Would I be making a mistake with this bushhog

[LabLuvR]

I want to buy a 72" medium duty bushhog. Problem is they are rate for 40hp and above. My Kubota is 37hp. With the minimal difference in horsepower is buying the 72" a big no-no? Thanks!

 

[Gatorboy]

You want your tractor's PTO HP to be at least what the rating is of the cutter. It's better if it's higher. If you have to cut some thick stuff, you won't have the power needed.

 

[LabLuvR]

One other thing I wondered is that Bushhog's lightweight model in 72" (squealer) is rated for 30hp and above. What is the difference, weight????

 

[BB_TX]

Some questions. Do you mean Bushhog as in the brand name or bushhog as in the generic term for a rotary cutter? When you say rated for 40 hp, is that the gear box rating? Or is that from some chart that says it should be used on a tractor of 40 hp or more?
I run a 6' light duty rotary cutter on 27 PTO hp. The gear box is rated at 45 if I remember correctly. 27 PTO hp is right at the bottom end of what it takes to run a 6' cutter.
In general, the tractor PTO hp should be less than the gear box rated hp to prevent damaging the gear box. Then the shear pin or slip clutch is there to prevent the rotary cutter from tearing up the tractor PTO. If your tractor can handle the weight of the cutter and the hp ratings match up, then there should be no problem.

Edit : Oops. I was a little late. You did mean Bushhog.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

<font color="red"> My Kubota is 37hp. </font>

Gatorboy's answer is correct, but I'm confused about your tractor. Is the engine HP rated at 37 or is it the PTO HP that is rated at 37? If the engine HP is 37 then you probably have about 32 at the PTO and you would be in terrible shape with that bush hog. If the PTO HP is 37, you'd still be in bad shape, likely could turn it in grass but I wouldn't want to try taking over much brush or anything heavy.

EDIT and some of what Bill asked just before me also puzzles me. The gearbox is often rated above the tractor's required HP so what is it that you are referring to?

Also, your question about the difference between light and medium duty . . . usually it is more than shear weight often it is the weight of the flywheel, the number and thickness of the blades, the gearbox assembly, etc.

It may end up that your tractor can easily handle this . . . or not.

 

[HomeBrew2]

Wow!, I didn't know the "Squealer" was their "lightweight" model ... I have a 48" for my BX and it's a brute ... all 440#'s of it! I couldn't ask for a beefier cutter!

 

[LabLuvR]

The 40 hp rating for the medium duty 72" cutter comes off a chart from Bushhog. My tractor hp is 37, with a pto of around 32 or 33.

 

[BB_TX]

<font color="blue"> EDIT and some of what Bill asked just before me also puzzles me. The gearbox is often rated above the tractor's required HP so what is it that you are referring to? </font>
The cutter gearbox should be rated higher than the tractor PTO hp. You would not want to run a gearbox rated at 45 hp on a PTO rated at 75 hp. That would be asking the gearbox to withstand much more than it was designed for.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

I'm going to say you need to read the fine print on that chart and figure out if it says the minimimum required tractor HP is 40 . . . or if it says the minimum required PTO HP is 40 . . . or if it says the gearbox is rated for up to 40 HP . . . or if the gearbox is rated for 40hp to XXX hp.

As Bill just pointed out, implements have gearboxes rated above the HP required to run the implement, this basically says don't use this implment on too large of a tractor. But without knowing what that chart is referring to I don't know how much help we can be?



EDIT :: OK I got real curious so I went and looked up the specs for the Bush Hog brand rotary cutters. The 6' MEDIUM DUTY says it requires a 40hp MINIMUM (model 286). The light duty SQUEALER unit in the same size requires 25 to 40 HP (model SQ600). So given that they have the word MINIMUM in all capital letters I would suggest that you'd need a larger tractor to operate the medium duty unit.

 

[BillG_in_TX]

Here's the Bush Hog page he's referring to. Select "5, 6, & 7 foot - Medium Duty" in the first drop-down box.

