Rotary Cutters

[Tx Jim]

About 320 Acres. I have heard of some of those, but I'll look at more tomorrow.

There's 2 Vermeer cutters listed on DFW Craig's list. One is a TM 700 in De Leon & the other is a TM 800 in Whitesboro plus some in Okla.

 

[msmith]

I've got a Massey Ferguson (Agco) that I like pretty good. I only mow about a 1/3 of what you do though, but that's in one cutting.

 

[whis]

we have a Fella 248 its a good mower about 4 grand less than name brand mowers. No more than your cutting it would be fine

 

[Mistyridgefarm]

Based on what you said, I think the Vicon would be a better fit. With three blades per disk, your 50 hp tractor will be more efficient. I've run 2-blades cutters before and I had to drop a gear using about the same tractor. My new one (100 hp) does not seem to care, although I still think the Vicon gives a better cut. for 50 hp, a 7 feet cut is probably best depending on terrain. My JD 5300 will handle the 8 feet Vicon but strains mowing up slopes, and I have to drop a gear to keep PTO RPM up.

If going used on any brand, check the bar and gear box seals carefully. Slight seepage is not much of a bother but filling up every day gets old. Also check wear on the bottom because putting on new wear plates can run the cost up quickly to that of a better condition machine. I found an 8 foot one-year old Vicon for $5K last year for reference on pricing.

 

[flusher]

About 320 Acres. I have heard of some of those, but I'll look at more tomorrow.

Check out drum mowers.

HayMAG DRUM MOWERS

You could handle drum mower with 7-ft wide cut with your tractor.

Drum mowers cost significantly less than the equivalent disc mower and are much less complex (i.e. fewer parts to wear out or break).

Mowing speed should be 5-6 acres per hour with a drum mower for almost any type of hay crop.

Good luck.

 

[wnettles]

The row width kind of helps you choose the size of the mower. For example, my rows are 8 foot spacing, so, a 48" cut mower works well for me. I am chewing up small trees and brush, so, a heavy 48" mower is what I use. I have 2 Lilliston Flyin Scot model mowers. They are out of production. Woods makes a good version. If rows are wider, choose a mower wide enough to do the job, but, not too big for the HP requirements to outrun your tractor's output. I have a 25 HP John Deere M tractor and the mower is rated about 40 HP, a good fit.

 

[bjr]

What I see in a disc cutter is a lot of gears, bearings and seal operating down in the very bottom of the crop. At least look at a drum mower. Yes, maybe a little less width in cut, but your're able to really move along at a pretty high speed. And only six blades to maintain on the big two drums. bjr

 

[bsrfarms97]

Cutting that type acerage. I would consider nothing less than a 8ft disc mower. I know kuhn is higher priced than some of the others. But they build one of the best in the business. Putting up hay isn't an easy task by any means. It cost a lot of money just to put hay up. fertilizer and diesel isn't cheap. You definitely don't want much down time in the field repairing equipment. You will go in the hole in a hurry and lose a lot of money. Spend the money on a good solid mower. It will save you more in the long run.