Which is the best rotary mower???

[BB_TX]

I won't even begin to suggest what is best. I use a low priced Howse 6' rotary cutter that has worked well for me. Will occasionally leave marks on very uneven ground. But on relatively flat ground, not problem at all. And backing up has never been a problem. I also mow fairly short. See attached picture.

 

[JerryG]

I would say go with Woods. They are a good cutter. I have a old Woods for the 1970s and it is going strong. It was old when I bought it 5 years ago and I have mowed about 100-120 acres a year for those 5 years. Sure it has some welds, but any cutter that is used in very heavy use will need some repairs. Another thing that is nice about Woods is the way the blades come off. You don't have to have a really big socket to take them off, all you need is a 11/16 socket. Woods blades are a piece of cake to take off compared to other brands.

 

[slowrev]

As others have said Rhino, and woods are good mowers. I have an old Brush Hog that I bought at auction from the county road dept. Needs paint but that is all, built heavy duty and if the county could not tear it up.....

Your problem might be that your mower does not have a chain between the rear of the deck and the 3 point mount, causing the mower to dig in and such on unlevel areas, because the rear cannot ride up and float properly.
Ben

 

[KenPauling]

Hi Countryboy ! I mow my fields with a KingKutter trail mower. I mowed fields for years with my Ford 1710 and a 5' King Kutter trail mower and almost never tore up the ground except for a few groundhog mounds. The fields looked great. Next I bought a Ford/NH 1920 and moved up to a KingKutter 6' trail mower. The 5 foot KK trail can mow closer and neater because it is made with smaller side walls and is lighter. The others are correct about Woods,Bush Hog, and Land Pride being built heaver and stronger than the standard King Kutter, but what are you going to use it for? If all you are going to do is mow fields 2 or 3 feet high, you don't need heavy duty. I have found that a very heavy rotary mower actually does a poorer job in the fields because of its weight. It makes a very noticable "footprint" and if your ground is damp or soft it is even worse. The 3 point hitch tends to go up and down too much for me. I use the lighter KK trail mowers for field mowing and have owned a Woods 3 pt hitch rotary mower for heavy duty clearing of semi wooded areas. You have to match the mower with the intended use for best results. If tight maneuvering is not important to you, try a trail mower with 2 wheels on the back. Ken

 

[jltii]

Hello! My name is James L Tyree II and I am the owner operator of Oregon Field &Brush Mowing "Short or Tall, We Mow It All!"
I have used rotary cutters and flail mowers. The flails do not do as goo of a job as rotaries do except for the Brush Hound 72"flail seems to do well from the video I've seen. I just used a Bush Hog Squealer SQ148 and it did an ok job. The Woods Brush Bull does a slightly better job. The best I have used were a John Deere 516 rotary cutter from the 1990's and it is not terrible heavy either. For new, The John Deere MX 5 cannot be beaten for quality of cut. It is not the lightest and it can be damaged if you are mowing 2" or more brush with it or misusing it so stay alert!

 

[RoyJackson]

Welcome to Tbn ! And Hello !
I don't know what you would call best . But , Brown and Befco make some really HD stuff .
But to me 4" is a bit close for any brush hog .
Have You given any thought to a Rear finish mower ? John

Good thought, but a finishing mower would never hold up to field use.

I won't make a recommendation, but I will attest Land Pride builds solid, robust rotary cutters. Had mine for 6-7 years now and has held up quite well. I don't cut less then 4" though. The side skirts are 4" (or there abouts) and would dig in if I went that low.

 

[WV John Deere]

I have an old, old, old Servis (old yellow model from 30 some years ago). Was a good one until it was loaned out and severely abused. Bought a LandPride 7' and it does fine. I've looked into a 5' for my little tractor and will probably go with a Bush Hog when the time comes. Just my experience and :2cents:

 

[db4144]

You must sell these poor excuses of a clipper. second to none, maybe if there are no others. This is the worst clipper I have ever bought. Shaked from day 1, takes months to get parts. Galvanized deck is all it has going for it. It is cheaply built, and for a little more money there are other clippers that are 10 times better than this one.