Can cutter width be TOO small?

[citytransplant]

I will begin by saying that I have about 1 acre of a 2 acre horse pasture that gets overgrown this time of year (for some reason, the horses avoid certain areas of the pasture) and a wooded trail about 1/4 mile long that gets weedy as well. I'm looking closely at a 42" lightly used rotary cutter being sold privately primarily because I may be able to save $500 over a 60" new one being sold by a local dealer. My rear tires outside wall to wall measure approximately 56" therefore a 42" cut would not span the entire tractor footprint. The dealer insists that the cutter should be as wide as the tractor. Hmmmm.

I figure the downside of the smaller (by about 43%) cutter is burning more fuel and taking more time to get a job done. With that said, the $500 I will save buys a lot of fuel, even at today's prices. An additional upside of the smaller unit is the added maneuverability I will have while out on the winding trail.

What am I missing? Is it critical that a rotary cutter span the width of the tractor for the job to be done correctly? Are there additional considerations?

 

[MMagis]

It makes a considerably better cut, but it's not critical. Either way, you're running over grass before you cut it.

 

[Tombstone]

The only thing I see, is that you may not be able to get close to fences, trees and bldgs. Other than that, it should be fine.

 

[citytransplant]

It makes a considerably better cut

That's exactly what the dealer suggested and is what caused me to scratch my head. Why is the cut from the wider implement "better?"

Speaking of my head, my barber can cut my hair with a 5" scissors just as well as with a 3.5" scissors. He'll work harder with the smaller "implement" but my hair won't know the difference.

 

[johnk]

That's exactly what the dealer suggested and is what caused me to scratch my head. Why is the cut from the wider implement "better?"

Speaking of my head, my barber can cut my hair with a 5" scissors just as well as with a 3.5" scissors. He'll work harder with the smaller "implement" but my hair won't know the difference.

With the longer shears he'll get closer to your ears with one swooooosh than the shorter ones. It helps getting closer to fences etc.

 

[ampsucker]

with a narrower cutter, you run over the grass before you mow it not once, but twice. because you have to overlap on the next pass.

i would look for a used unit that covers the width of the tractor but is light enough duty that you don't overload the 3pt. unless you are cutting very heavy brush. then you may have to size down so the tractor's hp can handle the load.

amp

 

[DrewL]

Don't overthink it and follow your dealers advice. I don't know of anyone who chooses to buy a mower smaller than the rear wheel width. If cost is the main consideration be patient and find the proper mower.

 

[Skyco]

That's exactly what the dealer suggested and is what caused me to scratch my head. Why is the cut from the wider implement "better?"

The bigger cutters generally have a faster tip speed on the blades. I would think that helps with the cutting. When I bought my 48 over a 42 that was a consideration.

 

[ampsucker]

i think the design has quite a bit to do with cut quality. generally blade tip speed is important, but so is the deck design. at the slower rotational speeds of a brush cutter, you get very little vacuum from the blades to pull the bent over material up into the path of the blade. that, plus unlike a mid mount mower, you are running over the grass and bending it over with both the front and back wheels and doing it again on the overlap with the narrower cutter.

all that adds up to missed stubble out in the field that will recover and stand up a few days after you're done mowing. then, add a second time around to the fuel bill.

believe me, i just did a real overgrown field with a mid mount mower. the 25 hp tractor handled the five foot deck ok in all but the thickest overgrowth, but i couldn't help but leave a lot of bent over grass and that was just with hitting it the with the front wheels and the front of the mower deck. the main advantage of the the 3pt over the MMM in this case is the open front and rear discharge to handle the heavier material. the leading edge of the mower deck doesn't push the grass over as bad and the wide rear discharge chute lets the cut material escape. but, the disadvantage is both sets of tractor tires crush the material pretty good before the cutter even gets a shot at it.

maybe you can try out the unit first and see if you like the used one or get the dealer to give you a loaner and see if you like that one before you make the decision?

amp

 

[warhammer]

I bought a Bush Hog SQ160 last year and it is about 6-7 inches narrower than my rear tires.
I would definitely get a mower that was wider. It saves a bunch of turning around and backing into spots.

Warhammer

I will begin by saying that I have about 1 acre of a 2 acre horse pasture that gets overgrown this time of year (for some reason, the horses avoid certain areas of the pasture) and a wooded trail about 1/4 mile long that gets weedy as well. I'm looking closely at a 42" lightly used rotary cutter being sold privately primarily because I may be able to save $500 over a 60" new one being sold by a local dealer. My rear tires outside wall to wall measure approximately 56" therefore a 42" cut would not span the entire tractor footprint. The dealer insists that the cutter should be as wide as the tractor. Hmmmm.

I figure the downside of the smaller (by about 43%) cutter is burning more fuel and taking more time to get a job done. With that said, the $500 I will save buys a lot of fuel, even at today's prices. An additional upside of the smaller unit is the added maneuverability I will have while out on the winding trail.

What am I missing? Is it critical that a rotary cutter span the width of the tractor for the job to be done correctly? Are there additional considerations?

 

[citytransplant]

I can't begin to thank you folks enough for all the feedback.

I was eyeballing a Bush Hog SQ420 on eBay that was initially listed at $499 auction style (it closed today at $636 ... someone got a nice deal on an almost new unit). That implement new here in Central New York runs about $1,250 plus tax. After reading all the comments above, I decided that the smaller shredder isn't the way to go.

I will bite the bullet and lay out over a grand for a new 5' or be patient and buy used at a reasonable price.

Great information from a great bunch of folks.

Fun filled and safe holiday weekend to all.

 

[whistlepig]

You will want a brush hog as wide as your rear tires. Anything narrower will leave a strip along your fences and boundaries that will have to be cut by hand. You would not like this. As far as a brush hog leaving strips this can be controlled by mowing at the right height. If it is too tall it won't stand all the way up under the brush hog. Just the tops get nipped off. The newer brush hogs have high lift blades. My two year old Land Pride has high lift blades. The only advantage of the high lift blades to me is to suck every bit of dust and dead grass out of the ground and deposit it on me and the tractor. As far as the tires mashing the grass down this won't be an issue if the mowing is done at the proper height. My neighbor has a manicured two acre front lawn he mows with a front end ZTR mower. No tire tracks for him. I have an eight acre front lawn that I mow with a RFM. My yard is every bit as nice as his. You can't tell the difference between a good mid mount mower and a good RFM.

 

[citytransplant]

Well thanks again for all of the great feedback. Yesterday I had a shiny new 5' Razorback delivered. I've learned that it makes perfect sense to have a cutter at least as wide as the tractor's wheelbase.

Unfortunately after less than an hour in the field, my PTO lever became frozen in the disengaged position. My new cutter sits in my pasture about as useful as a chocolate teapot.

Please see "PTO lever frozen" in the "parts/repair" section for pics and an elaboration on my PTO issue.

Thanks again to all that provided input into my right-sized rotary cutter decision.

 

[schmism]

buy a 5' used one and still save the $500 over a new one.

 

[GreenLawnFarm]

while wide is more economical, i can see where a smaller mower could be useful with a slower tip speed and the narrower the deck the better you can follow uneven ground.