Wood BBX72 Brush Bull Xtreme not up to the task............

[jenkinsph]

It would be helpful if FarmwithJunk was still posting on the forum as he has a lot of commercial mowing experience. Without his input I would only say that most commercial operators myself included are careful not to beat up our equipment. While things can go wrong I don't do things I know will have harmful results. Mowing baseball sized rocks with a light duty mower is something I would pass on to my competitors. This isn't a profitable venture and mowing is a tough business under ideal circumstances with the proper equipment.

In a nutshell the OP needs to rethink this and I still suggest cutting ABOVE the rocks. Customers who insist on cutting lower need to have clean fields or you need to know when to pass on the job.

 

[mjstef]

Again i thought i was getting something that was built strong but in talking to a friend who is a tool and die maker he says there is some REALLY weak steel coming in from China and a 10ga Chinese steel is like a pop can compared to a 10ga Pennsylvania steel being like a soup can. (for comparison sake) In the 3 years i owned the LP i probably broke 200 shear pins but had NO other issues out of it. I get around 100 acres out of a set of blades and sharpen them every 25 acres depending on conditions. I initially set the slip clutch on this Woods VERY loose but it didn't seem to make a difference other than the clutch getting hot in tall grass. I can mow today and tomorrow many of these places will look like a mine field of gopher dens. This is something you can't control and your going to hit them no matter what you do. These little buggers can move some SERIOUS dirt and rock! I try to run with the bucket low but the land it too rolling for that most of the time. Here is an example of what i deal with but with rocks in them and 3' tall grass. Next time i mow i'll take some pics from my area. http://www.minnesotawildanimalmanagement.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/mole-hill.jpg

Guys hear me out, I take care of my stuff! I am an EX dairy farmer and keep things FOREVER! Both of my company trucks are 20 years old!! My diesel has 170K on it and my gas plow truck has 98K on it. Both are still VERY nice trucks! The situation i have here is out of my control. I guess it was wishful thinking hoping a 2014 mower would be built like a 2000 model but quality has DEFINITELY went downhill on everything. This is one big reason i drive old trucks! If you want to talk abuse you should see my Rototiller! We also do commercial tilling and i have torn the crap out of the LP tiller that came with the old tractor i bought. Most flanges are bent as well as most blades. I will be buying an older used Howard 72" when i can find one as i helped design a double flange kit in the early 90's when i worked for a Howard distributor in Illinois that help them hold up to rocks. They are top of the line when it comes to durability. If anyone see's an older S model or an HR30 in the NW part of the country, PM me.

 

[Threepoint]

It would be helpful if FarmwithJunk was still posting on the forum as he has a lot of commercial mowing experience. Without his input I would only say that most commercial operators myself included are careful not to beat up our equipment. While things can go wrong I don't do things I know will have harmful results. Mowing baseball sized rocks with a light duty mower is something I would pass on to my competitors. This isn't a profitable venture and mowing is a tough business under ideal circumstances with the proper equipment.

In a nutshell the OP needs to rethink this and I still suggest cutting ABOVE the rocks. Customers who insist on cutting lower need to have clean fields or you need to know when to pass on the job.

This is good advice to follow if the OP can do without those customers. I understand the frustration. He feels his tractor couldn't handle the heavier cutters, and he's just invested in the cutter he has. To paraphrase the inimitable Donald Rumsfeld, "You go to mow with the equipment you have, not the equipment you want or may wish to have at a future time." But if mowing fields that rocky at a height of 4" is something he intends to keep doing, then it's pretty apparent that he's trying to do it with a cutter that's too light duty and a tractor that's too light for the right cutter. The equipment manufacturer is not the problem.

 

[Threepoint]

Again i thought i was getting something that was built strong but in talking to a friend who is a tool and die maker he says there is some REALLY weak steel coming in from China and a 10ga Chinese steel is like a pop can compared to a 10ga Pennsylvania steel being like a soup can. (for comparison sake) [snip]

Mjstef, sorry. I cross-posted with your reply to Jenkinsph. I don't question for a moment that you take care of your stuff and do it well. Just saying that with your circumstances it seems to me you're on the light side, equipment wise, regardless of who makes it.

 

[mjstef]

Mjstef, sorry. I cross-posted with your reply to Jenkinsph. I don't question for a moment that you take care of your stuff and do it well. Just saying that with your circumstances it seems to me you're on the light side, equipment wise, regardless of who makes it.