The Model 286 has a 110 HP gearbox, and requires a tractor with 40 HP (assumed PTO) minimum to operate. It appears that if LabLuvR wants a medium duty cutter, the 285 is a better match to his tractor. The SQ720 looks like a good match if he wants a 6' cutter. It has a 65 HP gearbox and is recommended for 30-45 HP tractors.

 

[LabLuvR]

Thanks BillG for helping me out there buddy. Obviously clear communications isn't my best strength, my wife says the same all the time!! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

My choices then are to move to the lighter duty Squealer model, or move down to the 5' medium duty. Neither really appeals to me, but what is, is. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[BillG_in_TX]

LabLuvR,

I don't know what tractor you have, but it's obviously time to start looking for a bigger one! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif I think the L5030 will do what you want. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[LabLuvR]

No way brother! I just got the blessing from the wife last year to get the Kubota. Time spent with a smaller bushhog is much less costly than a Deeeeeevorce! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Spiffy]

While on the communications /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I wasn't sure why you want the width and whether you're looking at cutting fairly "tame" stuff or always in nasty stuff.

I'm guessing part of their recommendation deals with assumed tractor weight as much as HP. If you're comfortable with the extra weight and realize that the 110HP gearbox may intially drag down your tractor more than the 65HP gearbox, my logic says that cutting 6ft takes the same HP regardless of the rest of the build (assuming even semi-reasonable gear efficiency). Same logic says that if you have ocasional rough stuff, then only cut 48" at a time.

[again assuming the extra weight and "start-up" hp doesn't bother you] You can always cut less but its tougher to make the hog wider! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[LabLuvR]

I have about 10-15 acres of fescue pasture that I bushhog and I want to do it quick, which is why I wanted something wide. The faster I get it done, the more time for fishing and hunting! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

For really nasty stuff I have a 4 or 5ft bushhog that was built back in the old days when they really made stuff the right way. That old bushhog is THE mack daddy for really nasty stuff. I don't think you can tear it up! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Spiffy]

Makes sense to me!

If you already have the heavy duty 4 or 5 ft model, obviously you want the 6ft instead of the 5 which is too close to what you already have for real gains [btw, perhaps already have a feel from that how much hp you have to spare].

I don't think you have a wrong choice. The lighter model would probably be fine for your task, but [again, barring any weight concerns] I'd have to satisfy my instinct for the industructable and go with the "medium" duty [and, even if not now, it might work as another excuse to get a bigger tractor in few years!].

Good luck! Feel free to blame me if I'm wrong, just don't hunt me down and use my appendages as test objects! /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[thegreatrandini]

I say ur tractor would run either 6ft brush hog but if you are just mowing fescue why not get the 65 hp gear box... That rascal is good enough and will save you money..... 6ft is 6ft. If your gonna mow every day for the rest of your life and you are a young man......then spend the money for the medium duty...... or just go get ya a 6ft king Kutter or 6ft Howse at the local store and save a boat load of money....Y throw money away? Do you work for your money or did someone just give it to ya?

 

[fig]

LabLuvR

Let me throw another one at ya. Bush Hog has a SQ84T mower with two blades (84" or 7' cut). Weight is 720 pounds and their web site says recommended tractor HP is 25 - 50. That might be something to look at if you are only cutting fescue?????? Just my .02!

Fig

 

[JerryG]

A larger brush hog than what your tractor is rated for will not cut your field any faster. The reason is because you will have to use less than the full width or have to raise the cutter and go over it more than once. There are many here that think that you can use a much larger implement on a small tractor than the manufacture says that you can. They have the rating for a reason. As I have said before, get the size you should have for the size of tractor you have, not an implement sized for a tractor two sizes larger than you have. A person "wants" can get bigger than a tractors pto hp really quick.

 

[MMM]

Look into a pull type instead of 3pt. Generally require less tractor per ft of width.