HP Requirement

JWA · Oct 14, 2020

Is there a rule of thumb on HP required per Foot of bush hog/rotary cutter?

LonM · Oct 14, 2020

I'm sure the owner's manuals have recommended horsepower ranges, but our 7 foot wide Farm King rotary brush cutter works really well with 70 PTO horsepower.

Lon

Moonlite37 · Oct 14, 2020

As a general rule a pull type pulls easier than a three point. Also not all maufacturers have the same construction. I pull a six foot woods with a "B: Farmall with no problems and pull s six foot Woods three point with a Kioti CL35. and a ten foot Howse with a "M" Farmall. All three get along well

Brendon-KS · Oct 14, 2020

It depends on what you're cutting but I'd say a minimum of 5 hp per foot for average conditions. The big, heavy cutters that are capable of eating small trees would require more.

Russ from MN · Oct 14, 2020

We run a 6 foot on a JD4600, (37 pto hp) but when I get in brush I use some pretty low gears! We have some slough grass that is up to your head when your on the tractor, that requires using lower gears too. Otherwise you can drive about as fast as practical. I suppose if my blades were sharp it would take less hp, but we have a lot of rocks, and stumps cut with a dull blade are less apt to puncture a tire.

the tractor vet · Oct 14, 2020

Well the new to us 10 foot Brush HOG was usen everything the 806 could dish out in low 3 in heavy weeds up as high as the hood . as the sun was going down and the head lights came on you then could see about 6 inches of fire out the pipe to go along with the skeeter fogger .

MikeinKy · Oct 14, 2020

I use a 7 ft sidewinder on a 2510 john deere, 54 pto hp.

fixerupper · Oct 14, 2020

In the heavy brome grass and bull grass we have a 6 Woods brush cutter will bring my 50 horse 630 Deere to its knees in second gear. The B Farmall handles a 5 Woods finish mower fairly well but has its hands full in 6 grass and cant handle taller brome grass.

Traditional Farmer · Oct 15, 2020

All depends on what you are going to cut,an old pasture with a few weeds very little HP is required get into some very heavy Fescue with bushes grown up about to the top of the exhaust pipe that hasn't been cut in a few year you can't have too much HP.Also terrain is a big factor with my Sidewinder 10ft wide
cutter need have a heavy tractor lugging it around up and down the hills.My 98 HP Long 9500 is just right.

Texasmark1 · Oct 15, 2020

No..........

Dean · Oct 15, 2020

The general rule of thumb used by most folks is 5 PTO HP per foot of rough cut mower.

Of course, it depends upon what you plan to cut and how fast you want to move when doing so.

I use a Woods BB720X HD 6' cutter with my Kubota L6060 53 PTO HP HST and it's all it wants in the tough stuff. If I turn the stall guard on, the computer will routinely reduce ground speed, sometimes to zero, in heavy cover.

I keep my blades sharp like a lawn mower but do cut as closely as possible without skid rail damage to the ground, and, yes, the mower does clear well.

Dean

Determined · Oct 15, 2020

Every situation is different

If you have lots of hills and don't like bogging down and shifting gears all the time I wouldn't go with any less than 10 HP per foot.

Pancake flat land without any heavy brush 1/2 that HP is likely more than enough.

HP Requirement

JWA

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LonM

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Moonlite37

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Brendon-KS

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Russ from MN

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the tractor vet

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MikeinKy

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fixerupper

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Traditional Farmer

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Texasmark1

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Dean

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Determined

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