Rotary Cutter Rotary cutter brands ?

Kevin37 · Sep 8, 2003

Does anyone know about the brand name "Bush Hog" for rotary cutters. My local VA dealer sells that brand and packaged it in with the price quote I got for tractor/FEL/6' cutter. My father spoke to his local dealer in Northern VT and was told that it's not that good of a brand, there's been some company buyouts, and parts can be hard to get. Needless to say he doesn't sell them. "Woods" seems to be a popular brand around here and I have heard good things about them. Any comments on ANY brand would help steer me in the right direction.

Thanks.......Still shopping.....still learning

Quigly · Sep 8, 2003

I have a similar interest in purchasing a rotory cutter for my small Satoh-Mitsubishi Buck S-470D 4x4 tractor, 18.5hp. This is my first tractor and I'm not very knowledgable, but my brief research has pointed me to the Woods and Brushhog brands with a slip-clutch to make the gears last. Others say both are on the expensive end of the price list. I haven't found a Brushhog website. Anyone have it? Any other brands worth taking a close look at? Plus' and minus' for each? Thanks.

ScottAR · Sep 9, 2003

Nothing wrong with Bush Hog so long as the right model is chosen for the job. Some people will buy a light duty model and expect to start mowing down redwoods... Dealers don't help much by only stocking the lightweight ones, at least here. Had one for several years and it bears the marks of my use/abuse. My next cutter will be heavier... Much heavier...

Same with Woods. Woods has a nicer blade changing setup... less work to remove/replace...

PS...My statements about Bush Hog apply to nearly every cutter on the market.

fom · Sep 9, 2003

I just bought a cutter 3 weeks ago.My research kept turning up three names:Woods,Bush Hog,and Land Pride.I opted for a 6' Land Pride(stocked by my tractor dealer).After 35 hrs.it still works fine it just looks banged up and old.LOL.I've really brutalized it.I guess I feel that when comparing apples to apples(size,hp rating,weight,etc.)all of the national brands will cost about the same and have similar performance.Good luck with your search.

MF1455v · Sep 9, 2003

In my opinon Bush Hog is a good quality mower. However you will pay for that quality. Again depends on what you intend to do with it. I am now on my second King Kutter mower. First one was a 5' and had no problems with it mowing 11 acres. I have now traded and got a bigger tractor and steped up to a 6'. Again I have had no problems what so ever. Also the price was right. Paid $795 for the 6' with a 60 hp gear box. You can find the King Kutter brand at Tractor Supply Company.

Quigly, here is the web sight for Bush Hog.
web page

Here is the web sight for King Kutter. web page

Quigly · Sep 9, 2003

After my research tonight I'm leaning towards the WOODS M40 medium duty single spindle rotary cutter for my little Buck /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

Anyone have years of use with one of these small 40" cutters?

BillyP · Sep 9, 2003

Do you have a dealer, close by, that sells Midwest cutters? If so, it would be worth your time to check them out.

Bird · Sep 9, 2003

I've had both rotary cutter and finish mower, as well as a tiller, in the Bush Hog brand; my personal first choice, although I know there are several brands just as good and perhaps even better.

jimstractors · Sep 9, 2003

I sell post hole diggers and 42", 48" + rotary mowers near you (Pearblossom). Email me or check out my website.

Kevin37 · Sep 9, 2003

So far what I've seen is my closeset JD dealer sells "Bush Hog", the next closest, and I might add bigger dealer, sells JD cutters and implements, the local orange and blue dealers sell "Woods", and tractor supply company sells "King Kutter". I went to TSC this morning to check them out and wasn't impressed. Not necessarily with the actual implement, but with the TSC setup. Large fenced in yard is where all the large outdoor gear is kept, which is understandable, but everything is RUSTY!! Is it just me, or does anyone else who spends $500-$900 or more on an implement expect to get one rust free? Everything was rusted....cutters, box scrapers, 6' roto tillers, post hole diggers, rear blades, EVERYTHING! And I'm not talking about just a little rust where the implement would be making ground contact, I'm talkin all over. Am I being silly? Anyway....enough of my rant..I'm still searchin for local implement dealers to check out some other brands!

normde2001 · Sep 9, 2003

I agree about the rust thing. I think the same thing every time I go to a TSC. I don't even let my own stuff rust. Everything is red and I keep plenty of primer and red paint on hand to touch up after every use.

