Hey guys, I'm in the market for a batwing mower and am not sure what size to get. I'm currently debating between getting a 12 ft or 15 ft mower. it will be ran behind an 82 PTO hp Massey, so I'm pretty sure it has the power to run either. The primary use of the mower will be for my property maintenance business, and it will be hauled on my 30' trailer consistently. If anybody has any input on what they were happy with I'd love to hear.
You might consider defining your task at hand in a bit more detail. A 2WD older MF of that horsepower and weight will certainly handle either a 12 or 15 foot mower,
assuming the land is reasonably flat. And that you are not charging through heavy 4-5 foot high thick weeds or woody growth...that's a different environment entirely. Hilly, wet ground is another challenge of its own.
One point you might also consider is final weight of the tractor and mower. A tricked out, heavier batwing, replete with chains and blade guard "rings" will push 3 tons. Add to that a weighted tractor of perhaps 9-11K pounds and that is a serious load for most farm pick-ups and trailers. I don't know how your individual tractor might be ballasted, but you see where I'm going with that thought.
Not that all batwings weigh that much, but my Bushhog 2815 does, and there are even heavier ones in service for really tough environments. A lighter duty 15 foot mower will weigh less, but won't take as much abuse on its gearboxes and drivelines. And a 12 foot will also be lighter, but might be an item with fewer buyers when you want to trade. Most farmers lean toward 15 and 20 foot mowers since they normally have larger tractors to handle them. Speaking of which, a 3 ton piece of equipment can get into a serious argument with the tractor when you start downhill with it. All things to consider before you buy something.
So, to your original question, most brand name mowers will do a good job and you can get parts easily. For myself, my experience with the Bushhog brand has been good, so I buy them. Others, like Haydude, like the John Deere mowers. I have a farmer friend close by that swears by Land Pride batwings. One thing you should keep in mind, though, is that each brand has different weights of batwings of the same width in its catalog - make sure you are comparing apples to apples when looking at these. Salesmen might offer you a cheaper 15 foot in a particular line, and naturally there's a reason for that... Use gearbox size and total weight a starting point for comparison shopping.
I'm sure others will chime in with their thoughts and experiences as well.
Best of luck.
