Rotary Cutter Questions re: Brand and Size Rotary Cutter

[GrammaBJT]

Good Morning! We have a small horse farm with about 10 acres in pasture. We were unfortunate enough to purchase a Frontier RC2060 from Barnhill Equipment, Durham, NC. We previously owned a farm in KY and had all John Deere equipment and never had any problems. I was not told by the sales rep that the John Deere green rotary cutter he recommended was NOT a John Deere cutter. We have had so many problems with it including welding it back together on the piece that the top link mount is bolted to. John Deere said it was not under warranty and wanted me to have it towed in for service. I had it re-welded instead. It is darn near impossible to attach the cutter to the tractor. I really don't know how my daughter does it! The Cat 1 pin on one side kept coming loose and/or bending. Finally, after many replacements, I looked at the parts list and discovered there should be a pin bushing inside. NOT THERE - EVER! I have read many negative comments on this cutter. I'm consider not going back to John Deere because I think they were not honest with me - and I wasn't informed enough not to know that Frontier is a piece of junk!

I'd like to research buying another brand. Our tractor is a John Deere 3005, 27.5 engine hp, Cat. 1 hitch, PTO hp 24. We mow about 10 acres regularly during the growing season - about half the year in NC. The pastures are in good shape with a few bumpy parts and gentle hills.

I'd like to be educated before I start dealing! Would appreciate any suggestions!

 

[murphy1244]

a 5 ft land pride.or 6 ft if finish mower.

 

[leonz]

Since your in the neighborhood of Agrisupply,
you should travel to one of their stores and
look at their line of Caroni rough cut flailmowers.

AS your mowing continuosly a five foot rough cut or
finish flailmower will work well.

 

[foreman Etexas]

I will second the LandPride in a 5ft. The rough cut as they say,really do leave a nice mow. I use my 8ft LP shredder on my yard and it looks as good as what the lawn mower did up next to the house,never had a bit of trouble from the LP cutter....

 

[boggen]

in your Tractor HP and PTO range. you will most likely find different grades of bush hogs, economical to industrial. economical being low usage thinner metal, low range gear box on the bush hog errr (rotatory cutter) while industrial being a heavier gauge metal it is made from, and perhaps a higher end gear box.

normally you just get a basic rotatory cutter, and it cost extra if you want any sort of "chain shields" on front and or back. to help reduce any thing flying out form under deck and causing damage to something.

you might find hydraulic tail wheel/s to help lift the rotatory cutter up off the ground for traveling on roads, and reduce front end of tractor from getting light.

speaking of above, your 3pt hitch max lift can play a roll in how heavy of a bush hog / rotatory cutter you do get. and having either front weights, or a FEL (front end loader) on tractor might be advised. to help offset the rotatory cutter. when it is in in the raised positioned when ya travel from area to area. or mowing hills. rotatory cutters are one of them implements that are heavy, but more so the weight is clear back behind the tractor. and the tetter totter effect comes into play, causing front end of the tractor to either come off ground or become light. hence front weights or FEL to help reduce tetter totter effect.

 

[foreman Etexas]

in your Tractor HP and PTO range. you will most likely find different grades of bush hogs, economical to industrial. economical being low usage thinner metal, low range gear box on the bush hog errr (rotatory cutter) while industrial being a heavier gauge metal it is made from, and perhaps a higher end gear box.

normally you just get a basic rotatory cutter, and it cost extra if you want any sort of "chain shields" on front and or back. to help reduce any thing flying out form under deck and causing damage to something.

you might find hydraulic tail wheel/s to help lift the rotatory cutter up off the ground for traveling on roads, and reduce front end of tractor from getting light.

speaking of above, your 3pt hitch max lift can play a roll in how heavy of a bush hog / rotatory cutter you do get. and having either front weights, or a FEL (front end loader) on tractor might be advised. to help offset the rotatory cutter. when it is in in the raised positioned when ya travel from area to area. or mowing hills. rotatory cutters are one of them implements that are heavy, but more so the weight is clear back behind the tractor. and the tetter totter effect comes into play, causing front end of the tractor to either come off ground or become light. hence front weights or FEL to help reduce tetter totter effect.

So true Boggen...I agree when you get the cheapest model well got to be a reason they can sell cheap only way you can do that is what material is used on it. You can get into the light/medium duty mowers with the upgraded gearboxes and decks they will be with you along time or just buy 2 of the cheap BRANDS(one for parts)....

JD3005 Rear Type: 1

Rear lift (at 24"/610mm): 815 lbs [369 kg

LandPride RCF2060 (60IN.Rotary cutter) 620LBS Recommended pto 20-65HP
Landpride RCR1260 478LBS 20-50

 

[TripleR]

I really like Land Pride and Woods after using economy brands for years. Bush Hog makes good cutters too, but I have no real experience with them. I put a slip clutch and chain shields on our LP. A light/medium cutter should be all you need, I am not familiar with that tractor, so I can't help on sizing.