This is true to some extent but i couldn't go with a bigger tractor due to access to some of my accounts. I had no complaints with my New Holland 1725 and LP 1860 other than it was underpowered and slow. I upgraded tractors to get a cab as i have been having lung infections from dust the older i get. I would have continued using the Landpride but it was about 8" to narrow to cover the tire tracks. This was the ONLY reason i bought a new mower. When i get done fabricating new side skirts this winter i think my problems will go away. I just hope the Gearbox holds up as well as the LP has. The woods gearbox is NOTICEABLY smaller than the LP gearbox......

 

[Steppenwolfe]

View attachment 385873

I have the same Woods mower on my 52 hp Kubota. I believe it has a 75 hp gear box. I have mowed thru a stand of volunteer Virginia pines 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 caliper with no problems. Kicked up an occasional rock, but nothing like you have. Any way, for the record, I am very impressed and happy with the Woods.

 

[Furu]

Again i thought i was getting something that was built strong but in talking to a friend who is a tool and die maker he says there is some REALLY weak steel coming in from China and a 10ga Chinese steel is like a pop can compared to a 10ga Pennsylvania steel being like a soup can. (for comparison sake) In the 3 years i owned the LP i probably broke 200 shear pins but had NO other issues out of it. I get around 100 acres out of a set of blades and sharpen them every 25 acres depending on conditions. I initially set the slip clutch on this Woods VERY loose but it didn't seem to make a difference other than the clutch getting hot in tall grass. I can mow today and tomorrow many of these places will look like a mine field of gopher dens. This is something you can't control and your going to hit them no matter what you do. These little buggers can move some SERIOUS dirt and rock! I try to run with the bucket low but the land it too rolling for that most of the time. Here is an example of what i deal with but with rocks in them and 3' tall grass. Next time i mow i'll take some pics from my area. http://www.minnesotawildanimalmanagement.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/mole-hill.jpg

I am sorry but your 200 shear pins in 3 years statement tells me a lot.
100 acres out of a set of blades tells me that your rocks are destroying equipment (which we already knew) and tells me even more.
Sharpening blades every 25 acres, how can you get a job done? Do you take a grinder to every job site and sharpen blades over lunch?

Your cutter is not a dirt leveling/grading implement. If you insist on using it as a dirt leveling/grading implement do not complain about the results. Cut so that your blades pass above the mounds or you will be in the hole from equipment replacement costs.

 

[boggen]

I am pretty disappointed in my Woods brushbull i bought last week. It has 30 acres on it and it looks as bad or worse than my Landpride RCR60 with 500+ acres on it. The property i mowed today i have mowed for the last 2 years with the Landpride. Yeah it's rocky but that's Montana. We pick pick pick and they grow grow grow. Look at the Woods pic and then consider the Landpride did the same lot 2X previous cutting the same height. Landpride seems to have a thicker side skirt even though they both claim 10ga. If i would have know it would get beat this bad i would have welded a piece of 1/4 plate on the left side of the woods inside. And here i thought buying woods i was getting better quality than Landpride................................

is there a under skirt, under either one of them? many times have seen a half circle shape of metal welded up under the decks. to control wind flow.

 

[mjstef]

I am sorry but your 200 shear pins in 3 years statement tells me a lot.
100 acres out of a set of blades tells me that your rocks are destroying equipment (which we already knew) and tells me even more.
Sharpening blades every 25 acres, how can you get a job done? Do you take a grinder to every job site and sharpen blades over lunch?

Your cutter is not a dirt leveling/grading implement. If you insist on using it as a dirt leveling/grading implement do not complain about the results. Cut so that your blades pass above the mounds or you will be in the hole from equipment replacement costs.

You obviously don't have gophers where you live or you would get it. If i was to cut above i would be at 8-10 inches and no cutter will cut at that height. My biggest parcel is a subdivision with 28 acres of vacant lots. A new set of blades is figured into their job and they don't complain about my price even though i'm one of the highest priced in the valley. Most of my jobs are around 8-10 acres. **** there is some guy with a BX Kubota and a 60" brush hog advertising at $40 an hour LOL!. The conditions didn't "destroy" my old mower. In fact i just used it this AM on my own pasture to show the buyer it works fine. She gave me $750 for it. I won't get $75 for the woods after 500 acres. My complaint comes from this mower advertised as a "standard duty" the same as my old mower. That is a misrepresentation. It should be classified "light homeowner use"

 

[mjstef]

is there a under skirt, under either one of them? many times have seen a half circle shape of metal welded up under the decks. to control wind flow.

No baffles...........