Rotary Cutter Woods 10' Semi-Mount Offset Rotary Mower

[coolnature]

I am considering buying a Woods 10' semi-mount offset rotary mower. If anyone on TBN owns one or has experience with one, please comment. The offset feature will get me 16" closer, for a total of 34" outside my rear tire, to fence rows and tree lines and hopefully save my cab from damage. Also, based on preliminary pricing, the offset mower is about 4K less than a medium duty 15' flex wing. The only rotary mower I have ever operated is a 3 PT and my main concern is how the semi-mount will perform overall. Thanks in advance for your comments and advice.

 

[garf658]

I have a Schulte F10 that I pull with my L5740. It is really nice for going through the bush trails in the pasture where I can swing the offset 15 inches side-to-side under the trees and along the fenceline exactly as you are referring to. This mower is hard on the 3ph adjustable side links with that created side force, but your larger tractor is probably beefier than my Kubota with its Cat2 hitch that looks no different from the Cat1 on the L3830. The Schulte mower is in an altogether different class from my single rotor Kodiak 7ft HD model. For this lightly used F10, I only paid a couple thousand $ more than what the Kodiak cost brand new.
I was down to 1.5mph going through this 4ft high mess of Lambs-Quarters but thats where I make full use of the hst+ feature. You can see I've already knocked off the upper signal lights on the cab while rototilling the garden among the windbreak trees, but !*it happens so I just live with it.

 

[coolnature]

I have a Schulte F10 that I pull with my L5740. It is really nice for going through the bush trails in the pasture where I can swing the offset 15 inches side-to-side under the trees and along the fenceline exactly as you are referring to. This mower is hard on the 3ph adjustable side links with that created side force, but your larger tractor is probably beefier than my Kubota with its Cat2 hitch that looks no different from the Cat1 on the L3830. The Schulte mower is in an altogether different class from my single rotor Kodiak 7ft HD model. For this lightly used F10, I only paid a couple thousand $ more than what the Kodiak cost brand new.
I was down to 1.5mph going through this 4ft high mess of Lambs-Quarters but thats where I make full use of the hst+ feature. You can see I've already knocked off the upper signal lights on the cab while rototilling the garden among the windbreak trees, but !*it happens so I just live with it.


View attachment 443179

You have a super nice tractor and mower! I would love to find a used, good condition, 10' offset mower but they are scarce as hen's teeth. My main concern with the offset design is the durability and structural integrity of the offset mechanism. My primary use will be clipping pasture with very little, if any, brush cutting - light work for any mower. I looked at the Shulte website and it appears the F10 is a discontinued model, so that leaves Woods, Rhino and John Deere as the only current manufacturers that I am aware of.
Thank you for posting the pic!

 

[garf658]

I'm surprised Schulte doesn't list the FX210 any longer as it was the replacement model for the F10 that I have.
I cannot say I have a lot of use on the machine, but those sidearms are pretty solid. I feel as long as i grease them regularly they should not be a problem.
Regarding other wear, I recently broke the double u-joints connecting the centre gear box to the left side drive caused from hitting some stumps and uneven ground along a new powerline right-of-way. The bad part is the blade timing got out of phase, and the blades started hitting each other due to the 5 inch overlap they have at centre. The u-joint yokes on the spline connectors got spread and I had to buy new ones. Along with the rubberized yoke at the one end that was $800 itself so the total parts are at $1200 right now without replacing any blades yet if needed. I will be fighting with the power utility over this one, because they insisted they would not re-mulch the ROW in summer now as opposed to initially doing it in winter when frozen and leaving the stumps all exposed. My mistake for not having the slip clutch backed off enough, but I still blame them for leaving the ROW in such poor condition.