rotary mowers

I am looking to buy a new 8' woods rotary mower either a pull type or mounted but
I'm leaning toward the pull type. The 50 series is heavier duty than the 30 series
but is about $2300 more dollars but I think I'll go with the 50 series. The other
possibility is an 8' offset mower (DSO 8.50) but not sure of the cost. I have 72
and 90 PTO HP tractors. Any opinions or experience with these mowers?
Thanks,
Phil

No direct experience with 8' rough cut mowers but once owned a Woods MDS1260 mounted 10' cutter.

Heavy, rugged, etc, but not pleased with performance on my ground so replaced it with a Woods BW15.50, 15' BW, which nas been wonderful once properly set-up.

The BW mows much better than any of the mounted mowers that I have owned whether 5, 6, 7 or 10'.

I have/had a mounted 6' JD and I did not like the cut, (broke the spindle on a hidden stump that the stump jumper didn't jump also). That is why I am leaning toward a pull type. I would go wider but I have to get through some narrow areas.
Phil

Batwing mowers will fold up as narrow or narrower than the tractor tracks.

At one time, 3 point equipment was the best thing since cotton candy. But that was at a time when alot of equipment was mounted, and the 3 point system was much better than 2 point, semi mounted, or other forms of mounted.

Not that way anymore. Most equipment has reverted back to pull type. Especially for your larger tractors. A 3 point set up on a large tractor sees virtually no use (in my area).

3 point equipment had its day. Still semi convenient if that's what you have. But I'd rather have stuff pull type (my opinion). Having a little old handy tractor with a 3 point rotary mower that you already have, might be an exception. Probably be my only exception. Other than a 3 point bale spear or something like that.

Perhaps its not the feedback you requested, but Im really not a fan of 8 foot rotary mowers. Too wide to build with a single gearbox (so more expensive), but only a foot wider than the single spindle 7 foot models. Also, unless you are cutting heavy brush, the heavy duty models are, in my opinion over rated/priced. As others have mentioned, you might consider a flex wing mower (drawbar), as it gives you much more capacity, along with reduced scalping and side cutting capability (and it folds up to fit through areas where an 8 foot mower wont). Your 90hp tractor ought to be able to handle it (but will not be fast in tough conditions, which is actually good).

Otherwise, perhaps price a single spindle 7 foot mower.

We decided to go with both (both used, but in good shape, for less than the price of one new mower). We pull a 15 foot Rhino SR15 behind an 81 hp JD 5425, and a 3 point 7 foot JD 717 behind a 55 hp JD 2240. I find that each tractor mower combo has its place in our field mowing challenges

I have.... a 5,6,7,8,10 and 15 foot mower. Ironically, all but the 15' are 3pt mounted. Thoughts... the 7' matches the 50-100 hp tractors perfectly, and does not stick out, so it safer and easier for the wife to maneuver around trees and gates. She forgets sometimes when using the 8 and 10 foot mowers and I have lots of bent or damaged gates to prove it. The 10 foot is a bit risky to haul as it sticks out a foot on either side of the trailer so I might get pulled over someday or hit something while transporting it from place to place. THE 15 foot is a royal pain to hook up, load and unload with out a long loading ramp, and lots of work just to get it someplace. Just getting on the trailer safely with out it turning and going off the edge..... is a major major event!!!!! and there are NO loading ramps at most of the ranches so a steep dovetail/ramp has to be used. So 15 foot shredders are not user friendly when it comes to moving them connected to a tractor.

Now once your cutting, bigger is almost always better. Trimming along the fence line and around trees.... with a 15.... is not good. This is where the 8 and 10 ft cutters win everytime.

I also have a super heavy duty 7 foot HARDY right of way shredder that can cut anything as its a single 250 hp gear box and 1/4 plate, that I actually clear land with. This one is great for lots of logs, branches and debris that a normal shredder can not and will not tolerate. Then there are shear bolts vrs clutches.. clutches are frozen unless your break them loose every year so you end up twisting lots of pto shafts... OR... you carry a bag with a minimum of 10 bolts and nuts for the other style shredders, just to make a days worth of shredding. Did I tell you how climbing in and out of tractor 40 times a day can wear you out?

Unless you're going full-on batwing, stick with a 3pt mounted mower. The rigid connection makes tight maneuvering and backing into places (such as under low hanging trees) a non-issue.

Any new 3pt rotary mower you buy these days is going to be quick hitch compatible so hooking up is a non-issue. Just back up to it, lift, and go.

I thought having a trailing rotary mower was the way to go. The biggest problem, at least with my Bush Hog 306 trailer type, is you can't turn with it. Turn a little, and the PTO starts chattering BAD because the geometry is wrong. You have to shut the PTO off to make turns. Turn short, and the rear tires of the tractor catch on the mower deck. So there's a lot of back and forth maneuvering that shouldn't be necessary.

