Rotary Mower Confusion

[probe1957]

My new BX2230 with FEL and 60" MMM was delivered Saturday. I have already put 10 hours on it and I was out of town for the weekend. :)

We are in the market for some type of rotary mower and I am confused as to exactly what I should buy. The dealers all seem to want to sell whatever they have in stock so I am coming here for an unbiased and expert opinion.

I am pretty sure I have heard that for my particular tractor, I want a 48" mower, but the manual says it can handle a maximum of 60". Anyone know for sure what size mower would be best for me?

My second area of confusion is over the terms used to describe rotary mowers. Bush hog, brush hog, finish mower, rotary mower. Are these terms used interchangably?

Let me describe what we have and what I want to do and solicit your advice on what I should buy.

We have a total of 40 acres. About 4 acres is yard and is mowed with the MMM. We have about 15 acres of horse pasture that needs to be mowed a couple of times a year. The rest is woods. I need a rotary mower that will MOSTLY be used for the pastures but that I MIGHT also want to use in the woods for keeping trails cut down and general maintenance. I do not expect a mower to cut down 3" diameter trees, but 3/4" saplings would be nice.

Can anyone recommend a specific brand and size of mower that would suit my needs and my equipment?

Thanks much.

[Steve (Magnolia, TX)]

First off...
:congrats:
Congratulations on your purchase!!!
:congrats:

Now, let me answer your questions, as best I can (using my opinions... I'm no expert)

...I am pretty sure I have heard that for my particular tractor, I want a 48" mower, but the manual says it can handle a maximum of 60". Anyone know for sure what size mower would be best for me?

I'd probably try to stick with ~48". The spec sheet that I found for your tractor lists ~22HP engine and just over 16HP PTO... you'd be able to pull 60", but you wouldn't be able to cut very big or heavy stuff.

...My second area of confusion is over the terms used to describe rotary mowers. Bush hog, brush hog, finish mower, rotary mower. Are these terms used interchangably?

Yes and no... Bush Hog is a brand name of tractor implements. Brush hog is a 'generic' name of (what is commonly called) a rotary mower. A rotary mower is (by my definition, anyway) a rough cut mower. From 4' to 7' they are typically one gearbox (and spindle) with 2 large, heavy blades that add centrifugal force to the cutting power of the driven gearbox. From 8' to 10' you will find single and dual gearbox mowers and up to 15' will be a triple gearbox mower (I've not encountered bigger than 15', they may exist).
A finish mower will have shorter blades, typically on 2 or more spindles (gearboxes) and is basically your MMM that is 3-point-hitch mounted.

...Let me describe what we have and what I want to do and solicit your advice on what I should buy.

We have a total of 40 acres. About 4 acres is yard and is mowed with the MMM. We have about 15 acres of horse pasture that needs to be mowed a couple of times a year. The rest is woods. I need a rotary mower that will MOSTLY be used for the pastures but that I MIGHT also want to use in the woods for keeping trails cut down and general maintenance. I do not expect a mower to cut down 3" diameter trees, but 3/4" saplings would be nice.

Can anyone recommend a specific brand and size of mower that would suit my needs and my equipment?

Thanks much.

For your description, I'd recommend a 48" (4') brush hog. I cut up to 1" saplings (oaks, etc.) and 1.5" - 2" softwoods (pine) with my old 48" brush hog (on my 8N).
As to a brand... Bush Hog is a good brand. However, they tend to be a bit "expensive" in my opinion (not saying that they're not worth the money, it's just more than I care to drop).
King Kutter and Howse are a couple of low end... cheaper models. If you get a heavy duty King Kutter or Howse (they're available at Tractor Suppy, Rural King, various other places) you'd probably be alright.

Just my thoughts on things....

:goodl:
Come on back with more questions....

And don't forget....

:wwp:

[probe1957]

Thank you, Steve. That was very helpful.

[USN_ED]

I hope I didn't overlook it in Steve's response but the 48" mower will be better for you if you do in fact use it in the wooded area of your property. It will be far easier to manuver a 48" mower around trees and other obstacles and less likely to snag on obstructions.

[Steve (Magnolia, TX)]

Thank you, Steve. That was very helpful.


Glad to have been of assistance...

It's rare that I get to a question out here that I feel "qualified" to answer that nobody else has jumped on....

:00000060:

[Michael]

I have a Woods rotary mower and it is model number RCC42. This is a 42" model and does a really good job with my old Kubota L185. I went with this as the price was right and it fit my property really good. In my pasture I have several tree and the distance between them would not allow me to get in with a 48" rotary mower. For the most part I am really satified with the mower, the only problem I found with mine was the setup guy overfilled mine with gear oil and I had to drain a bit of it from the gearbox.


The woods doesn't over stress the tractor and Pulling it thru even the really thick stuff has been no problem because I went undersized for the tractor, yea in the wide open areas I have had to do a couple passes but in the tight areas I was glad I bought the smaller one.

[probe1957]

I pulled the trigger this weekend and bought a KingKutter XB. It is even orange. :)

Thanks to everyone for the input.