Rotary Cutter Which rotary cutter to get

[JD15302155870]

I tend to agree with your guy suggesting a used one. If you can find a good heavier cutter used, it will probably outlast a new lighter one. I bought a used Hardee cutter 20 years ago and am still using it. I cut about 25 ac twice a year with it as well as cutting anything the tractor can push over. Two years ago I bought a new Landpride RCR2672 and love it. However, I find I am not as reckless with it due to the price and fear or damage. I still use my old Hardee for rough jobs.

 

[gharms]

Indeed tractors are not foreign to me. When I learned to drive, it was on a manual gear tractor, and I had to stand to be able to reach clutch, throttle and brakes because I was still little. Oh yes, it was a Deutz D 60 06, which is still in our family! That is growing up on a farm for you, which was paradise for me! Wish I could be a farmer, but unfortunately there are many reasons speaking against this...

Yes, I indeed will go very slowly, and was already thinking of mowing high. But I really like the idea of using the bucket as feeler!

My guy has some valid points going for going used. For instance we will need to keep the mower outside for now, as we don't have a shed yet. So if the used one rusts a little more, so what. Another reason for him to go used is again related to the cutter being parked outside: An old one is less prone to grow legs than a shiny new one... And there is the fact that the hill to be mowed is still in rough shape. I just am afraid of getting equipment that needs lots of work before it is functional, or that breaks first time around. We will see how promising the used mower is. Will know more tomorrow night.

About going with heavier equipment: I don't want to go heavier than the RCR 1872, as I plan on staying in comfortable PTO hp range for the tractor.

 

[EddieWalker]

Now things took a little interesting twist. The dealer got back to me with another used rotary cutter that actually seems promising and something that could last: A Woods BB72 with new blades on it for 995$. My guy is having a look at it tomorrow night, and I keep you guys posted.

Is there a Woods dealer close by? I would only buy something with a dealer that I like and who does a good job on getting the parts I need. Landprind is a great brand, but it's only as good as the dealer. I've never had a Woods brand, but if the dealer is great, I would consider them.

Eddie

 

[TripleR]

Certainly nothing wrong with buying used, I have bought used tractors and equipment, I just won't buy someone else's junk. When I was younger that was all I could afford and my brother and I bought stuff then put it in the shop and went to work; too old to do that anymore. I will now only buy it if it is in good shape.

 

[LD1]

The best value IMO is always buying used if you do your homework. But it is also easy to get burned. Nothing wrong with buying new though. I just hate paying for depreciation if I can find a quality used piece at half price

 

[gharms]

The dealer offering the used BB72X is good. It happens to be the very dealer where I got my tractor, and he also sells new Woods implements. Yes, it would save me some pretty bucks, but only if the used equipment is of decent quality. Certainly could use the saved money in other spots! Good sign is that the rotary cutter has new blades on it.

 

[gharms]

I just came off the phone with the dealer. He claims the mower is in technically good shape, aside from a little rust on the outside, and it would serve me well. I just cannot imagine he would sell me something that would not work out for me, as he is the same person who sold me the MF. What do you guys think of the price of 995$?

 

[LD1]

You should see it in person first, but it sounds like a good deal. You will have to ask yourself if a new one is worth twice the price

 

[TripleR]

I just came off the phone with the dealer. He claims the mower is in technically good shape, aside from a little rust on the outside, and it would serve me well. I just cannot imagine he would sell me something that would not work out for me, as he is the same person who sold me the MF. What do you guys think of the price of 995$?

It sounds like a pretty decent deal to me and you sure can't beat a good dealer you trust.

 

[Rmart30]

Dont know about up there, but used for or 6 ft rotary cutters are everywhere around here and we are not a high "agricultural area"..
No less than 15 on craigslist in the $350-550 range withen 25 miles. Being that the property is rough and you have never cut it before it would not hurt at all for that little of a investment to buy a beat up used one to get it back into shape with before putting a new one out there.

I keep up with a lease of ten thousand acres that 75% of is reclaimed strip mined land... its full of rocks and debris in the fields. For that reason we do not buy new rotary cutters to use there.
We have several of them that were under $400 used and we have beat the heck out of them for at least 4 or 5 years and most of them sold for almost the same we bought them for when we find a better one to upgrade too.

Hiding problems on a rotary cutter is hard to do... if you put it on a tractor and it vibrates or shakes bad , something is wrong with the stumpjumper, blades, or shafts bent... very easy to tell that just by feel.
look at the stump jumper for cracks or welded up areas.... look at the gear box on top and on bottom... any signs of fluid loss ? Pull the fill plug on the gear box...is it new shiny fluid like it was just refilled ? or worse has someone packed it with grease to cover up a leak ?

. tear up the stump jumper on that BB72 and its $400 to replace.Id much rather destroy a $3-400 cutter than a $1000+ one......