QUICK ROTARY CUTTER ADVICE NEEDED

Travis_R · Oct 30, 2007

Ok here it goes,

I posted a while back on which brand to buy out of a Rhino 172 and Bush Hog Squealer SQ172. I ended up choosing the Bush Hog brand but still have not made a purchase.
And am glad I haven't.....I have found another brand that is well known that I am interested in.....The Woods Brush Bull Extreme model BB72X. I really like the looks of this cutter. BUT....In my 'area' it is $200 more than the Bush Hog Squealer and the sides and top of deck are both 11 gauge, where as the Squealer's sides and top are 10 gauge. But the Woods has a 6 year gearbox warranty and the Squealer has a 5 year gearbox warranty.

Its kinda like six one way and a half a dozen another!

So the question is: Bush Hog or Woods??
And as the title of this thread states, "QUICK ROTARY CUTTER ADVICE NEEDED", it means what it says.

I AM GOING TO PURCHASE THIS FRIDAY. 3 DAYS LEFT!

Thanks for the patience and replies,
Travis R

EastTnFarmboy · Oct 30, 2007

For what it's worth...

A year ago I compared cutters and intended to buy the Bush Hog brand. However, I decided to put my tractor/implement purchase off for a year and just recently pulled the trigger. This time around, after researching several brands, I decided on the new Woods BB 72X. It is an upgrade to their standard duty Brush Bull series that I had looked at last year. In my opinion, it is extremely well built. I recently spent several days bushhogging on our property in Missouri, and I couldn't be happier with the way it performed. It is rated for saplings up to 1.5" if my memory serves, but in my opinion that is a very conservative rating by Woods. I was basically able to cut anything that I could ride down with the tractor. I got into something once that was a bit large for it, but the slip clutch did its job and I trucked on down the road. I know that I cut some things that were at least 3" at the bottom without any trouble. (My tractor has 45 hp at the pto.) You mentioned the gearbox warranty, which is pretty strong. I don't think you will go wrong with this cutter, but that is just my opinion of course. Good luck.

mikim · Oct 31, 2007

Take a look at how the blades come off. My woods has a large pin held with a "keeper" wedge that is held with a bolt. I can use a 3/8 ratchet with a 5/8 socket to remove the blades. My neighbor was commenting last week how he needed to change his but hated the job because of the great big nut that holds the blades on and the tools he needs to get it off. Including a cheater bar and lots of grunt.

EastTnFarmboy · Oct 31, 2007

The BB72X should have the quickchange blade pins. The regular BB72 does not. Another poster mentioned this in a thread recently:
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/109616-new-woods-bb60-aack-no.html

Soundguy · Oct 31, 2007

It's your money.. 200$ is a big premium to pay for a hair thicker deck and quick change blades.

If putting a big breaker bar and socket on a blade bolt every decade makes ya sqeamish.. then spend the extra 200$

I've got a 9.5y old mower, a 8yr old mower, and a 4yr old mower.

None of em are anywhere near needing blades. I've cut my share of ant mounts.. rocks, and hidden wood as well as occasional 2" woodm material, and the 1-2 odd accidental 3" green material. ( knocked out quite a few fence posts too! )

Soundguy

Robert_in_NY · Oct 31, 2007

From my experience you will need the warranty on the Woods gearbox. I will never buy another Woods cutter again.

scott_vt · Oct 31, 2007

Afternoon Travis,
Ive used the Bush Hog Squealer for the past few years with absolutely no problems. I have the 5ft model behind my Massey, probablly could have gone with the 6 ft but its not that big of a deal. I agree with you in the fact that the Brush Bull is a heavier duty unit but is it worth another $200 ? For the type of cutting Im doing its not, mostly open meadow, although I have occassionally cut some small saplings. Im still on my first set of blades and I do occassionally touch them up with a angle grinder, that mower just keeps cuttin along !

BTW the stump jumper is a nice feature when finding rocks and stumps !

rbargeron · Oct 31, 2007

Travis_R said:
Ok here it goes,

.....The Woods Brush Bull Extreme model BB72X. I really like the looks of this cutter. BUT....it is $200 more than the Bush Hog Squealer..........

You are comparing a model Woods calls their heavy duty cutter to a model that Bush Hog lists as their "light duty" cutter. Not exactly a fair contest. Have you considered the BH medium duty 290 or their heavier 300 or 406 series units? Apples to apples, Bush Hog's heavy duty is much more machine.

sandman2234 · Oct 31, 2007

Remember, 10 guage metal is thicker than 11 guage metal, so that makes it worse, not better.
Decks usually rust out around here faster than gearboxes break, but in five years, will it matter, verus 6 years? A warranty is only as good as the company that is standing behind it, but better than a warranty, is a gearbox that will last that long, versus the down time you will have if it doesn't.
David from jax

mikim · Nov 1, 2007

I guess I must use mine different from others. I cut a LOT of brush and need to sharpen my blades fairly regularly. (twice a season - maybe) With the easy change blades, I just take them off and sharpen them on the bench grinder. I actually have 2 sets of blades and swap 'em - takes maybe 10 minutes. I find that's even easier than crawling under it to use an angle grinder - which I've done several times as well.