Rotary cutter suggestions

[tom4018]

I really dislike my 10 foot JD MX10 and would like to save some time mowing pastures. With 62 hp I am considering a 12 foot cutter. Any suggestions on brands with a good cut? I see some manufacturers say 50 HP on 15 foot cutters but worry that is too much. Mostly fairly flat ground.

 

[jltrent]

I have one like this. It works good with a 60 hp tractor and does a good job on pasture fields.

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[Hogfarmer10]

I have very high opinions of rhino. Have had a 10' and currently have a 15'. My grievance with 12' batwings is it just seems like it's a lot more moving parts for just a 2' gain. 3 gearboxes vs 2 on a 10'. Lots more universal joints + PTO drivelines. Etc.

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

Can't imagine pulling a 15' mower mowing anything but a lawn with 50hp.

I pull my 15' woods with 105hp minimum, up to 200hp. 105hp gets it done but it's slow, I'll run it on 180-200hp given a choice.

 

[Lucky]

It really depends on what you are cutting. If you'll be cutting some brush or rougher pastures I'd get another JD or a Bush Hog. Just mowing grass I'd be fine with a Land Pride or Woods. I think you'll like the flex wing, they follow the ground better than the straight deck mowers.

 

[tom4018]

I guess I never thought about that but feel like I don't have the ho for 15 footer even though some specs say 50 go for them.

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

Just about every manufacture has different levels of "heavy duty-ness" depending on what you want to cut.

JD would be the last on my list. Had some terrible experiences with their gearboxes and the cost to replace them.

My 15' woods and my 8' rhino have mulched up whatever the tractor will drag them over. Replaced some blades and slip clutch frictions along the way but those are wear items.

 

[Atimm693]

For clipping pastures I'd say that's enough. If you're shredding thick brush and small trees, you'll want a lot more power.

Also depends on what tractor, those mowers are pretty tongue heavy, could make the front end light.

I always thought JD cutters cut the best but were the least heavy duty. Sharp blades make a big difference on any cutter, seems like most owners neglect them.

 

[tom4018]

For clipping pastures I'd say that's enough. If you're shredding thick brush and small trees, you'll want a lot more power.

Also depends on what tractor, those mowers are pretty tongue heavy, could make the front end light.

I always thought JD cutters cut the best but were the least heavy duty. Sharp blades make a big difference on any cutter, seems like most owners neglect them.

My JD MX10 has the worst cut ever and a friend had one that did the dame. If my place was visible from the road I would be embarrassed at how the cut looks.

 

[Atimm693]

My JD MX10 has the worst cut ever and a friend had one that did the dame. If my place was visible from the road I would be embarrassed at how the cut looks.

Interesting. We've got an HX20 and an HX15, they both cut like a lawn mower and stripe well.

 

[chaded]

It's been alluded to already but what are you cutting? I use a mx7 behind a tractor that has 60 pto hp and I can't imagine going a whole lot bigger unless it was grass, and not very tall and thick.

 

[tom4018]

It's been alluded to already but what are you cutting? I use a mx7 behind a tractor that has 60 pto hp and I can't imagine going a whole lot bigger unless it was grass, and not very tall and thick.

Mostly pasture, currently using a JD MX10 and the cut is terrible. I have used it behind a 55 hp tractor without issues so 12 should not be a problem.

 

[bird dog]

You need 6HP per foot of width. 8 HP would be better.

 

[Brute 23]

I was pricing some equipment out for a place a year or so ago and I actually got really good reviews from two guys on JD cutters. Forgot the model numbers but they were the heavier duty ones. Both guys cut commercially. I was talking about how hard it was to even find a cutter on the lot at that time.

We run both Woods and Bushhog in batwings and one 10ft straight deck Bushhog.

No way I'm running the 15' bw Iike we have behind a new 50 or 60hp tractor. I drive a 60hp Kubota around some times and our Woods bw would pull it... not the Kubota pulling the bw. The weight concerns me more than the hp. That little tractor doesn't have enough ars. We use to have an old school 80 hp that handled it decent but they are heavy compared to the new tractors. The 6120 handles them way better but I can load that 120hp up with that 15' fairly easy.

The straight deck 10' Bushhog is still one of my favorite cutters. It's big enough to do all the good but not like a bw with all the moving parts to maintain. It's been a very reliable cutter.

 

[tom4018]

I was pricing some equipment out for a place a year or so ago and I actually got really good reviews from two guys on JD cutters. Forgot the model numbers but they were the heavier duty ones. Both guys cut commercially. I was talking about how hard it was to even find a cutter on the lot at that time.

We run both Woods and Bushhog in batwings and one 10ft straight deck Bushhog.

No way I'm running the 15' bw Iike we have behind a new 50 or 60hp tractor. I drive a 60hp Kubota around some times and our Woods bw would pull it... not the Kubota pulling the bw. The weight concerns me more than the hp. That little tractor doesn't have enough ars. We use to have an old school 80 hp that handled it decent but they are heavy compared to the new tractors. The 6120 handles them way better but I can load that 120hp up with that 15' fairly easy.

The straight deck 10' Bushhog is still one of my favorite cutters. It's big enough to do all the good but not like a bw with all the moving parts to maintain. It's been a very reliable cutter.

If mine cut better I would be happier, lived with it over 20 years and probably will longer. I get real disappointed in the cut quality as it won't pick the grass up and tracks stand back up.

 

[littletom]

A red one that says Bush Hog on it

 

[cfpinz]

My JD MX10 has the worst cut ever and a friend had one that did the dame. If my place was visible from the road I would be embarrassed at how the cut looks.

Did the same person set both of them up?

A friend of mine had a similar complaint about a 15' JD model, and when I ran it past my cousin he said those bush hogs need a front to rear rake when set up. Cousin has an HX10 I believe, and it cuts nicely.

 

[tom4018]

Not sure if they came from the same dealer or not. I experimented with mine a lot, they gave me a different set of blades to try, never has picked up the grass that the tractor runs over.

 

[WFfarm]

We use a JD MX10 for swampy grass and light brush with a 105 HP tractor. Cuts good for us, but were not looking for appearances or fine mowing.

We have had issue with the gearboxes too. Dealer replaced the whole gearbox on one side a few months after we got it (used). Neighbor borrowed it last year to cut corn stalks and broke one of the output shafts. Dealer sent a replacement one that had the wrong gear ratio and blades hit first time we turned in on. Went back and forth with the dealer, to finally find out we ordered the correct part, but they sent the wrong part in the right box. Replacement output shaft was almost $1000. I don't think I would buy another JD bushhog.

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

My father has a JD MX8 that he pulls with a 65hp tractor that cuts real nice. It has probably 100 hours on it cutting nothing more that grass and weeds. In that 100 hours it's had 3 or 4 gearbox failures. Finially we quit dealing with JD and we retrofitted some other gearboxes on it.

Soured my taste with JD and wouldn't touch another.