Boggen makes really good points.

 

[foreman Etexas]

I really like Land Pride and Woods after using economy brands for years. Bush Hog makes good cutters too, but I have no real experience with them. I put a slip clutch and chain shields on our LP. A light/medium cutter should be all you need, I am not familiar with that tractor, so I can't help on sizing.

Boggen makes really good points.

Looks to be just a tad bigger than wifes uncle L2400 4x4 Kubota and he use a 5footer,he does have a loader but man that little tractor will work.

 

[creekbend]

Woods, Landpride, Bush Hog. My neighbor has a Kodiak and it appears to be well made also. If you go to the SEARCH section at the top of this page and type in Rotary Mowers, there are many threads and posts relating to your inquiry. Just a thought? BTW, Welcome aboard. We live in Caswell County, just above you.

 

[Baby Grand]

I've been using a Woods BB60 60 inch cutter since 2007 and I'm very happy with it's performance and build quality. It's in the middle of their rough mower lineup - not a lightweight, but not a heavyweight, either. A welterweight? My L3240 tractor handles it very nicely with the FEL removed and no additional weight on the front. It's on the edge of being a little small for my machine, width-wise. Rear tire sidewalls outside to outside is about 63 inches.

 

[TripleR]

Looks to be just a tad bigger than wifes uncle L2400 4x4 Kubota and he use a 5footer,he does have a loader but man that little tractor will work.

Yeah, I would go with a 5', but LP has a lot of 5' models, so was reluctant to recommend one specific.

 

[foreman Etexas]

Yeah, I would go with a 5', but LP has a lot of 5' models, so was reluctant to recommend one specific.

I was just throwing some model #s out there just went over and looked at them while I was checking out the 12ft and 15ft batwings. Time for me to upgrade but kinda like to keep the 8ft also,descions,descions....

 

[GrammaBJT]

Thanks, Boggen. Tractor has FEL and it's never been off.

 

[GrammaBJT]

Thanks, Creekbend. I'll read some more posts. I love NC!

 

[Bigfoot62]

You've been given some great advice. Take it.

Buy a 5' heavy duty cutter, manufactured by a good company.

I've never heard anyone complain that "I bought a cutter that was just too good."

BTW, you need to match the cutter, not only to the job, but the tractor as well.
I bought a Rhino SE7 (medium duty) cutter, several years ago. I got a great deal on it. It would have probably done OK, if I hadn't been using it behind 85-100 hp tractors that weigh 10,000 lbs.
Long story short, I've bent the skirt in several places and replaced the entire tail wheel assembly. It simply isn't built heavy enough to stand up to normal use behind a big tractor. I should have spent another $1000 and got the super duty model.

 

[scrappy isb67]

Frontier is manufactured by Woods for John Deere so I would NOT call it junk! there is more to this than "frontier is junk!"

"

 

[Bigfoot62]

Frontier is manufactured by Woods for John Deere so I would NOT call it junk! there is more to this than "frontier is junk!"

Maybe not "junk" but definitely "economy."
Practically ALL equipment manufacturers have several quality (and price) levels, including Woods. Their economy 5' cutter has a 12 gauge deck. (the Frontier is 11 gauge) That's pretty thin. It will likely bend if you bump a tree or back into a creek bank.

 

[jbrumberg]

"Buy a 5' heavy duty cutter, manufactured by a good company."- BF

If you have to periodically cut ~1.5" hardwood saplings and/or a lot of shrubbery HD would be my choice.

I now get by with a 5' MD rotary cutter, and I regularly have to rotary cut soft ~1.5" wood saplings (poplar, etc.).

I have no complaints with the two MD Tebbins RC's that I had/have. I did manage to kill a Woods HD RC years ago, but it was one tough little RC during its service lifetime, and it was/is the reason I can get by with a MD RC now.

 

[TripleR]

I was just throwing some model #s out there just went over and looked at them while I was checking out the 12ft and 15ft batwings. Time for me to upgrade but kinda like to keep the 8ft also,descions,descions....

I know what you mean, lots of good looking mowers there, I have 4', 6' and two 10' and if I had the money and room I'd like to have a good 8'.

 

[Bigfoot62]

"Buy a 5' heavy duty cutter, manufactured by a good company."- BF

If you have to periodically cut ~1.5" hardwood saplings and/or a lot of shrubbery HD would be my choice.

I now get by with a 5' MD rotary cutter . . .

I went back and read the original post again. 24 hp, CAT I hitch.
You're probably correct. He doesn't have enough tractor to tear up a MD cutter under normal circumstances.
BUT, be aware, one company's "medium" duty cutter may be greatly different from another.