Sugar Creek Farm
New member
Would a CK30 be able to handle a 6’ bushhog or just stick to a 5’? Nothing heavy, just field mowing.
Mowing CK30 and bushhog size?
- Thread starter Sugar Creek Farm
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jeff9366
Super Star Member
- Joined
- Jan 14, 2011
- Messages
- 12,777
- Tractor
- Kubota Tractor Loader L3560 HST+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 3,700 pounds bare tractor, 5,400 pounds operating weight, 37 horsepower
In my opinion it takes forty gross engine horsepower to operate a light six foot Bush Hog (Category 3 driveline) cutting most varieties of pasture grass to 30" tall on level ground, maintaining reasonable speed.
For longer grass it takes forty-five horsepower.
Maintaining Bush Hog blades sharp, which few do, allows grass to be cut with less tractor power. If you have intermittent saplings in the field, and cut them with sharp blades, the sharp stubs may puncture tractor tires. Better somewhat dull blades to cut intermittent saplings in fields, which flays stubs, leaving stubs fuzzy.
To power a six foot Bush Hog with a Category 4 driveline, often optimistically marketed as able to cut 3" saplings, optimally have fifty horsepower.
For longer grass it takes forty-five horsepower.
Maintaining Bush Hog blades sharp, which few do, allows grass to be cut with less tractor power. If you have intermittent saplings in the field, and cut them with sharp blades, the sharp stubs may puncture tractor tires. Better somewhat dull blades to cut intermittent saplings in fields, which flays stubs, leaving stubs fuzzy.
To power a six foot Bush Hog with a Category 4 driveline, often optimistically marketed as able to cut 3" saplings, optimally have fifty horsepower.
OP
Sugar Creek Farm
New member
Was just wondering. I used to have a DK45 and ran 7’ and 8’ bushhogs with no problem what so ever. I’ve never owned anything smaller than a 45hp.
Last edited:
747driver
Veteran Member
My CK27 is only 28 hp with 25 hp at the pto. So I got the Woods 4' cutter. Don't mow much tall grass as I usually am in the forest cutting around and between trees so I needed something that didn't go outside my tire tracks. Plus I have always leaned to the lesser side of not letting the tractor engine get over loaded to often.
RSKY
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Oct 5, 2003
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- 2,460
- Tractor
- Kioti CK20S
I have a CK20HST and use a 5' bushhog which is the maximum recommended in the Kioti manual. The gear drive has a 4' max. When I asked the dealer about that he said that with the HST if the mower bogs down you just let up on the pedal and slow down or stop. I only have about 15 PTO hp but have never regretted getting the larger mower. BUT, my little tractor is slow. Anything that I can push over and get on top of the mower chops up. I've never broke a shear bolt because the little tractor doesn't have enough HP!
My kidneys and back say that you are better off with a wider mower and traveling at a slower speed. Some of the fields we mow are very rough. Bumps, ditches, and holes that you will barely notice on the larger tractors will beat you to death on your CK30.
If it were me I would go with the 6' and just drive slower.
As stated above you don't want sharp blades if you are mowing brush or small saplings. If the blades are sharp you will puncture a tire the next year. Dull blades will shatter the stumps and they will rot in a years time.
RSKY
My kidneys and back say that you are better off with a wider mower and traveling at a slower speed. Some of the fields we mow are very rough. Bumps, ditches, and holes that you will barely notice on the larger tractors will beat you to death on your CK30.
If it were me I would go with the 6' and just drive slower.
As stated above you don't want sharp blades if you are mowing brush or small saplings. If the blades are sharp you will puncture a tire the next year. Dull blades will shatter the stumps and they will rot in a years time.
RSKY
LD1
Epic Contributor
A 6' cutter at 4 mph vs a 5' cutter at 5 mph.....
Want to know what the difference is?
Both take the same amount of power. Both will mow the same rate in terms of acres per hour...
But the 6' will allow you to go slower to equal the work done as the 5' going faster.
Slower is smoother.
If you have a gear tractor, until you have to slow to 1st gear to maintain power....YOU ARENT OUT OF POWER.
If you are slowing down because of rough ground, obstacles, etc.....then you would greatly benefit from a larger cutter.
For pasture, something along the lines of a 700-800# 6' cutter would be my pick....possibly even a 7' twin if it's just grasses and nothing gets too tall and stemy
Want to know what the difference is?
Both take the same amount of power. Both will mow the same rate in terms of acres per hour...
But the 6' will allow you to go slower to equal the work done as the 5' going faster.
Slower is smoother.
If you have a gear tractor, until you have to slow to 1st gear to maintain power....YOU ARENT OUT OF POWER.
If you are slowing down because of rough ground, obstacles, etc.....then you would greatly benefit from a larger cutter.
For pasture, something along the lines of a 700-800# 6' cutter would be my pick....possibly even a 7' twin if it's just grasses and nothing gets too tall and stemy
Turbys_1700
Elite Member
LD is correct. Bigger and slower is better than faster. You get a better quality of cut. I hogged 15 rough acres couple weeks ago with a new 10 footer. The t4.75 could have pulled it faster but it was too rough for my tastes. The cut quality was excellent.
LD1
Epic Contributor
Yep. And if you had HP to spare, and could have gone faster but the limiting factor was rough terrain....imagine what a 12' or 14' or 15' cutter would do to your mowing times if you were in a wide open field
Turbys_1700
Elite Member
I looked long and hard at 15' batwings LD. Couldn't justify the cost. That Titan was $3400 plus tax and a nominal delivery. A new batwing is north of 12K. Dealer told me that the Titan line sells really well. They are a dealer and distributor. Good folks.