Yair . . . I was watching a Bobcat skid-steer jigger clearing some brush with an outfront rotary slasher (brushhog?) type attachment and he didn't seem to be doing too well. I see on this board that this type pf attachment and flail mowers are fairly common in the US. How effective are these things and what is the application? From what I saw clearance was an issue and quite frankly a common old 50hp 4x4 wheel tractor with a four-in-one and PTO driven slasher would have run rings around the skid . . . on that particular job. Cheers.
I have a bushhog for my T250. It works well cutting grass and small brush. It can handle up to 4" pines and 2" hardwoods efficiently, of course I have taken down bigger trees but not productively. For my operation it works well. I don't do a lot of brush cutting but I do have a top client that we cut his properties when needed. For me it's an added service I can provide. Also being an attachment, I don't have another power unit to maintain and insure. I have done enough cutting with the attachment to pay for it a couple of times and allows me to be a more full service contractor to my clients - my number stays at the top of the list. Currently we are cutting my clients property, approx. 20 acres including the commercial and residential lots. Some of the cutting is nice flat ground other parts are on 3:1 slopes and cutting 4-5' tall pines that have grown over the lots. If I was in the bush hogging business I don't think I could be profitable with a Bobcat and bush hog, as a tractor would perform more efficiently.
we have a brushhog for our jd332. We use it for ROW clearing jobs and on pond cleaning jobs. Works great for small trees and heavy brush.
A brush cutter is like any piece of equipment, they have their place. If you're simply mowing a field, hard to beat the production of a tractor with a bush hog. But in rough terrain, slopes, overgrown areas, a brush cutter on a skid excels, especially if used on a CTL.
always helps if the blades are sharp, and dont look like someones hit every rock and stuck in a 3 county area. :drinkup
The skid steer with a rotary brush mower beats a tractor in situations where there is heavy growth that you need to cut in front of the equipment, e.g. you don't want to drive the tractor over it before it gets cut. You can back a tractor into some brush but the cutters aren't designed for that and can be damaged. As has been already mentioned, it's not the best for cutting grass, except maybe for steep slopes. But I can drive it into brush that I wouldn't drive the tractor into. I can also tilt it up or lift it and trim tree branches, etc. (demolition door recommended for operator protection.) There are several different design types which work very differently.
Let's talk about safety on a skidsteer and brushcutter. I will admit that I do have the safety switch removed that cuts the mower off when it's lifted a foot or so off the ground. With the safety switch removed, the mower can be raised over obstacles, mow banks, etc without being cut off. That being said a mower with the safety switch removed is a very DANGEROUS attachment in the hands of an inexperienced operator. I have seen blades break and slice a gash in the side of a brushcat, mine broke a blade two months ago, put a 2" gash in it. A demolition door is NO match for a broke blade spinning out of control, it would go right through a cab post, doesn't matter what door you have. Keep the mower low and never raise it with the blades spinning level with any part of the cab. Those blades create a world of hurt when they break.:cool2
^^^ Wow, good point! When I said "raised", I was mostly talking about tilting it up in front, keeping the rear very close to the ground. When I have needed to get it high for tree limbs, I've done it vertically so that anything thrown back would be directed at the ground. But you do bring up a good point. My cutter does not have a "safety switch" at all. In fact, the skids on mine are designed to allow it to be tipped forward so that the blades cut at ground level or below. But your warning about blades breaking is good. I have only had a blade break one time, when I lowered the brush mower (behind a tractor) too fast and it hit a stump that I thought I had cleared. But it's possible that damage on one day wouldn't show up until sometime later. Ken
I took the opportunity to share some first hand experience of what a broke blade can do, not suggesting you didn't run your mower safely. Folks less experienced with one of these may have a false sense of security with a "Forestry Package" equipped machine. I have a seen a gash as long as 6-8" in the side of a brushcat where the blade broke and sliced right through it.
One of the things I've run into- is matching the cutter to the machine. I picked up a 72" CID a while back, just for those tough spots like have been mentioned. I hang it on a CAT 242, 2,000# Operating capacity... Engine wise, the little 55HP or so is fine, but just not enough arse to keep things settled for me. I've not yet run it with my OTT tracks (for more weight), but I do caution anyone looking to do it to give thought to that aspect of the operation. Just my .02$
Yair . . . thanks for all reply's, some good points raised. To stretch the thread a little futher . . . I find it interesting how different regions and countries develop different methods and machinery for doing the same job. In the mid 'eighties I was working in New Zealand and was amazed to see the grass cutting equipment in use over there. the rotary cutter units (slashers) mounted on an arm on the back of a tractor were very common. They could tuck in tight behind like a conventional unit, extend side ways and angle down to cut batters and I even saw one turned verticle out the side trimming a hedge. I have still never seen one over here in Oz. The Kiwi's seem to be early adopters though . . . at the same time the mini rubber-track ex's were all the go over there and it was well into the nineties before they caught on (in my parts) of "over here". Cheers.
We have a new Cat with a mower for grass around the place goes great for no more than a 1/2 hr then it overheats just cloggs the radiator & air filter with grass etc Cheers
Anybody used the brush monster? I am in the process of get a skid steer and I want a cutter but there are so many out there in all price ranges. What are the recommendations? The bobcat brush cat is out. If I need to mow grass. Will get the law mower or the tractor. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
I have a Brush Monster.
How do you like it? Do you have the standard or high flow? I was wondering how the standard flow works. Is the high flow necessary ? Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
We have a bradco 60. Went with the narrower mower so the machine would not have such a hard time cutting the thick stuff.
Mine is the standard flow, it works fine. I think it turns slower than the bush hog on the tractor, I assume the high flow might speed that up, but it does an okay job. When taking down saplings, it doesn't seem to chew them up very well but then maybe I'm not going slow enough. It's best for going through heavy brush, particularly brush that you wouldn't want to drive a tractor through. It does a great job for that. The skid steer rocks too much for a good cut in the pasture although I do use it sometimes for hills where I'm too nervous with the tractor (or I end up backing the tractor down the hill).