need a rotary mower[is landpride ok?]

HayDR · Jan 25, 2003

Howse, Big Bee, & Rollins are throw away cutters.

Harv · Jan 25, 2003

Howse, Big Bee, & Rollins are throw away cutters. 

I have a 5-foot Howse rotary cutter -- paid $653 for it, new.

This is the third year I've used it to keep my existing roads clear, blaze new ones through tall grass, brush and up to 2" saplings. I've leveled tall stands of blackberry growth and even used the cutter as a shredder, driving it over portions of my brush piles. Even with hearing protection, the latter was eventually too much for my ears when the larger stuff went under the blades. /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

I'd throw it away as you suggest, but it still looks like new.

I guess my point is that it all depends on what you intend to do with it. For my purposes, and I assume those of other folks, the Howse fits the bill jes' fine.

I'm sure you didn't intend to offend current owners of Howse, Big Bee or Rollins equipment, as that would be a violation of TBN's rules on courtesy.

HayDR · Jan 25, 2003

All Yugo owners defended their purchases.
Lady & King Auction sells the 5' Howse cutter for $395 every day of the year to anyone that has the money.

Bird · Jan 25, 2003

all depends on what you intend to do with it

That's about it. I certainly agree that I didn't like the Howse 500 as well as the Bush Hog Squealer, but my Howse worked just fine with no damage or problems, and a neighbor had an old 7' Howse that he said he bought used, so he had not idea how old it was. When he bought it, he was using it behind an old Farmall M tractor, but later an Oliver 1755. Of course, I only knew of him using that old second hand Howse for 8 years, so I don't know if it's going to hold up or not./w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif It might look better (don't know that it would work any better) if he didn't leave it sitting out in the weather all the time./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

Soundguy · Jan 30, 2003

and second is the toplink and whether the unit can move enough to jump over a stum. His has the ridgid toplink with no swing bracket.

 This toplink bracket thing is strange. There seems to be a lot of disparity over which brands, and which models have them.

I bought my KK 5' cutter dissassembled, and it came with a swing bracket... though I've seen other ones at another dealer assembled.. and had no bracket...

Is this something the dealer's assemblers are just leaving off?

The 16 year old old 4' ford 590 series i was using had one.. but I saw a new howse the other day that didn't... weird...

Soundguy

Anonymous Poster · Jan 30, 2003

Big Bee,

Hi Mark--We have been selling the Big Bee line for about 5 years and have had 0 complaints--Of course, they produce 4 series of cutters--From Light to Medium to Heavy to Extra Heavy Duty--Each sale we make, we evaluate the customers needs and advise him as to the grade (series) of cutter to purchase based on his application---We do offer the M&W line of Brush Cutters, for customers that want to pay extra for a Brand Name. By the way, Does C&C or CCI carry the M & W products also?--Ken Sweet
Sweet Farm Equipment Co.
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.sweettractors.com>http://www.sweettractors.com</A>

rationalizer · Jan 30, 2003

Soundguy,

On the "floating top link" question. My Woods has a "two position" floating top link. In one configuration it is set up to tie directly to the three point top link. In the second it is compatible with a "quick hitch". As quick hitches "lock" the relative position of the top link to the lower links they don't allow float - unless the "structure" of the cutter has articulation (ie" the "tail wheel" and mower deck can "pivot" around the lower links without the top link pivoting). The Woods design allows you to change the position of the floating link to do this.

Bill