Dream to Reality

[wtnhunt]

1 hour ago, fly said:

I've seen the ride over rotary blade cutters on the newer tractors. Are these just for mowing the lawn every week or two or can they be used to cut brush?

I think you are talking about the jd mid mount mowers on compacts and subcompacts.  Those are a belly mower that is for mowing the yard.  That said, I have used my little kubota for mowing clover, with the 5 ft deck it does ok so long as I do not let it go too long.  I would not use that mower for cutting brush, the blades are not made for that, nor is the deck.  It would likely break something or cause premature wear.

People call them different names Frank.  A rough cut mower, bush hog, brush hog, 3 pt rotary cutter are all the same thing.  "Bush hog" is a name brand, but that is what I grew up calling a rotary cutter.  Typically what is referred to as a "pull behind" works off the pto and rests on wheels and does NOT utilize the 3 pt lift, but rather attaches to the drawbar and is pulled like a trailer.  I would not suggest that type of mower, they cannot be picked up with your 3 pt hitch.  A normal rotary cutter/mower(brush hog or bush hog) will have one or sometime 2 tail wheels and is lifted with the 3 pt hitch.  I would strongly advise getting a mower/cutter that has a heavy duty stump jumper and a slip clutch.  A lot of mowers use a sheer bolt through the driveshaft into the cutters gearbox hub instead of using clutches, a pain in the rear and typically are not built as heavy duty.  A stump jumper is basically a pan attached by splines to the gearbox shaft that the blades swing from.  This allows the blades to spin free and not bind, and when you hit a stump or something uneven with the stump jumper, the clutches keep from damaging the driveline of the tractor.   

Yes, ideally your mower is slightly wider than your rear tires, makes for easier tracking when cutting.  I would think a 40 hp tractor would fit your needs pretty easily, would run a 5-6 ft tiller or a heavy enough disc to work the ground and could run a 6 ft bush hog.  

[fly]

Thanks William! This is all new to me. Things I'm picking up on.. Compact over sub-compact. Rotary cutter (stump jumper and slip clutch) that attaches to the PTO that is wider than the tractor. 40hp and Realtree Coupon for 50% off if I place a RT Outdoors sticker on it! I'm getting there.