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Osage_Orange 
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Joined: 11 Sep 2009
Location: SW MO
Points: 1593
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 Topic: What brush cutter to buy (or not)
Posted: 05 Sep 2018 at 7:40pm |
Wanting to get an 8' mounted cutter. Cut mostly grass & weeds 2 or 3 times per year. Sprouts up to about 1" or so. What would you fellas get (or not)? Bring on those opinions. 
Edited by Osage_Orange - 05 Sep 2018 at 7:41pm
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Why is there never time to do it right the first time, but always time to go back and fix it?
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DiyDave
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Joined: 11 Sep 2009
Location: Gambrills, MD
Points: 53242
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Posted: 05 Sep 2018 at 7:45pm |
Can't beat a Bush hog, if ya ask me, I'd look at one, with a flat deck top, easy to clean off. Remember that there are grades of all things. better costs more... 
Here's one that looks like it would take a little abuse!
[TUBE]nqSt0FRg0mQ[/TUBE]
Edited by DiyDave - 05 Sep 2018 at 8:11pm
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thendrix
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Joined: 04 Feb 2013
Location: Fairmount GA
Points: 5010
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Posted: 05 Sep 2018 at 7:46pm |
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I've used a 6' Rhino and a 6' Bush Hog Squealer. The Squealer is the economy line for Bush Hog, or was 20 years ago anyway. The Squealer has had to have some work on it but the deck is a little thinner but it's a bit cheaper and has held up to some abuse over the last 20 years. The Rhino is a good mower to. A little heavier than the bush hog
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"Farming is a business that makes a Las Vegas craps table look like a regular paycheck" Ronald Reagan
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clarkscreek
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Joined: 04 Mar 2017
Location: kentucky
Points: 137
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Posted: 05 Sep 2018 at 8:44pm |
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I would look at rhino, bushog and Deere. I've had good luck from all three. Personally I've never been impressed with woods that was the brand I worked on the most. Hitches and frame work required some attention. Figure a budget and look at what you get from each brand for the money.
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allisbred
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Joined: 28 Mar 2015
Location: Hanover Pa
Points: 1011
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Posted: 05 Sep 2018 at 8:50pm |
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Recommend getting rid of those sprouts first, 1" turns into 2" very fast and become tire eaters. We use a 10' woods pull behind on fodder and trimming ( not heavy enough for trees).Does a nice clean job with 15" wheels on the rear. I'm not a fan of 3pt mowers unless you have no room to turn around. Takes a 185 min though ,would not use less of a tractor on it. Just my thoughts--
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steelwheelAcjim
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Joined: 06 Dec 2009
Location: Blissfield,Mi
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Posted: 05 Sep 2018 at 9:29pm |
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Bush Hog and Rhino are now owned by the same company. The Alamo Group.
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Pre-WW2 A-C tractors on steel wheels...because I'm too cheap to buy tires!
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jiminnd
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Joined: 16 Sep 2009
Location: Rutland ND
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Posted: 05 Sep 2018 at 10:11pm |
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I have a Land Pride, is a little heavier model but has been real good, you can get cheaper of about all brands, you get what you pay for.
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1945 C, 1949 WF and WD, 1981 185, 1982 8030, unknown D14(nonrunner)
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shameless dude
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Joined: 10 Apr 2017
Location: east NE
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Posted: 05 Sep 2018 at 11:06pm |
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I have 2 Bush hogs, and they work real good. what ever brand you decide on, make sure you get the hard rubber tires, they don't go flat.
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JC-WI
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Joined: 11 Sep 2009
Location: wisconsin
Points: 34170
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Posted: 05 Sep 2018 at 11:33pm |
I used a JD flail chopper for several years on prickly ash and the likes, just opened the back door up and let it shoot out... raised the skids up some so the flails would cut the brush off at the crown at ground level and did that in the fall of the year... and they didn't come back. Why I used the JD, was I didn't want to dull the flails on the NH chopper. LOL Like th others have basically said, buy the best you can afford. Helped nephew change the swing blades inhis brush cutter he bought for his T190 Bobcat, and that unit was built heavy, and he can cut some pretty decent brush with it. Mmm, think I am going to see if I can borrow that unit this fall/winter and go brushhog the fences off... use to be pretty clean but the durn brush keeps growing up along them.
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He who says there is no evil has already deceived himself
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macec3(TX)
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Posted: 06 Sep 2018 at 3:58am |
Stay away from Howse. I have one and had to do some work on it to make it a decent mower. The gearbox misalignment should have been caught by the quality control department at the factory. Wore out some couplings before I determined the cause. Also had to beef up the 3 point attachment. Just not designed very well IMO.
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jaybmiller
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Joined: 12 Sep 2009
Location: Greensville,Ont
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Posted: 06 Sep 2018 at 6:05am |
OK, even though I don't use one in the wife's 1/4acre veggie patch...
2-3 times a year..but how much land ? 5 acres or 500 ?? kinda important. Sure be hard to justify $4000 to mow 10 acres couple times a year... Could you rent one from a fellow farmer ? Again only 2-3 times a year, so it sits 360+ days every year.... Maybe buy a used 6 or 7' unit? Again, not used much ,so a used one should outlive you yet cost much less than new. While smaller, it'd take a little longer but, dang, back to that only '2-3 times a year' thing...
course this is from the guy who bought a used but great condition $300 landscape rake last year that's been used once. this fall I WILL 'groom' the veggie patch to remove them nasty stones though.
Jay
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3 D-14s,A-C forklift, B-112
Kubota BX23S lil' TOOT( The Other Orange Tractor)
Never burn your bridges, unless you can walk on water
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Gary Burnett
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Joined: 11 Sep 2009
Location: Virginia
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Posted: 06 Sep 2018 at 6:15am |
For light cutting like you're gong to do about any brand would work.Neighbor has a
Bush Hog 8ft cutter looks heavy but he has had gearbox problems twice and doesn't really cut anything heavy.I have on old 10ft Sidewinder that I have cut some stuff with that'd choke down the Ford 8000 I was using at the time and it has never given me any real problem.
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Pat the Plumber CIL
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Location: Springfield,Il
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Posted: 06 Sep 2018 at 7:43am |
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Woods Brush Bull, medium duty cutter. A lot stouter than others priced about the same. And their orange is close to AC
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You only need to know 3 things to be a plumber;Crap rolls down hill,Hot is on the left and Don't bite your fingernails
1964 D-17 SIV 3 Pt.WF,1964 D-15 Ser II 3pt.WF ,1960 D-17 SI NF,1956 WD 45 WF.
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WNYBill
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Joined: 04 Jun 2016
Location: WNY
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Posted: 06 Sep 2018 at 7:55am |
Land Pride 8 foot, duel spindle, tow behind heavy duty. It is supposed to cut 3 inch stuff, it eats multi-flower rose and honeysuckle. The deck is 1/4 inch and it has 100 Hp outside differentials, 150 HP inside. Can be set up for 3 pt, semi mounted or tow. Would take a BIG tractor to be 3 pt. Only problem, the lift cyl. is only 6 inch needs to be 8 or 10.
Bill
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Dave H
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Location: Central IL
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Posted: 06 Sep 2018 at 8:11am |
Maybe there is a way to make them pay during non usage time. My neighbor lets the trash sit on top of his till it grows weeds. Think maybe he should plant a mini garden on it? 
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nsula_country
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Location: NW Louisiana
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Posted: 06 Sep 2018 at 5:12pm |
We own a 6' Rhino 172. Nice mower.
I borrow a 3pt 10' Kodiak. The 2 spindle cuts much better than a single. It will eat anything a 72 hp tractor can pull it through. Other than damn near all the gear box seals weep, its a solid cutter. Then I put cotton picker spindle lube in all 3 boxes. Weeping has almost stopped.
CT
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2014 LS P7010C, 1962 Farmall 504 Diesel (1st tractor) w/ 2008 Koyker 220 FEL, 1968 Allis Chalmers 180 Diesel, Komatsu PC38UU-2 Excavator, Various attachments for all!
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Osage_Orange
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Posted: 07 Sep 2018 at 1:36pm |
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Thanks for great responses. I'll follow up. I mow about 55 acres of waist high to shoulder high grass, weeds, buck brush, johnson grass, etc., about 3X per year. Will use a 50 hp tractor. (May try the WD-45, but think it would be a stretch?)
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Why is there never time to do it right the first time, but always time to go back and fix it?
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DMiller
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Joined: 14 Sep 2009
Location: Hermann, Mo
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Posted: 07 Sep 2018 at 1:55pm |
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I pull a 3008 Bush Hog behind my 180, is about all it wants but will cut and shred anything that you can drag it across. Had to ballast the nose for a three point but a tow behind would be AWESOME.
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Clay
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Posted: 07 Sep 2018 at 1:59pm |
 Osage_Orange wrote:
Thanks for great responses. I'll follow up. I mow about 55 acres of waist high to shoulder high grass, weeds, buck brush, johnson grass, etc., about 3X per year. Will use a 50 hp tractor. (May try the WD-45, but think it would be a stretch?) |
Why not spray with herbicide. Kill the weeds and johnson grass. Develop your 55 into a hay meadow or pasture.
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TimNearFortWorth
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Posted: 07 Sep 2018 at 5:07pm |
I have used a 6' Bush Hog brand cutter for years on D15II units, occasionally putting a D17IV gas unit on the same cutter. The 5' A-C cutter I started with has now sat for years as it is nice to 95% cover the wheel tread with the 6' cutter/D15II combination. I mowed plenty of acres in brush/grasses that were above the radiator cap clearing land and that is def. 1st gear mowing, sometimes in 1st low range. "Clipping" pastures at 1-3' height in grasses only is no problem in 2nd gear low range, using high range to turn around to change cutting direction before back to low range and go on the next pass. My cutter has the big gear box and is always run with a pitch to the front and blades "touched up" with a grinder occasionally. Some days at 10-12 hours cutting and 50 acres will take some time as you need to keep any cutter tip speed wound up, I run the D15II between 3/4 - 7/8 throttle. If you buy the 5' unit, you will wish you had the 6' unit after you get the brush/grasses down to a manageable height. Either way, bigger gear box the better and to maintain 50 acres I would stay away from the "throwaway" model cutters as you may get it knocked down initially but the life of that cheaper cutter will be knocked down considerably. Over-running clutch and a slip clutch are always something to consider, WD/WD-45 one-way hand clutch OR a true high/low power director on a D-Series. Belting or hanging chains as guards to keep from throwing rocks and splinters is also a good idea.
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jaybmiller
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Location: Greensville,Ont
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Posted: 07 Sep 2018 at 7:18pm |
Clay's got the right idea... yeesh 55 ACRES, you HAVE to be able to grow something for someone on that. If you haven't the equipment or time maybe rent it out to someone with horses that needs hay ?
Just seems a darn shame to have it fallow, COSTING you time and fuel. heck I can sell garlic for $10 a pound up here.....gotta wonder how much 55 acres of it would yield !
Jay
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3 D-14s,A-C forklift, B-112
Kubota BX23S lil' TOOT( The Other Orange Tractor)
Never burn your bridges, unless you can walk on water
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nsula_country
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Location: NW Louisiana
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Posted: 07 Sep 2018 at 10:15pm |
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55 acres! 5 and 6 ft mowers... Y'all got time on your hands! Been there and got all the T-shirts!
We hay and cow about 200 acres at the farm. Have 50 acres at the house and mow about 40 acres. 3x-4x times a year.
Did it with 45hp and a 6' for years. Now do it with 72hp and a 10' 3pt. 10' covers tire tracks and cuts much better. Can cut in any gear the terrain will allow. Cut set at about 8" off the ground. Looking at a 12'-15' batwing... For right price!
PS... Unless in super heavy bahaia grass, LS P7010C has 3 PTO speeds. I mow at 750 rpm PTO at 1500 RPM. About 1-1.5 gal/hr diesel.
CT
Edited by nsula_country - 07 Sep 2018 at 10:28pm
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2014 LS P7010C, 1962 Farmall 504 Diesel (1st tractor) w/ 2008 Koyker 220 FEL, 1968 Allis Chalmers 180 Diesel, Komatsu PC38UU-2 Excavator, Various attachments for all!
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