Rotary Cutter Stupid question: Proper way to use rotory cutter

[RoyJackson]

Leave the loader on and bucket low, then drive forward over the brush. The loader bucket will knock down quite a bit of stuff.
Unless you know the property well (and maybe even if you do), go slow (just above a crawl).
There might be areas you'll need to back under...low hanging branches and such.
I'd like to tell you your machine will be pristine when you're finished...but it probably won't be. Between the dust and debris and branches off to the sides, your tractor will be pretty scruffy when you're finished.
If you're worried about that...then you don't want to rough cut with a rotary cutter.
More important then the tractor is to keep yourself "pristine". That means eye and ear protection, maybe a face mask to prevent inhaling the inevitable dust and pollen. Since you're clearing through forested areas, you might consider a hard hat too.
Remember...when you duck under a low hanging branch, that ROPS right behind you can't...be aware of branches!

 

[buck12]

I use both forward and back in heavy brush. As someone said you tend to get a better cut going forward but I backup if the brush is so thick I can't see the ground.

 

[Chilly807]

I just did some sapling clean up today, and I would ask you to consider just walking through first with a pruning lopper and cutting the saplings down at the roots. That eliminates any of the nasty "punji stick" issues, and gets rid of the risk to your cutter and tractor. I have a chipper, so I just went back and made the saplings disappear.

I have skid plates, and I have a Woods brushhog, but I like the clean finish of lopping the saplings.

Just a thought.

I tend to agree, the rotary will cut the trees no question, but what are you planning on doing with the cut area? It's not going to be fit to walk on, because of the "punji sticks" mentioned above. I've cut areas before, then had to go back and re-cut with the loppers to get a decent finish.
Next time I have an area like that to cut, I'll go through with the loppers first, then finish with the rotary for the smaller stuff. We have horses, sharp little stumps are a bad thing indeed.

Chilly

 

[skipmarcy]

This time of year is ideal for ripping those small trees out of the ground with your FEL - I just did quite a bit in the woods behind my house last week. The ground is soft and the trees come out easier than when dry. My tractor & FEL has enough weight etc. to uproot some pretty good trees, I'll use the bucket up higher to get the tree started over and then catch it close to the ground with the corner of the bucket and rip the whole stump/root ball out. A little boxblading after you get a small area done and it looks great !! With trees only 1" or so in dia. you should be able to just go low with your bucket and rip them out. Backing into one with your boxblade at ground level and raising your hitch at the same time will get some types of trees to come right out too - the shallower rooted ones anyway. With the rotary cutter I usually back into trees the size you describe, I have a hydraulic toplink and slightly raise the rear of the cutter to get started over the trees and keep the tailwheel out of them and then lower it slowly once they are broken-up a little and then when you pull forward you have less risk of snagging something on the bottom of your tractor and get the good, final cut on them. Good luck with however you do it !!

 

[beenthere]

I know how to use it to knock down brush and such. But I want to clear out some light trees (less than 1" thick) in my woods area, to make a path. Should I reverse the cutter as best I can through there? OR, should I bolt on my belly mower, put it at its highest setting and drive strait over them, allowing the 3pt rotary cutter to get them last? I dont want to do any damage to the machine.

Thanks for the responses....

Proper or not, this is what works for me.
I drive forward over the brush, pushing over the brush with the bucket on the FEL, then chopping it up with the rotary cutter. If any brush that I don't want to drive over (hidden rocks, stumps, gulley's, etc) and where I might not be able to keep going (I avoid backing over bent over brush), then I back in with the rotary cutter. Both ways work, but each has advantages.
Have no problems with stubs (rotary cutter usually shreds the stubby stumps) harming the R-4 tires.

 

[davygp38]

I regularly bush hog 1/2-to 1 mile long trails on over grown logging roads through woods. I used an Allis Chalmers d-17 with a smaller 5' squealer, for a long time. It did the job. I now have a kubota L4400 with an fel, and chains. By dropping the bucket, about a foot off the ground, and going slow, I did a much better job. When I get to the end, I turn around and go the other way, I angle the bucket to catch some of the bigger trees, and push them over the other way, to get another shot at them with the Bush hog. I just installed a tooth bar, and I think I will start to doze the roads a little to try to get those punji sticks out. I ran over one with my P/U with a load of fire wood, and it was not fun changing that tire. I would not worry to much about hurting your tractor tires, but if you are going to drive a truck, or quads where you clear brush you might want to take care of those sharp stems.

 

[3gun]

My Tractor is a little taller (L3400), but I have poked a hole in the grill and broken two fuel filters driving forwarded in dense brush.

Now I lift the bush hog all the way up and back over the big and tall stuff.

2 inch wide, 12 foot high trees, 5 foot saw palmetto, and other brush too tall and dense to see thro or over. I have cleared acres of it, backwards the first cut then lower the cutter and cut it forward with no problems.

I have heard that 1-2 inch trees cut short can poke holes in tires, but I have had no issues driving over them and cutting them to the ground on the second cut. (I have R4 tires).

 

[RalphVa]

My LX4 on my JD 4010 will chew up 1" trees. Just back into them and let 'er rip. That's what it is made for.

Hope you have a front shield on the cutter, to keep pieces from being thrown into the rear tires.

Ralph

 

[EddieWalker]

One of my favorite things to do is to make a new trail. I have a 35hp tractor, no loader, and a 6 ft rotary cutter. I put it in its lowest gear, get the RPM's up where they need to be and inch forward into the jungle. I tackle stuff bigger then I should and deal with the damage when it happpens. And it does happen. If it's small stuff, like the one inch saplings mentioned, then I can pretty much keep going. If it's bigger, or super thick, I lift the cutter and then slowly lower it onto the brush and trees. Then I inch further in and do it again.

I run over everything and cut it as I go over it. I don't know if this is good advice or bad advice, but if I can run over it, I can mow it.

Once you get that first pass through there, then it really gets to be fun widening it and opening up areas.

Good luck and post some pics if you can.

Eddie

 

[TripleR]

DO NOT DRIVE THROUGH 1" TREES/SAPLINGS with a BX2660. Someone, not me did this before I got the steering protection on and I had to replace the tie rod ends as you can't buy the rubber boots separately; cost me $183.