Land Pride vs Bush Hog rotary cutter questions

Robert_in_NY · Sep 20, 2011

Hey guys, were looking at 5' medium duty rotary cutters to use in our vineyard. I have been leaning towards the Bush Hog 295 and went to talk to the dealer today and he is dealing more with Land Pride now as he isn't sure what direction the new parent company of Bush Hog is going to go with them. So he priced out the Bush Hog and said the Land Pride RCR26 and RCF27 series will be a little cheaper ($100-$200). I have only heard good things about Land Pride but there are not many of their rotary cutters around here let alone in vineyards.

Vineyard use is hard on cutters, we cut 2-3 times a year with the first cutting being the hardest as it chops the grape trimmings and any dead trunks that were cut out. Our vineyard is expanding and this next year we will be working between 40-140 acres depending on how our land deals work out. So it will get used a lot and it needs to hold up. I would love to go with the heavier duty models but I am trying to stay down to where our Ford 1920 can use it as well as the vineyard tractors which keeps me in the medium duty line.

I will not consider Woods and am trying to keep this decision between just the two brands listed in the title. A light duty mower will not work either as they won't hold up to the heavy use found in vineyards. So does anyone have a Land Pride 26 or 27 series and if so how do you like it and what conditions do you use it in? I really am leaning towards the Bush Hog 295 still but don't want to rule out Land Pride without researching them a little more.

Farmwithjunk · Sep 20, 2011

For whatever it's worth, the Bush Hog company rep I deal with from time to time tells me there's going to be no significant changes in the way Bush Hog operates with Alamo Group at the helm. If anything at all, changes will be limited to marketing and promotion.

From what I know of Landpride, there's no reason to shy away from them either.

Robert_in_NY · Sep 20, 2011

Farmwithjunk said:
For whatever it's worth, the Bush Hog company rep I deal with from time to time tells me there's going to be no significant changes in the way Bush Hog operates with Alamo Group at the helm. If anything at all, changes will be limited to marketing and promotion.

From what I know of Landpride, there's no reason to shy away from them either.

I didn't think Alamo would change too much but this dealer is a little shell shocked Thanks to agco. He had valtra and did great till agco came in. Then he had agco till they dropped that line. He now deals mainly with kioti but doesn't have much for farmers anymore.

The other dealers locally deal with woods.

gwdixon · Sep 20, 2011

Farmwithjunk said:
For whatever it's worth, the Bush Hog company rep I deal with from time to time tells me there's going to be no significant changes in the way Bush Hog operates with Alamo Group at the helm. If anything at all, changes will be limited to marketing and promotion.

From what I know of Landpride, there's no reason to shy away from them either.

Agree with FWJ (as usual). Both BushHog and LandPride in mowers above the light-duty models work fine.

I've had them both, beaten them around, and they just keep on mowing.

Robert_in_NY · Sep 20, 2011

Also along this line, does anyone use offset mowers in the 10' range? I am wondering how well they would work mowing along ponds, ditches/channels and along the edge of woods with low hanging branches. 10' should allow me to reach over the edge enough to keep the brush down. This cutter would be used behind a 55hp or 85hp tractor. I would use this mower to replace the 6' Woods rotary cutter.

Farmwithjunk · Sep 20, 2011

Gonna have a Rhino FR120 here next week. (heavy duty 120" flex wing offset) It's used, but not a lot. No opinion yet. Stay tuned!

Robert_in_NY · Sep 20, 2011

Farmwithjunk said:
Gonna have a Rhino FR120 here next week. (heavy duty 120" flex wing offset) It's used, but not a lot. No opinion yet. Stay tuned!

Thanks Bill, I look forward to your review.

slowzuki · Sep 20, 2011

The landpride my friend has left on the property is a light duty model, and its exactly that. We have what I assume is a light duty bushhog squealer 600 with slip clutch and it is much better built. We also have a 5 ft light Howse, it is beat up and really a poor design. Half the damage / warping of the deck is just from roading it down our rough road. The hitch half folded up and messed it all up.

Beyond that we had an old heavy duty 8 ft bushhog that was on the property when we bought it. Deck looked rewelded a dozen or more times and ripped to shreads, the 2.5" or so output shaft sheared off at the stumpjumper. I don't think it was used nicely. I recall seeing the owner driving over 3-4" poplar and birch trees with it and letting it ride over rocks. The blades were beat rounded.

DDT · Sep 20, 2011

Robert_in_NY: these cutters are made for mowing ditches ect. tractor can stay on lever ground and the wing can be on a steep slope. this will work well for your cutting projects, but the 85hp would cut faster ground speed than a 55 hp would. landpride also makes a reverse rotation option, this throws cut materail toward the ditch and not on the road.