We need a replacement cutter since ours is having issues. We want to look at TSC Countyline brand but wanted to get more input/reviews. We are also looking at Bush Hog brand and John Deere at the local dealerships. We either want a 4’ or 5’. We have flat pastures, no rocks, no stumps, etc. with grass/weeds to cut no brush or small trees.
Any suggestions are appreciated.
Sounds like you may just need a mower if no brush or small trees. I have a Brush hog I only use on trails, gopher mounds and brush. For grass and flat no bumps we use an 8’ New Holland finish mower.
When we were looking for a rotary, finding one with a slip clutch was priority. I didn’t want to chase down sheer pins rather than do the work in the field.
The old John Deere rotaries were built with a slip clutch, but the newer ones made by Frontier use a sheer pin. I’m not sure about the other brands on your list, but it’s something to check.
We have an older John Deere 4’ model with the slip clutch, and it’s been stellar. Really solid, does exactly what we need every time.
i have a 6’ JD. Works fine, but i wish i had an 8’
Have a 5’ old rusted one …don’t know who made it actually. Anyhow, i use it to beat the shoots to death on saplings so they don’t puncture tires. Nice sharp blades make for flat tractor tires when you’re cutting brush. Also not good for horse hooves.
If pastures are already in good shape, not brushy, a finish mower could be a better choice than another brush hog. I like my finish mower because it cuts everything at the same height. Mine (Ford) has hinged arms to the 3pt hitch, so it rides seperately from the tractor. This is unlike the tractor and brush hog without the center hinge point.
Finish mowers cut smoother, should have a side chute for cut grass, to spread it instead of making windrows like a brush hog does with rear chute. The spread out, cut grass dries very fast, gone in a day or so to add benefits to your soil.
I have been unable to kill the 5’ JD brush hog. It’s still functional. Very tough machine, and I take it through some very feral stuff, it turns abused, ignored and damaged ground into pasture. I did break a few shear pins originally, but not recently. Things get more civilized the more times it’s been cut.
If your land is in better condition than ours was when I started on it, it may be overkill for you. But the brush hog still does the job if you are not looking to turn it into a golf course.
We have the TSC Countyline. We’ve only had it a year so I can’t speak to longevity, but we have been pleased with it.
We use it to mow my grassy flat paddocks and also to obliterate small brush / saplings. We have a small acreage in FL for reference.
I have a Land Pride rotary cutter. Have only had it for one year but am happy with it. I think the one we have is heavier duty than what you need. I have to admit I accidentally ran over the end of an 8x8 one time that was buried in brush and it appears to be no worse for the wear.
I would go with a flail mower, it does a much better job chopping up materials, you can get results much closer to a finish mower, and chipper shredder combined. Plus they are much safer. I would steer clear of county line, but that is just me, It is probably one of the cheapest out there, but I like to buy non Chinese made equipment.
I’d love to find a flail mower small enough to be run by a small tractor. I’ve looked around and everything I’ve turned up needs significant HP.
A 4-5 foot rotary needs 20-25 HP. Can you show me a flail that is the same?
I just looked on Ebay, the Peruzzo Fox-S 1600 is 20-30 hp, also on everything attachments most of their mowers have a smaller model that start at 20 hp. some even as low as 15. Brush hogs are going to be much cheaper, but they also have a far inferior cut and take up way more space.
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