Pull type for me.

Need to check your PTO joint alignment

(quoted from post at 12:44:17 10/17/23) Need to check your PTO joint alignment

Click to expand...

e probably is correct in "geometry" since the hitch pivot point needs to be half way between the two u-joint connecting tractor to hog. Otherwise the two joints will be operating at different angles and that equals loud talking!

(quoted from post at 09:44:17 10/17/23) Need to check your PTO joint alignment

Click to expand...

Joint alignment is fine.

It's a one-piece PTO shaft from the tractor to the gearbox. 14" from the tip of the PTO shaft to the drawbar hole, and about 48" from the drawbar hole to the tip of the gearbox shaft. Angles are not equal, so it chatters the moment it's not straight.

(quoted from post at 13:07:06 10/17/23)

(quoted from post at 09:44:17 10/17/23) Need to check your PTO joint alignment

Click to expand...

Joint alignment is fine.

It's a one-piece PTO shaft from the tractor to the gearbox. 14" from the tip of the PTO shaft to the drawbar hole, and about 48" from the drawbar hole to the tip of the gearbox shaft. Angles are not equal, so it chatters the moment it's not straight.

Click to expand...

arnEng, I 'm sure you know, but for those that might not, here is the fix:

Just depends on how and where you use it. For me, a pull type is what i want. Have and older 5 ft here for rough areas and a 15 ft bat wing for everywhere else. Traded a 4 year old woods 8 ft for the batwing. It is a woods also.

Yup, Ive got an old pull type mower that is the same way.
Wide sweeping turns are needed or the chattering is brutal.
Only the higher price pull types have the two piece
driveline but it would be well worth it.

(quoted from post at 18:04:10 10/17/23) Yup, Ive got an old pull type mower that is the same way.
Wide sweeping turns are needed or the chattering is brutal.
Only the higher price pull types have the two piece
driveline but it would be well worth it.

Click to expand...

wouldn't think any reputable vendor would sell the single shaft hog for such an application. A lot more likely a mis-match by a buyer. Those were probably fine for some tractor/hitch application.

I have a woods 6 brush bull 3 pth, a jd hx10 pull type , and a 15 land pride series 7. All 3 cut capacity. The 3pth hitch is good for mowing steep rough ground which I do quite often you can throw it around easily on hillsides. The 10 and the 15 are fine to a degree on steep fairly smooth ground. I have no problems with drive shafts talking. Both have constant velocity joints and will turn fairly tight especially to the point of the tires hitting the 10 if Im not careful.As far as trim work I have no problem backing the 6 or 10 when needed. I will say that the woods 6 needs spacers on the lift arms which I fabricated to keep the mower from walking sideways even with the arms pinned to a fixed position as far as Im concerned this is a poor design on the brush bulls . Not everyone uses a quick hitch system. I personally like my mower fixed for no movement unless I put it there. When mowing ROWs its hard enough All 3 of my machines have clutches for the driveshafts and stump jumpers I will say Ive mowed a lot of rough steep ground especially where my farms located in swpa.. and have very good luck with all 3 machines. I work them hard with my tractors M7060 , M6-141 both 4wd. Just my $ 0.02.

(quoted from post at 10:51:01 10/17/23) BarnEng, I 'm sure you know, but for those that might not, here is the fix:

Click to expand...

Agreed. It should have come that way from the factory but the trailing option was an afterthought and they apparently never tested it at the factory, or just said "eff it" and bought more stock in Weasler when they realized it was going to wipe out knuckles left and right.

I've seen lots of them modified that way to varying degrees of "Bubba." Chunk of C-channel, old pillow block, and some water pipe for a shaft... Despite my screen name I do like to do these types of things "right" and I just can't justify the $700 worth of materials and parts I'd need for how much I use it.

Unfortunately that only addresses half the problems. I could turn but I still couldn't turn very far without the mower walking up the back of the tractor.

(quoted from post at 15:54:11 10/17/23)

(quoted from post at 18:04:10 10/17/23) Yup, Ive got an old pull type mower that is the same way.
Wide sweeping turns are needed or the chattering is brutal.
Only the higher price pull types have the two piece
driveline but it would be well worth it.

Click to expand...

wouldn't think any reputable vendor would sell the single shaft hog for such an application. A lot more likely a mis-match by a buyer. Those were probably fine for some tractor/hitch application.

Click to expand...

Bush Hog is about as reputable a vendor as you can get. Every trailing mower they produced when they made my 306 had a one-piece driveline.

The mower is built like a tank, but apparently in those days they still didn't know much about PTO drivelines.

I have a two year old mounted Woods Brush Bull 84.60. I think I paid about $6500 for it but not really sure about that because I traded in two mowers that were 25 years old. I have no complaints. The mower does everything well. It has two tail wheels.