JimMac, you are in IL? So, there is Midwest Implements there in IL whose owner is JimMc. He is frequenting this forum as far as I know. I believe he'll be more helpful to you as he's much more closer to you than I am. There are a hell number of the cutters on the net and almost all of them look similar in shape. Concerning the tires; no, the solid tire will probably not absorb the vibrations better than the pneumatic tire does, but the its elastic/plastic characteristics isn't better than a pneumatic tire if this effect plays an important role in cutter height level when operating in the field? I agree in that laminated tires must be cheaper. But, I need to compare its cost to the cost of a solid tire which I don't know much about it for the moment. I don't think there will be big difference between them in this part of the world. By the way, I decided to use slip clutch which I believe it will be much better than bolt/pin type.
elastic or plastic?
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rambler
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Nomad, your knockoffs will sell better with a laminated rear wheel. Aired tires go flat too much to bother with in this application - don't need the 'bounce' in them at all, and solid ones actually fall apart sooner (crack badly in sunlight in 5 years) than a good built laminated unit. Best bet is laminated - trust me, it will help agriturk sales.
You are going to need some flex in the 3pt frame as others have said, or the rear wheel of the hog & the front wheels of the tractor will bridge a depression & bend your hitch/ wheel holder all to heck.
For liability in the USA, you don't want to have a chain as the top link; you want the chain going from the rear of your deck to the upper 3pt area.
Nice work tho, deck looks really nice. I'm not trying to be critical, just offer suggestions that may help.
--->Paul
You are going to need some flex in the 3pt frame as others have said, or the rear wheel of the hog & the front wheels of the tractor will bridge a depression & bend your hitch/ wheel holder all to heck.
For liability in the USA, you don't want to have a chain as the top link; you want the chain going from the rear of your deck to the upper 3pt area.
Nice work tho, deck looks really nice. I'm not trying to be critical, just offer suggestions that may help.
--->Paul
JerryG
Super Member
The solid rubber tires will crack or split with age and or pop off of the rim when put under high side deflection during rotation in rough terrain.
Will take the risk and I won't agree in that the life of laminated tire is longer than the life of solid tire. What's laminated tire? It's a recyled/used tires whose fibers are elongated along the tire by re-machining them so that they can gain some more strength. Actually, main advantage of laminated tire isn't its enforced strength (as it's not changed much), it's main advantage is its price as recyled tires are used. No, I'm wrong?
Solid tire can be made as stronger as a laminated tire if not made stronger. Lets not forget there are many types of solid tires. Belittle-ing solid tires, I think, is being made only by those who consider the lower cost of laminate tire very important. My point; if there was no price difference between solid and laminate tires, which would you chose to use?
Also, lets say 5 years is the lifetime of a solid tire (as Rambler claims in a way.) Isn't this long enough? For how long you think you will use a rotary cutter? and in this age in which things changing/accelerating much faster than the old days. You can't do designs and determine lifetime depending on the cost analyse using the knowledges you learnt a decade ago or two at egineering faculty. If my solid tire lasts even 3 years, it's good enough as we may see another advancement in the cutter technology. I think so. But with such approaches to technology in the farm machinery by farmers, I am hopeless. I better use a tire which lasts 5-10 years.
Solid tire can be made as stronger as a laminated tire if not made stronger. Lets not forget there are many types of solid tires. Belittle-ing solid tires, I think, is being made only by those who consider the lower cost of laminate tire very important. My point; if there was no price difference between solid and laminate tires, which would you chose to use?
Also, lets say 5 years is the lifetime of a solid tire (as Rambler claims in a way.) Isn't this long enough? For how long you think you will use a rotary cutter? and in this age in which things changing/accelerating much faster than the old days. You can't do designs and determine lifetime depending on the cost analyse using the knowledges you learnt a decade ago or two at egineering faculty. If my solid tire lasts even 3 years, it's good enough as we may see another advancement in the cutter technology. I think so. But with such approaches to technology in the farm machinery by farmers, I am hopeless. I better use a tire which lasts 5-10 years.
PineRidge
Super Member
<font color="blue"> Solid tire can be made as stronger as a laminated tire if not made stronger. Lets not forget there are many types of solid tires. Belittle-ing solid tires, I think, is being made only by those who consider the lower cost of laminate tire very important. My point; if there was no price difference between solid and laminate tires, which would you chose to use?
