wheels on their 5' & 6' models and that's a option. I should say a rather expensive option.

 

[Gator6x4]

Dual wheel seems to handle uneven terrain better and limits somewhat the side to side downward movement. Never used one in the woods so unable to advise on the catching on trees.

 

[TripleR]

Yes, the further out they are the more they are likely to get hung up on a tree or fence and I often use a backwards sweeping motion to get close in on a fence or drop off and the dual wheels would interfere. I maneuver around a lot of stuff, so I prefer the single wheel.

For open areas we use a 10' Woods 121 or DS1260.

 

[dwhite]

I have a heavy 7' dual wheel cutter. Don't know the brand. I like it b/c it doesn't gouge up the dirt like a single wheel. Also, I rarely have to hook-up the top link, just drag it with the lift arms. I think your tractor would easily handle 7'. I recently saw an 8' dual wheel on Craigslist for $2200.

 

[TripleR]

I have a heavy 7' dual wheel cutter. Don't know the brand. I like it b/c it doesn't gouge up the dirt like a single wheel. Also, I rarely have to hook-up the top link, just drag it with the lift arms. I think your tractor would easily handle 7'. I recently saw an 8' dual wheel on Craigslist for $2200.

If I had a 7', I would want dual wheels also, however befor I would buy a 7', I would just go ahead and get a dual spindle 8'.

 

[DavidBR]

It all just depends on what you intend to do with the bushhog. Dual tail wheels follow the terrain better and prevent the blades from bottoming out. In the woods around trees though dual tail wheels definitely make it harder to maneuver. Many people severely oversize a bushhog to the tractor size. I prefer to be able to cut as low as I want to and as fast as the ground will allow without bogging the tractor down. It all just depends on what you are cutting and how often also. I think you are right on with a 6ft bushhog for your tractor size. If most of your cutting is in the open I think you would benefit from dual tail wheels. What brand of bushhog do you have in mind?

 

[oosik]

Thank you all - this is a great learning experience. There are three brands I've been looking at - Bush Hog, Land Pride and Brown Mfg. I know the M6040 can handle a fairly large cutter but I prefer smaller because I want an extreme HD cutter. This is why I prefer 5' or maybe 6' so I can have plenty of power to the cutter. I will be cutting 5 to 10 acres of wild grass & small, low brush(deer brush) later this summer as a wildfire control measure. Otherwise, throughout the year I will be cutting selected area of wild grass. I have no food plots or planted areas on the property. The native growth is more than sufficient for the mule deer and white tails. Besides my property is in the middle of hundreds & hundreds of acres of wheat and alfalfa.