Rotary Cutter / Bush Hog Considerations for Compact Tractors

[ptsg]

Ain't nobody got time to sharpen blades on brush mowers anyways.

My light duty 500lbs and 51" wide brush mower which equates to a medium duty in the US will eat easily stuff up to and above 2" using grade 80 chains instead of blades.

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[jeff9366]

trekkar said:
I have five acres that need to be bush hogged.
Would like a cab and I'm guessing 6 foot bush hog that would take a few hours to cut?
So how much tractor do I need?

A six foot Bush Hog cutting moderate length dry grass requires forty-five tractor horsepower.

A six foot Bush Hog cutting long grass or light-medium brush requires a fifty tractor horsepower.

As you have hills and desire a 800 pound cab on your tractor, I recommend at least a fifty horsepower tractor.

A six foot Bush Hog cuts around 2-1/2 acres of grass per hour, mowing flat land, probably two acres of grass per hour with your hills.

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

I have zero problems what so ever mowing with a 6 foot brush hog and 32 pto horse power.

And that's in heavy grass and brush that gets taller than the hood of my tractor.

Again, I really wonder where you come up with this stuff Jeff. Your "facts" that "everybody knows" get pretty sketchy sometimes.

 

[Hay Dude]

Theres so much more to trying to size a mower correctly. Its not just charts and graphs.
Last summer I took on a new customer with a 45 acre field. He wanted it cut because weed content was awful. I was bogging down a 126HP tractor with a 15’ mower in spots because it was so thick. Other fields I typically cut that were same height are easy, high speed cutting.

My point is, grass thickness/density/crop type, whatever you want to call it, is so important. If you only cut 1-2 times per year, it will be thick and heavy requiring more power. If you cut same field 4-6 times per year, less HP and a wider mowing deck may be possible.

One thing I would never buy is a large multi deck finish mower. They have belts and hundreds more moving parts to maintain and break and all those little wheels & tires. Belts to slip & smoke.
Buy a bush hog with NO belts, just PTO shafts and gear boxes. I see those multi deck field grass cutters selling for 1/2 their new price and they’re only 2-3 years old.
For smaller tractors (50HP) on frequently cut grass fields, I recommend a twin spindle, like a BH squealer or 8’ Deere MX, etc. The twin blades just seem like they do a nicer job.
For heavier woods work, like brush, I recommend a 5-6’ single spindle deck with a tough heavy duty gear box. You put less strain on your tractor PTO and can maneuver it between trees.

 

[mcfarmall]

I run a 5 foot cutter behind the Farmall C that sports less than 19 horsepower....been doing it for 30 years.

 

[jeff9366]

HAY DUDE:

"There is so much more to trying to size a mower correctly. Its not just charts and graphs.

My point is, grass thickness/density/crop type, whatever you want to call it, is so important. If you only cut 1-2 times per year, it will be thick and heavy requiring more power. If you cut same field 4-6 times per year, less HP and a wider mowing deck may be possible."


Russman16 said:

"I will be bushhoging 12-13 acres of the field once a year or once every 2 years. My intentions are to let the field grow up some for deer and rabbit hunting. I will keep the other few acres either mowed down monthly or in food plots.

I want something that'll pull a 5' bushhog easily with only being mowed once a year or every other year. And maybe a 4' bushhog would be fine, just don't know how long either would take me to mow."

Here is a mowing calculator. Mowing once per year will require a tractor speed of around 4-mph. Mowing every second year will limit tractor speed to 3-mph due to density of vegetation.

Mowing once per year will require 40 - 45 tractor horsepower to operate a 60" HD bush hog = 2 acres per hour.

Mowing once per year will require at least 50 tractor horsepower to operate a 72" HD bush hog = 2-1/2 acres per hour.

Allowing for a 6" overlap, a 48" bushhog mows only 42" per swathe. Ugh!

Mowing Calcuator | How many acres can I mow in an hour

www.landscapecalculator.com

 

[MESSMAKER]

The gearbox is protected by shear bolt or slip clutch. The body of the cutter. tail wheel and 3 point are where 90% of problems that I have are located.

 

[bearthebruce]

We run a 60" brush hog on hills. Last Fall, vegetation was so thick after 3 years of mowing 2x a year, that I had to slow from 3.5mph to 3mph. I may try to dress up the blades this year as they have not been sharpened. We cut a lot of brush but nothing above 1-1/2".

Hog is a Mahindra standard duty 40hp gear box, weighing 510lbs. Tractor is 33Hp with PTO power of 28Hp if one believes the specs.

The nice green triangle piece shown here is the field. The second photo is taken from the neighbors field near the top of their hill. The last shot is taken from the tractor seat atop our hill looking to the neighbor's property from where the previous shot was taken. The 3rd photo was last Spring at first mowing of the year.

 

[3gunr]

I have a similar size rig as slowpoke and cut lots of ground with weeds well over 4 ft tall with ease . i have to go slower decause the ground is rough , not because it wont cut . I dont get jeff either sometimes.I take care of 4 propertys consisting of close to 400 acres, So i have a little experience

 

[jeff9366]

Doug62:

Need a bushhog for a 36HP ( 27-PTO ) tractor for timber farm use to keep the grass down.

What do I need to look for quality and value wise?


With 27 PTO horsepower you can adequately power a 5' wide Rotary Cutter.

My Kubota L3560/HST+ has 28 PTO horsepower. I do a lot of trail maintenance in a 172 acre residential development, which approximates timber farm use in Florida and probably coastal South Carolina.

Implement weight is always a good place to start. A five foot wide medium duty Rotary Cutter, nominally rated for 2" cut, weighs around 600 pounds and usually has a Category 3 drive line.

A five foot wide heavy duty "right-of-way" Rotary Cutter, nominally rated for 3" cut, weighs around 1,000 pounds and has a Category 4 drive line.

I have owned both. The medium duty model could not take it. Required $600+ shop work each year. Sold it.

I recommend a heavy duty Rotary Cutter as your cheapest option in the long run. I have had no maintenance issues with the heavy duty model in three years operation. I use a chainsaw for 3" stuff, but I mow 2" hard woods all the time.

I have owned Land Pride. Woods and Bush Hog (brand) are also good. Look for Category 4 drive line in a heavy duty mower. Expect to pay $3,500 pre-tax for a 5' heavy duty Rotary Cutter with chain guards front and rear.
(Many Rotary Cutter components are produced in Asia though none tell you so. So, do not get too crazed on "brand".)

You will absolutely want optional chain guards front and rear.