Also, lets say 5 years is the lifetime of a solid tire (as Rambler claims in a way.) Isn't this long enough? For how long you think you will use a rotary cutter? and in this age in which things changing/accelerating much faster than the old days. You can't do designs and determine lifetime depending on the cost analyse using the knowledges you learnt a decade ago or two at egineering faculty. If my solid tire lasts even 3 years, it's good enough as we may see another advancement in the cutter technology. I think so. But with such approaches to technology in the farm machinery by farmers, I am hopeless. I better use a tire which lasts 5-10 years.
</font>
Had to run after my receipt for my KingKutter. My laminated tire was new in 1997 and still looks like new with the exception of a thick coat of mud. My terrain is very uneven where it is used and it has held up very well. I would not purchase a brush hog that I didn't expect to last at least 10 years without falling apart in the field. Blades are normal maintenance items but tailwheels and gearboxes should be made to last a lot of years.
Also, lets say 5 years is the lifetime of a solid tire (as Rambler claims in a way.) Isn't this long enough? For how long you think you will use a rotary cutter? and in this age in which things changing/accelerating much faster than the old days. You can't do designs and determine lifetime depending on the cost analyse using the knowledges you learnt a decade ago or two at egineering faculty. If my solid tire lasts even 3 years, it's good enough as we may see another advancement in the cutter technology. I think so. But with such approaches to technology in the farm machinery by farmers, I am hopeless. I better use a tire which lasts 5-10 years.
</font>
Had to run after my receipt for my KingKutter. My laminated tire was new in 1997 and still looks like new with the exception of a thick coat of mud. My terrain is very uneven where it is used and it has held up very well. I would not purchase a brush hog that I didn't expect to last at least 10 years without falling apart in the field. Blades are normal maintenance items but tailwheels and gearboxes should be made to last a lot of years.
Bird
Rest in Peace
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( if there was no price difference between solid and laminate tires, which would you chose to use? )</font>
Laminated. Actually I've had one rotary cutter (Bush Hog) with a solid tire and one (Howse) with a laminated tire, and since I only used each one 3 to 4 years, no problems with either one, but as with most "tires" the solid one had a rounded surface that touched the ground while the laminated had a flat surface, so the ground contact area was slightly larger. The few times I've seen the tires as an "option" the laminated cost more, and I've had some dealers tell me they last longer.
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( how long you think you will use a rotary cutter? )</font>
Like I said, mine weren't used all that long, but my nearest neighbor had a 7' rotary cutter (Howse) that he said he bought used about 6 years before I met him and I know he used it for 8 years after I met him, so I guess that laminated tire on his had to be something in excess of 14 years old and still looked just fine.
So, given a choice I'll go with laminated, would pay just a little more for it than a solid tire, if necessary.
Laminated. Actually I've had one rotary cutter (Bush Hog) with a solid tire and one (Howse) with a laminated tire, and since I only used each one 3 to 4 years, no problems with either one, but as with most "tires" the solid one had a rounded surface that touched the ground while the laminated had a flat surface, so the ground contact area was slightly larger. The few times I've seen the tires as an "option" the laminated cost more, and I've had some dealers tell me they last longer.
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( how long you think you will use a rotary cutter? )</font>
Like I said, mine weren't used all that long, but my nearest neighbor had a 7' rotary cutter (Howse) that he said he bought used about 6 years before I met him and I know he used it for 8 years after I met him, so I guess that laminated tire on his had to be something in excess of 14 years old and still looked just fine.
So, given a choice I'll go with laminated, would pay just a little more for it than a solid tire, if necessary.
jinman
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</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Belittle-ing solid tires, I think, is being made only by those who consider the lower cost of laminate tire very important. My point; if there was no price difference between solid and laminate tires, which would you chose to use?
)</font>
Nomad, your "home-built" cutter looks just like a repainted King Kutter. Are you sure you built that unit?
My point here is that you asked for honest opinions, and many folks have given their opinion, but you seem to doubt their sincerity. For myself, I'd pay three times the price of pneumatic or solid for the laminated tire. They are absolutely trouble free, and the one on my 10-year old cutter is the only thing that still looks like it did when I bought it. If your mind is made up to use a solid tire, go ahead, but the really experienced people here have given you their opinions. Good luck with your project. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
)</font>
Nomad, your "home-built" cutter looks just like a repainted King Kutter. Are you sure you built that unit?