Soundguy · Sep 9, 2003

I think somebody got bad info... 'Bush Hog' is one of -thee- brands. It's use has become so common that most people refer to a rotary cutter as a 'bush hog'.. similar situation with inline skates, and rollerblades.

Bush hog makes a fine expen$ive product.. and is heavy duty.. they even have a tougher line called squealer.

Most of the other ones you see like howse, land pride, and king kutter are medium to light duty... with some of the chineese import stuff being light duty. Woods I would also class as heavy duty, as well as many of the dealer name brands... like the JD, NH and kubota lines.

The heavier the duty.. the more money. Buy what you need.

As someone else pointed out... if you buy a 565$ KK 5' mower.. don't expect it to do everything and last as long as a 1100$ bush hog model.

One thing to considder is weight.. I specifically bought a medium duty KK due to the lower weight, so that I could use it on more than one of my tractors.

Soundguy

ScottAR · Sep 9, 2003

Squealer is the light duty models.. 300 series if I remember are the mediums.

Rhino is another good brand to look at. Brown looks nice too, though I've never seen one up close.

Quigly · Sep 9, 2003

Thanks for those websites! I've been typing <font color="blue"> </font> "BRUSH" HOG, <font color="black"> </font> not BUSH HOG /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

I'll give their stats a look.

Quigly · Sep 9, 2003

Hi Jim! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif Nice to know there is someone pretty close to me. The only guy I know around here is George's Tractor on Sierra Highway (used tractors and Woods Dealer) and a bunch of used tractor/equipment private party dealers. I don't get northeast of Acton much, but next time I do I will stop in. I looked at your website and noted you have 48" brush-hog rotary cutters coming in next week for $695. What brand and duty are they?

Being local you should know how they work on these high desert bushes and rocks around here. Are the rocks and nasty scrub oak too much for light duty cutters? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

JerryG · Sep 9, 2003

When it comes to rotary cutters, I am some what narrow minded. I wouldn't have anything but a Woods. The main reason it the ease of changing the blades. You only use a ratchet and a 5/8 socket to change the blades.

ns_in_tex · Sep 9, 2003

Kevin,
I think you could buy maybe two TSC King Kutters for the price of one Bush Hog, but I don't think you are talking about the same kind of equipment.
A bush hog 286 (6' medium duty) will have a 110 HP gear box, slip clutch, probably chain guard, and alltogether different mower deck. Kind of like apples & oranges.

EagleEye · Sep 9, 2003

Kevin, sounds like your TSC doesn't move much merchandise OR this year, they estimtated their required stock levels wrong and it's rained there a lot.

Here in south central NYS (otherwise known as the southern tier), if you go to TSC, the stock turns over relatively quickly.

EagleEye · Sep 9, 2003

When I was a kid, my dad bought a 5' bushhog rotary cutter (about 27 years ago) and we used to take down a lot brush with it (not sure of the model - it's about 150 miles away). My brother STILL uses the Bushhog today.

I never refer to it as brush cutting... it's ALWAYs Bushhoggin' /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

HOWEVER, I use a KingKutter (bought it recently) and can't really give you objective feedback yet (I've only done about 15 acres with it - good amount of brush... has done well thus far).

Before my KingKutter, I had some blue one (looked like something from Acme /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif)... in any event... it worked well until the supports broke their welds (I'm not kind to rotary cutters).

In my book, Bushhogs are good but as indicated earlier, you do pay a premium for them.