Mowing Just bought L35, what kind of mower (flail, brush hog, etc.) to get?

[Telstar2112]

Just bought an L35 as first tractor. Very impressed great machine! Have 80 acres and soon want to clear some old fields that have overgrown. Lots of sticker bushes, tall grass, small (<2") trees. I have a small riding mower for around the house. I was thinking of getting a 5' bush hog (brush hog?). I have some tight trees to get through so I didn't want anything wider than the machine. Does anyone have any recomendations? I dont know what to look for in such a machine and am new to tractors and this kind of work so any help greatly appreciated. Is there a safety clutch of some kind if you run into something it can't cut, like maybe a rock or small stump or does that just need to be avoided?

Also, I just ordered some LED light to add to the FOPS as there are already mounting holes there. Any recomendations for where/how to put the switch?

Thanks.
Steve.

 

[rmk700]

Congrats on your purchase.

I think most bush hogs come standard with a slip clutches and it should easily handle a 5'. just be ready to shut it down fast anyway. I don't have a brush hog yet but I'm sure the King Kutter brand would be a good choise.

 

[gwdixon]

A flail mower is not the best choice for your uses. Plus, they are quite expensive.

A bush hog style mower would work well. They have a "stump jumper", a circular round plate about 18" round in the center, so it avoids hanging up. The blades swivel back and out of the way when hitting a solid object. However, they do have a tendency to throw rocks and sticks. Make sure you buy the protection chains (if an option) with the bush hog.

 

[David_Kb7uns]

Look at a heavier duty unit like a Land Pride, Woods etc, the King Kutter is a little light.

David Kb7uns

 

[Telstar2112]

Thanks. In most pictures they seem to be more open in the front. Do you just run everything over in forward ? Seems like a lot of branches would scrape along the bottom of the tractor.

Also, never used a 3 point hitch...will the unit pivot up, or lift up while still level?

Thanks.

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

Avoid rocks, stumps and big trees. Use a bulldozer for those, not a tractor.
You might better get the heaviest Bush hog/Brush hog/Rotary mower you can afford if your wanting to mow anything you can drive over or back into. You can even tear up a Bush hog/brush hog/rotary mower and a tractor. They are not bull dozers.
I suggest you spend more time reading here about tractors and mowers. The bush/brush/rotary mower has a heavy blade for cutting small trees and high grass without achieving a mowed lawn appearance. They can sling what they cut (rocks/trees/limbs) quite a distance, like thru someone or thru the windows of a vehicle, house, bldg.
For level high weeds a KK (lighter weight) may work for awhile. If your going to use it often, for years and mow everything in sight or even unseen, get the heaviest one you can afford. Like a Landpride or Woods.
We all started with our first one at one time. I've tried several and learned a bit more with each model and thru some hard learned lessons and reading a lot here. Even laid one on its side and never want to do that again. Tractors can turn over very easy, as I said before they are NOT bulldozers.

 

[Carl_NH]

Nice machine the L35 and tough too. I would go with a 5'or 6' bush hog as others have said get a HD one.

The other tip when first cutting an overgrown area go slow and low with the FEL bucket down say 6-8" off the ground with the bush hog set about the same height. You will push over the saplings with the FEL and hit any major stumps/rocks before the mower.

Just be careful backing up as the saplings can get wedged and break things even with the protection the L35 has on the underside.

 

[nybirdman]

Congrats on the new purchase,nice tractor.Buy a HD bush-hog,5ft.should be about right.I have had good luck with my Bush-Hog branded unit.Make sure it has a slip clutch and service every year.Only takes a few minutes.Remember you don't want the blades sharp like a mower,you want to shatter the brush not cut it.

 

[gwdixon]

Thanks. In most pictures they seem to be more open in the front. Do you just run everything over in forward ? Seems like a lot of branches would scrape along the bottom of the tractor.

Also, never used a 3 point hitch...will the unit pivot up, or lift up while still level?

Thanks.

To answer your questions:

Most of the cutting work is in forward. The wheels will push down tall wet grass and leave most of it uncut. Just mow over the uncut grass in a couple of days after it springs back up.

You can mow in reverse to get into corners or between trees. It is not a problem but if the rear of the mower is metal instead of chains it is possible to dent it.

The mower will lift up with the tractor's 3PH. At the top of the lift it will be at an angle. When it is put back down it will be level to the ground or whatever your previous setting was.

Setting up a Bush Hog style mower to cut well and operate correctly is more complicated than you might think. Do a search - there are lots of opinions and tricks/tips.

You could look for a used mower on Craigslist as a starter. Then you won't mind so much when it gets torn up. That will also give you a valuable education on the operation. Trouble is...used ones in good shape are hard to find and are not that much less than new.

 

[cqaigy2]

A flail mower is not the best choice for your uses. Plus, they are quite expensive.

A bush hog style mower would work well. They have a "stump jumper", a circular round plate about 18" round in the center, so it avoids hanging up. The blades swivel back and out of the way when hitting a solid object. However, they do have a tendency to throw rocks and sticks. Make sure you buy the protection chains (if an option) with the bush hog.

This sounds like good advice, and another problem with flail mower is higher horse power requirement though they don't throw stuff near as far. Brush hog style mower will pitch things quite a distance and they do sometimes lose a blade so they shouldn't be used very close to people or objects that you wouldn't want to get hit. Like say your pickup that your wife said your mowing too close to that now sports a nice, what i call a little ding.