Rotary Cutter Rotary Cutter Advise

[Piston]

With the heavier weight of the medium duty cutters, you can back over much larger brush without the cutter raising up in the air.
If it's too large and the cutter does rise up, you can raise it up with the 3 point hitch to get more leverage.

I very often retract my hydraulic top link to get the rear very high on really large diameter stuff. With softwoods like pine, I've been able to slowly chew through an occasional 8" diameter tree.

Obviously you can't do that all day, but no way would a light duty model last with that kind of abuse.

You are making the right choice with the heavier models.

 

[moonmark1980]

Piston,
How do you like the brown cutter? I've been looking at them, but can't seem to find a dealer in Iowa.
Also do you think I could operate a 7' medium duty cutter with my tractor?

 

[LD1]

Im not piston, but I think 7' is pushing it. Lots of weight a long way back, and under 40 PTO HP. Skip a 7'. If you have gearing slow enough, pull an 8' twin or drop to a 6'

 

[bilrus61]

There are some off set twin spindle 7 footers that you can use. I used a Rhino 8 foot behind my L4200. Worked it hard but it would mow about anything. If your mowing grass, which takes the most HP to cut of anything, I would stick with the 6 footer and just go faster on the easier areas rather than think I will be mowing it faster with a 8. I can attest that the 1860 land pride on my current Kubota L3540 will mow over big stuff and seems to be none the worse for wear. Hard to be the 18 series from Landpride for a tough quality cutter.

 

[Turbys_1700]

Piston,
How do you like the brown cutter? I've been looking at them, but can't seem to find a dealer in Iowa.
Also do you think I could operate a 7' medium duty cutter with my tractor?

I have a 472 Brown and it is a good cutter...I would advise either a 6' or twin 8' like LD1 stated...The 472 weighs north of 1100#...130 HP gearbox and that is conservative...They rate them at 2" but their specs are a match for Bush Hog cutters rated for 3"...They will take down 3" soft woods easily...2" Hardwoods...No dealers around here but they will sell you parts direct...

 

[Piston]

Piston,
How do you like the brown cutter? I've been looking at them, but can't seem to find a dealer in Iowa.
Also do you think I could operate a 7' medium duty cutter with my tractor?

I absolutely love it. I don't have any complaints, it's well built and keeps on working, I really beat on it pretty bad too and use it for more than it's designed.

I don't know how much different it is than the other makes of similar build though, I imagine they are all very similar, but I really do like the Brown company.

I can't say how a 7' would work as I've never used one, but I don't think it would be as good as the 6' as far as physical size goes. The 6' is a good match and very heavy, I might be a little concerned about stresses on my top link with more weight sticking farther back. Not to mention it would be a lot less maneuverable, not an issue with fields, but in the woods it's a hinderance.

I'd actually like a heavy duty 5' model like
The 600 series but the smallest they make is a 6'.

The only problems I've had is I've bent the sheet metal in the back from backing in to large diameter saplings too aggressively. I put a chain on it and pull it back out to "normal" with the other end of the chain wrapped around a tree.

Also, I broke a blade on my last job with it last fall. They were the original blades and the mower is pretty old, so I wasn't too surprised. I bolted the new blades on and finished the job.







I absolutely recommend the Brown cutters. Someday I hope to have a Brown Tree Saw, just waiting for the right job to come along!

 

[moonmark1980]

Good info from everyone. Thanks for all the advise and I'll definitely be purchasing a true medium duty cutter, as far as brands go it'll most likely be whatever I can find for the best price. It seems like Woods, Land Pride, Bush Hog, Brown, and Rhino are all pretty close on their specs.

 

[Turbys_1700]

I absolutely love it. I don't have any complaints, it's well built and keeps on working, I really beat on it pretty bad too and use it for more than it's designed.

I don't know how much different it is than the other makes of similar build though, I imagine they are all very similar, but I really do like the Brown company.

I can't say how a 7' would work as I've never used one, but I don't think it would be as good as the 6' as far as physical size goes. The 6' is a good match and very heavy, I might be a little concerned about stresses on my top link with more weight sticking farther back. Not to mention it would be a lot less maneuverable, not an issue with fields, but in the woods it's a hinderance.

I'd actually like a heavy duty 5' model like
The 600 series but the smallest they make is a 6'.

The only problems I've had is I've bent the sheet metal in the back from backing in to large diameter saplings too aggressively. I put a chain on it and pull it back out to "normal" with the other end of the chain wrapped around a tree.

Also, I broke a blade on my last job with it last fall. They were the original blades and the mower is pretty old, so I wasn't too surprised. I bolted the new blades on and finished the job.

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I absolutely recommend the Brown cutters. Someday I hope to have a Brown Tree Saw, just waiting for the right job to come along!

How did you get that cleaned up without stubbing a tire? I believe my tractor got a flat with just me looking at the picture. Similar to what I used my cutter for the last couple years.

 

[DieselBound]

LD1 covers it.

I researched this till the cows came home. The classifications are a guide, and the real guts of it all is deck thickness and transmission HP rating (which is supposed to denote strength of the unit).

If you compare several units together you'll be able to see weight differences, which pretty much translate to deck material thickness.

Why a thick deck? Look at various bush hogs in the local classifieds and or on some place like TractorHouse.com and you're sure to find one with nice pock-marked upper decks. Stuff that's being sent flying from the blades slams into the deck. Thin/weak decks are going to more readily fracture (and start to rust, game nearing an end!).

I picked up a used Bush Hog 286. Stock would be considered a "Medium Duty" cutter. The previous owner, his business is clearing, welded an extra sheet of 1/4" steel on the deck. Even so the deck shows signs of lots of former "activity!" I don't expect to be "mowing rocks" like the previous owner did.

I ran a "Light Duty" 5' Rankin off the back of my B7800 and I was doing far more than light stuff with it. It held up for over 5 years before I sold it (still worked): bought a LandPride that was quick attach (for the B7800).

 

[moonmark1980]

Been searching Craigslist and tractor house for used medium duty cutters and couldn't really find anything the wasn't beat to heck for under $2000 and land pride a bush hog wanted $3100-$3500 for a new 6' medium duty cutter. Got a wild hair after not having any luck finding a local Brown dealer and decided to call the factory. He said since there wasn't any close dealers to me he'd give me deal price. I got a Brown 416 painted Kubota orange shipped to my door for $2666. It'll be here next week, can't wait to start mowing.

Thanks everyone for the help.