My point here is that you asked for honest opinions, and many folks have given their opinion, but you seem to doubt their sincerity. For myself, I'd pay three times the price of pneumatic or solid for the laminated tire. They are absolutely trouble free, and the one on my 10-year old cutter is the only thing that still looks like it did when I bought it. If your mind is made up to use a solid tire, go ahead, but the really experienced people here have given you their opinions. Good luck with your project. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
MossRoad
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<font color="blue"> If my solid tire lasts even 3 years, it's good enough </font>
That's the statement that will get people angry! LOL.
As a consumer, I want something that will last a lifetime.
I can tell you from experience that inflatable tires on a brush hog are worthless. I had them on mine and they popped off the rim and deflated several times. They just don't do well with the side loads of a caster. I swapped them out to solid tires and they work fine, but this is a small 4' brush hog. I don't know how well solid tires would do on a larger brush hog.
I do have a larger, 5' 3pt hitch brush hog similar to the one that you are building. I bought it new around 1981. The laminated rear tire on that 11-12 year old brush hog looks and works the same as the day I bought it. I was skeptical when I bought it. I thought it looked cheap as it appeared to be made from recycled tires. But it worked flawlessly and has lasted well past my expectations. In fact, the tire is the only thing on that brush hog that didn't bend, break, warp or cease to work! Everthing else has required repair or maintenance. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
That's the statement that will get people angry! LOL.
As a consumer, I want something that will last a lifetime.
I can tell you from experience that inflatable tires on a brush hog are worthless. I had them on mine and they popped off the rim and deflated several times. They just don't do well with the side loads of a caster. I swapped them out to solid tires and they work fine, but this is a small 4' brush hog. I don't know how well solid tires would do on a larger brush hog.
I do have a larger, 5' 3pt hitch brush hog similar to the one that you are building. I bought it new around 1981. The laminated rear tire on that 11-12 year old brush hog looks and works the same as the day I bought it. I was skeptical when I bought it. I thought it looked cheap as it appeared to be made from recycled tires. But it worked flawlessly and has lasted well past my expectations. In fact, the tire is the only thing on that brush hog that didn't bend, break, warp or cease to work! Everthing else has required repair or maintenance. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
beenthere
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jinman
You are very right in your assessment, and took some of the words out of my mouth about nomad's reluctance to accept answers to his question (s).
If you read his initial message to the forum, he is wondering
""(if I really have to add the tire.) ""
Leads one to believe he doesn't know much at all about a rotary cutter, but he is talking about and building one that I doubt will function in its present state of design (even if a rear wheel of any type is added).
I don't mean to be unkind to nomad, but its frustrating to see so many try to help him out with his apparent dilemna, only to get an argument back about how he thinks he knows better. I normally do not respond to a thread more than once, and believe if the information I propose isn't acceptable, so be it. All of us don't think alike, nor should we.
I admire nomads initiative to build his own rotary cutter. I wish him luck with it and hope he lets us know how it does or doesn't work. I think he has a lot to learn about rotary cutters, and I hope he learns it first hand - not at the expense of a poor unsuspecting buyer who gets his first prototype.
You are very right in your assessment, and took some of the words out of my mouth about nomad's reluctance to accept answers to his question (s).
If you read his initial message to the forum, he is wondering
""(if I really have to add the tire.) ""
Leads one to believe he doesn't know much at all about a rotary cutter, but he is talking about and building one that I doubt will function in its present state of design (even if a rear wheel of any type is added).
I don't mean to be unkind to nomad, but its frustrating to see so many try to help him out with his apparent dilemna, only to get an argument back about how he thinks he knows better. I normally do not respond to a thread more than once, and believe if the information I propose isn't acceptable, so be it. All of us don't think alike, nor should we.
I admire nomads initiative to build his own rotary cutter. I wish him luck with it and hope he lets us know how it does or doesn't work. I think he has a lot to learn about rotary cutters, and I hope he learns it first hand - not at the expense of a poor unsuspecting buyer who gets his first prototype.
normde2001
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You are right, jinman, it sure appears that Nomad has somehow managed to reproduce an exact replica of a King Kutter rotary cutter frame.....Amazing. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif