Rotary Cutter for Pasture Clipping

[Stocker Steve]

We are looking for a good rotary cutter for grass and thistle. They sell JD, Kutter King, and Kodiac in our area. We have some rocky soil that is an issue, but no need for a heavy duty unit to cut small trees. A couple questions:

How much advantage is there to a slip clutch vs. shear bolts?

Any reason go with a "medium duty" JD MX vs. a lighter duty unit for just clipping?

 

[dun]

To answer the last part first, the small tree proposition is where the HD cames in. For general grass and the occasional MF rose and blackberrys the lighter one is no real big deal. But the small trees will beat the lighter units to death in short order. No to the slip clutch. A slip clutch is the only way to go. WHen it burns out, in 10-15 years it will be expensive to repair, but I almost think I've saved enough in shear bolts to pay for a new clutch. Also, some of the more powerfull tractors will break a shearbolt if you don;t remoemeber to apply the power to the PTO gradually. I got rid of my old one just to replace it with an identical onebut with a slip clutch.
The Kingcutters seemed kind of cheapo, at least the ones that I see around here. Don;t know anything about Kodiak. I have a JD and a Bushhog brand. The JD is a little 6 footer and the other is an 8 footer. Surprising how big 2 feet is when you're mowing a large field.

dun

 

[3MR]

But the small trees will beat the lighter units to death in short order.
dun

What about the little blackjack oak saplings that pop up like bushes? About pinky thick.

 

[dun]

But the small trees will beat the lighter units to death in short order.
dun

What about the little blackjack oak saplings that pop up like bushes? About pinky thick.

You mean tire staubbers! If they're pinky thick they were probably already cut once at least. The root structure grows and the staub get's bigger but it still just looks like a shrub.
Since our stuff isn;t restricted to that stuff, I use the HD models. But anything over about 3 inches and I use the chain saw.

dun

 

[3MR]

But the small trees will beat the lighter units to death in short order.
dun

What about the little blackjack oak saplings that pop up like bushes? About pinky thick.

You mean tire staubbers! If they're pinky thick they were probably already cut once at least. The root structure grows and the staub get's bigger but it still just looks like a shrub.
Since our stuff isn;t restricted to that stuff, I use the HD models. But anything over about 3 inches and I use the chain saw.

dun

Yeah, they have been cut many times. Just cant get rid of them. Everytime I think I have they come back.

 

[dun]

Yeah, they have been cut many times. Just cant get rid of them. Everytime I think I have they come back.

Once they get to tire staubbing size I dig them out with the loader bucket. I sprayed once with rememdy and it killed them, but as hard as BJ is, it seemed like it was even harder after it died.

dun

 

[cfpinz]

We've used a bunch of the Bush Hog brands over the years. Seem to hold up better than the others. Couple of neighbors have the JD cutters, BH has heavier gearboxes and decking compared to the ones I've seen. What size are you looking for?

cfpinz

 

[Stocker Steve]

We've used a bunch of the Bush Hog brands over the years. Seem to hold up better than the others. Couple of neighbors have the JD cutters, BH has heavier gearboxes and decking compared to the ones I've seen. What size are you looking for?

cfpinz

Light duty JD "LX" is 6 foot wide max. You need to go to the medium duty JD "MX" unit for a 7 foot or wider cut. I was thinking 6 or 7 feet.

 

[cfpinz]

Bush Hog makes a model 3008 I believe. Looks to be a nice mower, 8 feet, but would do a better job of covering your tractor width and would be faster, specially when you consider your overlap. I've seen a couple Woods mowers that look nice, too. As far as other brands, I haven't a clue. I'm allergic to green paint.

cfpinz

 

[TXBobcat]

We've got a 7' King Kutter with the 60 hp gearbox. So far it has held up good.

 

[Subsoil]

From what I've seen, the Kodiaks look like decent mowers for the money.

http://www.kodiakmfg.com/products/Kodiak_Rotary_Cutters.pdf

I would think they would work for what your talking about. If you get into the larger brush I'd go with a heavy duty Bush Hog, Rhino, the yellow ones like the state buys (Bush Whacker I think). However, a heavy duty Bush Hog is price twice as high as the Kodiaks.

 

[OklaBrangusBreeder]

Personally, I would not buy any cutter other than a Rhino....

I have a medium duty 8-Ft Rhino TW-96 model and have been VERY satisfied. It can cut anything I can drive over.

Best cutter I've ever used.

 

[Arnold Ziffle]

Same here, OkBB. I've run over some of the most gawd-awful stuff with my Rhino, and also lowered it down onto some pretty darn thick tree trunks, and it has never failed me. If not for that clutch I shudder to think of how many shear pins I would have gone though in the last 10+ years.

 

[tom4018]

I have had a JD MX10 for about five years now. Not had any problems with it, but wish it had a smoother cut. Real tall grass it just seems to leave it a little rougher. Kinda like it does not lift up the grass the tractor ran over. They gave me a different set of blades that did improve it some.

 

[msscamp]

Personally, I would not buy any cutter other than a Rhino....

I have a medium duty 8-Ft Rhino TW-96 model and have been VERY satisfied. It can cut anything I can drive over.

Best cutter I've ever used.

We've got a Rhino, too. That cutter is older than I am, I think, it's the only mower I've ever seen Dad use, and it's still going strong!

 

[MrBilly]

I have a ten foot Rhino. Bought new about 6 years ago. The Right rear wheel has fallen off twice - weld broke and wheel and axle came loose; the blade pan fell off once and flew 15 feet landing near a cow - got all bunged up and had to buy a new one. Other than that it seems to work well.

Billy

 

[cmjust0]

The only rotary mower I've got on my place is a 5' light duty King Kutter, because A) it's all I could afford and B) I don't have enough tractor to break a shear bolt -- let alone a gearbox.

The King Kutter is pretty 'tinny,' and if I had more tractor, I'd probably want more mower. For grass and thistle (and the occasional rock or stump) on fairly hard slopes, though, a low-slung 58 year old 8N Ford and a 5' King Kutter makes a pretty good mowing rig, IMO.

 

[El_Putzo]

My in-laws have a 10 ft Sidewinder I believe is the name. The run it over things that it shouldn't run over. It seems pretty tough. As I said, not positive on the name. We use a Bush Hog 3210 with the 100+ HP gear boxes.

 

[bigbull338]

sidewinders are old shredders.an they are tough like you say.ive got 2 shredders a 10ft mowhawk thats nothing but a headache.an a 6ft bushhogg that does its job.so if you can find a bushhogg id buy it hands down.

 

[Caustic Burno]

Same here, OkBB. I've run over some of the most gawd-awful stuff with my Rhino, and also lowered it down onto some pretty darn thick tree trunks, and it has never failed me. If not for that clutch I shudder to think of how many shear pins I would have gone though in the last 10+ years.

I have a Rhino and Sidewinder both good cutters, Sidewinder is for serious cutting.