HP requirements for a brush hog

Robin Hood · Dec 15, 2023

I was wondering how much horsepower is needed for a six foot brush hog. (not a finish mower)
Thanks

NY 986 · Dec 15, 2023

I'd want at least 30 PTO HP and that would not be enough for really tall vegetation or tough conditions such as saplings.

sotxbill · Dec 15, 2023

Answers will be all over the place. What are you cutting, how often, and how high. But a 38 pto hp tractor usually handles a 6 foot rotary cutter, shredder or brush hog. BUT.. if its jungle, then now it will not handle that. Trees and brush,, also not a good ideal. At the same time if you cut it every two weeks a 32 hp tractor might do the job, but you can ever let it grow much longer than two weeks. I have cleared a lot of brush by backing into it, with the shredder raised up high, and then repeating till it cut down to normal height, so yes you can do more if you willing to work slowly at it. trouble with raised very high is,,, that it throws all kinds of debris at you and everyone else. Then again, I have destroyed a few shredders along the way.

DeltaRed · Dec 15, 2023

Better to ask,what tractor do you have now? Or planning to buy. There is no 'magic number'. An 8N may pull a 6 ft,or it may take something bigger. All depends upon what what you are wanting to cut. However,30-40 horse is big enough for most jobs

Steve in IL · Dec 15, 2023

As others have stated, 35ish HP is plenty. If the going gets tough you just move over a bit, and only cut what you can. More importantly, having a tractor with live PTO or a two stage clutch is more useful than more power. And having a big/ heavy enough tractor (perhaps some front weight) to handle safely lifting a 6 foot mower is important.

Bill(Wis) · Dec 15, 2023

Here are some pics of a 62 PTO HP tractor (Kubota M6800) running a 6' Land Pride RC. No power problems here but in cutting heavy 5' high grass the tractor's low gear was too fast to keep the mower from clogging and slipping the mower's clutch. Just took a half swath to keep that from happening. I think a slower gear (creeper) would have helped. Before this I was using a 70 year old WD Allis Chalmers that had probably 25-27 PTO HP and it proved somewhat challenging but got the job done mostly because that tractor, while also having a too fast 1st gear had that magnificent hand clutch that could be slipped when necessary. Also that tractor's front end was a little bit light but manageable.

danofarming · Dec 15, 2023

I choked my 85 HP with an 8 foot. All depends on what is being cut and how speedy one is.

Robin Hood · Dec 15, 2023

Its a JD 1520 with 48 hp at the pto.

old · Dec 15, 2023

Many years ago I needed to do some brush hogging and all I had was a 1935 JD B. I picked up a 3 point brush hog and rigged a set of arms to hold the front of the hog up and brush hogged with it. It was a 6 foot hog by the way. The B did lack power but I got the cutting done by taking half widths

Vicinalvictor · Dec 15, 2023

I use a 6 ft. brush hog on a 50 hp. John Deere, 38 hp. at the pto. Tractor walks with the mower, no problem.

westga · Dec 15, 2023

Got a 6 ft behind my 1520. Handles it okay. It all depends on what you cutting.

Destroked 450 · Dec 15, 2023

(quoted from post at 18:19:03 12/15/23) Its a JD 1520 with 48 hp at the pto.

That tractor should handle a 6 footer with no issues
I pull a 10 ft trailed Howse with my 52 pto hp 4000 Ford

This is looking out the windshield of my 72 pto hp 6610 pulling a 15 ft batwing taking full cut

rusty6 · Dec 15, 2023

Cockshutt 40 handled my six foot Farm King just fine in cattails. In third gear it was working but I could have gone down a couple of gears if necessary. I usually run it with the 730 Case which has power to spare. The slipclutch on the mower will let go if I push it too hard. Some video here of the Cockshutt cutting sloughs in January and that is a rare occurence for us.
Cockshutt Cutting Cattails

jm. · Dec 15, 2023

Bill as for what MOST folks consider bush hogging you certainly are on the heavy side. Most folks are calling bush hogging maybe on foot high grass or so. You are on the border line of CLEARING certainly cutting saplings . That tractor is sold ever day with 7 ft cutters and for most folks does a great job and even some sold with 8 ft cutters. Good thing you purchased that heavy duty Land Pride, looks like it is doing a good job.

Bill(Wis) · Dec 15, 2023

Yes, some of those saplings were over 20' tall. I've done hundreds of miles of roadside cutting and lots of fence line cutting by backing into substantial brush thickets. Only real damage occurred when some brush branches took out the tail light assembly on the tractor. That cost me about $100 or so. (;>))

zuhnc · Dec 15, 2023

My 5 foot Bush Hog (tm) does just fine behind my 1951 8N. Mow (?) 3-4 foot tall brush, as well saplings and small trees up to about 3" in diameter. Cedar trees growing around my oak trees are my favorite to chop up. Take about a 4-1/2 foot swath.

old · Dec 15, 2023

You know ceder trees are a sign of poor soil don't you??

gene bender · Dec 16, 2023

the big thing is what are you going to mow that will determine how much HP is needed

John M · Dec 16, 2023

I have an older 6ft bushhog squeeler I use behind my M Farmall and it does just fine. If I dont let it get more than a foot or so tall, I can go in 4th, but most of the time its 3rd.

Mike Groom · Dec 16, 2023

I always figured a minimum of 5 HP per foot of mower, in heavy stuff I would push that up to 6 or 7 HP.

HP requirements for a brush hog

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